Where did you go for you first date with your SO? We went to Red Lobster. And you?

[debm55]

[cloudbase]

1. Mariner's Inn

Northport, NY.

[debm55]

2. Thank you cloudbase. I am sure it was better than Red Lobster.

[NNadir]

11. Hey, I used to take my future wife to restaurants in Northport.

There was one by the harbor that we went to once on a day I will always remember.

That was because, as we were "just friends," I was anticipating her telling me over lunch about her date with her ex-boyfriend the day before. (My heart was sinking thinking ahe was going back to that guy.) So she shows up and I asked her how it went and she turned red and said she was never, ever going to go anywhere with him again. It's turns out he offended her by hitting on the wife of a married couple on the double date, while the husband was hitting on her. Maybe the guys were hoping for a four person orgy. I don't know but I do know there was a zero probability of that happening, given who my wife is.

The ex-boyfriend had showed up at the date bringing a pillow since he was expecting a "roll in the hay" as they say. He never made it into her apartment to retrieve the pillow.

I remember the restaurant because my future wife was sitting with her back to the harbor, looking more beautiful than ever while she expressed her anger at the guy.

I avoided saying "You're beautiful when you're angry," but anyway it wasn't directed at me but at the guy I hoped would go away.

I don't remember the name of the restaurant but it wasn't on Main Street but on Bayview. The harbor was filled with sailboats.

When I moved in with her I made a lot of jokes about the pillow which I used for many years. No pillow ever made me quite so happy, even if it was a cheap lumpy thing.

[cloudbase]

13. Small world.

Glad it all worked out for you.

[NNadir]

23. Yeah, I looked up some stuff on Northport history, and from what I can tell, the restaurant in which that tale...

...took place may have actually been Karl's Mariners Inn on Bayview.

It seems to be closed now.

I am pleased to award a DU heart to someone whose love life passed through the Mariner Inn.

[cloudbase]

24. Thank you so much!

At the time, I was a midshipman at Kings Point, and the young lady in question made the mistake of coming to a mixer at the school. Her second mistake was saying "yes" when I asked her to dance.

The following weekend happened to be the end of quarter long weekend, so I took the LIRR out to see her.

That was 53 years ago, and still going strong.

Thanks again.

[NNadir]

29. Well congratulations. It would appear that she's had 53 years...

...to decide whether those two things were a mistake and I'm guessing she wouldn't agree with you that they were.

I very much doubt I'll live long enough to have had 53 years with the woman in my life whose history with me passed through Karl's Mariner Inn, but I'm working it. I've lived with her blissfully for 41 years, 40 as her husband.

Sometimes she reflects on mistakes she made, and I remind her that had she not made them, her sons would not have existed. I don't remind her that had she not made them I could never have been as happy as I am. That would be selfish, and love doesn't do well with selfishness. I'm sort of the boobie prize that resulted from the creation of those two young men of whom we are both very proud.

[cloudbase]

31. That's wonderful!

I love reading stuff like this. While all is certainly not right with the world, there are plenty of pieces that are just great, and the role of random events that shape our lives.

[radical noodle]

3. We went to an art fair and...

then to a dinner theater that evening.

[debm55]

4. Sounds very nice. Thank you very much, radical noodle.

[livetohike]

5. We went to a party that some mutual friends were

having in a farmhouse they rented. We were in college so it started around noon on a Saturday and was still going on after midnight.

[debm55]

6. Thank you very much for sharing with us. livetohike. It sounded like fun.

[NNadir]

7. It's hard to say since we were friends before we were lovers.

I was extremely attracted to my future wife. Lots of men around were, pretty much all the male physics, chemistry and other STEM undergraduates and grad students were interested in her; she was dating an astronomy grad student when we first met. Frankly I was just another in the crowd of intrigued men, not all of us with good intentions to be honest, though I'd like to think mine were. I don't think she thought much about me at the time. We knew each other casually and sometimes we talked but we certainly weren't close.

I therefore guess I'll refer to one of the first events where she and I spent the day together alone.

There was a Modern Art retrospective at the Met in New York that I was planning to attend alone. I ran into my future wife on campus and we stopped to talk and I mentioned that I'd be going to the show. She said she would love to go but couldn't afford the expense.

