"Valentines Day"

The Doctor ... is in.

I've got this friend.

Somewhere along the line, he got the idea stuck in his head that I am Dr. Love. Mr. Romance, if you will. Every year ... he calls me up and asks for a suggestion on where to take his wife out for a fun night on the town. But this year, as I made my own Valentine's Day plans, it dawned on me that my buddy hadn't called. And so, instead I will share with you!

In no particular order, here are some fun things my wife and I have done in the past ... maybe a fresh idea for somebody out there?

1) Dinner Cruise - We did the one on Lake Tahoe. The boat had a live band ... which made for some great dancing!

2) Out of town dinner - Several years ago, I took Janice to Berkeley, a nice 90 minute drive from our house ... and we saw a Flamenco dancing group while we ate. Being out of town added to the romance of the trip and the drive gave us a great opportunity to talk.

3) Pillowfight SF - This is not for the feint of heart. But it is a surefire way to have an evening of laughter and great memories. One year we went ... just Janice and I. The next year we took the kids and some close friends. Both times it was a BLAST. Check it out here: http://www.pillowfight.info/

4) Ditch the kids - a friend of mine teaches at a local Capoeira studio. Each year, they do a "Parents Night Out" event where you can drop off the kids for a couple of hours of Capoeira fun, music, and activities. Our kids loved it! 6pm - 9pm. Contact info at http://www.adbcapoeira.com/

5) Family Valentines Day - This year ... I'll be taking my daughter out for a special daddy date day. Janice will take our son out for momma son time. Then, we will regroup at the house in the evening to cook a feast (with the kids helping!) ... and will wrap things up with a movie night and popcorn. Romance, family style.

How about you? Any fun Valentine's Day ideas? Email me and share, would you? ... 2010 will be coming soon enough and I've got to have something new up my sleeve. I have a reputation to keep up! =)

All the best,