And then it got even better...

So, yesterday I was pumped. My coffee table was covered in manuals, boxes, protective plastic bubble wrap, and lenses. The day couldn't get much better, right? But, 10-10-10 truly didn't let me down. Because in addition to my little Rebel, I also had a date night planned. God bless three-day weekends. So, after a few hours of playing around with my camera in my apartment, I quickly made myself presentable and ran to the train to meet Brian in Times Square. From there, we hopped on the 1 train to the West Village. Destination: Malatesta Trattoria.

The poor guy has no idea what he is in for; so many pictures of him will be taken with my new camera!

Brian and I have date nights as much as we can, but many times we stay in the neighborhood and go to our local favorites. Every date is special, but there is something different about dates in Manhattan at new restaurants. A certain excitement. It reminds me of when we first started dating, and every date and place was new. As we walked down Christopher Street, I was getting more and more excited for a romantic dinner of homemade pasta in the Village. The weather was perfect- cool enough for my boots and favorite leather coat, but warm enough to have every window of the restaurant open for the fall breeze to blow through. When we sat down at our candle-lit table tucked against the wall of the restaurant and were handed menus on small boards, I knew I was going to love the place. And then, I instantly zoomed on the several homemade pastas. Once I saw gnocchi, it was all over. Brian didn't even need to ask my what I wanted; he just knew.

We split a Caprese salad and both loved our pasta entrees. After sipping our latte and espresso, we were off. I loved the restaurant because it brought me back to my favorite meals and restaurants in Florence. Even though the menu was small, it had everything I would ever need. Perfect date dinner! 

I may quickly be turning into a crazy cat lady who takes way too many pictures of her cat, but come on, how cute is she here?! Without kids or family near by, I don't have that many living things to take pictures of when at home... that is my defense for now. 

Brian is great at waking up before me almost every morning, and getting the coffee made and poured before I am out of bed. Subconsciously, or maybe consciously, he is very thoughtful when selecting my mug. Some mornings, I get the Rise and Whine mug. Let's face it, I probably should get that mug every morning! Other mornings, I get my Thing 1 and Thing 2 mug that cleverly says, "Two things that can ruin a morning..." But, today I got my favorite mug from him, the mug that simply says Amore with the delicate little heart handle. What a nice way to wake up. 

Brian left it up to me to decide how to spend our date day Monday. So many options- lunch date, walking around the city, grocery shopping and cooking together... how's a girl supposed to decide? In spite of the beautiful weather and warm temperatures, I decided on a movie date in the apartment. We have a stack of DVDs that I have never seen, and struggle to find time to watch them. So, we put in Rocky II, popped some popcorn, poured some ice coffee, opened milk chocolate covered raisins from Trader Joe's, closed the drapes, and pretended it was late at night. And boy was it worth it. 

So, cheers to a perfect three day weekend. Nothing is better than spending time with the ones you love, having fun, and still having enough time for laundry, grocery shopping, and all of that other stuff that nags at you before another work week. I am refreshed and ready. And armed with a new camera to capture all that is to come.