Going on a date Friday. **(Updated May 3rd)**

magnus wrote:

They have food at Ethiopian restaurants?

A girl in DC brought me to one. What I remember (it was more than 10 years ago) was lots of spicy meat and flatbread.

E Hunnie wrote:

Take her to a bookstore. It has TONS of conversation starters. You can be together but not have to feel the pressure of talking every second of the date. There is usually a coffee place to sit and talk. You can stay there for ever or just drop in for a little while. You can also get dinner afterward and finish any conversations you started in the bookstore. If she finds a book she likes you have two options: 1. Buy it for her then (best if it looks like she is going to buy it for herself anyway). 2. Remember it and send it to her a few days later (shows you really were paying attention to her). Either way, you look like a stud who supports her interests.

edit: All of a sudden, I see why Wordy and I are dating. ::self-identified book dork::

TheWanderer wrote:

I've had exceptionally good first dates at book stores. You can kinda show off what each of you is into, make recommendations, hit the current events with the periodicals. And you get the quiet areas of the store, the sitting areas of the store, yet more coffee if you need it. It's a very dynamic space.

And, if it's going to hell in there you can get out quick and try something else. It's not like a concert or anything.

It's like special ops in that you have to plan your escape route ahead of time.

I too would like to point out the efficacy of a book-store. It can fit into a standard date that includes movie/dinner/theater as well. Take her to the Dr. Seuss section and show her that you can read gud!

I don't understand the coffee hate, especially from Morrolan, who I thought was my homie and had my back. We're through, bro, and I want my Prince tape back.

The point of a first date is to get to know someone, right? Coffee is conducive to this process. Granted, so is wine or scotch, but I have yet to lure a woman to a wine bar on a first date. Second, maybe...

The point is, you want to go somewhere where the two of you can get a read on each other. Concerts and clubs don't really do that. Museums can be okay, but I've recently found out that they make better second or third dates... something to look at while you continue to enjoy the other's company.

Yoyo's bookstore idea is pretty rad, actually. I'm trying that next time.

Make sure you stare at her face, and don't pick your teeth with your straw. Other than that I've got nothing.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
magnus wrote:

They have food at Ethiopian restaurants?

A girl in DC brought me to one. What I remember (it was more than 10 years ago) was lots of spicy meat and flatbread.

Yeah, the one I've been too in okc has you use flatbread to eat all the food. Extremely conducive to chatter and novel enough to make her think your classy. I wouldn't suggest restaurants you don't know. Pick one of your off the beaten path favorites so you can be a 'regular'.

Throw her down a flight of stairs and then stomp her face in with her foot while screaming, "THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS! GET USED TO IT!!!"

I'm so lonely...

MechaSlinky wrote:

Throw her down a flight of stairs and then stomp her face in with her foot while screaming, "THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS! GET USED TO IT!!!"

I'm so lonely...

Well gee, I wonder why...

Some of my favorite dates with Robear were

minature golf

Going down to City Dock in Annapolis and watching people show off their boats and then going over to the Naval Academy and watching the Pleebs learn to sail

Interesting Museums

Walking in the park and talking

Coffee in the bookstore sounds great

Window shopping in the Mall and making fun of silly trends

Have a great time on Friday!

The best thing about bookstores is that they never stop being a good date idea. Every Thursday night for the past couple of years, DS and I have gone and hung out in our local Borders. They don't just know us by name there, but by drink order. It's very nice.

Don't listen to Morrolan, he watches too many chick flicks.

Coffee is an ideal first date since it tends to be short and gives you both a chance to feel each other out casually (and FIGURATIVELY) without committing to what could become awkward and uncomfortable. Movies are a poor choice as there is very little contact between movie-goers, and movies generally suck. You don't want her first memory of you to be some sh*tty movie.

My protocol is this:

First date: Coffee. Least amount of time you can politely spend with someone in case they suck.
Second date: Drink. Still short just in case you screwed up your analysis first go, but more intimate.
Third date: Shared activity. Pick something interesting, but easy. This gives her an idea of what you find cool. I often take girls to the climbing gym, out for a run, or a kayak roll class. Avoid taxadermy sessions until you know her better.
Fourth date: Dinner. Shared meal gives you time to talk and an opportunity to head back to your place or hers if you decide things are going well enough.

