Clarification

Okay, I think I must have been a little less than eloquent when I wrote my last post regarding Rick. While I made it sound that I was annoyed at always having to make the plans, it's more that I'm always taking the initiative to do anything at all. Like when I made him cookies for Christmas, I mentioned that I needed to drop them off at some point before I went out of town for the holidays. His response? "Okay." Not "okay, why don't you come by after work tomorrow" or even "this is a rough week, would you be able to just drop them on my doorstep." Does that make sense? All of this pretty much left me with the feeling that He's Just Not that Into Me. Which is why I decided to give the reins to him.

As of right now, this is sort of a moo point. After not initiating contact with him, he sent me some texts yesterday, followed by an email this morning, inviting me over after work to watch a football game. I had plans and couldn't make it, but it was nice to see him doing some asking.

I thought boys were supposed to be simple?

Isn't that how it works? Boys are easy and simple, and girls are crazy and hormonal?

Things with Rick are going well. Well, they are going. I still enjoy hanging out with him, that much I know. Remember at the beginning how he was such a great plan-maker? Now, I sort of feel like I'm always the one making plans. I spent three years in a relationship as the one who almost always had to take charge, and it's not something I'm looking for again. One of the things that initially attracted me to Rick was that he seemed to be a take-charge sort of guy. But I don't see that at all anymore.

Last night we went to the movies (my suggestion). We did the usual hand-holding and kiss good night, but I wasn't really feeling it from him. So I vowed to not contact him until I heard from him- you know, put the ball in his court. Sure enough, he sent me a text this morning. I'm fairly confident in saying that he's interested in me, I think it's more that he's not wanting to scare me off. Or something like that. Or maybe the opposite of that. Wait, I don't even know what that would be.

As of now I have no set plans for New Years. I'm hoping he'll ask me to do something, or ask what I'm doing, or something like that...because I would like to spend it with him, but I just don't want to be the one to bring it up.

Have any of my loyal readers been in a situation like this?

On another note, I've been emailing a new guy from Match. He's actually someone I heard from a long time ago, but for some reason we never met up. I'm going to call him Stretch, because he's 6'6". How awesome is that? I'm a sucker for tall guys...

I hope I look good with drool on my chin.

I've had to go in to see my dentist three times in the past few weeks. I'm in the process of getting Invisalign, so there are impressions to be made, fillings to get, etc. In my experience, the dentist has limited involvement with the patient...the hygienist does everything, and the dentist simply comes in at the last minute to poke around. Not my dentist. Nope, he is very involved. Pictures needed to be taken? He used those shoe-horn looking things to keep my mouth open while the hygienist took pictures. Impressions? He kept his fingers in my mouth to hold them down...for five minutes! That's a very long time when I can't speak and he is having a "conversation" with me (side note: why do they always do that?). Then, he pulls the tray out and following it is a bunch of drool which is then on my chin, and he wipes off with my bib thing. Nice. Oh, did I mention the trays needed to be done twice, once for the top and once for the bottom? So that's 10 minutes of his fingers in my mouth. There was even one time when I really had to refrain saying "that's what she said" when he mentioned something that could have been taken the wrong way. It was hard, really hard. That's what she said. See, can't help myself!

A week of updates

Sorry for being a slacker and not updating this thing...I have no excuse, other than pure laziness. Which really I see more as a reason than an excuse. So that's my reason. Anyway, lots to update:

*I invited Rick to my work Christmas party. It was quite the internal debate- on one hand, I thought it would be fun to have a date, but on the other hand, was it too soon for that? I decided to throw caution to the wind and invite him, and he accepted. It turned out to be a fun night. He got approval from all of my work peeps. I will also say that he looked very good in his little outfit. Yummy.

*My brother's work Christmas party is this Saturday. Apparently the party will be ridiculous, LOTS of money is spent on it. I told him, half jokingly, to find out if any of his coworkers need a date. Sure enough, one does, and I'm it. Yep, sort of a blind date...with my brother and his wife. It should be fun.

*Saturday was my date with Evan. I was really looking forward to this, because he sounded really promising. On paper. Key there is the on paper. I got to the restaurant first. Wait, let me back up. I had to go to Rick's Saturday morning because he had my ID and my debit card (ahhh, so nice to have a date to carry stuff around for me) from the night before. I ended up hanging out there until about 30 minutes before my Evan date. I sort of felt bad about it...but not really. Maybe like 5% bad. Or 10%. Definitely not more than 10%. He wanted to hang out and I had to decline, so I could go meet another guy. Oh well. Anyway, back to Evan. If you took the Pillsbury dough boy and bred him with a serial murderer, that would be Evan. Yep, a pudgy guy with beady eyes. He was fairly boring. Not even boring, just blah. He was only 30, but I would have believed it if I had been told he was 40. Needless to say, we did not exchange contact info.

*Saturday night I hung out with Rick. We went to dinner and then back to my place to watch a movie. It was fun, very much like the other time we *ahem* watched a movie together.

I think that's all of my updates...um, yep.

Oops

This morning I sent Rick the following email:

Okay, 5.25 hours of sleep is not enough. Than God I stopped at Starbucks on my way to work. But the lack of sleep? Totally worth it :)

All was good...until I was skyping with my mom...and accidentally pasted that message and hit send. OMG.

NOT an SRV

Don't read too much into this statement, but Rick is not an SRV. No, it's not something I discovered first hand; it's something I deduced by the fact that he's an awesome kisser. That's right folks, we've made it to first base. And it was fantastic, definitely worth the really long wait...Not the way I would imagine an SRV to kiss...at all. I mean, it could just be that he is an SRV, and all of his "focus" has gone into mastering the kiss, but I'm going to assume not. Actually, at this point I don't even care if he is or isn't, because I've got enough to keep me *ahem* occupied for a while.

I would normally fill in the date details here, but really, do you even care? Okay, okay, short version: he won at Trivial Pursiut (damn world travelers who read the news every day...I mean who knows what country borders Denmark?), we watched Top Gun, started off sitting next to each other on the couch, ended up in a less vertical position. Got home at 1:30am.

Test

This is a test
Sent from my iPhone

**See what's written above? Yep, I can send an email to an admin address and it automatically posts it to this blog...which means, if the mood strikes, I can now update this thing while still on a date! This could be bad...Oh, and it will post pictures as well :)

I think it's all figured out...

I spent half of Friday fretting about the previous night. My friends all offered their advice. The most popular opinion was raised by J, who is positive that Rick is a "socially retarded virgin." So much, in fact, that his nickname amongst my "friends" is now SRV. Charming, I know.

