102 Great Dates For Any Budget--By The Editors of Sharpman.com

Right, so having not dated in high school or my 20s, I am way behind the curve on my dating skills and know-how. So what do I do? I research! Sometimes I am such a left-brained librarian sort that even I think I should be stopped. Anyway, what this book reinforces for me is that anything can be a date. Really! Two people+ activity that sparks conversation+food=date. It's practically a formula. There's some good ideas in here. I would like The Book-Lover's Date, where you go to the library or a bookstore and read good passages/favorite bits to each other. The Give Me S'Mores Date. The History In The Making Date (gotta hit the local historical reenactment!) . The Going To The Races Date. Maybe not The Scrapbooking Date--that's a little weird. And I'd have to know a guy well before I'd let him either help rearrange the furniture or do some of my home fixups. But this is a good book--lots of great "give it a shot" activities to break out of the movie rut, they are all very cheap, with the possibility of more expensive options in the same vein. And the book spells out in the introduction that what you want on a date is to pay attention to the other person and have some fun. Dating 101, so to speak.

Now, ha ha, since I am breaking out of being the girl who does too much in a relationship all I have to do is find a guy who would put these ideas in action. More on that later.