Life Skills – Dating 101 (Part II)

I made an executive decision about this (the Dating Skills) section. In my last dating article, I told you that I would be giving you articles with for or five ideas at a time from my “101 Great Dating Ideas” booklet. I changed my mind…in this article, I’m going go through the sections of dating ideas and then give you six more dating ideas. After that I will give you approximately TEN ideas at a time. My thinking on this is that I would rather get the ideas to you as quickly as possible and then I’ll be able to write other articles on how to be a great dater. That still means that there are going to be at least 10 more articles on Great Dating Ideas…so let’s get to it.

When I wrote the booklet of dating ideas, I separated the dates into different sections. The sections are:

1. Dressing Up – This section delves into the fun you can have by wearing certain apparel on your dates!
2. Holiday “In” - If you read my first blog on dating, you saw that I suggested having Halloween on any day of the year except October 31st. This section concentrates on many of the other holidays that you can celebrate year round.
3. Let’s Have a “Ball” – This section isn’t so much about romance as it is about invigoration. It’s the sports section. Note: When you go on these dates, remember that it should be something that you both like!!
4. Town & Country “In” – These are dates that take place either around town or in the country…it’s that simple.
5. Not your “Run of the Mill” – People are usually so stuck in their dinner-and-a-movie routines, they forget some of these other ideas. These are dates that thousands of people are doing every day (or night).
6. Be a “Crafty” Couple – A lot of people are really good with their hands and they don’t even know it. This section gives you the chance to use your creativity to make something together that might even last forever.
7. Go For the Ride of Your Life – There are many modes of transportation. This section is dedicated to the use of some of these modes. And what a rush you’ll feel when the wind starts blowing through your hair, past your body, and into your soul!!
8. Romantic Differences – These dates are either romantic and sentimental or very unusual and unique. I put them together because I didn’t know where else to put them.
9. “’Partying’ is such sweet…” well…not sorrow, that’s for sure!! Sure it’s fun to go on dates where you and your partner are all alone…and yeah, it’s great going on a double date every once in a while…but there’s something about taking your date to a party that MAKES you have a good time!!

I’m going to pick up where I left off in Part I of the Dating 101 series, so don’t be surprised when the first one is numbered as..

6- Flippers (from Section 1 “Dressing Up”)
Sing along with me…”They call them flippers, flippers…” too old for most of you, oh well. I’m not talking about dressing up like a dolphin…or even a porpoise. I’m talking about wearing scuba flippers for the whole date. You can go on a regular “run of the mill” date, but when you mix it up with flippers, people will talk, point, stare…and be jealous. They’ll wish they were having as good of a time as you.
Side note: Don’t wear them while you are driving…
FUN: 4
ROMANCE: 1
MONEY: $25.00-$50.00

7- Limousines (from Section 7 “Go For the Ride of Your Life”)
More and more this is becoming a popular date attraction. You feel very POSH, special, and VIP-ish when the chauffeur opens the door for you and your date. Drive up to the event that you are going to in style…whether it’s a club, a theater, or a fast food restaurant. There are many limousines that have televisions, bars, stereos, hot tubs, etc. built in to them too…so you don’t even have to leave the limo. Date in the lap of luxury!!
FUN: 4
ROMANCE: 4
MONEY: $50.00 or more

8- Video Party #1 (from Section 9 “’Partying’ is such sweet…”)
Get out the munchies and prepare to stay up all night long. It’s “sequels” night!! Bring all your friends together (with their dates) and get movies that have sequels…the old “Planet of the Apes,” “Star Wars,” “The Godfather.” Or how about some of the scarier movies series…”Halloween,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Friday, the Thirteenth!!” It’s an all-nighter and it’s a BLAST!!
FUN: 4
ROMANCE: 1
MONEY: $10.00-$25.00

9- Video Party #2 (from Section 9 “’Partying’ is such sweet…”)
Do you and/or your date have a favorite celebrity? This is much like “sequels” night except you’re getting lots of movies that all star the same celebrity. Who do you know and love?…Bruce Willis?, Uma Thurman?, Meryl Streep?, Sandra Bullock?, Scarlett Johannsen?, Matt Damon?, Brad Pitt?, Jennifer Aniston (did I do that on purpose?)? Or you could do your favorite director…Martin Scorsese, John Hughes, John Waters, Terry Gilliam, Clint Eastwood (oops, he fits into more than one category), Opie Taylor (isn’t that his name?). Get into the oldies and do “Hepburn and Tracy” films, or dance along with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in some of their classics. The endless possibilities will boggle your mind!!
FUN: 4
ROMANCE: 1
MONEY: $10.00-$25.00

10- Ceramics (from Section 6 “Be a ‘Crafty’ Couple”)
My mom used to take each one of her kids out on an all-day date. She would let us do whatever we wanted to do on the date…whatever movie, whatever restaurant, whatever event, etc. One of the things that she turned us on to was painting ceramics. There are art stores out there that have ceramic figurines that you can purchase and paint (at the store). When you’re done, the store will “fire” your pieces so the figure is sturdier and the paint is permanent. It will be a constant reminder of the great time you had!! Thanks Mom!!
FUN: 4
ROMANCE: 1
MONEY: $10.00-$25.00

11- The Ballet (from Section 5 “Not Your Run of the Mill”)
For an emotionally high evening, there’s no better place to be than the ballet. I know that for some, ballet has a stigmatism of being, either, too artsy, or too non-macho. Have you ever been to the ballet? The music is moving, the story is intriguing, and the movements of the dancers on stage are awe-inspiring (go ahead and try some of the moves that those dancers do…I’ll come visit you in the hospital)…(I’ve heard of some football players that take ballet because of the moves). If you have never been to a ballet, now is the time to try it. Maybe you’ll love it, although I admit it isn’t for everyone.

Wow!! Time flies when you’re dating!! That’s it for today, but there are a lot more dates coming at you in the future!! Have fun!!