Best Date Ever.

So, if, as has been said to me, a first date is simply an interview for a second one, then I totally nailed this interview.

The date began with ice skating. Now, I almost talked myself out of it, seeing that there were mainly families on the Union Square Ice Rink, but after checking in with my date, I knew this is what we were there to do.

And I had a blast!!! It was so much freaking fun. I didn’t fall, but I certainly flailed. I laughed and grinned and was a terrible skater having a wonderful time. It was incredible. The Christmas music on the speakers, I barely heard over my squeals of delight and intense concentration to not knock into anyone. People standing outside the rink watching laughed and smiled at me as I laughed and smiled. They were as delighted to see I was having such a good time at being awful as I was. :)

After making it for only about 40minutes though, having worked up a bit of heat, and my ankles not nearly as strong as they needed to be, we called it quits, but we were both cool with it.

I’d promised my date that we’d go see Hugo in 3D, that Martin Scorcese kids’ film that was supposed to actually be pretty good. But what we needed first was … hot chocolate.

After trying to corral my date into being okay with stopping in Ross (the discount clothing store) for a minute for some socks, I agreed this was not what I wanted to be doing either, and we left, to get hot chocolate with whipped cream. Now, I would never normally do this, the sugar factor for one, and the cool factor for the other. I was in line very tempted to get a chai latte with an add shot – seasonal and fun, but adult, you know? But, when I went up to order, hot chocolate it was. It was delicious. I really felt like the old days.

My “crazy cat lady aunt” as I’ve been fond to call her, but realize perhaps it’s time to stop calling her that. It’s pretty mean. But, you get immediately the type of person I’m talking about. Well, she lives in Manhattan, as she has all of my life, and each year growing up would take me to Rockefeller Center. There, was Teuscher’s Chocolates. And in Teuscher’s chocolates were something called Champagne Truffles. Now, I haven’t had them in a few years, I had one about 4 years ago, but wasn’t sure if that was “okay” on the whole sobriety front, so I don’t have them anymore, but that one was as divine as I remembered them to be.

My aunt, for all of her foibles and human fallibilities, really loved/loves me and my brother. She took us to see the famous tree, to see the Radio City Rockettes, to stand on the lines to go see the holiday windows at Sak’s Fifth Avenue – which were monumental in our day – themed and mechanized and just opulent. 

She, in fact, wrote me an email about 2 weeks ago entitled “The Return of Kevin,” and said she was flipping through the channels and came across Home Alone, and remembered vividly, though I don’t, when she had taken me for tea at the Plaza hotel (she loved to do these totally chi-chi things, like we went to the symphony, and she took me on my first airplane ride). Apparently, standing out front, I said “I’m standing where Kevin stood”, with such a look on my face of joy and radiance that she remembers it to this day. Now, sadly, I know this must mean that I was referencing Home Alone Two, because that one takes place in NY, and loathe though I may be to admit it, I’m sure this story is completely accurate.

So, I love all the shlock of Christmas, holidays, even the pushy crowds. When I left the ice rink yesterday, the smile and sheen of joy coming off me was palpable. I was so happy I went.

My date ended after Hugo in 3D with buying a package of sugar-free hot chocolate on my way home (the invasion of sugar from earlier was not kind to me), rented a comedy and came home to curl up with some tea, and, hey, here’s honesty, to "spend a little time with myself," to quote Tom Waits.

You may have guessed much earlier than this, that my date was with myself. And it was awesome. Part of the whole Calling in the One thing and my path in general is to become a woman I’d want to date. And, judging from the careening, fanciful, contented joy of yesterday, another date is sure to follow.