A whirling dervish's brain dump! -Rosenbrock (friend of Miss Chris)

Yup, that's what my buddy Doug called this blog.

Well, we're halfway through the weekend. It's time for me to start posting for the coming week. Just to let you all know, there WILL be a website coming shortly to partner with the blog. I plan on posting to the blog every few days and to the website bimonthly. I will be looking to add coupons and promotions to the website and will be looking for sponsors as well. If you know anyone who would be interested in some low cost advertising (and again, I retain the right to refuse sponsors if I do not feel that they are a good fit for the site...) please have them email me so I can start making arrangements. I will be doing some very aggressive marketing for the blog and site, so this could be a great opportunity for someone trying to get their name out there.

OK, time to get to the things to do and see!

Culture Vultures

Long Island Museum in Stony Brook is the little gem in our backyards that many of us went to as kids on field trips and kind of forgot about when we grew up. With period buildings, an old cemetery, an art museum, and changing exhibits (a new one featuring the Art Student League of New York is opening on the 26th and looks very interesting), this is a great cheap date. Next week there will be a performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night on the lawn, and coming soon is a fiddle festival I really do hope to attend. If you haven't been there since the Carriage Museum has been remodeled, you really need to stop in! Cost: $7 per person.

Caumsett State Historic Park will be hosting the play "Anything Goes" on the lawn next Sunday. No pricing information is available on the website, but I'm willing to bet it meets Cheap Date Long Island's Guidelines.

Don't let a rainy day get you down! Heckscher Art Museum has constantly changing exhibits and at $6 per person is a relative bargain. And since you'll already be in the Huntington area if you visit this museum, check out Book Revue, Long Island's largest independent bookstore. (For Miss Chris, this could be a very expensive date...if you have been to my house, you would understand! Books, books, everywhere!)

Music and Dance

Everyone knows I have no problem trying something new, even if I make a fool out of myself trying. One thing I have been trying to get more information on is contra dancing. Martha Clara Vineyard will be hosting a 4-H BBQ and Barn Dance event on July 27. $25 per person and it goes to a good cause. (Wait, doesn't this exceed Cheap Date Long Island's $30 limit? Well, yes, but 1. This is MY blog and if I say it belongs here, then it's being listed! 2. Contra dancing is a great SINGLES event! So if you are looking to meet someone to do some of the other things featured on my blog...you may just meet them trying this!)

Since I just mentioned a vineyard (and making a fool of myself) in the last post, I might as well keep going on that same note. And what better combination than wine and karaoke, two of my favorite things? Palmer Vineyards, $8 per person. (If you are anything like me, you know this is a MUST ATTEND event in your Outlook calendar!)

Cinema

Old Field Farm will be hosting an outdoor viewing of North by Northwest on July 17. Bring a chair or blanket for a great night viewing a classic movie shot right here on LI! Cost: FREE

Take a Hike, Pal!

Moon walks aren't just for Michael Jackson...LI Greenbelt Association will be hosting a Moon Walk-8:30 PM in the Pine Barrens. 4 miles, moderate, flat. Bring a flashlight! Membership cost for LI Greenbelt Association is only $20 a year...and you could literally get hundreds of cheap hiking dates out of it!

A Little Romance

To me, nothing says romance like farm fresh veggies. (Uh, what?) No, you heard me right. Think about it. You and your partner going for a nice car ride, finding some cute little farm stand, and picking out some nice fresh fruits and vegetables, maybe some eggs, honey, and home baked goodies together. You then head home, cook a simple summer meal or make a salad together, have some wine, and kick back and watch the fireflies, watch a movie, or just read (maybe one of the books you picked up at Book Revue), knowing that sometimes it's the simple things that make for the best dates. To make this a bit easier for you, I've provided you with a list of farmstands, farmer's markets, and a discount oldies movie link you can get to by clicking here.

A little more music...

Now, normally I don't push the big events, but I just wanted to mention that next weekend is the Riverhead Blues Festival and some really great musicians are going to be there. Make a point of checking out Toby Walker, Ken Korb, Phil Minissale, and Sam Taylor. $10 for a bracelet that will get you in for both days of the event. Do as I do when in Riverhead for the festival--pop on in to Spicy's Barbeque Restaurant. Yummy!

I do want to point out that most of these events ARE handicap accessible. However, the farmstands and some of the outdoor events may be a bit difficult to navigate a wheelchair through. Always call ahead to confirm accessibility.

That's all for now. Please put a shortcut to this blog on your computer desktop and keep checking in for new events. And...let's go viral! Send this out to at least two friends that would appreciate this. If you have a web page, add me to your links. I'm not looking to take over the world, just Long Island!

Ciao for now!