A Short Story on the Progress of Opposite People Making Marriage Work- The Great Divide.

Mick called and asked me out for an LNO this weekend.

"An LNO?", I asked, unsure I heard him correctly.

"Yeah, you know... a Lovers Night Out"?
How could I refuse after such swooning and the cute use of a new acronym?

"Sure!" I say happily with only a slight tinge of the dreaded Who Should We Get to Babysit syndrome. Actively dating Mick is hard to come by around these parts. Mostly from time, but also from conflicting interests. If our opposites at one point in time attracted us, now coupled with having kids in tow, they separate us. It is so much easier to just have one of us stay home with the kids while the other heads out for their intended activity. I have to consciously remind myself that different is good, and that because of Mick and I's differences- life never gets dull and boring. It is all about the give and take. I was ready for the take.
 
 "I really want to rent some cross country skis and head out, just you and I, one of these days", I say excitedly. The silence that persisted on the line lead me to realize that his idea of our LNO did not entail a winter filled day honing our cross county skiing skills. Out pops my next thought in an attempt to make up for my over excitement and so as not to squash his- " I guess that won't work this weekend since I'm already taking Aspen skiing on Wednesday, huh, what were you thinking we could do?"

Sacrifice, sacrifice. Clearly it was my turn to give.

Here in lies the great divide:

"Well, there is a basketball game on Saturday, or we can use my new movie gift cards I got from work", he says.

"I'm not up for basketball", I tell him. It took me eleven years, but I've learned that a date to a sporting event usually ends up with Mick voicing his frustrations about player performances, coaching calls or him yelling remarks at hot headed referees. This is great for Mick, and part of the passion he has that I admire in him, but it's so far removed from sweet heart warming nothings being whispered in my ear, or romantic gestures, that I tend to shut down and get slightly ornery thinking that I just wasted a perfectly good babysitter and a few hours of peace on a loud, noisy crowd-frenzied game. I don't mean to portray that I do not like going to  sporting events with Mick, nor do I condemn Mick and his love of all things Aggie. I'm really glad he likes those things, but I just cannot term a sporting event as a date anymore. It is crushing. I'll let him have a night out with the guys for that.

My idea of a night out with my man is quiet conversation, a walk under the stars, a session at the temple, a bike ride to dinner and music at sunset, camping all cozy together, cross country skiing while helping each other and laughing ourselves silly over our follies. Now those sounds like dates. The list could go on. 

The next best choice he offered was a movie. Then came the talk about movies and how I was wishing Dear John was in theaters already so we could go to that for free. It is my favorite book and I cannot wait to see it. Clearly I was forgetting it was my turn to give. Foot in mouth again.

"You don't want to see Avatar?", he questions. He's been dying to see this blockbuster for weeks. This I know.

"Sure, let's just find a sitter"!

Oh, the things we do for love. Here's hoping for the slightest hint of romance in Avatar's plot to sustain me, and maybe a little hand holding across the seats.