Going on my Dream Date

I was tempted to go back through my lock box and pull out an old junior high diary to see if I ever described my actual dream date back then. 

If I did, I would guess it would go something like this -- we go to dinner, and then a movie, and then he takes me shopping and I can buy whateeeeeevvvvver I want.

Unintentionally, last week, probably for the first time ever, I went on my junior high dream date. 

Since we're old and we wake up early, I had to switch the order around a little -- movie, then dinner, then shopping.

I work from home on Fridays, and I busted my butt to be done with work early.  I was at my desk at home before 7 a.m., and I kept working while I ate breakfast and then lunch, and I managed to wrap it all up before about 3.

We went to the mall to see a late afternoon showing of Zero Dark Thirty.  Hubby's choice, but I'd heard good reviews, so I was 100% on board.  The reviews I heard, however, seemed to just be vague and positive, so I somehow wasn't entirely sure what the movie was about.  While I love war movies, it's really more that I love WWII movies, not so much modern warfare.  But it was obviously an engaging story, just disturbing enough to give me nightmares and weird dreams for two nights.  It's basically about a CIA agent who is searching for someone who is rumored to be a courier for Osama Bin Laden, and how that quest leads to finding a house that could be his, and then the decision to go into the house and then the process of entering and killing him. 

After dinner, we went out to eat at a casual restaurant/pub place in between the mall and shopping.

Then we went shopping.  Bed Bath and Beyond.  The thing I'd wanted more than anything for Christmas this past year was an electric can opener.  I know it's weird.  But ever since I fell in March and tore ligaments in my finger, it's hurt to use the crank ones.  I'd been warned that the Cuisinart ones suck but I really wanted one, just some other brand. 

As is the danger with anything that is reasonably priced and you really want and you have people who love you, I received more than one.  My folks got me one and so did hubby, so we went to Bed, Bath and Beyond to return it.

And I was allowed to spend my $54 and change any way I wanted.  It was seriously just like I'd dreamed in junior high.  We walked through the whole store and I thought about what I wanted.  Hmm, new kitchen trashcan, pretty picture frames, pie beads, a silicone pastry mat, a new water filter, a baby crockpot, a juicer, a new fancy blender, living room curtain panels, smelly candles.  I jokingly suggested a few things and hubby just kept saying, "whatever you want, it's totally up to you."  So in junior high, maybe this date would have occurred in a clothing or jewelry store, but as a grown up, I think I was just as excited to have it unfold in a home goods store.

Eventually I chose 4 items and spent $4 over the amount of our return, but my sweet husband didn't make me pay the overage or put something back.  I chose pie beads (can't wait to make a quiche!), a new water filter, a linen spray that smells so good, and TWO new toothbrush caps (one for my work shower/toiletries bag, which I desperately needed, and since they came in a pack of two, a new one for my travel makeup bag too). 

I suppose the dream date has changed.  Junior high would have been a romantic comedy no doubt.  Probably a very fancy dinner.  And the shopping would have been very "Pretty Woman" style.  Like I said, probably clothes or jewelry.  I guess I wouldn't have wondered if I'd really want to wear the same thing to a movie and to a fancy restaurant, which is quite unlikely.  But this dream date was still pretty good. 

It's nice to indulge the inner child sometimes.  I used to do this when I worked at a big firm and they'd order pizza for dinner before we went to work at a pro bono clinic, and they would consistently forget to order any pizza suitable for a vegetarian, leaving me to eat only cookies for dinner.  I just sucked it up and told myself that I owed it to 8 year old me who probably used to beg for cookies only for dinner.  Not quite the same anymore...