Babysitter Conundrum

I read something enlightening recently, written by a woman that was on the verge of divorce. She and her husband had two kids, both had careers, and they had busy and full lives and had got to the point of barely talking to one another - being snippy at best. Tolerating the situation I suppose. Anyway, she instigated counseling and they brought it back together.

Now, me and Craig are one hundred miles from that scenario I hope, BUT we have been married for 15 years and we have two kids and we have no babysitter, so we are clinically depressed having no fun. We do have child-care (Miss Linda) during the day while we work and she's MARVELOUS but we need a babysitter because Craig and I have lost each other a bit. We need to go out and have some fun together and be a couple. In the last five years we have had SIX dates without the kids. I am not kidding. I suppose that's how things are when you have no family to help.

SO - How does one choose a potential serial-killer and child-beater as a babysitter? Because that's what we think they are and that's what we'll be thinking all night long while we are at the movies/restaurant/night club/swingers meet (kidding!). I wish we could trust a local girl. Does anyone we know have a trustworthy local girl or are we doomed to a life of no adult fun for the next 15 years?