Date nights use to be so fun, exciting and easy.
And then along came a baby and nights became a period of time where we sludged around just trying to make it to 9:00 pm so we could collapse into bed an exhausted heap.
So, this year, I have resolved to attack date night planning with a renewed energy. To get me started I simple set the goal to plan 12 dates for the entire year, so if all else failed, we'd at least have one night of quality/quantity time a month. I figured Danny would plan a few date nights on his own and that we'd also have a few nights of just dinner out.
Danny has promised not to read this post so as not to spoil any surprise (if you mention any of these to him before the assigned month I might just have to wallop you), so here are the date nights I came up with. And please know I am not this creative all on my own.
My resources included:
I realize I should probably be posting something regarding 9/11, but I don't have any words of wisdom.
My only stark memory is Matthew turning the television on while I was practicing piano, staring at it in wonder at how any pilot could possibly not see such a big building in his way, realizing at the second hit that it wasn't a mistake, and then skipping class at CCCC to watch the tv and learn how to pronounce Bin Laden.
So, this post is going to seem scatterbrained - just a little bit.
There was once was a home group leaders retreat that put us up in a nice hotel.
There were fun little surprised tucked away in the weekend.
We discovered that we don't fit on a double bed - not comfortably anyways.
We were delighted to find we had a view of some baseball, complete with post-game fireworks.
We enjoyed a weekend to meet new friends, get better aquainted with old friends, and throw our wet towels on the floor and leave the bed completely unmade.
After said retreat, we decided we hadn't retreated enough and we wanted to have a date . . . to the Hari Krishna temple.
Now, I know you're probably confused - just as confused as I was when I heard there was a restaurant in the template Beacon and Grand here in Dallas.
Sometimes, when you stand in line at the library you observe the funniest people and meet the most interesting. I met the nicest woman at the library in Oak Cliff who told us about THE BEST vegetarian buffet in our part of town.
Now, we're not vegetarian or lovers of buffets - but we eat and we like to try new food - so off we went.
It was an experience - a spicy, delicious, unique experience.
I never thought I'd enjoy Carob Grits for dessert - but they were so good I'm now looking up recipes to duplicate the dish at home.
If you're up for a different flavor to your meal, we'd highly recommend enjoying your dinner in the relaxing atrium at Kalachandjis.
I'm sitting in my parents' living room, the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack from Starbucks is playing in the background, and a real wood-buring fire is crackling in the fireplace.
Twenty years ago tonight I was leaving Christmas cookies and a note out for this guy:
At the end of November, Danny and I started getting ready for Christmas with our Date Night to see the lights in Frisco.
They are timed and choreographed to music that you can listen to on the radio in your car.
They had a snow hill (which is THRILL for kids in Texas, even if it does come from a machine) and the weather was slightly chilly (below 50 degrees).
Christmas in the Square will last until December 31st, so stop buy if you want to get out for a drive. Bundle up and turn your air conditioner on full blast if you want a wintery feel.
We also drove through Highland Park to see the fabulous lights and the huge houses. They even offer carriage rides and limousine tours!
I finally got a new, rideable bike a few weeks ago, and Danny and I have discovered that we LOVE biking together. We can get a little exercise, be outside and talk all at the same time. It fabulous!
Finding activities that fulfill my need for quality/quantity time and that also fulfills Danny's need for recreation is sometimes hard - so you might see us biking the streets of East Dallas quite frequently.
( Yes, we were the dorks riding around Swiss Avenue with a camera.)
Big Tex could not come to Dallas without us making a trip to Fair Park.
Apparently Danny and I have turned into the old, boring couple because we just enjoyed walking all around and seeing the lights. But after hearing all that Mom and Dad, Matthew and Mandy did at the State Fair, we realized that there was WAY more to do than we even attempted to see.
We did purchase enough tickets to buy a fried snickers, a lemonade and a ride for each of us on the Ferris Wheel, a first for both of us. How we got to be in our late twenties and not see Dallas from that vantage point I'll never know. But $12 was worth it to now be able to say we've kissed at the top of the ferris wheel in Fair Park.
It was a very good kiss.
Dallas Date Night Archive:
Danny and I are not the biggest sports fans. I've never been to a Maverick's game. He watches football so he can chat with the guys. We've given up on our Aggies altogether.
That, my friends, is how baseball was meant to be watched. You're so close that you can see Nolan Ryan sitting in his box above the dugout. 
You're also in prime real estate to get yourself on tv. So, what did we do - called Mom and Dad. They immediately flipped over to the Rangers came and waved at us. We waved back.
Here's a picture just for Jenna:
Dallas Date Night Archive:
Dating after you're married is a funny thing.
Pre-wedding Danny and I would go on dates simply to see each other. Post-marriage you see each other all the time, unless your husband works at UPS, then you never see each other, but that's another story for another day.
