Broker romanticism
By Brian Wacker, Jayplaywriter
Four cheap dates without the cheap feel
So it's you and your girlfriend's sixmonth anniversary. Not exactly a coat-and-tie affair, but it is still a night that at least she has circled on her calendar with a huge heart. If you come up big with a romantic evening, calm seas will greet you for at least the next six months. However, there is just one snag: You're broke. After shelling out most of your paycheck toward bills and food, you just blew the rest on a half-tank of gas.
Help is on the way. Here is a sweet list of cheap dates that will keep your mate focused on the romance instead of the price.
1. Stargazing at the Zen Garden
Classic. Here's a great free, yes FREE, date that will knock your date off her stiletto heels, if you can play your cards right. The Sister Cities Foundation Garden, also known as the Zen Garden, is located next to Papa Keno's on Massachusetts Street, Created to honor the friendship between the city of Lawrence and Hiratsuka City, Japan, this serene garden has been a date haven for years. Nothing fancy here, just a small, stone path enveloped by beautiful greenery and flanked by benches.
However, the key to the date is what you see when you sit your honey down on the bench. "Not a lot of people know about it so
it's a great place to have an intimate time with your date," says Mike Feld, Denver junior. This is where your debonair moves will come into play. Start up a conversation about the meaning of life or how diminutive watching the stars makes you feel. Show off your intellectual side. If you don't have one, fake it.
Price: $0
2. Balcony dinner at Mass. Street Deli
OK, maybe you want to keep things traditional. Taking her out to a nice dinner is the standard. But why not deviate a little? The upstairs balcony at the Mass. Street Deli offers you all the comfort of a normal date with a twist of romance and intrigue.
Manager Scott Hartegen says,"The balcony is such a great date area. We get a lot of first dates up there." Couple the romance with some of the best entrée prices in town and you really have no excuse not to give it a try.
**Price:** Two entrees plus tip: $15
3. Sunset drive out by Clinton Lake
Now there are bonus points available here if you can obtain a motorcycle for the night, but a normal car will do just fine. Take Clinton Parkway all the way out until Clinton Lake right as the sun starts to descend the sky's ladder. As you begin to cruise the circumference of the lake, roll down all the windows and let the chopping
of the water be the only sound you hear. Now for the intimate part: Prop your left hand up at about 10 o'clock on the steering wheel. Grab your date's hand with your right and just drive. If you picked a good night, the sight of the sun setting behind the lake will eliminate any need for talking. Damn, you're smooth!
Price: Three gallons of unleaded gas: $6 billion. (Really, about$ 5.75)
4. Rent a DVD and watch it at the park
OK, hear this out. Renting a movie may not sound very exciting. But it turns out that where, not what you do, can make a bland date a lot more romantic. You can make this one really cheap. First off, if you
or your mate don't have a laptop, you must know someone who does. If he won't let you borrow it, threaten to tell all your friends about his warts. He'll have no choice. Then go to Dillons video department, where membership is free and normal DVD rentals are less than $2.
Now that the cheap part is covered, it's time for the romance. I'd suggest a secluded area of a park around sunset. Pack a blanket and a couple of juice boxes and you're golden. If you chose the movie well, you should be money. Good luck.
Price: DVD: $2. Laptop:
Borrowed, free.
Everyone has heard the phrase "I don't want to talk about it." "It" could be anything from the events a person encountered throughout the day to feelings about a fight with his or her significant other. Collin LaJoie, Shawnee
senior, says when he hears the phrase he sighs and asks his girlfriend what's bothering her. "The ultimate thing to do would be to just give her a hug and make it all better, so we don't have to talk," LaJoie says. He added that when he says he doesn't want to talk, he means, "Lets move on because I really don't want to
talk." Women interpret this differently. When men say it, women tend to assume things are going to be left unsaid and stir up trouble in the future, so women press the issue. Elizabeth Trotta, Lenexa graduate student, says her boyfriend knows exactly how to react when she uses the phrase. He automatically asks what's wrong
and prepare for a conversation. "I don't want to force him to listen to me, but I really want to talk about it," Trotta says. It's her way of easing him into a conversation. Men and women should always pre-think this phrase and come up with a strategy that will leave both feeling content in the end.
— Jayme Wiley