Five Great Rainy-Day Dates
Let’s face it: In Minnesota, we’re used to escaping the weather. There
are a few perfect weeks in every season when it’s a joy to be outside, but much
of the time, it’s either too cold, too hot, too wet, or too windy
outside.
We can make the most of it with the right attitude, but there are certain days when
an indoor backup plan is great. And since dating is one of life’s greatest
indoor sports, we offer you these five ideas to turn a rainy day into a perfect
date.
Globetrotting Dinner
Create an exotic dinner for two at your house. Choose a cuisine you are both curious
about—Ethiopian, Thai, French, Russian—hop online and track down a few
recipes, and head out together on an ingredient-gathering mission. If you hold hands
in the produce aisle, it counts as part one of the date. Part two is the adventure of
trying to create the meal. And part three is sitting down to eat together. If the
meal is a bust, laugh, and play a little footsie under the table.
DIY Film Festival
Rent three DVDs that have something in common--a theme, an actor, a director, or a
country. Call it a film festival, pop a huge bowl of popcorn, and snuggle up on the
couch with your date for a long rainy day at the home theater.
Look Good in a Tool Belt
Knock something off the to-do list and learn some key things about your date at the
same time by enlisting him or her to help. Want to refinish grandma’s dresser?
Tile your bathroom? Put in a veggie garden? Ask for help. Home improvement projects
go faster, and are more fun, when you have a companion, and who knows? You might
discover some useful talents your new sweetie possesses that you otherwise would
never have discovered.
Get Feisty Over a Board Game
Board games might seem like child’s play, but think about it: Did your kid
brother’s competitive streak drive you crazy? Did you mom’s poker face
win your deepest admiration? Find out what role your date played in his or her family
by cracking the lid on a few classic games. Trivial Pursuit will tell you a few
things about your date’s IQ. Pictionary is good for laughs. Monopoly could be a
sneak preview on his or her spending habits. And Cranium allows for creativity and
personal expression, sometimes of the goofy kind. Play a few games, and you may be
able to determine if this is someone you want on your team in the future.
Get Active
Maybe a walk around the lake doesn’t sound too inviting on a day like today.
But if you and your date are active types, there are plenty of indoor options. Try a
climbing wall, a community pool, a yoga class, a trip to the gym, a racquetball
match, indoor bocce ball at a local bar, or even bowling. Hey, it’s exercise!
And more important, it’s time together, and a chance to find out if your date
can keep up with you.