Hot Date

As if our gym didn't offer enough. What, with the steam room, the full bar-cafe, the tanning beds, the yoga, the hot tub, the pool, the daycare oh, and the awesome workout facility. Once a month (well, they try once a month, but it's been snowed out twice), they offer a Kids-Night In, so that parents can have a night out.

We don't get out much. Typically, it's because we are home-bodies. And that thing well, we actually like each other. Plus, we love the ON DEMAND gig on the tv. Tack that on with the fact that all four of us enjoy cooking, and well, we just don't go out much. Plus the snow, and cold. You're lucky I leave the house to get my kids to school. I wonder if I could homeschool them, just for the winter?

Every now and then though, I get tired of 2-3 loads of dishes a day. And I announce "We're going out". Even more seldom, Ricardo and I go out on a date - all to ourselves. We do it so infrequently, we've lost babysitters simply because they think we've dumped them.

So, what do you do when you get three kidless hours? We eat. Some think - "Wow, you get three hours for romance and kid free-ness and you're going to eat!? Can't you do that anytime?" And those people don't have kids.

The opportunity to sit down to a nice meal and have conversation with flow and depth. To not have to cut or blow on anyone's food. To not have to explain to the waiter that "we're going to need those bottomless basket of fries NOW or the kids are going to revolt". To not have crayons seated with you in a booth in the farthest back of the restaurant as possible. To not have to pile up everyone's coat. And to not have to yell at the kid to stop bouncing, kicking, wiggling and SIT DOWN! Or to even not have to remind someone to chew their food before they swallow it. Well, it all becomes routine. so, when you get the opportunity, dining out is the premier hot date in a parent's book.

I got all dazzled in my fancy jeans. As opposed to my everyday jeans. I wore heels - which is fun to watch the people check out when I walk in with Ricardo. And I even put on a little bit of eye liner. WATCH OUT Y'ALL!

We decided to go to PF Changs because I'd never been there before. And I based my order on spicy which is something I don't get to do even when cooking at home these days. I try to appease the masses. I asked the waiter about a certain dish, he explained it was the spiciest one they had on the menu. Sign me up! I was looking forward to the flavor and the heat. Because it was snowing outside and the temperature was dropping...again. So, I ordered it.

Ricardo and I had a lovely time sipping on soup and talking about our feelings. Then I got my order. It was good! And then ten minutes into it, I couldn't feel my face. Apparently my spicey or hot food tolerance isn't what it used to be. My sister and my non-step-dad can outspice me right under the table, but this is Omaha. I figured I could take it. I figured wrong. Had I drank a bottle of Tabasco, I'd have faired better than whatever this dish was. It was fairly tasty for the first five minutes until my tastebuds checked out. And yes, do the math, after I couldn't taste the food, I continued to eat. I did, indeed, enjoy the heat. This dish, by itself could heat my home for a week.

Finally, I gave up. Ricardo was shocked. In the ten years we've been together, I've never stopped eating until the food was gone. You should see me at a buffet!

I apologized for wasting a fancy meal. Ricardo expressed he just wanted to make sure I got enough and offered me a couple of his delicious shrimp. As if I couldn't miss a meal and be okay. However, I'd just had soup and lettuce wraps, and had tiramasu sitting in front ot me. Plus, I'd had 7 Diet Cokes. I was pretty sure I was going to be okay!

Ricardo paid the bill and we went to our next must-do destination when kid-free, we went to Target! I looked at underwear. -Not the fancy kind, the very practical kind. Ricardo looked at socks. And as always, we perused the appliance aisles. No purchases this time. But one time, we bought pans and an oven toaster. That was interesting when we came home with giant appliance boxes. The sitter that time was a bit confused.

And that's our idea of a hot date. This time, it had more heat than usual.
It's just how we roll.