date night

Well it's the middle of the week already.
That means I should probably rehash some of last weekend before we're into the next one already.

Saturday Ryan and I went out. We had tickets to see Bill Cosby and had been so looking forward to getting out for a date night. We've only been out one other evening together, just the two of us, since we moved here almost five months ago. And that was for a work Christmas dinner. So we were excited about a just for fun, just for us night!

Which started off on the wrong foot.

Apparently I haven't dressed up much this winter (besides the Christmas dinner formal-- and I didn't think a cocktail dress was appropriate to wear to a comedic concert) because as I tried to pick an outfit Saturday afternoon, I realized I was sorely mistaken in my options. Everything I thought might work was, shall we say, a bit snug. Like no way could I wear this all evening and enjoy myself at all, snug. I finally settled on nice jeans and a black shirt and heels, dressed up with a silky scarf, which actually looked fine, but of course the whole process left me feeling quite frustrated and discouraged about myself. To which Ryan immensely helped matters by commenting, "You're wearing jeans to the TPAC?".

So. The evening was off to a great start.

Then. We got in the car to leave and I glance down at the tickets sitting on the center console and see that whad'ya know, the show starts at 4:00, not 4:30 which we for some reason (ahem, maybe because that's what Ryan told me when I asked?) both had in our heads and were planning for. And for which we were already running behind for. Great.

Downtown there had been some sort of governmental inauguration [much] earlier in the afternoon, which they had closed roads for. Well by the time we got down there, all of that was said and done, but some of the barricades had been left up making us loop round and about out of our way downtown for no reason at all.
Of course we were late and the closest parking we could find was four blocks away. We've never parked downtown using the electronic meters and so we spend another five minutes trying to figure that out and locate our stall number (buried in the snow on the curb). Eventually we were on our way.
Now, Ryan walks fast anyway and when he's really in a hurry, watch out! So here I am, trying to keep up, basically running four blocks. Uphill. In heels I haven't worn in probably a year. And then we walk up like four bazillion flights of stairs to get to our section. And then have to squeeze down, in the dark, past others in their seats to our seats 20 chairs down. Ugh.

So, to recap up until this point? I'm fat, we missed the first ten minutes of the show, and my feet are killing me.

The show went by super fast, and it was just... meh. Love Bill Cosby though and I'm so glad I got the chance to see him Live!

On to dinner.

At this point, realizing neither of us had really eaten much all day, we were starving. And a little grumpy.
Have I ever mentioned that one of the only things Ryan and I regularly argue about is what/where to eat? This is, of course, especially exasperated when we're hungry and grumpy.
Long story short, we settled on a new (to us) restaurant, but went in to find the wait was 45-50 min. I honestly didn't think it was that bad; the place was packed, but I didn't figure we were going to get much better at any other nice restaurant downtown at 6pm on a Saturday. We put in our names and wandered through the bar which was pretty much too crowded to even stand in. We spent about 40 minutes in the bar area, leaning on a small counter by a window, never able to get even one chair. I finally was so tired of standing there, hot (did I mention it seemed way too hot in there?) and hungry, that we moved back out to the front of the restaurant to wait for our table. I sat outside for a bit and then when we thought we had to be next, we came into the lobby area by the desk. It was still way too warm in there for me and I took my coat off almost immediately. And waited for what seemed like another eternity (otherwise known as about five minutes).
Suddenly I felt really sick to my stomach. It came on totally suddenly and I honestly thought I needed to run to the bathroom because I was going to be sick. Then, just as suddenly as it came over me, it was gone... only lasted about 30 seconds.
But as soon as that wave of nausea was gone I started feeling light headed. And slowly blackness started creeping in from the sides of my vision. I immediately turned to Ryan and told him I felt dizzy, lightheaded, just off. And then I think I grabbed him because I knew I was going to pass out. My heart was racing and I couldn't see anything, everything was going black and I was in slow motion in my head thinking, I'm going to pass out, I'm going to pass out, I'm going to fall down right here in front of a crowded restaurant and they're going to call 911. I remember thinking they were going to call our name finally but I knew I couldn't make it to our table because I was going to pass out. I remember thinking I wanted to get outside, but I knew I wouldn't make it because I was going to pass out.
I don't know what I was really doing... I know I was trying to keep my eyes open and focus on Ryan through the blackness, but I think I was a panicky combination of trying to hold onto him and brace myself on the front counter. He called for someone to get some water and somehow he got me over to a bench. I don't think I completely blacked out, but it was pretty darn close and I don't really remember getting to the bench. I do remember wondering how he found an empty bench in such a crowded lobby. Ryan said my legs did give out at one point. But anyway, we sat down and suddenly there was water there and I was drinking it and the manager and hostesses were hovering over me asking if I was okay. As I sat and drank the blackness slowly started receding just the same as it came on.
It was so weird.
We sat for just another couple of minutes and then our table was ready and I was feeling just about normal. Seriously, by the time we sat down at our table, it was like nothing had happened. My head felt normal and I was just plain old hungry again.
Ryan thinks I overheated or was too hungry or something. He asked if maybe I had my knees locked the whole time we were standing there in the lobby. I don't know, but I'm pretty sure my knees weren't locked... I spent too many years in school in choir with our director pounding into our heads "do not lock your knees or you'll pass out in front of everyone!". I had been warm, but didn't feel like I was overheated, and I know I was hungry, but I've been way hungrier. We wondered low blood sugar, but would a simple glass of water have taken care of that??
Kind of a mystery.
But it was about the scariest thing I've ever been through.
And the combination of thoughts in my head in that short amount of time was crazy; everything from how embarrassing to collapse in a crowded restaurant and who's going to call 911 to thinking I was having a stroke or something (because I really didn't feel like I was hot or hungry enough to warrant passing out). It was just so weird.

Anyway.
That was our date night.
After the before dinner excitement, our meal was just... meh. We spent less time sitting at our table eating than we did waiting beforehand. Neither of us were too impressed and no matter the raving reviews this place gets, I don't think we'll be going back. At least not unless we get sit down right when we arrive. :)

First date night of 2011...
I declare a do-over!