Stood Up

It finally happened! My dear husband stood me up. Here's how it all went down;

Mark came home yesterday afternoon for lunch and suggested we have a Family TGIF celebration at the local watering hole/hangout down the street called, The Rock. It's where the locals (especially Parkies) hang out after work. I said sure, let's see how the rest of the day goes. The rest of the day turned a little cuckoo. I'll spare you with the boring details. Let's just say I was frazzled and ready for an adult beverage when Mark got home from work. I must have looked like I needed a break because he immediately suggested I head down The Rock early and he and the boys would meet me a little later. It felt weird. I immediately kicked into Mommy mode worrying whether or not Mark would be bringing snacks and sippy cups or if should I bring them with me? Because that is what a Mom worries about before heading out on a Friday night. It's all about snacks and choosing an arsenal of entertainment to ensure a peaceful dining experience. It's never about what shoes to wear or what outfit looks hot. Those are all concerns of the past. Mark pretty much shoved me out the door and told me he was all over it.

So down to The Rock I went. Feeling awkward and a bit off my game. It had been awhile since I walked into a bar (really not knowing a soul) and tried to be chummy with people. But I did it. Unbeknownst to me, Mark called the bar and asked the bartender to flag down one of his fire buddies. He asked him to watch for me and hook me up with "my dates". Apparently, Mark talked to some girls earlier in the day that mentioned they were heading to The Rock after work. He told them he wanted me to meet them. I guess that's where the scheming began. It was a total set up!

I walked in, Mark's buddy met me at the door and whisked me off to a table where my girl "dates" were waiting. I did my best to NOT talk about my kids and before long (after the initial introductions) we were yapping it up and having ADULT conversations. It didn't take long to figure out that my family would not be joining me for dinner. Within minutes I received a text from Mark that read:

"Go ahead and eat without us."

The jig was up. My sneaky husband was trying to play match maker and introduce me to some friends. I know for a fact that there is no way I would have headed down to The Rock by myself on a Friday night without my family. After ordering my food, I received another text that read:

"Have fun. Be yourself and don't just talk about the kids.

Stay out as late as you want."

He gave me some pretty solid dating advice and I took it. I might have mentioned my kids in conversation a little bit but how could I not? All in all, it was a pretty awesome first date. I even got some digits! I think this means that my dear husband has officially released me back into the dating world. He's my own personal Chuck Woolery. If you had to google who Chuck Woolery is then I am much older (and nerdier) than you are.