Ok, some movies really are entertaining and dinner, for the most part, can be a, uh, a fulfilling experience. But the whole dinner-and-a-movie thing is not a knock-yer-socks off kinda date - about as electrifying as a Sunday dinner at mom’s house.



Want to impress a first-time date or add some zing to your current relationship? Here are a few ideas. If these don’t strike the right cord, use your imagination and come up with something on your own, something that expresses who you are!

Don’t go out to dinner, stay in. Read a cookbook and make something sumptuous for just the two of you. No roommates allowed. By them tickets to the movies and kick their lazy butts out for the evening.

When was the last time you packed a picnic and ate lunch on the steps of St Patrick’s or on the shore of the Columbia River? Pack up a basket of goodies, a chilled bottle of your favorite beverage and really get to know your date.

Instead of traipsing to a movie try a theme park. Big or small, just about everybody loves a day at a theme park. From the roller coasters to the bumper cars, the attractions can help make a date more genuine and enjoyable. Or, if that sounds like too much excitement, try a visit to the zoo, a stroll through a local museum or an art gallery.

For the hard-core thrill-seeking daters, you might want to consider taking a jump out of a perfectly good airplane at 13,000 feet. More and more, there are companies that offer training, equipment and flight diving packages. I’ve seen a couple starting in the neighborhood of $250. I can’t think of a better way to show your date you care by placing their life in hands of a professional skydiver. If they just can’t jump out of the plane by themselves hook them up with a tandem dive. In a tandem dive the novice is harnessed onto the front of a professional diver. The professional carry’s a parachute built for two people. When the plane reaches 13,000 feet both people jump together. Whew - nearly 60 seconds of free-falling! Now that’s thrilling!

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Can you recall the name of the last movie you saw with ol’ what’s her name? And what was that slimy stuff you ate the last time you went out with ol’ what’s his name? While jumping out of an airplane is not for everyone, I guarantee your date will never forget you or the experience of bailing out at 13,000 feet!