Del insisted that we were going to have a date (JUST HIM AND I OUTSIDE THE HOME) for the first time in over two years last night for our birthdays. Let me tell you, this couple’s date night adventure will be one to remember for YEARS to come. I feel it may be one story that gets passed on from one generation to the next.
To start with, we dropped the kids off with their grandparents at 5:30 pm. We were advised to be home by 10:30 pm to get the kids. I couldn’t help but laugh because I was 34, and my hubby was turning 40. Here we were getting a curfew earlier than I had when I was 16 years old (11 PM.) (By the way, I am grateful they watched the kids, I am not complaining about having to be home. I just found it ironic.). Before we left the house, the kids were fighting, making us second-guess our decision to have a date night.
We drove to “our date town,” which is an hour away… (just far enough away that we can’t be called back to the house for minor things, but yet close enough that we can get there in a hurry if we need to. (We’re such bad parents) A part of the interstate had been washed out completely, and they were doing road construction. Luckily, the accident (that had to be there) was gone, and we just had to deal with the construction crew.
Then we get to our date night restaurant, Perkins, only to find it all boarded up and being remodeled, much to our disappointment. So, we had to find a new place to eat. As we turned around, we noticed some majorly BLACK, DARK, FURIOUS clouds forming in the sky. We proceed to drive through that town, debating on what to eat. We noticed that Cracker Barrel, Staples, and a gas station on the left-hand side were ALL dark like the lights had gone out in that town. We look to the right and make sure the lights are on. We’re laughing because we start to wonder whether or not there is a conspiracy against us having a date night.
We ended up choosing a place that was not our normal pick. All the places around there were packed with customers. When we pulled in and only saw a handful of customers at this place, I was skeptical. I told Del, “Watch; we’re going to get terrible food and service.” I will tell you about that experience in another post tomorrow. Yes, it deserves a post all by itself.
Then after we get done eating, my husband begs me to let him go to another GameStop in this town because he wants to get some pointers for his store. As a former manager who used to do the same thing, I can relate to that desire. Well, he drives over to it, and the sky FALLS OUT!! He tries so desperately to get a close parking space that he LITERALLY PLAYS THE PARKING SPACE GAME! We went from one parking space to the next as they emptied. Then he finally got one close enough to the door to dash into the store and back. By the time he got back to the car, he was soaked.
We go to the theater, and he does his gentlemanly thing and drops me off at the door. We get our seats to watch a wonderful movie (which I will tell you all about on Tuesday.) The movie was a fantastic choice for us. It was a great mixture of romantic drama and sci-fi action.
Then we drive home. On the way home, we decided to get gas at a truck stop that had McDonald’s in it. I saw that little minions are in the happy meals. (I’m a huge Despicable Me fan!) We decided to be little kids and get happy meals. We laughed like crazy over the fact that we were acting like kids.
We literally laughed the last stretch home and acted like we were “drunk on love and happiness.” When we got home, we had to take ten minutes to gather our wits about us and get the “parenting role back on.” We slid into the door right at 10:29 PM to get the kids. (We are always gripping when they send the kids home to us right on time from their weekend visits with them. So, we definitely felt like we were in the dog house.)
All and all… it was a night that we will remember and cherish for years to come. It helped us reconnect on a personal level. It reminded us both why we married each other all over again. I could remember all the little things I loved about my husband. He was able to remember why he loved me. It gave us a chance to be stress-free and let loose completely. So it made for the perfect birthday!
Do you have date nights with your husband?
