Its A Date!

A what?  A date.  Otherwise known as a chance to spend quality one-on-one time with your partner without the interruption of ringing phones, small talk with colleagues, needy children fighting for your attention, and dozens of other interruptions that define daily life.  If you are married, have children, and / or work inside or outside of the home you know exactly what I am referring to.  And last night, Glenn and I went on one.

In our house, dates currently don't happen very often. After we got married but before we became parents we regularly went out on dates.  These quiet dinners followed by a movie were a regular part of our weekly schedule giving us an opportunity to relax, reconnect, and enjoy each other's company.  Now, not so much.  In fact, the last time we had a date was when we were in Paris celebrating our wedding anniversary back in April.  Yes, it had really been that long since we have had alone time.  That doesn't mean we haven't been out. We get dressed up and go out to dinners and receptions on a regular basis but these events are always work related where our purpose is to schmooze rather than enjoy a fine meal and each other's company.  After spending numerous evenings out at official functions most nights we can't muster the energy to go out on our own opting to stay in and spend time with Sidney instead.  We do go out to eat with Sidney but dining with a four year old means ordering quickly, spending the meal making sure food ends up where it is supposed to, and leaving the restaurant before a disruptive melt down ensues.  These are hardly relaxing affairs. So yes, the idea of a real adults-only date is quite exciting.

So last night we went on a real live date.  We walked to a restaurant that we had been wanting to try.  In what is almost typical Albanian fashion, we had the place to ourselves even though we were dining at a "normal" Balkan dining hour.  At first it was kind of odd since it was just us and a handful of waiters but it actually meant we got great service.  They were ready to serve us but didn't hover.  We didn't feel rushed since there was clearly no one waiting for our table.  We were able to eat our meals at a leisurely pace, enjoy our wine and talk.  I mean really talk.  Without interruptions too.  Not about the details and priorities of family and office life but of any topic that came to mind.  From the serious to the silly it was all on the table.  It felt so adult and was wonderfully relaxing and was just what we needed.  We even ordered dessert and after dinner drinks before leisurely walking back to our car and the reality of our daily lives.

And now it is Saturday and we are back to reality.  There are appointments to go to, holiday preparations to be made and an energetic four year old boy to entertain.  Last night is already fading into a distant memory but it sure was nice while it lasted.  We need to remember this feeling and make sure we don't go another six months before we do it again.