Dear Potential Dates

Dear Potential Dates,
Where in the "rule" book is it written that a date must cost a fortune, be a huge activity, take all day long, and ultimately conclude with "let's just be friends"?
Let me take a moment to list a few dates that would mean the world to me, won't cost you much, only require you to spend (at most) a few hours with me, and don't need a thought of forethought to be really cool experiences. That way, if we do end with "let's just be friends" neither of us has lost a bundle of money or oodles of time. Sound good?
Why not make arrangements to clean the side of a freeway/highway? Pack a picnic lunch for us and let's work together to make something better. Maybe we could go for lemonade when we're all done sweating.
How about if we bake cupcakes together and arrange to take them to a nursing home and visit with the residents there? That would be lots of fun! Think how much we'd learn from the older generations. And if you have a nice voice, we could totally sing to them. Awesome!
What if we went to a local pediatric unit and held the babies whose parents needed a rest? Or visit kids in the cancer ward and read them stories or play board games with them? It would definitely be an emotional date, but totally worth it.
Speaking of board games, how about we just stay home and use food storage to make something for dinner and play board games? We could have a "contest" to see who could come up with the most creative meal with the food ingredients we have. And you could kick my butt at Scrabble. I don't mind losing, especially if we have a good time together.
It would also be fun to play at a park. We could slide and swing and have a grand time! Each of us could bring something for lunch and share what we brought. We could even bring a ball for kickball or play Frisbee.
The Wii. There's nothing quite as fun as competing on the Wii! Let's compete and see who comes out winner in tennis or bowling or baseball. And whoever loses treats to a shaved ice or ice cream treat. It's only fair that the loser buy. This date might actually cost you.
We could also make tinfoil dinners. Then, we could go up the canyon, cook our meals, eat, and roast marshmallows or fix S'mores. That might give us energy for a hike or a walk in the woods. Ah, how romantic! We could have a contest to see who finds the best walking stick. Just don't make this date too long because I'm fond of real toilets.
Those are just a few suggestions, Mr. Potential Date. Please, please don't stress out over making it a big event that I'll never forget. The truth is, I might forget the date, but I'll never forget how you made me feel. And if you're not stressed out, then I won't be stressed out. Plus, if I've agreed to go out with you, that already means I think highly of you, so don't worry about trying to impress me. Just be yourself and I guarantee it will be enough.

Sincerely,
Katie