I think an important aspect of every relationship is dating. Married, dating, kids, no kids, fur babies. You need to take time for just y’all. But dating an Army man in an Army town can be quite the endeavor. We might be going out with two other couples tonight.
First off, you don’t go out on payday or on the weekend of payday. It’s a sad state that so many of our soldiers live paycheck to paycheck, so they take the opportunity when they have the money to go out. We have a finite number of restaurants and seats here in Fay, and these tend to fill up quickly. If you don’t go early or late, you can wait close to an hour. We tend to go out on Saturday afternoons. We went out for Valentine’s Day in Lawton a few years ago and waited almost two hours.
Don’t expect to linger over a romantic meal. One downside to American dining is that you get in, eat, and get out. Your waiter will say that they’re not rushing you by dropping off the check, but they are. They want you to leave, so they can make more money.
You can’t go out until your man comes home. Mac works really irregular hours. Some days, he’s home around 5:30. Other days, it’s closer to 7 or 8. He was in the field all weekend and got home Monday at 10 pm. So a plan for a nice evening out can turn into a quiet evening in.
And finally, don’t go to a popular restaurant. The Olive Garden is always hopping on Friday nights. There are times you can’t even get in the parking lot. We go to Luigi’s, a family owned Italian spot down the road from OG. It’s rarely crowded, and the food is so much better.
How do y’all date in Army towns?
I agree with so much of this. I’m happy to finally live in a place that doesn’t ever seem busy, plus it’s much bigger than fayetteville thank goodness lol. We usually find fun stuff to do on the weekends and make the most of our time together.
All of this, so true! I will not leave my house after payday. Seriously, my favorite time to go out and shopping is a day or two before payday. It’s hard for us to date, with the two babies, but if we do, it’s usually to Savannah which is far away enough from post that there aren’t many people there. Or movies in the afternoon on a weekend.
I totally agree! Joe and i just had this conversation the other day now that we have the dog…We decided that Friday’s are our days to go on a date. Now matter how long you have been married, dating is still important. We are fortunate enough to live in a town with many dining options, but I hate the chain restaurants. The dive-ier the better. I love the old hole in the wall joints. The food is always better!
Just found your blog through the blog hop!! I’m going to have to come back and catch up with all your wedding postings!! I love them! š
Hope you will stop by mine as well, I have lots of giveaways lined up, including one going on right now!
http://www.jaxandmarbles.blogspot.com
I don’t even remember. Our dates are few and far between these days š
I agree with Mrs. K on this one š Kids make dating an Army man that much harder.