In our relationship, Becky is usually the planner. We work as a team, for sure, but she’s really good at researching and organizing our adventures, so most of that work generally falls on her shoulders. But once a year, we like to shake it up, and give her a turn at being a passenger.

This is part of our 100 Things in 2017 challenge. Here’s the full list. Click on the photos for a closer look!

We set aside a night where nothing else is allowed to go on the calendar, and then I try my hardest to procure and arrange and map out a nice evening for the two of us. This year I discovered that one of Becky’s favorite comedians, Patton Oswalt, had a show in Portland on our designated night! Slam dunk.

So we stopped into Clyde Common for a table full of small plates, and walked down to Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. I managed to keep our destination a secret until Becky noticed the marquee, at which point she uttered a swear (which I will not repeat here), and started grinning uncontrollably. I count this as a success; most of the accounts we use to reserve things already forward to her email address, so I have to be extra sneaky.

Afterward, we decided to go to Pix Patisserie for some delightful desserts. The one on the left is a deeply rich chocolate thing, with a slab of moldy cheese on the side, and was delightful.

Another successful surprise date! I think I’m actually kind of good at this.