Post-marriage you suddenly find yourself tired after work and because you can cuddle with your husband whenever you want, not just on Friday night, you find yourself having less energy to "go out." And so, date nights are the preverbial tug-of-war.
Do we want to go out, do we want to stay in? More often than not, a movie from Redbox and take-in from Boston Market wins the draw, and we spend Friday night on our couch, simply recovering from the work/study week.
Sometimes though, we hit the date-night ball out of the park. Usually, it's Danny's brilliant ideas that breathe life into our Friday evenings and rescue me from having to tell my co-workers that I did nothing all weekend.
Fajita night at the lake was just one such date. It was perfect. The food, the weather, and the company. No arguments, no business, just relaxing together.
Another side-note about dating after marriage: it's easy to turn date nights into "let's handle business" night. Danny usually has to ban me from talking about the budget or the schedule or the weekly dinner menu on date nights.
On this particular Friday night we stopped by the La Michoacana market and bought Fajita meat from a tub. Yes - there was so much raw chicken in this tub at the Mexican meat market that it just turned into a disgusting mess right in front of my eyes.
Brian and Elizabeth had assured us that it was the best fajita meet around, but buying meat from a tub was like living life a little to close to the edge for me. At least it was putting my stomach on edge just watching him scoop 1/2 pound of marinated chicken from behind the counter.
And trying to tell the poor Spanish speaker that we wanted ONE-HALF POUND was like trying to teach a cat to fly. We would have walked out of there with our weight in meat had Danny not mustered everything he had him to tell the meat man "No" put all of that back but a handful. Apparently 1/2 a pound in English sounds like three pounds in Spanish, or he was just trying to dupe us.
After our meat market adventure, we headed down to White Rock Lake to enjoy the fresh air and the sunset.
Danny worked his magic on our food. It seems to be the rule in the Stiller family that when we eat outside Danny cooks . . . and it always seems to taste better.
Of course, put cilantro in anything and it tastes like happiness in my mouth.
The knife below is the gift my brother, Matthew, gave Danny for our wedding. My other brother, Jonathan, gave us our cutlery block/set. Either they were trying to send Danny a message or they just wanted to make sure we had enough knives to get us through life.
Danny insists on using his big knife when he cooks - says it works better or something.
We won't talk about what he uses this knife for in between the outdoor cooking sessions. I'm positive that it has ever only been put to clean and sterile tasks.
Gotta love a cooking man with his knife.
Despite the breeze, he made fire.
The fajita-tub meat (both chicken and steak) grilled to perfection. Add a little cilantro, red onion, lime, and salt and we had the tastiest fajita picnic.
I really didn't mean to get that knife in every picture. If it makes you feel any better Danny sleeps with it under his side of the bed . . . along with a baseball bat and a gun. Apparently he got the message from my brothers.
The view of downtown Dallas over the lake.
Here I am, the not so photographed photographer, with my Rihanna haircut ready to chow down.
Danny enjoyed the fruits of his labor and the results of his excellent welding of the biggest knife ever.
We ended the night watching the sunset and the sailboats and went home full and relaxed.
Score one for the married date night.
Dallas Date Night Archive:
Having both grown up in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex we have done a surpsingly SLIM number of things that everyone apparently does when they come to Dallas.
Sixth Floor Musuem to learn about the day JFK was shot . . . yup . . . never been there.
And it took 26 years to get to the top of this building.
So, when Taste of Dallas came around this summer, we thought, "What better way to discover some of Dallas' best restaurants."
Off we went to the West End, armed with the camera, cash, and a growling stomachs.
Before we could eat, Danny decided to work off calories skiing and hula hooping on the Wii Fit.
He even got a pair of no-slip socks out of the trial!
And, I am embarrassed to say that the first bite of food Danny tasted at "The Taste of Dallas" was a free spamburger. Who even dares try that?
Yes, he downed the whole thing and didn't even feel sick.
While he was in line for Spam, I got in line for a Starbucks sample. Who is the smarter spouse?
We stopped by the misting fans to cool off and listen to the jazz band.
And FINALLY, we got some food. Hoffbrau sausages and some Greek gyros.
We ran into friends from our Village home group.
Left to right: Jaya, Tim, Danny, Jonathan and Sarah
And then Danny made some new friends. All I know is that one moment he was talking with Tim and then next minute I turn around because Danny's telling me to "take our picture."
Apparantely he stopped them on the street and asked for a picture. I've stopped trying to figure out my husband. He is a complete anomaly.
Booths and games were set up underneath Woodall Rogers Freeway.
For desert: Tiger's Blood sno cones. We didn't actually have the $3.00 that they cost. But that didn't stop Danny. He simply asked if they would take $2.00 for a sno cone. They said, "yes" and he was a happy camper.
I'll let you stare at this picture until you get it.
A roller coaster ride flying fast in front of Reunion Tower.
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