District Love: Fireworks, fanning and freezing the flames

July 1, 2:43 PMDC Dating Scene ExaminerKaren Dickerson

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Are you in the mood for some “fireworks” this 4^th of July/Independence Day weekend?  I’m thinking the steamy passionate kind with long, slow kisses and hand holding, not the fire breathing dragon kind where you're sitting in a restaurant or the car looking in opposite directions. Dating and relationships have their ups and downs –those moments when you can’t get enough of each other and are “aflame with...a burning desire" and then others when you’re singing, “should I stay or should I go.”

We all want ‘that old black magic,’ Frank Sinatra style where everything goes ‘just right.’ Blame it on the “they-all-lived-happily-ever-after” fairytales and movies of your youth. Hope springs eternal and, frankly, it should.  One thing to keep in mind is that it’s important to invest the same energy into your relationship with your partner that you are willing to invest in maintaining your relationship with your boss, your friends, your siblings or parents.  

Whatever flames you are anticipating this holiday weekend, there are a few activities in the DC area you can share with your sweetie or potential honey to help chill out, lighten up or fan the flames. 

Consider doing yoga together. It’s not just a “chic thing” anymore. It can definitely help relieve tension, bring things down a few degrees and create a deeper connection, while at the same time potentially raising the temperature several degrees in the bedroom. Whether you get into or “get” the spiritual side or not, yoga can help improve performance, increase your stamina and who knows, maybe even create a new position or two. This Saturday, July 4^th, Past Tense in Adams Morgan is offering a free yoga class (10:00 a.m.). Worth a try. You just never know.

Bike to the Beach.  It’s also a fun way to relieve some tension and get fit together and support a worthy cause.  Biketothebeach.org is organizing group training rides every Saturday through July 31^st in preparation for its annual 120-mile Bike to the Beach, charity bike ride from Washington, DC to Bethany Beach, DE to benefit autism.  They meet up at the Georgetown Waterfront (Nicks Riverside Grill).

Eat Frozen Yogurt or Gelato together. It’s not chocolate to be sure, but it can be enjoyed just as passionately.  The metro DC area has exploded with yogurt establishments. I wouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t soon the next new new thing in places to meet people. You can cool off at Tangysweet in Dupont Circle to the taste of pomegranate. For soy addicts, there is Mr. Yogota. Sweet Green in Georgetown and Bethesda also has some interesting flavors. But if you’re fan of gelato (like me), then the mojito and Sicilian almond at Pitango Gelato in Logan Circle is a must taste. And you can sample pretty much everything! 

And if you really want to get your flame on, buy tickets to see Steve and JoAnn Ward’s Crash Course in Love, July 8^th and 9^th (Ritz Carlton, Washington, DC). They'll give you $50 off the ticket price if you purchase tickets before July 4^th.  It’s described as “an evening dedicated to helping you identify your best attributes for love and relationships, and learning how not to be your own worst enemy!”

 Sounds to me like it doesn't get any better than that, especially if you want to fan the flames!