After our usual texting back and forth Friday morning, I asked Rick what the stakes were for our impending Trivial Pursuit challenge. He said he'd have to think about it. A little while later, I got this text (warning- please swallow any liquid that is currently in your mouth, as to avoid spitting it all over your computer screen):

"If I win, you have to watch either the Godfather or Rocky, and I get a kiss on the cheek."

Did you catch that last part? Yep, on the cheek. I could barely read it out loud without laugh hysterically. Not that it was all that funny, just a little unbelievable. On the cheek? After six, yes 6, dates, he is aiming for a kiss on the cheek? Hmm. Maybe SRV is a good name after all. I decided to sack up and use this opportunity to put it on the line:

"Okay, but if win we are watching either Pride and Prejudice (the short version) or Sex and the City, but I want a real kiss."

He then responded that if I'm raising the stakes then he is too, to both an actual kiss and being forced to watch either the Rocky or Godfather series in their entirety. I countered by adding in the 5 hour BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.

It seems that all is well. Our Trivial Pursuit challenge is on Tuesday night, and assuming we don't tie, I should finally make it to (drum roll, please) 1st base. I'm thinking I might just get it over with as soon as we meet up...I would hate for the impending event to impact my trivia skills. Since, after all, that's what is important.

Let's just say that J owes me a Starbucks

The bad news:

Rick came over last night. We went across the street to play pool, then back to my place to watch The Office. No move was made. At all. None.

The good news:

J and I had made a bet, if he kissed me I buy her a Starbucks, if he doesn't, she buys me one. So at least I have that to look forward to.

The weird news:

He texted me after he left and wants to know when we can get together again. I don't swear, but I think a WTF is in order.

The hypotheses I've heard so far this morning:

1) He's gay (unlikely that he would have signed up for a matchmaking service, a heterosexual matchmaking service)
2) He's just really really shy (he was student body vice president in college, and in a frat)
3) He's really really nice and doesn't want to move too quickly (maybe)
4) He's a 28 year old virgin (see #2)
5) He's socially retarded (see #2)

Now what?

I don't know what to do now. After the last date, I said I'd give him one last chance to make something happen, and if he didn't, I would move on. But the thing is that I like him and enjoy spending time with him and I really want to get over this "hump." So now I am considering emailing him and confronting him. But how do I word that? I want to make it so I can say what I want, without making it too awkward the next time we're together. Help!

Date 3.5 + .5

Okay, so tonight I had my 4th date with Rick. I was at 3.5 before, and tonight's events qualify as a half date, hence the #4. I would like to preface this post by saying I've had a bit to drink, so I apologize for any incoherence or misspellings.

Blogger J came over to accompany to the bar-like establishment across the street from my new place. I invited Rick to join us, which he did. We were a few drinks in before he arrived. Once he got there everything was fine. We were having fun playing pool and darts, not to mention the eating and drinking. The time came when J's boy arrived to drive her home. So, it was just the two of us (I'll skip the part where J breaks my brand new iphone). Everything is fine. We leave. I ask if he is going to drive me home, since I don't want to walk across the street by myself. He drives me home. I get out of the car. That's it. He doesn't walk me to my door, reach to hug me goodnight, anything. Nada. Fast forward 30 minutes, I fix my iphone. I text him, something to the extent of "home you made it home safe." He texts back, immediately: "Yep! That was fun...I want a rematch." Oh, did I mention I beat him at pool?

If there was ever the perfect opportunity to try fot 1st base, that was it. I was somewhat tipsy and could have used an escort up the stairs to my place. But he didn't even offer. So, to my readers, what in the world is going on? I'm getting fairly frustrated by the whole thing. He is a really nice guy and I get along with him really well, but it's getting ridiculous. What do you think?

Match #2

I got a call from the IJL people today (only a few hours after I called them, which was awesome) with my second match. The date coordinator is out of town until Wednesday, so I won't find out when we're meeting until then. For now, you'll have to settle for his stats:

His name is Evan, he's 30, he has brown hair and blue eyes (my favorite!). He is 6'. He has a degree in finance from Princeton. He's the VP of Business Development for a company here in town. And that's all I know...

Welcome to 7th grade

Rick and I had originally planned for a Sunday evening date- he was going to come over and I was going to cook for him. This was partially because my parents were staying with me for Thanksgiving and originally weren't supposed to leave until Sunday. They ended up leaving Saturday morning, and after having spent the previous three days with lots of family, some non-family social time sounded great. Plus I really didn't feel like cooking. We decided on dinner and a movie.

The movie started at 6:00, and I wanted to get there early so I could buy the tickets. But he beat me and had the tickets in hand. Darn punctuality. We saw Four Christmases which was hilarious. I recommend seeing it, it's worth $10. Anyway, as we were sitting in the theater, he was super fidgety. Finally, after about 20 minutes, he grabbed my hand....hence the name of this post. I totally felt like I was in middle school...not that I had a boyfriend for any period longer than two weeks, but you know what I mean.

After dinner we went next door and had sushi. As usual there was no trouble conversing. End of the night came, and I got (drumroll, please).......a hug! Yeah. That was date 3.5. I understand the awkwardness of a busy parking lot and stuff, but still, I just want to get the whole first kiss thing over with (I know, I'm quite the romantic). I think our next date will be at one of our houses, so that should do the trick.

On a side note, I've noticed something sort of odd. Every time we've met we've driven separately...and not once has he walked me to my car. He's an extremely polite person, so it was just something that I found strange. We always walk to the parking lot and part ways and walk to our respective cars (And Haley, I'm not making a big deal out of it, just something I noticed!). We haven't set up our next date yet, we just said we would figure it out.

Also, I had to call It's Just Lunch to give them my new phone number (I finally broke down and got a local #), and while I was at it, I told them I was ready for my next match. Yes, I 'm going to keep dating Rick, because I really do like him and think we're a good match...but I also paid for this service and would like to see what else they have to offer.

And yet another date...

Apparently some of you are eagerly waiting for this blog...sorry! I've been very busy at work this morning, thus the delay. And by "very busy," I mean planning my black Friday shopping.

Anyway...Rick emailed me yesterday with three options for dinner. Out of the three, I chose Italian. I mean, who can pass up Italian? Dinner was at 6:30. I was a little frantic due to a last minute rescue mission I had to perform. At lunch yesterday, I get a call from my friends' sister. Turns out that she, my friend, my friend's husband, and their kid were stranded in the middle of nowhere about an hour and a half east of where I live. They were flying their plane from Salt Lake to CA and an engine blew out, so they had to make an emergency landing. And the "airport" where they landed was really an unmanned airstrip in the middle of nowhere. So I rescued them.

