Steph Not Stephanie

I make a lot of lists and I go on a lot of dates. These are both true facts. Because of this, when a friend texted me for help coming up with a ‘cute date,’ all I had to do was open up my trusty Wunderlist app and share my ‘Date Ideas’ list with her. Yes, this is a thing that actually happened, and I’m telling you this because my Toronto dating game rocks.

Traditionally men are supposed to plan dates and do all the wooing and shit. Clearly I give a lot of fucks about tradition. Don’t get me wrong, I love when someone else comes up with something to do or introduces me to an awesome new bar or restaurant, it’s just that I am not going to wait for (or expect) someone else to plan something wicked fun.

I know you’re waiting with baited breath to hear some of these dates, so without further ado, here they be:

• We have a lot of used book stores, and books are great. A challenge to see who can find the best book under a specified price limit is fun, educational, and helps you judge the shit out of the other person’s taste in reading material.
• This event.
• My favourite neighbourhood trifecta: Chinatown, pho or Mother’s Dumplings, and Kensington Market.
• Dates + booze = happy Steph, so any sort of brewery or wine tour.
• Make your own bingo. Think Hipster Bingo in Trinity Bellwoods (I totally saw the white squirrel yesterday, life complete), Douchebag Stereotypes in the Financial District, etc.
• Live music and/or comedy. This is Toronto, so there are limitless (cheap) options for this stuff.
• Bata Shoe Museum. The ROM and the AGO are fine and lovely, but in my books weirder is better.
• The Hippo. I’ve lived in Toronto for 13 years and I’ve never gone on a tour bus. This needs to happen.
• Scary stuff. I won tickets to a Distillery District ghost tour (during a midnight Sam Raimi marathon, because of course), and that sounds hella fun. I also really really really really really want to go to Halloween Haunt or Screemers with a dude. I do not think that is too much to ask.

Feel free to use these and report back (cough guest post cough). Also, I’m always looking to add to the list, so if you think of something that should be on there, let me know. However, if you suggest some horseshit country bar, you will be dead to me.