Day 1591
Keep Dating Your Wife
I had an electric date night yesterday with my wife.
Shoutout to my mom for watching the kids so Paige and I could go out and enjoy some uninterrupted time together. We went to Alder & Oak, which was delicious, although I will admit the menu had me questioning the entire concept of wine for a minute.
One of the tasting notes was “rusted bike chain.”
At least that is what the physical menu said. I am not sure whether they were brave enough to put it on the online version, but seeing it written next to all the elegant fruits, herbs, and floral notes cracked me up. Nothing gets you excited to order a glass of wine quite like the promise that it may taste like something you found abandoned behind a garage.
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Sure enough, the drinks were excellent. Paige enjoyed the rusted-bike-chain wine while I stayed safely inside my comfort zone with an espresso martini. We ate, talked, laughed, and got to enjoy being Conor and Paige for a little while instead of exclusively operating as Mom and Dad.
Then we picked up the kids, brought them home, put them to sleep, and ended the night watching Kill Tony. Fine dining followed by amateur comedians getting publicly destroyed. A complete cultural experience.
I want to keep making date nights a priority. Life with young kids moves quickly, and it is easy for a marriage to become a series of logistical conversations about bottles, bedtimes, groceries, and who changed the last diaper. Getting one-on-one time with Paige reminds me how much I genuinely enjoy hanging out with her. I feel more connected to her than ever, and it feels good to be dating again.
I also think it is good for the kids. Children notice the way their parents speak to each other, laugh together, and make time for one another. They may not understand what a date night means yet, but they benefit from growing up inside a marriage where their parents continue choosing each other. Last night was a powerful reminder for me that one of the keys to a long and happy marriage has to be continuing to date your wife.
Even when her wine tastes like bicycle parts.
I joke it tasted nothing like that. They definitely just put that on the menu for the lols.
7/30/26
Conor Jay Chepenik