Where was I...

Oh, frantic. So I'm a planner, and the rescue mission was obviously an unforeseen kink...not that it was any trouble, but I had to make some adjustments to my game plan. Plus I was freaked out by their experience enough to where I needed a drink. An nice Italian dinner with wine was just what I needed. We have no trouble talking to each other, no awkward silence, nothing like that. We didn't even end up leaving until after 9. He walked me back to my car, gave me a hug, and I offered to cook dinner for him on Sunday. I was wondering if he was going to try and make any sort of move, but it would have been really awkward in the fully lit parking lot, so I was okay when he didn't. So I'll be seeing him again on Sunday and I'm definitely looking forward to it.

And by the way, he now sends me emails every morning with a summary of the major local, regional, world, and sports news...I then forward this to my co-workers, so they all really like him too :)

Date with Rick

I got a text from Rick on Saturday. He had four date ideas, all good, and wanted me to pick. Bowling was an option and the obvious choice. He then called ahead to find a bowling alley that didn't have league play going on. That's right folks, we've got a planner. It was so refreshing to have someone take charge and figure out the details for once! Bowling was fun. We played five games (which seems like a lot, but goes really fast with only two people). He won 3,I won 2. No, I didn't let him win.

Bowling alley observations:

*There was a lovely lesbian couple in the lane next to us. I'm pretty sure the boy one was hitting on me. S/he talked to me a lot.

*There was a man who had a front mullet...as in a beard that was braided at his chin, and was easily a foot long.

*Next time I bowl I am going to wear pajama pants, a flannel shirt, and a raiders jersey over the flannel shirt. I feel I didn't fit in with my crazy outfit of jeans and a polo shirt.

Anyway, everything went really well. At the end of the evening he asked if I wanted to get together some time that week. I don't know if I've ever been asked out for a future date while still on the date. I liked it, at least from him. Luckily I did want to go out again. So Tuesday it is...and of course, I'll keep you posted.

21 hours and 31 minutes

21 hours and 31 minutes.

That's how long it took. For what? For IJL Rick to text me, that's what! Anything under 24 hours tells me that he's not into stupid games, a la waiting three days to call. In a nutshell, he told me he had a great time and he hoped I did too.

Since I'm moving tomorrow and Saturday, the weekend is sort of crazy for me, but it looks like we're meeting up on Sunday evening. I have no idea what we'll do, and I'm hoping he'll take the reins and plan something...I'm definitely ready for a "take charge" kind of guy.

Huh, these people might be on to something...

Last night was my date with Rick, the guy from IJL. Really it was more of a first meeting than a date, since it was just for drinks. I have to say it went very well! He was cute, although a little smaller than I prefer. He also looked older than 28. But still cute. My first impression was that he was very polite (as in if I was talking and he wanted to add something, he would say it, then apologize for cutting in) and nice. He seems intelligent and well-mannered and all that good stuff. We also have a lot in common in terms of interests. He has a dog for which he has joint custody with his parents (as he describes it), so he understood my whole cat thing. We ended up talking about everything from brothels to football, and by the time we left it was 9:30. Yep, we had been there for three hours.

Now he's the potentially awkward part about IJL. At the end of the date, it is up to us to exchange contact info. If we don't, we can't get it from IJL. It made me sort of nervous towards the end, not knowing if he would ask for my info...not that I didn't think he would, but you never know, right? As we were getting up to leave he asked if I would like to get together some time, so I gave him my info. It's funny, we both hate the phone, so he told me he'd send a text message or email, and I told him that was perfect.

So now the waiting game begins...how long before I hear from him? I know, that's the age-old question.

Tomorrow...

The It's Just Lunch (IJL) people have confirmed my date for tomorrow...it's at6:30 at a local trendy bar/restaurant place. Apparently Rick, my match, is really excited about it and even offered to drive here (he lives about 20 minutes away). Wish me luck!

A new date and a new direction

Hmm, what are you guys going to be more excited about, a new date or a new direction? I guess I'll start with the shorter story- the new date.

The new date. He's someone I met the old-fashioned way, on match.com. We chatted online a little bit last week, then got busy, then managed to arrange a date for next week. I don't know a ton about him other than that he's cute and a lawyer. And from Detroit. So I'll call him Detroit. Our date is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, so I'll keep you posted.

The new direction. Having been somewhat disappointed in the online dating experience, I've decided to try something new. It's called It's Just Lunch. Heard of it? It's a matchmaking service where the idea is you only meet up for lunch or drinks after work, and that's it. If you like the person you exchange info at the end of your date. Then you call and give your feedback to your matchmaker, and they take that into account when making your next match. I was a little skeptical for various reasons, so I only signed up for a 4 month trial. I'm guaranteed at least one match every three weeks, but can get them much more often than that if I so desire.

I was told they would call me Monday with my first match (I just went and met with them today at lunch), so I was pleasantly surprised when they called this afternoon. My first match is named Rick and he's an attorney as well (I have to use their real names because that's basically all I know about the person). So I said I'd give him a try ("accept the match") and am waiting to hear if he does the same. From that point, It's Just Lunch will call and make a reservation for us somewhere. I just show up, give the hostess my name, and he will do the same, and we'll magically end up at the same table. I'm really looking forward to see what comes of this service. And best of all for my three readers is that there will once again be fresh material! Lucky you!

Sexydateman speaks...

Sexydateman and I have had a back-and-forth dialogue regarding what a "sexy date" is...which quickly got very sidelined to french fries and canadians:

Sexydateman:
"A sexy date, also known as an "American Date" is where I pick you up in my automobile and take you to an American restaurant for a sexy dinner to be followed by drinks and cavorting. Cavorting is also referred to as Kareoke when I am drunk. lol Ok, I've told you my story whats Your idea of a sexy date?"

Me:
"So it's sort of like a normal date..."

Sexydateman:
"Oohh. The one upper on me. Well sure theres always softly speaking french soft things. Yes I am aware I'm rambling. And I don't speak french. I like french fries... but no hablo el frencho. If you feel you'd like to speak softly to me whether in a language I understand or in one that I do not... there may be room for negotiation."

Me:
"Are there people who don't love french fries?"

Sexydateman:
"Those ones go on Canadian dates. Not as cool but at least it comes with healthcare"

Me:
"Hmm, what happens on Canadian dates? Let me guess...they say "aye" a lot...and remain neutral.."

Sexydateman:
"Yes its a lot of jokes that dont make sence and listening to celine dion. What a sweet sweet life those canadians live. Alright. enuf canadian bacon and katana french fries. Would you like to grab a drink? Let me know my calendar is busy with staying warm and watching the hallmark channel..."