After that, I sort of play it by ear.

LobsterMobster wrote:

Don't listen to Morrolan, he watches too many chick flicks.

YOU watch too many chick flicks.

God damn it, that sucked.

Paleocon wrote:

My protocol is this:

First date: Coffee. Least amount of time you can politely spend with someone in case they suck.
Second date: Drink. Still short just in case you screwed up your analysis first go, but more intimate.
Third date: Shared activity. Pick something interesting, but easy. This gives her an idea of what you find cool. I often take girls to the climbing gym, out for a run, or a kayak roll class. Avoid taxadermy sessions until you know her better.
Fourth date: Dinner. Shared meal gives you time to talk and an opportunity to head back to your place or hers if you decide things are going well enough.

After that, I sort of play it by ear.

Bah.

First date: Coffee. Least amount of time you can politely spend with someone in case they suck.
Second date: Ridin' the ColdForged Power Python (TM).

Eh, big talker anyway.

I'm totally stalking you guys. Way I figure: Sushi Thai and Borders. Amiright? Or Wasabi and B&N... hmm. This won't be as easy as I hoped.

My thing with all the fancy ideas is this - she's either going to be impressed with *you*, or she's not. Where you make this impression is kind of irrelevant. Coffee is good for all the reasons mentioned, especially because it's conducive to conversation. The bookstore is also good because it invites interesting conversation.

I've never done the bookstore, but I do remember discussing literature over lunch once, with a girl who had minored in English. When she said she didn't like Hamlet I was like, Get me outta here!

Sigsbee has also been consulted, and she agrees that fancy dates are for when you're getting serious. Our first date was at a local italian place (not a national chain) with good atmosphere. Sadly, it closed; a California Pizza Kitchen is there now. Amazingly, the good atmosphere remains.

Would be a good idea. I plan to have Logan sit in for me when I am on my honeymoon.

- Legion, taking "keeping it in the family" to a whole new level.

Xbox Live: Fedaykin98

LockAndLoad wrote:

Depends on the venue & the music. Heavy metal concert = bad. Acoustic performers at a beatnik coffee shop = good. Of course, that's just my taste in music.

I was going to say the same thing. You don't want her to have to fight for her life in a mosh pit. I'm 6'3, 180 pounds and I have trouble staying put in those things (went to see Thrice... That was insane).

Acoustic is good. I prefer acoustic because not only are you able to talk, you can also appreciate the music without worrying about the 300 pound guy running over you or your date.

ColdForged wrote:

I'm totally stalking you guys. Way I figure: Sushi Thai and Borders. Amiright? Or Wasabi and B&N... hmm. This won't be as easy as I hoped.

You cover one, I'll cover the other. Bring your telephoto lens.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
ColdForged wrote:

I'm totally stalking you guys. Way I figure: Sushi Thai and Borders. Amiright? Or Wasabi and B&N... hmm. This won't be as easy as I hoped.

You cover one, I'll cover the other. Bring your telephoto lens.

Goddammit, that's what I'm talking about, Stone! Teamwork! Cartoonin, you know the Sushi Thai on Lake Boone has $1 sushi at night, yes? At least they used to.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Wait as long as possible to introduce them to your Rock Band friends to avoid scaring her away. :D

he means that you should put on a live Rock Band show, and culminate with a solo performance of "Tom Sawyer" sung just for her.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

My thing with all the fancy ideas is this - she's either going to be impressed with *you*, or she's not. Where you make this impression is kind of irrelevant. Coffee is good for all the reasons mentioned, especially because it's conducive to conversation.

The problem I have with coffee is it's cheap and lazy. If you're taking a beautiful woman on a date, you can be sure others have noticed her beauty. You should be looking to stand out from the crowd. Some guys here are acting like they're the only game in town. When she goes to tell her friends about the date, and they ask her where you took her, do you really want her to have to answer "Starbucks".

Any approach can work but I would suggest you stack the odds in your favor by putting the effort in to show her that the date was important to you.

Whatever, I guess you can always try to make a good first impression on the second date.

