Just want to note that I wrestled a bit before posting this with the above title. I think it’s much more deserving than a fluff headline like “Date Night.” Yes, it started out as just another Friday night recap but turned into so much more. That being said…

I’ve never really given it much thought except in terms of counting my lucky stars, but more than a few people have commended me for balancing my time well between Shrek, friends, family, work, and self. I think it’s reflected, too, in my postings. Recently, however, Shrek informed me that I’ve been slacking when it comes to spending quality one-on-one time with him. Upon reflection, I could see he had a point. I’ve been really great about sticking with my training plan. Unfortunately, it’s come at a cost: my availability to Shrek. Hitting the gym and trails directly after work means arriving home late with just enough energy to shower, scarf down a light dinner, and fall into bed only to do another rendition of the same the following day when we used to regularly cook and eat dinner together. On rest days I’ve been meeting up with girlfriends for happy hour and/or dinner. Weekends are filled with early morning long runs, midday tennis matches, and group dates in the evenings. Coincidentally, I also happened to come across this article in the Wall Street Journal via this post on FitSugar. To give you a quick summary, the FitSugar headline is Has Training For A Race Ruined Your Love Life? Obviously, my exercise routine isn’t anywhere near the intensity of or as time consuming as the ironman triathlete in the Wall Street Journal’s article. Nonetheless, it was beginning to put the same strain on my relationship with Shrek. Thankfully, we’re both good communicators and value what we’ve got going. Sometimes it takes the extra effort to show how much the people in your life mean to you rather than just tell them. (Although it’s nice to hear it, too!)

Friday night, I skipped my workout to hit the town for a spontaneous progressive date night with Shrek. Stop #1: Kaama Restaurant and Lounge. This place is across the street from Santana Row on Winchester. I’m always on the lookout for a good happy hour spot and thought I might find it here after the good stuff I read about it on Yelp. The initial experience was really promising. That is, it the experience was great at first. Happy hour is 5-7 pm. We were greeted around 6 pm by a well-presented, really friendly guy who let us sit anywhere, explained the menu, and recommended a few of his favorite dishes and drinks based on our preferences. The drink I got was amazing! A pomegranate vodka martini. I know, looks like a regular old martini, right?

The pomegranate flavor is lovely. Definitely present but not overly sweet, just the way I like my drinks! I had to know what kind of vodka this was so I could concoct these at home:

Only $12.99 at my local Bevmo! Unfortunately, the food wasn’t nearly as good. We ordered shrimp dumplings for the happy hour price of 4 for $6. (Usually 4 for $9.)

The flavor was just okay , the consistency was mushy. They reminded us of the frozen pot stickers we get at Costco, only not as good and way overpriced. Their entire menu, from the looks of it, is overpriced. $17 for a dish of butter chicken?! No thanks. That’s more expensive than Amber India on Santana Row. I’d rather go to Kebab & Curries where they have the most delicious Indian dishes for approximately $7 per plate. And you know it’s authentic because it’s always packed with Indians! Conversely, this place was dead when we arrived around 6 pm on a Friday night. We had the run of the entire lounge:

Hanging light fixture

It was really pleasant in terms of conversing and attention from our server. Unfortunately, all it took were 4-5 more parties to show up over the course of our visit and our service went downhill fast. It was pretty much nonexistent by the time we left. There were plenty of guys running around acting as managers/owners but after awhile no one really seemed interesting in serving us. In fact, one guy came by and just grabbed our menu off our table without even acknowledging us or our empty glasses and plates. Um, we specifically asked to hold on to it but I guess we won’t be trying anything else! Two stars for  the atmosphere and drinks, minus three stars for the overpriced, disappointing food and service.  Probably won’t be back either, since I can make the pomegranate drink at home for a ridiculous fraction of the cost. The drink was $8.50. I picked up a 750 ML handle of Pearl Persephone Pomegranate Vodka for $12.99 across the street at Bevmo. Just add Sprite and limes!

Stop #2: Mizu Sushi was, as always, wonderful. The place was packed and we were told there was a half hour wait. Fortunately, a table at the bar opened up immediately which I was able to snag.

We were also able to snag some great parking at Santana Row for stops #3 and #4. I picked up some gorgeous champagne flutes at Z Gallerie that I’ve had my eyes on for awhile (seen here) and some cupcakes from Kara’s to be enjoyed at home.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcake from Kara’s Cupcakes. A Fleur de Sal Carmel Cupcake and champagne flutes in the background.

I think I should also point out here that my training wasn’t just to blame. By the end of our date night, Shrek and I agreed: we were feeling much more connected than we had been not just because I took the time, but because, as much as I hate to admit it, being out forces us to interact solely with one another. We’d fallen into the trap of staying in on Friday nights and watching movies and drinking wine as part of my January 30-day challenge of not eating out. While I’m perfectly happy spending low-key evenings in like this and saving money, our focus wasn’t always truly on one another. Too often it was divided between the movie and our respective computer screens. I’ve developed a nasty habit surfing the internet on my Ipad while watching TV. When I pause to think about it, I find it concerning that this has become acceptable behavior for me, to not give the person I love my full attention when we’re doing something together, when I would never dream of doing this with a mere acquaintance. Thus, for my February challenge I am going to consciously make a better effort to focus fully on the person in front of me and task at hand. After all, it’s the least I should do it If I want people to be actively engaged when they’re with me. It’s about Kaama, baby. I mean, Karma.