Me:
"Um, what about my sexy date?"

Sexy dating?

You will all be happy to hear that I've reactivated my match.com profile...although this time I'm going to take it easy and not just go out with every guy who asks. I got an email tonight from someone who lives out of the area, but will be in my town for a couple of months for business. Here is his email:

Hi,

In browsing through the profiles for your city I came across yours. You're very attractive. I'm in town for the next couple of months on business and am staying at the posh Courtyard Marriott. Perhaps you've heard of it ;) Anyways, I think you're very hot, I enjoyed your profile, I'm in town. Haha, I'm not very good at online messages for sexy dating. If you're interested let me know. My email is xxxxx@hotmail.com.
Ciao

S

Will someone please explain to me what "sexy dating" is? Is it where we both wear lingerie all night and speak in soft voices? Perhaps with French accents? Or is this some new term for "date ending with sex"? I'm guessing it's the latter.

But here's the best part- I emailed him and asked. All I said was "What's 'sexy dating'?" Can't wait for the response...

Recent happenings

I know, I'm a bad blogger...it's been a while since I've posted anything. In my defense, it's hard to update a dating blog without any actual dates...

*I had a date. Well, a coffee date, which is really more of a meeting than a date. He was pretty cute, in that dumb jock sort of way (not that he was dumb, but he was a jock). We only met up for about 45 minutes or so. At the end of the "date" he asked me for my number. I texted him later in the day to thank him again for the coffee. Never heard back.

*Did I mention that I have a cute personal trainer? Don't think I did...I call him Trainer McToothy. He has what are called "summer teeth" (at least according to L); you know, some are here, some are there. Instead of two teeth of equal size in the front he has one really big one and one really small one. So it sort of looks like he just has one tooth, front and center, instead of two. Anyway, I enjoy watching him as he demonstrates the exercise I'm going to do. And after all, isn't that what trainers are for?

*I almost burst out into hysterics at karate last night. We were doing our warm-ups, and due to the odd number of people in the class I had no partner. So cute karate instructor was my partner. He instructed me to lay down, which I gladly did. Then he stood, with his legs spread apart, directly over my head. A question came to my mind: why must karate uniforms be so darn loose?

SpeedDatin' the night away

Well, not really...more like "SpeedDatin' 15 minutes away." For the past month or so I've been getting these messages at my Facebook account from SpeedDate. The only time of SpeedDate I was aware of was the kind where you sit at a table with a guy for 10 minutes, a bell dings, and then the guys rotate, and you're on another 3-minute date. I actually did this once with some friends. When the night is over, you go home, log onto their website, and check off those guys with whom you feel you had a connection. If they checked you also, it's a match, and you're given their email address. I wasn't interested in any of the guys, but I did want to see who was interested in me...so I checked every single guy I had met. And there were a lot who had checked me, but of course, they could have been doing the same thing as I was doing.

Where was I...oh yeah, the new SpeedDate. So, I had been getting messages for a while and decided to check out their website. Basically, you are matched with someone else who is currently online, and then chat with them (instant message) for three minutes. If you have a webcam you can hook that up, so you can see each other face-to-face. One guy I matched with (and I use the term "match" loosely, I think they only look at age and location) had a webcam, but I do no...so I got to see his reactions as I typed. It was pretty cool, if not a little weird. Anyway, after three minutes your chat is cut off and you can decided whether he was a match; if he was (and he also chooses you as a match), he is added to your buddy list and you can continue chatting.

I think the concept of SpeedDate is pretty cool, since, assuming you both have a webcam, you actually get to see the other person in action before meeting up with them. We all know how a picture plus an email does not equal the actual person you end up meeting. I don't really think I'll use it for anything other than entertainment (it is really entertaining)...I am still on my dating hiatus, which might go on for a while longer, seeing how I'm busy every weekend in November AND moving AND Thanksgiving is thrown in there. Of course my December isn't looking much better....

Okay, back to the point. SpeedDate is pretty fun, especially if you get someone who has a camera when you don't...I guess that's my official review. The end.

My perfect match?

About a month ago I was matched with a guy on E-Harmony. I'll call him Bob, for no reason other than I'm too lazy to think of something more creative. Bob lives in Colorado. We went through almost all of the steps; all that was left was for me to answer his open-ended questions. But I forgot to do that. Last night I get an email from E-Harmony, saying Bob has "nudged" me, which is basically his way of reminding me to answer his questions. So I do.

I decided to see if I could find him on Myspace. I put in all of the information I have (first name, age, and location) and do a search. And there he is. I look at his page and there is a link to an external website. I check it out....it's a site he set up last winter, organizing a ski trip to Tahoe. That alone is pretty cool, and seems exactly like something I would do. I investigate further...and there it is- the chart. That's right, he created a chart filled with all of the info, prices, price per person, etc. Very similar, in fact, to the spreadsheet I created last year to organize a family vacation. Anyone who knows me at all knows how much I love my excel, and if there is even a slight reason/excuse to make a spreadsheet, I will.

Of course, this could be a huge conflict...how would we decide who gets to plan stuff? What if we prefer different fonts and color coding schemes? Maybe this relationship is already doomed...

Evidence of the confessions of an NFL stalker...

Here is me in "the shirt"

And this is how close I got to AJ:

Confessions of an NFL Stalker

Some may say that I have a bit of a thing for NFL quarterback AJ Feeley. Never heard of him? Probably because he's a back-up quarterback for the Eagles. And by back-up, I mean he backs-up the person who backs-up the actual quarterback. That's right, he's a 3rd-stringer. I've had this little crush on AJ for five years now, and this is why:Yesterday I went to the 49ers/Eagles game...it was a multi-tasking event, since I got to cheer on my 49ers and stare at AJ for 3.5 hours. In an effort to get a picture with him, we got to the game a couple of hours early. We immediately went down to the bleachers on the away-team side. And there he was. In all of his 6'4" glory. We stood and watched as he warmed up. Then, he started making his way into the tunnel to go to the locker room. I quickly walked over to that side of the bleachers.

There he was, not more than 10 feet away from me. We made eye contact. I knew this was it, I was going to get a picture with him. I was so focused that I failed to hear the security person-of-indeterminate-gender screaming at me. I wasn't actually doing anything wrong, and there were other people standing there, so I'm still not completely sure what was going on...but just as fast as my chance appeared, it went went away. Had I had 15 more seconds I would have gotten my picture...but I think 15 more seconds and I would have been escorted off the premises. We spent the rest of the game trying to figure out why exactly I was getting yelled at. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was because I was wearing a shirt that said this:Maybe I had that look in my eyes that said "stalker" and she/he thought I was going to jump over the guard rail, onto the field, and do something entirely inappropriate? Me? Never...