This struck me as a great opportunity to get to know each other better, for me to understand her on a deeper level, for her to get a little beyond knowing I existed.

I thus said I'd be glad to treat "for the pleasure of your company," my exact words which I remember well. She hemmed and hawwed a bit but finally agreed clearly under the unstated condition that it was not a date but two friends going to an event together.

I remember that day very well, touring the museum. When it closed I suggested taking her to dinner down in Greenwich Village at a restaurant called "Le Figaro" which is still there but far more upscale than it was in those more casual days. I used to go there a lot when I went to jazz clubs in the city, before and after shows.

It was a purely wonderful day, that day at the Met, followed by the evening in the Village and dinner at Le Figaro and while I wished it was a "date" she would not have described it as one.

However that day set in motion the long friendship existing right through the present day that ultimately became a love affair and the marriage that made my life worth living. I guess 42 years later I can get away with thinking that long after the fact I can declare it a "date."

It will have to do.

[debm55]

9. Very romantic. Thank you for sharing, NNadir and it does sound like a date.

[Mad_Dem_X]

8. He came over to my apartment, and we talked until 3 am

Our first actual date was a comedy show. We were sat up front, and of course all the comedians picked on us!

[debm55]

10. HAHAHHAHAH, Thank you Mad_Dem_X. That is wonderful. At comedy shows, I always sit int the back.

[Mad_Dem_X]

12. We didn't know what we were in for! LOL

From then on, I made sure to sit in the back!

[debm55]

20. Now you know. Sit in the back.

[Mz Pip]

14. Met for lunch

Chinese restaurant, I don’t remember the name.

[debm55]

19. Thank you very much for sharing with us, Mz and Mr, Pip

[ProfessorGAC]

15. To A Movie, Then To The Disco

Yeah, I said disco. Same one we met in.
We went to a local steakhouse on our 2nd date.

[debm55]

18. Yes, I remember you met her at the disco. Much love to you and Mrs. ProfessorGAC

[Mosby]

16. Mr Lucky's in Phoenix

It was a very informal first date.

[debm55]

17. HAHAHAHHAHAHa. Thank you very much, Mosby for sharing.

[emulatorloo]

21. To see Star Wars.

[debm55]

35. Thank you very much, emulatorloo, Thank you for sharing with us.

[surrealAmerican]

22. It was the sort of restaurant that more or less typified the mid 1980s:

... a "fusion cuisine" place with less than 10 tables, and a menu written on a chalk board. It was gone within a year.

[debm55]

46. But you two are still on your life journey of love, compassion and passion. Wonderful

[OldBaldy1701E]

25. I had a friend who owned many acres in western North Carolina.

We would have parties up there during the warm months. I invited him to come to one of them. We met at the bus station, and we then drove on to the site. We had a great time. My band played, which was the first time he ever saw me performing live.

After that trip, my 'friends' at the site got all weirded out because I had a 'gay weekend', and they kicked me out of their little enclave that I helped found and build. There had been 'gay' people there before, but not with a date, and they had not been 'on the hunt' during their time. (As opposed to the straight people, who were always on the hunt.)

Just goes to show that one should always do little tests to see where one's true friends lay. Because the results will usually disappoint, but are worth their weight in gold once one realizes how much better off one will be once one removes that evil rot from one's life.

Suffice to say, that incident did not slows down one bit.

[debm55]

45. Thank you very much for sharing with us, OldBaldy1701E. May you both continue on your life journey with love, compassion

and friendship.

[exboyfil]

26. A restaurant called The Broom Factory

Which is now sadly closed. It was considered one of the fancier restaurants in the area. Went dancing after that at a night club which is also closed now. Third date was a drive in which is also closed now.

[debm55]

43. They may all be closed now, but you still have the love of Mrs. exboyfil with you.

[Tim S]

27. Burger King! Well, she was married and I was freshly out of high school so...

5 years later we were married and she spent the remainder of her years either me (silly woman).
I lost her 5 years ago to Early Onset Alzheimer’s and I can’t imagine being with anyone else.

