Me: So. What do you want to do for our anniversary?
Him: (Blank stare. This date has not been in the forefront of his mind obviously.)
Me: I lined up childcare, so we can do something together if we want. If not, I can go somewhere to write and you can have alone time at home.
Him (gamely making an effort): We could go out to eat.
Me: Sure. Where would you like to go?
Him: I don’t know… How about Dave’s Taverna?
Me (not wanting to be a party pooper): Eh…
Him: Yeah, um… Red Lobster?
Me: American-style restaurants kind of gross me out.
Him: Well, do you have any ideas?
Me: The Blue Nile!
Him: I don’t really go for African food.
Me: It’s not African food. It’s Ethiopian.
Him (speaking slowly, as though to an idiot): Jennifer, where is Ethiopia located?
Me: Africa.
Him: Right.
Me (blithely pressing on): What about The American Indian Café?
Him: I don’t really go for Indian food. See, when I go out to eat, I want to eat food that I know I’m going to enjoy—
Me: Well, when I go out to eat I want food that’s different from what I can make at home!
Him: To sink my teeth into a good cheeseburger—
Me: BORING!
Him (deflated): Isn’t there any place we can agree on?
Me: What about The Little Grill?
Him: Everything there is kind of under-seasoned, you know?
Me: No, but okay. Not The Little Grill.
Him: (moody silence)
Me (resigned): So I guess we won’t go out to eat. Do you have any other ideas of stuff we could do?
Him: (no answer)
Me: We could go to Barnes and Noble, get coffees, and read books!
Him: Oh, that sounds dreadful!
Me: Uh…we could play tennis?
Him: No!
Me: I know! We could go shopping for clothes!
Him (flatly): You don’t need more clothes.
Me: Yes, I do.
Him: No, you don’t.
Me: Yes, I do.
Him: NO, YOU DON’T.
Me: Fine. So we won’t go shopping. (pause) You could dig potatoes!
Him: (snort)
Me: We could go shopping for upcoming birthdays!
Him: (eye roll)
Me: We could clean the girls’ room! Redo it! Paint walls!
Him: (giant eye roll and moaning)
Me: So I guess we won’t go out on a date.
Him: I guess not.
Me (reaching for the computer): This conversation is completely ridiculous. I’ve gotta write it down.
Him (alarmed): No, you don’t! You don’t have to write down everything we say!
Me: Okay fine.
This same time, years previous: coming up for air, wedding memories, so why did I marry him?, Valerie’s salsa, canned tomatoes, how to make butter
20 Comments
Jules
Our date nights always seem to be at Home Depot
mavis
We are married to the same person.
Shannan Martin
PSS – What about Thai food? Korean???? We need to dine out together, obv.
Shannan Martin
Ha ha ha! Love! Love! When we go out on a hot date, they always end in A) B&N or B) I go to TJ Maxx and he goes to Home Depot.
🙂
ps – Y'all are pretty cute there in that pic.
Rachelle
My husband always goes out to eat on our anniversary though, as a chef, I'm sure it's the last thing he wants to do. Ah well, at least we can spend some quality time chatting with each other without computers.
Jennifer Jo
Thank you, everyone, for your sweet comments and date-night suggestions! We've been to the Chop House Bar before and enjoyed it. And guess what we ordered? My husband got salmon and I got burgers…. Go figure.
But here's how the night is shaping up:
*the child care fell through due to illness (not ours)
*I took the kids to the pool and then to Domino's for their free cinnamon sticks
*I don't have to cook supper now
*I'm up in my room writing (and I just drank a coffee—at 5 pm!!!) (and the coffee was spiked with Baileys!!!)
*the kids are out mowing and digging potatoes (I hope) with their father
*we will have an 8 pm family reading date brought to us by Ramona Quimby, Age 8
*after the kids are in bed, my we will watch a movie (1776) and stuff ourselves with popcorn and apples
This is a plan that makes us both happy, so all is good.
Sarah
Happy Anniversary! I'm so glad you posted the number of years and the date so I won't forget in two weeks! Parts of your conversation sound vaguely familiar 🙂
Tara Kreider
The Chop House Bar…where you don't have to spend 40$ per person! The food is so great and the drinks are exciting!
Susan
This is the 'realest' conversation I've ever seen written down.
Kathy ~ Artful Accents
Taste of Thai?? That's my go to restaurant, although hubby doesn't love it! I third the recommendation for Chop House…yummo!
Theresa
I third the Local Chop & Grill! If you eat at the bar it's more affordable and it does have some crossover from what's offered in the dining room. They food has always been fantastic for us, and they generally have stuff to appeal to the adventurous and not-so-adventurous. Last time we went, they had bahn mi sliders! YUM.
Happy anniversary 🙂
Kris
Oh, if you both want to get burgers and you can't decide which you want, you can ask for the slider version. They'll bring out a couple of cute little burgers for each type and you can share without arguing over who gets that piece of bacon sticking out the side…
Kris
I second the Local Chop & Grill recommendation. The bar menu includes their delicious burgers (I'm partial to the bison burger) and all the appetizers, sides & salads. The restaurant menu features their specialty: steaks of various cuts with the rub and sauce of your choice. If you have some money to drop, try the restaurant side; if you have a budget, either stick to the bar or try not to look at the steak listings. Portions are somewhat smaller, but flavors are quite excellent and the local sourcing makes it taste better and feel better too.
Check out the menu here: http://www.localchops.com/menu/
Happy anniversary!
the domestic fringe
And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!
the domestic fringe
LOL. My husband will agree to Barnes & Noble, only because he can drink good coffee and sit on a comfy chair in peace. He knows I won't blab at him the entire time we are there. 🙂
~FringeGirl
Laurel
My husband and I have this conversation anytime we have a "date night" which isn't very often. These conversations are painful! I always want to try this restuarant and that new one but then can NEVER remember them when it comes to the big questions: so where do you want to eat? I need to keep a running list in my notebook!
L. in Elkton
Kate
I honestly only really came to the burg last weekend so I could go to Indian American. It is my FAVORITE restaurant of all time. Chicken saag. Die.
Aili
How about this?
http://tastetheburg.blogspot.com/2012/07/local-chop-grill-finally.html
It might be a bit pricier than you had in mind, but your honey could get a nice burger, AND you could have some stuff you haven't made at home. I know my review of it was kind of meh, but I'm actually planning to go again and give it another chance when I'm not pregnant and can enjoy their beer selection. I've also been informed that some of the complaints I had were because I ate in the bar and the menu there is different.
Also, I suspect you of eavesdropping in my house…this sounds like a transcription of my life. 🙂
Queenie
You: Writing
Me: Laughing
Suburban Correspondent
You know, this sounds vaguely familiar…