From a friend

Let me take a minute to tell you about blogger Padres Girl. PG and I went to junior high and high school together. She is a year older (ha!) and has a brother my age. I wouldn't say we were friends in school, but we definitely knew each other. We were in different social circles, and other than being in the junior high band together, probably didn't run into each other that much. Actually that's not true, because when your entire high school is only 800 people, you run into everyone. A lot. I'm sure we had a lot of classes together, although the only one I remember is English my sophomore year (Holocaust literature- how's that for depressing?). So we knew each other, but didn't really know each other (Oh yeah, and I also very briefly dated one of her brother's best friends, if that counts).

So I move to San Diego, not knowing she is there. Then, I move to my current location, and we start talking over myspace. Then we become blogging buddies. Turns out we've had a lot of relationship similarities, both dealing with retarded military men. And now, I'm even invited to her 20+10'th bday party in December. See? The internet made us friends...who said that technology isn't good for relationships? Not me!

We are now at the stage where she cares enough about me to make a voodoo doll of Dentist's quasi-gf (see her comment)! Apparently it's made of bubble wrap as to facilitate the snapping of body parts. Okay, so it's sort of demented and scary, but in a good, really funny way. And here is the finished product: Thanks, PG!

The moment we've all been waiting for...

Just when I thought Dentist was never going to call...he did! Yep, this morning. We chatted for a few minutes about the continuing education he went to this past weekend, and he told me about a mishap involving leaving is laptop at security in Phoenix. Turns out he just flew back yesterday.

Here's the weird thing- I wasn't even nervous. Maybe I was just so relieved that he actually called that it was enough to calm me down...

Anyway, the pertinent part of the conversation went something like this...I asked him if he'd like to get together sometime outside of his office. He went on to say that he's actually seeing someone (not seriously though), but the ladies at his office don't know because he likes to keep it separate from work. And when S had commented about his being single, he knew where it was going but didn't really want to reveal his dating life to his office. He said he is very flattered that I asked, and will definitely call me if something changes. So, it was basically the nicest rejection ever. The weird thing though is he actually sounded completely sincere when he said it...so now let's all think bad wishes for his current relationship...haha, just kidding...sort of...

Here's the more important issue though...how are we all going to be entertained until I find someone else to obsess over?

Quasi-dating related updates

Anyone who knows me knows I love a bargain. I spend my Sunday mornings clipping coupons and comparing various sales in order to get the best use out of the coupon (today I bought $102 worth of groceries for $48...I know, I rock!). I think it's the math dork in me. Anyway, today I went to Dillard's. Dillard's has the best sales of any department store (similar to Macy's, but with clean racks and friendly salespeople). Well, today I found the best deal EVER. A pair of shoes, normally priced at $69.00, marked down to $17.50. But wait, there's more. The shoes were an additional 40% off, making the total price, including tax $11.11!

Yes, I realize this really has nothing to do with dating...but I will probably wear them on a date, so hopefully that counts. And now, the shoes (You can't really tell, but they are red patent leather on the front and a darker patent leather read on the back...oh, and Zack really likes them):And no, the damn Dentist has not called. Hence the time-filling shopping. I also hit up Banana Republic and got some much needed black pants for 40% off (all pants are 40% off there right now, FYI) and a magenta/hot pink sweater for like $25...cuter than I can make it sound...

In other non-dating related news, tomorrow is the dreaded day that I have to start a real diet. It will be almost exactly one month until I'm in a wedding, and in an effort to make the dress fit better (it fits, but I'd like to be able to breathe while wearing itwhile not having to duct tape my boobs down), I have to say goodbye yummy food, hello boring crap.

Since I'm suddenly remember all of these non-dating related things to post, I'm just gonna list them. I had my first belt test in karate yesterday; I am now a yellow belt. The test was me and maybe 6-7 other people. The hot instructor was trying to make a point about how you need to be efficient with your moves, since you need to get as much power at that second as possible and you're not suddenly going to grow stronger. To illustrate the point, he asked a guy who was testing how much he weighs. The guy answered. Then he looks at me and asks me the same question. I answered the question with a shocked, annoyed look on my face (yes, there was a point to him asking, but couldn't he have asked some other guy?) Oh, yeah, he's only 22...that explains it. Didn't his mother teach him the rules?

Finally, I think I found a place to live! Yay! It's not in the part of town I wanted, and my commute will now increase from 2 miles to 7 miles. But, it's right next to a big shopping center that's going in, which will have a bunch of restuarants and a country bar with a mechanical bull! Yes, I will be within walking distance of a mechanical bull! It's as if the apartments were built with me in mind. Hmm, maybe I should get the 2 BR since I know all of my out of town friends are going to want to visit me all the time. I haven't signed anything yet, because there's a waiting list, so let's all cross our fingers!

Oh, wait, one more thing...I just bought the extended version of Sex and the City and am getting ready to watch it. Am I the only person who can never remember if it's "Sex in the City" or "Sex and the City"? After watching it all those years, I just had to look at the DVD cover to check. Odd.

Update

Because I know there are people waiting for an update on the Dentist situation (Yes, I am also shocked that my life provides excitement/drama for some people), just a quick note to say that he has not called. Boo.

On a happy (or depressing, depends on how you look at it) note, it's 10:14pm on a Saturday and I'm going to bed. And I'm really excited about it. Does it make me more or less lame that I'm going to first watch Sleepless in Seattle on tv before actually going to sleep? Hmm...

I got a call...

...at 8:15, on my work phone. The number came up, and I recognized it. I knew it was his office. I quickly shut my office door. Sweat started to accumulate on my forehead, and my blood pressure was suddenly about 200/150. But I was going to do it...I was going to answer the phone. And I did.

Quasi-false alarm (by the way, I love the word "quasi"). It was the receptionist at Dentist's office. As soon as I heard her voice I was certain she was going to tell me that Dentist would prefer if I went back to my old dentist. You know, because he doesn't date patients, or he's married, or gay, or creeped out by patients who want to date him. Instead, she gave me this long explanation as to why he hadn't called me back yet. It turns out that he had to quickly leave his office after work to catch a flight so he could attend some continuing education out of town. She hadn't had time to physically hand him the message. I figured this meant I wouldn't be hearing from him until next week. Nope; she called his cell phone to give him my message, so I'm guessing he has a voicemail, from Receptionist, about my message.

