DATE

4 a : an appointment to meet at a specified time; especially : a social engagement between two persons that often has a romantic character b : a person with whom one has a usually romantic date

I have a date tonight.  With a cute guy.  A guy who makes me laugh.  In fact, he's on his way to pick me up right now.  I've known him for seventeen years and he can still make my heart race.  My kitchen has been out of commission for more than two weeks.  My daughters are out of town this week.  If there exists a more perfect set of reasons for a date, I do not know it.  In fact, it's pretty much date night followed by date night followed by date night.  And then we'll hit the road to drive north and retrieve our beloved daughters.

But in the meantime, we've already seen a funny movie together, hung out at a local pub, and had dinner and drinks at my new favorite East Nashville restaurant.  I've also slept late, worked out every day (OK, OK, it's only been two days, but still!) and had lunch with a friend.  Tonight J is picking our dinner location, so it will feel like an old fashioned date.  He'll pick me up in his car - a car any high schooler would be happy to drive.  He'll open the door for me.  He'll pay when the check arrives.  Only this time I'm sitting on the sofa typing on the laptop, not primping in the bathroom mirror while I wait for him.  And if he wants to hold  my hand, I'll definitely let him.

I love the opportunity to have dates with my husband.  Sure, we spent a portion of our date last night talking about things like work, the kitchen renovation and my preparations for homeschooling A next year.  But we also laughed together, had cocktails with dinner, ran into friends at the restaurant, ate great food and enjoyed being together.   I envy my friends who manage to schedule a weekly date night.  We've never managed that with any consistency over the course of our nearly fourteen years of marriage.  But we do try to make time for each other and with each other.

So instead of standing on the back deck and grilling something for dinner, then serving it up on paper plates, I'll be out on a date with my husband.  Sounds infinitely more appealing, doesn't it?