Mini Dates. Quality not Quantity.

I had an epiphany last night and it made me wonder how many of us do this but don't realize it. 

The conversation went something like this:

The Man says to me after dinner, "I found a drop hitch on KSL that I want to go look at.  Do you want to come?"

"Not really."

"I was thinking of getting ice cream too."

"Okay, I'll come."

And it occurred to me that this would totally count as a date.  I dubbed it in my mind as a mini date because really it took us all of 45 minutes from the time we left the house to the time we were home again.

But we talked non-stopped.

I always feel connected to The Man when we talk.  Like really talk.  We're not watching a show, or playing on our phones, or doing something with a kid, we're just in a car talking.

And I know that we're on the same team in life.

And I know that he really cares about me and the things that I deal with.  Like school.  And work.

And I find I really care about the things he deals with.  Like work.  And his current project.

We go over issues with the kids and try to find a plan to deal with it better.  We talk about my registration for next term.  We talk about the politics of his job. 

And I love him for it.

The drop hitch didn't interest me in the tiniest bit.

And the ice cream was just a sweet little bonus but it occurred to me that any time I say, "I need something from Target, Hobby Lobby, the grocery store, wanna come?"  Or he says, "I need something from Lowe's or Home Depot, the auto store, or off KSL, wanna come?"  He may not want to go to Hobby Lobby to look at thread or cake pans, and I may not want to go in search of a specific sized screw, but the fact that we're together and talking, is time well spent.  And it's even enjoyable.

I'll take that mini date. 

Because it's quality that counts, not quantity.