Either this dental office has the best service ever (I mean, have you ever gotten a call to tell you why the dentist/doctor/whatever didn't call you?), or Receptionist knows what's up and is on my side.

At least I know the ball is in his court....all I can do is sit here and wait; and check my phone every 3 seconds to make sure I have reception.

So, I did it...

Disclaimer- I just went out with S for a few glasses of wine, so I want to apologize for any incoherence or misspellings.

This afternoon, around 3pm, I did it. I called Dentist's office. I had the dialogue all planned out in my head: I would call and say I needed to leave a message. The receptionist would ask the nature of the message, and I would simply say "personal." The problem with pre-planning dialogues is that they NEVER go as planned. Ever. Instead, the call went something like this:

Receptionist: "Thank you for calling Dentist's office, how may I help you."
Me: "Um, hi, I'd like to leave a message for Dentist."
Receptionist: "Okay, with whom am I speaking?"
Me: "This is Hope girl."
Receptionist: "OOooohh, Hope, how arrrree you?"
Me: "Great."
Receptionist: "And what message would you like me to pass on?"
Me: Wait, this is not how I rehearsed it...uh oh..."Um, just to have him call me." (When you read this, make sure you have your voice getting higher towards the end of the sentence, like you're asking a question."
Receptionist: "Okay, I'll pass that on. Have a good day, Hope!" (When you read this, imagine her laughing for the second half. Yes, laughing.)
Me: ::barfing::

Okay, so I did it. I left out the part of the conversation where she told me he was in a procedure and he wouldn't be able to call me back until late that afternoon.

It's now 7:30pm. He didn't call. In the words of Nancy Kerrigan, "wwwwhhhhyyyy?" And this, even after I said a prayer at TGIFriday's with S, asking God (if he wasn't too busy with more important things, like world peace and the stock market) to make Dentist call me. The waitress probably thought we were crazy, since every couple of minutes we would would both stare at my phone and tap at it, as if we were making sure it was still breathing.

I'm now going to spend the evening watching 90210, The Office, and Gray's Anatomy...surely that's enough to keep my mind of of Dentist.

I hate boys.

I'm going to do it...

After consulting with several people, I've decided to bite the bullet, sack up, and do it...I'm going to ask out Dentist.

The last time I asked a guy out was in 2003. It was a guy who was in grad school with me. He was hot. I'll call him Hottie. Now, Hopeful for Hope had heard me talk about Hottie for, I don't know, six months or so. So, for Christmas, what did she get me? A gift card to the movies and Chili's, for two, with the stipulation that I had to ask Hottie to go with me. Gulp. I think it must have been March before I got up the nerves to ask him. And it was horrible. I was soooo nervous. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Um, uh, um."
Hottie: "Yes?"
Me: "Um, well, uh, my friend, uh, gave me a thing, I mean a gift card, for Christmas."
Hottie: "Okay?"
Me: "And, um, well, I haven't used it yet."
Hottie: ::blank stare::
Me: "Oh, and it's, um, for Chili's."
Hottie: ::blank stare::
Me: "And, um, I was wondering, if um, maybe you wanted to grab dinner with me."
(No, I didn't mention the movie, that was just too much.)
Hottie: "Sure."
Me: ::throws up::

Okay, I really didn't throw up, but I could have. Easily. Anyway, we did go to dinner, and it was fun, but we never ended up dating or anything.

But, I think this is a great illustration of the magnitude of what I'm going to do. So, tomorrow, at some predetermined time, I'm going to call Dentist's office. I'm going to leave a message for him to call me back. And, when/if he does, I'm going to ask if he would like to meet up for drinks or something. That's right, at age 28, I'm growing (metaphorical) balls. Whew. And I'm sticking this on my blog now so that I am forced to actually go through with it. ::throws up::

Oh, and before I hear all of you calling me a wimp, sissy, whatever, I would like to ask all of you girls out there: how many guys have you asked out? I'm guessing not very many...

Reasons to see the dentist?

I've been thinking about getting Invisalign ever since it came out. It wasn't until the past couple years or so, when the dentist told me I need braces, that I actually thought I needed braces. Of course I didn't believe that dentist, so I saw another. Then an orthodontist. Then another orthodontist (anyone who knows me knows I am a very thorough researcher). Fast forward to last winter. I'm driving home from work, look in my mirror, and notice a chip in my front lower tooth. This happens to be the exact reason I was told I needed braces; my top teeth slant in and hit the bottom teeth, potentially causing damage. Anyway, with my new job came great insurance, including orthodontic insurance for adults (say it with me, "wow!"). I ruled out getting traditional braces mainly because I'm over the age of 12...plus it could cause "complications" if I ever manage to wrangle in a boyfriend (ahem)...so, I have gone to every Invisalign provider in my town (there are 6-7 in my area, and they all have very different prices, so of course I had to get a consultation from each one).

Two weeks ago I went to my final consultation. At this point I was pretty sick of dentists. Until I actually saw this dentist. I wouldn't say he was hot, I mean, he is a dentist after all. But he was cute, in that I-know-you-were-totally-dorky-in-high-school-but-now-are-cute-and-people-call-you-doctor sort of way. (Side note: the great thing about having a crush on your dentist is you can freely stare into his eyes while he's doing his thing...those lovely blue eyes.) I glanced at his degrees hanging on the wall: "The University of Blah Blah presents this dental degree on this day in the year 2005." Quick math follows...okay, 2005, 4 years of dental school, graduated from college in 2001, high school in 1997...Holy Crap, he's only a year younger than I am!

Now, this wasn't a freaked-out thing, like having a doctor who is fresh off the med school boat or something. As a matter of fact, blog reader Hopeful for Hope's brother is a dentist, and of the same age. And he is a great dentist. No, what was going through my mind was "Score, I totally want to date my dentist." The problem? I knew nothing about him. And unfortunately, the appointment was very short. But he did recommend I come back to get my chipped tooth fixed before we start the Invisalign process. Happily and excitedly, I made an appointment.

The appointment was yesterday. I made it my goal to get as much info about Dentist as I could, without freaking him out. However, I just couldn't find a way to bring up what I wanted to know the most, was he single. I skimmed the pamphlet in his office, as well as his website, hoping to find some mention of a spouse. You know, like "Dentist enjoys biking and skiing in his spare time, and spending time with his lovely wife, Dentista." Nope, only the biking and skiing were mentioned. By the end of the appointment I had learned where he went to school (which, interestingly enough, was across the country in the city I had vacationed in the prior weekend), where he grew up, and why he was currently living in the area. But nothing more.