[debm55]

42. Sorry, TimS, she is with you and always will be with you. May her memories be a blessings to you, my friend.

[Tim S]

67. Thank you!

Her memories *are* a blessing. I had the perfect life partner — I couldn’t have possibly asked for more, so I know how fortunate I’ve been. I was very close with my dad. He was a widower, living alone for his last 19 years of life, so I’m already familiar with the lifestyle. 😀

Anywho.. Burger King as a first date… What a hoot! No place to go but up. 🤣

[retread]

28. Bar hopping! We had been in and out of each other's orbits for a couple of weeks. We talked at a friend's house during a

somewhat raucous party. She invited me to go for a "few" drinks. Years later she told me she was interviewing me.

[debm55]

41. Great post, retread . May you and Mrs. retread continue your journey together in love, happiness and freindship

[303squadron]

30. Halloween Costume Party

October 31, 1979.

It was after the party when we went to a local park and sat on swings and talked that I had the first inkling of who she was. I mean, how many people can say without hyperbole that they got to marry the best person they have ever met?

[debm55]

39. Very sweet post, 303squadron. Beautiful. Give Mrs. 303squadron a kiss for me.

[WmChris]

32. Ben Butterworth Parkway

We met walked along the Mississippi river and talked for an hour and a half then went for coffee. 21 years ago and still together.

[debm55]

38. Congratulations to you and your Beloved. Beautiful post.

[lark]

33. Damn, that was over 42 years ago!

I don't remember the name of the restaurant, it was a small organic one in Santa Clara, CA that was only open for breakfast and lunch but had the most delicious omlettes I've had in my life!! kWe were going to a late breakfast and I was thinking I'd love to go there, when he suggested it! Knew right then this could be something special - and it has been!

We're still often able to be in sync like that.

[debm55]

37. Thank you very much , lark. for sharing with us and the omelets that brought you two together.

[oberle]

34. I was a sophmore and he was a senior in college

We had no money, so he asked me to go on a walk around our campus in the dark, in the spring. It was wonderful. We got married the following Christmas, but divorced 5 years later. But I'll never forget that walk.

[debm55]

36. Thank you oberle. the walk sounds very sweet

[Wuddles440]

40. To impress her with my 'refined' cinematic tastes,...

I treated her to a showing at Cinema 356 (Sarver, PA) of "The Great Great Waldo Pepper" starring Robert Redford followed by sampling of the culinary delights at the Pizza Hut in Natrona Heights, PA. Any old time Yinzers from the AK Valley might appreciate those ghosts from the past. Manos Theater anyone?

[MyOwnPeace]

47. I live behind the one in Sarver - and yeah, I'm an old 'Yinzer!'

and the 'original' Manos Theater in Tarentum was one of 2 in the 50's ( the Harris was the other) - and a radio station - WKPA - would broadcast live in the 'downstairs' part of the Manos!

[debm55]

51. I am a Yinzer too.Duquesne, North Huntington. Jefferson Hills.

[Wuddles440]

62. Interesting!

I wasn't aware of that radio station or that it was being broadcast from the Manos (probably attributed to my entire lack of awareness as teenager). Most of my preferred stations during the 1970's and beyond were KQV, 13Q (can't remember their actual call letters), WDVE, occasionally WAMO, KDKA (sports), WTAE (sports), and eventually B-94 (which I believe was WBZZ).

[MyOwnPeace]

64. More 'radio' stuff.......

WKPA later moved to New Kensington and added an FM station, WYDD.
And here's a CRAZY bit: KQV was certainly 'the' AM station for kids in the 70's, and one of the DJs was a guy called Chris Christy. After he left KQV he became more interested in a 'talk' format and changed his name (but maybe it was his actual name) to................. RUSH LIMBAUGH!

[Wuddles440]

72. I literally want to vomit...

every time that I see or hear that name (fortunately it's a relatively rare occurrence now that he's permanently taken up residence in the underworld). During his reign of terror on this earth, I do remember hearing that he had been on the radio in the PGH market, but did not know that he had been using a different name for broadcasting. For curiosity sake, I'd normally invest some energy further investigating his personal history, but in this instance it's a hard pass for me.

[debm55]

73. I remember KQV. It was located on Mount Washington and was run on solar power. So stopped airring at 6PM. It played

more progressive rock then KDKA and the others that played pop. And yes, I remember Chris Christy..

