Tummy-Turning Date Night

photo-6 When you first fall in love, you go out on a date, and it doesn’t matter where you go, because you only plan to look at one thing.  In one direction. Into each other’s eyes. This happens a lot in those early days, when you’re dazed and in crush, and all you want to see are his eyes captivated by you and that smile that curls up just a tad when he’s tickled by how into him you are. Those are fun days. Happy days. Days of infant love.

Then, years go on and you enjoy sharing experiences together. Attend a show together. Share a blanket in the stands during a game. Squeeze the life out of each others’ hands on the rides at an amusement park. All the while, your eyes are fixed on the world in front of you, but the end of the night, your eyes are back on each other as you relive the thrill of the day, the awe of what you shared, the moments that you experienced. Together. 

More years pass and you go on a date, and your eyes are everywhere. On the menu. On the big screen TV on the wall over the bar. On your iPhone, just in case someone posted some earth shattering news on Facebook. Yeah, you’re a little distracted. But, so is he, and you’re still enjoying each other’s company, and you still end the night, eyes on each other, kisses and cuddles. You’re just not fixated with the new, because you’re cozy with the years behind you and looking forward to the years ahead of you. Like a good wine or a good, I hear, it gets better with time. But it also needs to be savored and not gulped as we often do with each other in those wrapped around each other, cling-on, young love days. Right? Sure, I suppose.

But you know what? Sometimes you have to get a little crazy and do those things that you used to do when you first fell into each other’s gaze. It’s called being creative. Takes a little time and energy. And you’ll often find, when you take some initiative, smiles grow wider, hugs get tighter, and the one you love is reminded. That he’s loved. That she’s cherished. I think it’s worth the effort. Continue reading

The Who. The Who?

With the hubbub of holidays and the onset of basketball season for three out of four of our princesses, hubs and I have been overdue for a date night. So I asked for a Wednesday night. And hubs gave me an enthusiastic yes to the yes. 🙂
So as the day drew near, I realized that even for adults, a week night feels like a school night so I thought dinner and a movie, not to far from the house, would suffice. Want to see Denzel’s new movie Flight. Want to see Life of Pi. And still haven’t seen Breaking Dawn, the Twilight finale, but am willing to wait for the DVD to come out. Since I already know how it ends and all.

Hubs sends me a text half-way through my afternoon, “Can we leave by 6:00PM?”

“Ummm. One has to be picked up. Two have to be dropped off for practice. And your mom needs a ride back from visiting your dad. What do you think?” My way of saying, it’s gonna be a fight.
Continue reading

Foxy Friday Date-Night

Last Friday night, hubs and I dropped off one daughter at basketball practice and headed off to date night. We debated whether to see a movie or not. Threw around the idea of shooting pool at Dave and Busters. Maybe go on a yacht. Even considered driving into Manhattan just to walk around Time Square. In the end, exhaustion helped us to make our decision. We decided to stay local, check out an eatery we have been eyeing for years and walk along the water. 


As we drove a few miles from our house to Oyster Bay, the bowl of soup I downed an hour ago seemed to have disappeared. “I’m starving!” Continue reading

Sleepless in New York

“I need to make an appointment with you on Friday morning. At 5:30AM. Are you busy?”
I laugh out loud at hubby’s question. “If you mean busy by sleeping. Yes, I’m busy. But other than sleep, I don’t have any other  commitments.”

“Okay then. See you Friday morning. [The day is Monday.] Actually, make it 4:45AM. So we can be there by 5:30.” 

“4:45??!!” My eyes feel heavy thinking ahead to the loss of sleep I’ll experience four days from now.  Continue reading

Upside-Down Kisses

 

Photo Credit: Foodcore on Flickr
I’m sitting in Starbucks finishing up some writing when I get a text from hubby a few hours after the girls leave for a week long adventure with their cousins in Delaware.

“Be home by 8:30. It’s a date night! :)” 
The cafe latte in my tum-tum does a flip. Yup. This girl still gets giddy when her hubby asks her out. Nothing like being asked when least expected! Continue reading

A Chocolate-Covered Sunset

Fortunately for you, the Anniversary date day isn’t over yet. So neither is the story. [Btw, Thanks for coming back!!]

Unfortunately, walking back to Battery Park Pier after visiting the 9/11 Memorial, lingering emotions settle like seeds blown from a dandelion. Never truly finding their home. Just accept that the memories of that day will always make me sad. Sigh.

Fortunately, we hold hands and walk briskly toward the water, excited about the rest of the evening.

As we get in line for the water taxi, hubby reevaluates our schedule. Is there still time for a spin around the Hudson River before dinner and the show? There will have to be. Because we’ve only hopped on and hopped off once and that is just not acceptable for the Hop on/Hop off Dealio we signed up for. Continue reading