I return to work, disappointed I couldn't find out more information. I went into the Hen House, the large corner office/room that houses two of my work friends. I told them what happened, then jokingly (sort of) mention to S that she should go get a consultation as well (yes, she actually was interested in Invisalign), and while she's at it, find out if Dentist is single. Now, let me pause to say S has the biggest (metaphorical) balls of any girl I know. You can dare her to do anything and she will...she's very handy when wanting to talk to boys. And if you know me, you know talking to boys is ridiculously difficult for me. And no, I don't know why.

A few minutes later I get a Skype message from S: "Made an appointment for tomorrow at 2:30." Holy Poop on a Stick, she's going to do it. So, today at 4:15, I get the info on what went down...and it goes something like this:

S, to the receptionist: "Hi, I'm S, I have a 2:30 appointment."
Receptionist: "Great, nice to meet you, please sign in."
S: "Wonderful, thank you. Oh, is Dentist single?"
Receptionist: "Why yes he is."
---------------
S, to Dentist (immediately upon meeting him): "So Dentist, I hear you're single."
Dentist: "Yes I am."
(He examines her teeth.)
S: "Good because my friend thinks you're hot."
Dentist: "Is that why you made the appointment? Because your teeth are great."

The good news is S actually did make a follow-up appointment to go through with the Invisalign, so it's not like we were officially wasting his time. And, while she didn't say my name, she did have me down as her referral, so I'm guessing that someone with a dental degree could put two and two together. You can imagine my surprise when my cell rang at 5:23 this evening. "Could this be Dentist calling? No, I'm not lucky enough for that."

Me: "Hello?"
Lady caller: "Hi, this is receptionist from Dentist's office."
Me: --------silence for a few seconds-------
Me: "Really? I mean, um, hi!"
Lady: "Your friend, S, was in here today, and for some reason we didn't get her work number. Do you know it?"
Me: "Actually I don't even know my work number...but the main office number is (me pulling out a business card) 123-456-7890."
Lady: "Great, thanks. We'll see you in here at your next appointment."
Me: "K bye."

Okay, why didn't they call HER on her cell to get her work number? Odd. Anyway...

The problem is my next appointment isn't until December 12....since I want to use next year's flexible spending account to pay for my Invisalign, thus saving me like 25% in taxes. I asked blogger Jaimi to punch me in the mouth, as to loosen a tooth and require an emergency appointment, but that may be a tad bit too much (although she kindly agreed to do so). S has her next appointment on October 12, so I suppose I could have her do something (like give him my card with my cell written on it)...but I just don't know. I also don't know if dentists have the same rule as doctors where they can't date patients. All I know is this guy is single, cute, my age, and seems to have a great personality (and not even in a "for a dentist" sort of way). Oh, and I also know I can't be too big of an idiot, since I am going with him for the Invisalign for sure.

I'm going to put this out to my readers...anyone have any ideas? Reasons to see the dentist? Ways to get in contact without making a total @$$ out of myself?

BIGGER announcement

You know when you need to make a decision, but don't know what to do? So you wait for some sort of sign, whether it be from God, Allah, or the higher power of your choice? And just when you're stuck in the middle, something happens that practically makes your decision for you? Like this weekend, there was a dress I wanted, but wasn't sure...I finally decided to buy it, and when I took it up to the cashier, ended getting an additional 30% off. I knew that I was meant to buy that dress. You know what I mean, right?

So, many of you are aware of my unique living situation. Well, I just got an email from the owner of my condo (I rent). I know the unit has been for sale for a while, and I was even thinking of buying it. Then I sort of unconsidered it, just because I don't know how long I will be in the area (could be one year, could be ten, I just don't know). Anyway, back to the email...it goes something like this:

"We have accepted an offer on the condo. They would like to move in within 30 days. I know your lease isn't up until March. We are willing to give you 60 days, and a free month's rent."

Needless to say, it looks like I am moving. And I must say, I am totally excited about it.

Big announcement...

I've decided to take a dating break. While getting ready for my last few dates, I realized I wasn't excited about them. At all. It was like I was getting ready for a job interview or a trip to the grocery store. Wait, that's not true...I really like grocery shopping....mainly because I use coupons and save a ridiculous amount of money doing so. Like last weekend, I saved 51%. Wait, where was I...

Oh, the dating break. As long as I'm not having fun/getting excited about going on these dates, I'm never going to enjoy them, no matter how great the guy is. So to be fair to both myself and the guy I'm meeting, I think it's better if I just don't go out for a while. How long will this last? I don't know. I didn't renew my Match subscription this month, but that's not to say that someone seemingly amazing won't email me tomorrow and pique my interest. But as of this very second, I'm hanging up my dating shoes for a while.

Don't worry, dear readers, I'll still blog little musings from my single life. I would hate to disappoint all four or my loyal readers :)

Little details

Sorry in advance for the long post...

On Saturday I had a lunch date with Flight 2. Flight 2 is, what do you know, another Air Force pilot. He actually lives a couple of hours away, but wanted to make the drive to meet me. The first thing I noticed was that he is really cute. He was very nice, polite, etc. He did seem to get confused easily. For example, consider the following conversation:

Flight 2: "So, what do your parents do?"
Me: "Well, my stepdad is a retired fire chief."
Flight 2 (looking very confused): "What does that mean?"
Me: "Um, it means he was a fire chief, but is now retired."
Flight 2: "Oh."

This sort of thing happened several times, where I found myself explaining things that really required no explanation. But okay, I can deal with that, maybe he was nervous or something.

At some point, fairly early in the conversation, I mentioned that I might be going to Utah for a karate tournament. He asked me what I thought of Utah. I told him I liked it, and have a lot of friends there, who are Mormon, and I mentioned that I like Mormon people for a variety of reasons. He said nothing. Fast-forward to about 3o minutes later. He was talking about something entirely different. He then decides it's a good time to throw in that he's Mormon. Okay, so I do like Mormon people...I grew up with a lot of them, and they are all very nice, hard-working, friendly people. But I'm not Mormon, nor do I wish to date someone who is. On match.com there is a place to put your religion, and "Christian-LDS" is an option. He decided to put "Christian-Other." At this point I was just sort of annoyed...it's like people who don't put they have kids in their profiles. Don't want to mention it in your profile? Fine! How about in one of the many emails? Like when you said you lived in Poland for a couple of years, that would have been a perfect time to add that it was for your LDS mission. Just a thought.