Cartoonin, I like the date you chose it's casual, but it shows you're putting in the effort, and looking to make the date original, and something that you think she would enjoy. I hope you share the results with us.

edit - Athough it looks like copies of the full report will be available for purchase from the stalkers.

tatterdemaliot wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:

Wait as long as possible to introduce them to your Rock Band friends to avoid scaring her away. :D

he means that you should put on a live Rock Band show, and culminate with a solo performance of "Tom Sawyer" sung just for her.

Some of us might find that the very height of romance.

Here's a curveball for everyone: What if you drink tea?

Rainsmercy wrote:

Read any and all DDT's, study them, make sure not to do anything Demos has done.

As far as first dates go, I have no clue, in a few weeks, it will be 8 years I have been married/11 years together, so I don't know the first thing about dating any more.

Good luck!

Meh, I was here when well before Demos. I have read the bulk of his endeavors while they were happening to him, hell I even gave the kid some advice on a couple of occassions. There is no danger of my swerving down his perilous path.

Kiri wrote:

Some of my favorite dates with Robear were

minature golf

Going down to City Dock in Annapolis and watching people show off their boats and then going over to the Naval Academy and watching the Pleebs learn to sail

Interesting Museums

Walking in the park and talking

Coffee in the bookstore sounds great

Window shopping in the Mall and making fun of silly trends

Have a great time on Friday!

Thanks Kiri.

We talk to each other every day and have quite a bit in common, so I don't think keeping the conversation is going to be much of a problem. We have both admitted that once we start talking we don't shutup. Jusk ask Quintin.

ColdForged wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

My protocol is this:

First date: Coffee. Least amount of time you can politely spend with someone in case they suck.
Second date: Drink. Still short just in case you screwed up your analysis first go, but more intimate.
Third date: Shared activity. Pick something interesting, but easy. This gives her an idea of what you find cool. I often take girls to the climbing gym, out for a run, or a kayak roll class. Avoid taxadermy sessions until you know her better.
Fourth date: Dinner. Shared meal gives you time to talk and an opportunity to head back to your place or hers if you decide things are going well enough.

After that, I sort of play it by ear.

Bah.

First date: Coffee. Least amount of time you can politely spend with someone in case they suck.
Second date: Ridin' the ColdForged Power Python (TM).

Eh, big talker anyway.

I'm totally stalking you guys. Way I figure: Sushi Thai and Borders. Amiright? Or Wasabi and B&N... hmm. This won't be as easy as I hoped.

SonuvaFemale Doggo! You are actually a hell of a lot closer than you realize, though you have a couple of the locations mismatched.

Edit: Also it looks like I am going to have to bring out some Hired Goons (TM) to keep the riff raff at bay.
You two goobers are on notice.

McChuck wrote:

Here's a curveball for everyone: What if you drink tea?

Ew. Who dates tea drinkers?

McChuck wrote:

Here's a curveball for everyone: What if you drink tea?

Chinese gardens usually also serve tea. I don't know if you have any nearby but they make for a great first date.

Yea I drink tea. As a eternal Coffee Grinder I've come to associate coffee with unjust repression by my co-workers.

ColdForged wrote:
McChuck wrote:

Here's a curveball for everyone: What if you drink tea?

Ew. Who dates tea drinkers?

A valid question.

And there are definitely no Chinese gardens around here. Plenty of corn fields, though.

ColdForged wrote:

Goddammit, that's what I'm talking about, Stone! Teamwork! Cartoonin, you know the Sushi Thai on Lake Boone has $1 sushi at night, yes? At least they used to.

And it's even good sushi, although I can't speak for it's mercury content.

Triluna and I had our first date at Borders off walnut and then we went to Thai Villa. Mmmm... Panang Curry.

Erm, uh, sorry, got distracted there. Anyways, it worked out pretty well. (well, duh, we're married now) We got coffee at the Borders coffee bar and then wandered the bookstore for interesting stuff.

ColdForged wrote:

Ew. Who dates tea drinkers?

Anyone who doesn't want some drunk vomiting on their nice clothes. Seriously, this shirt with only two custard stains? I only wear it on special occasions.

bighoppa wrote:
ColdForged wrote:

Ew. Who dates tea drinkers?

Anyone who doesn't want some drunk vomiting on their nice clothes. Seriously, this shirt with only two custard stains? I only wear it on special occasions.

I drink tea.
Long Island Iced Tea.
Shazaam.