Great Dates

While most of these posts are written to poke fun through people's faults, I wanted to let you know it's not all bad. There have been some great dates, some great guys, and some amazing experiences.

While dinner and a movie can be fun, it is safe. Almost too safe. For those of you who always limit yourself to "dinner and a movie" when trying to win a girl's heart, it's time to get creative. Here are some ideas.

• How about dinner and a play...in a dark cemetery. Earlier this summer a guy invited me to dinner, followed by a torch-lit Hamlet Performance in a cemetery. After looking it up online to make sure I wasn't putting myself in harms way with some psycho, I was pretty excited by his suggestion. And, even more impressed by his thrift - it was free. The best part was, it allowed us to get a little closer sharing a blanket on a patch of grass, while I used my English degree to whisper what was going on into his ear.

Hamlet at Lone Fir Cemetery, in Portland, Oregon
http://www.portlandactors.com

• Live music. This is so much more interactive than a movie. You can step away from the noise to chat over a drink, if you want, and if the music moves you, use the beat to close the evening with some dancing. The safest and sexiest way to get your touch on with a girl, and sweep her off her feet!
• Go bowling. Bowling is one of those activities that you can suck at and still enjoy. After hefting the bowling ball down the lane, I will inevitably have a grin on my face every time I turn around, whether I just launched an instant gutter ball, or managed to luck my way into a strike or spare. Plus, the casual pace of the game allows for chatting and silliness over cheap beer! And, bonus. You get to check out her backside the entire evening.

• Hike and a picnic. Is she athletic? If so, this might be a way to her heart! I am fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country; the Gorge is just a short drive out of the city and provides endless opportunities for hikes with a view! Find a shorter one, so you can take your time chatting as you wander to the top, where you can soak up the view over a picnic lunch.

Horsetail Falls

Angel's Rest

• Experiential events, typically reserved for kids, can be fun for adults. In Portland we have OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). Once a month, they offer OMSI After Dark. They close all that fun kid-science down to the kids, add a little alcohol and live music and make it an adult only evening venue, allowing you and your date to act silly re-learning how gravity, sound, and other cool science works.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/OMSI_entrance_sign_at_night,_Portland,_OR.JPG

• Go for a bike ride! There is nothing more fun than riding a bicycle somewhere in a bike-friendly city, and nothing more romantic than biking her safely home.

Bike Date

• Meet her at the market. Whether it's a crafts market, or a farmer's market, it is sure to open conversation over people watching, food, and performances! Better yet, if you have been on a few dates and are ready for the next step, meet her at the market to pick up food. Don't forget to sneak in that bouquet of flowers when she's not looking! Then, take her home with you and cook her your signature meal with all the fresh ingredients you just picked out together. Let her help you, by offering her your apron and tying it on her in a seductive way.

http://portland.bigweekendcalendars.com/activities/

• Street Party. These are always fun! They provide a barbecue-type atmosphere that is friendly and fun, without you having to introduce her to your besties on the first date.

Basically, what it comes down to is building opportunities for talk and experiences. While dinner has the possibility for talk, unless it's some place known for presentation or performance, it can be difficult to build an experience. However, if you take her out and do something with her, you have countless opportunities to get to know each other, create discussion, and find out if you are truly compatible.

However, if you insist on playing it safe with the old "dinner and a movie," turn it upside down for everyone's sake. Take her to "movie and a dinner." When she asks why you chose that order, tell her you thought it would give you two something to talk about over dinner. Knowing that you want to talk with her over dinner and end the evening getting to know her, instead of with the memory of some action hero's face on the big screen, is sure to make you her hero of the hour!