[debm55]

48. HAHAHAHHHAHA. Thank you very much Wuddles440. and give a kiss to Mrs. Wuddles for me.

[Dulcinea]

44. To the Mellow Mushroom for pizza & then a movie.

Supreme pizza followed by "A River Runs Through It." November 1992, Atlanta.

[debm55]

50. Thank you my dear Dulcinea for sharing with us. Love, Deb.

[MyOwnPeace]

49. I was a choir director......

and she was a soprano in my choir. For our 'first date' we went to a small Italian restaurant/bar in Bloomfield ('Little Italy' for Pittsburgh) - had some pizza - and then went to Mt. Washington for the view (she had never been there!) and....... our first kiss!
We dated for 5 years and almost made 30 years married before I lost her to MS.

[debm55]

53. Very sweet post, MyOwnPeace. Your beloved will always be with you on your journey of life. May her memories be a

Blessing to you. Love, deb .

[LisaM]

52. The original Red Robin on the Lake Washington ship canal.

It had killer views and they seated us right by the window. This was (I think) right around the time they first started franchising, so it wasn't yet the huge chain it is now, though there were multiple locations. It was November, so the water views at night were beautiful.

Of course they knocked it down for apartments because developers are determined to strip every last ounce of charm and quirkiness out of Seattle, so we went one last time before it closed and the place was full of couples who had gone there on their first date. It had a crazy parking lot where you parked sideways at a 45 degree angle, but there was more normal parking across the street). I still miss it.

[debm55]

55. Thank you very much for sharing with us LisaM. Say hello to Mr.LisaM

[mike_c]

54. the impound lot at Dulles Airport

Not my wife, but my ex. On our first date for dinner and a movie I got pulled over by a cop on the Dulles Airport access road, which was virtually unused in those days. He pulled me over for having a burned out license plate light, and impounded my car (which was, in fairness, a $300 car in 1978). We had to hitch-hike home in Loudoun County. I cooked dinner at her apartment instead.

[debm55]

56. Thank you for sharing, mike_c. I had that happen to me too. He followed me all the through Pittsburgh and as soon as I

crossed the city line he put on his lights. Also told me to keep my hands on the wheel. Then said I needed my owners papers that were in the dashboard glove compartment. Started scream in keep my hands of the wheel. I started crying. The light cost me a ticket of 100 dollars. I was going to contest it but simply paid it.

[rsdsharp]

57. We went to an Alice Cooper concert -- 47 years ago this month.

Ya gotta admit, it just doesn’t get more romantic than that!

[debm55]

60. HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHh. too funny. I am sure you and Mrs. rsdsharp enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.

[maptap22]

58. I met my husband during our annual Army Reserve training....

so our first date was at the NCO club in Ft Eustis, VA. VA really is for lovers.

[debm55]

61. Thank you very much , maptap22 . I hope you and Mr. maptap22 had a great time.

[DelMar dem]

59. The Continental Safari in Chadds Ford, PA.

It was a very popular nightclub in the late 60s and 70s. Lots of well-known popular singers and groups appeared there. They were famous for their Singapore Slings, which may have contributed to the "warm glow" of the evening.

[debm55]

69. Thank you very much for sharing with us, DelMar dem. Welcome to DU

[Dorothy V]

63. We went to a Rodeo. In his younger days, Hubby was a bullrider. He had the skeletal system to prove it, too. He did

admit that being crazy was a prerequisite to bullriding. He also made sure neither of our sons took it up.
By the by, attending a rodeo with an insider is a blast. And no, the animals weren't harmed. Only a couple of the people.

[debm55]

70. hahahahahah. Great post Dorothy V, Thank you for sharing with us.

[CanonRay]

65. We went to TGI Friday's in Toledo

Mrs. Canon was working in Toledo at the time.

[debm55]

71. Thank you very much for sharing with us, CanonRay.

[Tikki]

66. We went to a movie at an indoor theatre...

Good Neighbor Sam” 1964
Starring Jack Lemon and Romy Schneider.
We were married three years later and at one point we thought
if we ever had a daughter we might name her Romy.
No daughter for us, though.

The Tikkis

[debm55]

68. Great post. Thank you for sharing with us, Tikki.