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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 1995)
Bad turn Dating at Perkins is a one-way route to poor conversation I went on my first date when I was a senior in high school. My first real date, that is. Before that night, I had met boys at Burger King and gone on group-date like dates. But I had never been on a date-date. Technically, that first date was a disaster. His first name was Brian. (His last name was really silly and would prob ably make you laugh, but I won’t tell you, nonetheless.) Brian was ambidextrous and he could juggle. He liked the Beatles and could just barely play the guitar. I thought he was dreamy. But he scared me to death. I forced a mutual friend to accom pany us on our first date (you may argue that even this wasn’t a real date, but it was close). Brian offered to pick me up, but I didn’t want my mom to think we were dating. My mother was recently divorced and it just wasn’t much fun talking to her about love and boys and stomach butterflies. Brian and I went to a Beatles-themed pizzeria, and sat under a “Yellow Sub marine” poster. It could have been a nice date. But I refused to order any thing. I had this phobia about eating in public. It made me so nervous I felt sick. I was afraid that I would spill or drip, or — gasp — that people would be able to hear me chew. During this same period, I had a similar phobia that something gross was constantly smeared on my face. So Brian and I suffered through dinner talking to our friend and sneak ing significant eye contact. After that we went to a somewhat obscure French film. There began a 16-month relation ship that — while pleasant and educa tional — could inspire a book titled “What Not to Do on Dates.” Brian and I had two primary date destinations, the movie theater and Rainbow Rowell “I once found a pamphlet by the cash register that featured a map of all the Perkins in America. I imagined taking a cross-country trip with Brian and having lousy conversations in each one. ” Perkins. We went to movies because we couldn’t think of anyplace better, and we went to Perkins because it was the only place open to high schoolers after the movies. Movie theaters are OK for an occa sional date, but if you only see some one at movie theaters, you never really talk. Perkins is bad for the opposite rea son; all you can do is talk (especially if you are scared to eat). But you can’t talk about anything interesting at Perkins because Perkins — though a perfectly acceptable family ristorante — is the black hole of interesting conversation. Maybe it’s the lighting or maybe it’s the pasty-faced wait staff. Maybe it’s the Mambo Muffins. All I know is that I spent hour after hour playing with my cutlery and star ing at the people in the smoking sec tion while Brian ate a wedge of French silk pie. To add to the disaster, Brian and I usually saw bizarre foreign flicks that left us nothing to discuss over dinner. “Boy that was weird,” Brian would mumble, staring at his chocolatey de licious pie. “What was up with that mime?” I would ask, fiddling with my salad fork. I once found a pamphlet by the cash register that featured a map of all the Perkins in America. I imagined taking a cross-country trip with Brian and having lousy conversations in each one. But we had to go to Perkins. We couldn’t go to Brian’s house because his parents scared me (bizarre phobia No. 3), and we never went to my house because my mom still didn’t know he existed. Brian did his best to spark up our dates. He had a charming habit of turning the wrong way onto one-way streets. Then he would scream curse words and jump a median at 50 mph. One day — after watching an espe cially strange movie called “The Black Robe,” Brian and I broke up. We had never really fought. To be honest, I blame our demise on Perkins. If I watched that boy eat one more piece of dreamy chocolate goodness, I was going to lose my mind. To be even more honest, I think he was sick of me. But I learned my lesson. When the next poor sap fell into my snare, I set some ground rules: No movies without dialogue. No 24-hour breakfast dives. And I do all the driving. Rowell is a senior news-editorial, adver tising and English major and the Daily Ne braskan managing editor. WILDABOUTFOOD Homemade Food Breakfast All Vay Lunch Vinner, Wine & Beer Unique & Cozy Atmosphere ^ Piedmont Shops ^ ——— rg. *•*483-2858 *•* 1 1 J ______________ ■* »i / o 1275 S Cotmr Blvd (50Ui k A) Bryan A St. This Week At Candy, Casey, and Dallas from October 10th-14th Dancing begins at 5:30 pm Creating a fantasy ♦ that ends at c[7r) # 1 o' clock! v/ <r LOOKING FOR GOME ENTERTAINMENT? <3©0o G^eo’geB’QGfo© (^dsxjlc©^©^©!? ^©sooctle "S©t?wOKg to SfiD©oc©©" @efi©l*>©i? D D „ D ©£)E © ®JK\0 (Dvuiu <Duitajid /U6 TuLO-Sutid -flit -flu&cJc. Vctrtit 72. 7995 8 <PM Each Show Union Centennial Room $3 Students w/ID $5 General Public TOMMY DAVIDSON FROM "IN LIVIIKi COLOR" With special musical opening by UNL's Rudy "Rude Boy" Moseley Lied Center • October 17,1995 $5 Students w/ID $8 General Public Tickets now available for Diamond Rio Available at Ticket Master. Sponsored by University Program Counci] Dinner Continued from Page 3 “The House of Blue Leaves,” which was written about the pope’s last visit, opened the day the pope returned to the United States last week. “The House of Blue Leaves,” is a “roller-coaster ride” of mistresses, loony bins and plans to bomb the pope, Rook said. “Its zany elements of drama are great,” he said. Downtown Dinner Theatre draws its actors from local talent, Rook said, and works with Koor Entertainment production company. “The House of Blue Leaves” will make its last run Oct. 11 through Oct. 13. Dinner is at 6 p.m. with the show following at 7:30 p.m. “The dinner theater must be where it’s at,” Rook said. “You’ve got a good buffet too, because the chow is wonderful.” j FREE MOVIE PASS ■ Receive one free movie rental when you rent one at regular ! price. Choose from one ofLincoln’s largest video libraries ] now including a complete selection of Laser Disc Movies • Good Moo-Thur Not valid on “new release” or with other offers. 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