I could have saved him 2.5 hours (each way!) in the car and the $30 that lunch cost. Within a couple hours of our date ending, I got two texts and a phone call (I missed the call, and he didn't leave a message). This is one of his texts: "I hope you don't mind me observing you're very beautiful. It's not just your pictures." Yes, he's a nice guy, but religion is just one of those issues where I'm not going to negotiate.

Moving on...I had another date Thursday evening. This is a guy I started talking to right when I first got on match, but then we just sort of stopped emailing. He emailed me again and suggested we finally meet up. I didn't know how much of a match we were, but I thought I'd give it a shot. Why are we not a match? Well, little things in his profile, such as:

"My match does not have a subscription to People magazine and wonders if anybody really watches the Bachelor."

"I haven't had a TV for 15 years..."

Anyone who knows me knows I love my TV. And People magazine. In fact, just Friday I applied to be on the Bachelor. Yes, I'm serious. Anyway, we met up for a drink. I don't have too much to say one way or the other. He was nice, but sort of, hmm, what's the word...stuffy? Like I could imagine him sitting in a leather chair smoking a pipe, wearing a sweater vest. The date was more good than bad though...

...until the end. As we were finishing up, he asked me out again. This is the first time this has happened, and I have to say, I'm not a fan. Talk about putting someone on the spot! Luckily, I was busy all weekend and am out of town the second half of this week...he told me just to call him when I get back. I'm still thinking about whether I will or not.

Yes, those are real pictures...of me 15 years ago.

You know when there's a movie that you want to see, and then there's a ton of hype about it, so you get really excited, and then when you finally see the movie, it doesn't live up to the hype? And you're mad about the hype, because had you just seen it pre-hype, you would have really liked it?

Earlier this week I started emailing back and forth with a guy I'll call LL (Liberal Lawyer). From his match.com pictures, I could tell he was cute, and from his emails, I could tell he had a great sense of humor. Eventually, we were using our personal email accounts, and his happened to be his work email. So I did what any online dater would do and looked at his work's website, where there was a profile of him. And a picture. A picture which looked VERY different than the pictures on his match profile. Now, on match, he had one head shot and the rest were sort of far away shots where you couldn't see his face. The picture on the law firm website looked like a totally different person, a person who was at least 10 years older than the person in the match pictures. I asked him about it, and he admitted that the picture on his match profile was "a few" years old. Okay, fine. So we agreed to meet up for coffee.

You can say I was a little surprised when the guy walking up to me looked like an OLDER version of the already older version of his picture. As in this guy was bald (okay, maybe still in the balding stage, but he was well on his way). His profile said he was 6'0", but he was probably more like 5'10". And that cute, funny personality that he had over email? Apparently it doesn't show up in person.

Now, I'm well aware that people lie about themselves highlight their strong points in their profiles. I mean, the pictures I have of myself are good pictures and not what I look like every day. However, the point is that I can look like those pictures, any day, if I wanted to. LL, on the other hand, is not going to grow two inches and a head of hair by spending a few extra minutes getting ready. Had LL's pictures been more realistic I probably would have liked him more, because I wouldn't have had to get past the shock value of meeting up with someone who looks totally different from their pictures. And you know what? He looked fine the way he was in real life, but because he "hyped" himself up, I found myself very disappointed in the real thing.

If I have to date every last man in this town....

...I will! Or already have, maybe.

Ragboy...hmmm...Let's just say I am pretty certain that he's not on match to find the woman he wants to marry and have 95 babies with...I think his interests are more, um, immediate. I got a text from him Tuesday night. He and some of his friends were at a restaurant. He invited me to join them (what's with the group dates?). As I was thinking about it, he texted me: "im drunk. u cld take advantage of me." I texted him back and told him I thought I could take advantage of him even if he wasn't drunk. Never heard back, and I'm assuming I won't. I'm a little bummed because he was really hot and it's fun to look at him. On the flip side, I don't care too much, because like I said, I think we have distinctly different goals as far as dating goes. If by chance he asks me out again, I'll go, but I'm not going to pursue it.

Side note: Am I the only one who spells out all words and uses correct puncuation when texting?

Random tidbit...

I know they are common names, but does anyone think it's odd that I've gone out with two guys with the last name Smith and two with Anderson? Also, two guys named Dave and two named Nick? Oh, and one guy has the same name (1st and last) of someone I went to high school with. Interesting.

Gee, that wasn't awkward at all!

Sunday evening I met up with Ragboy for some mini-golf. Let me start by saying that he is super cute. His profile only had one picture, and it was a head shot, so I wasn't sure what to expect. He is blond with blue eyes (side note: Did you know that writers of English often will still distinguish between the masculine blond and the feminine blonde and, as such, it is one of the few adjectives in English with separate masculine and feminine forms?). Faithful blog reader "Hopeful for Hope" noted that even though I always say I like guys with dark hair, I almost exclusively date those with light hair. Interesting. Okay, where was I...

Oh yeah. Mini-golf went well. I’m usually pretty good, but for some reason I was terrible. As in so-bad-I-didn't-even-care-about-winning BAD. Oh well. He suggested that we go have a glass of wine at this wine bar right down the street…then he said we could do that or go somewhere with TVs to watch the end of the Bears/Colts game. I also wanted to see the game so I opted for that. We hung out for a while and everything was going well.

About a half hour into the drinks/appetizer/football, his friend called him, which he didn’t answer. Then he fessed up that he had told his friend to call so that if the date wasn’t going well he could make up some excuse to leave. At least he’s honest! Plus I've done that myself, although the date would really have to be really horrible for me to use the out. Anyway, the friend kept calling, and I told him he should answer it because maybe something else was going on. Turns out his friend and friend’s girlfriend were at another bar near by and wanted us to go there. A little weird for a first date, but I was having a good time so I didn’t really care (side note: what is it with meeting up with friends on a first date? Check out this post.).

The friend was really giant. He played football in college and was like 6’4” 280 lbs. Big boy. He was also a bit older than Ragboy. His gf was probably around 40 but trying to be 20. Short shorts, tube top, etc. Super ditzy, but in the entertaining, not annoying, way. I was there maybe 15 minutes and they invited Ragboy over for dinner for the following night, and then looked at me and told him he could bring a friend. Haha…then later on in the night they just flat out invited me. They were also talking about getting married in 10 months. I asked them if they were engaged. Nope. I asked how long they had been dating... TWO months!

Now the awkwardness was really starting. First, they asked me how the date was going and to rate it from 1-10... right in front of Ragboy! They also asked if they would be witnessing any 1^st kisses…once again, in front of the boy. At this point we were all sitting outside. The friends started getting "friendly" with each other, so Ragboy and I went inside. As we were walking in he said “maybe we should kiss,” but I didn’t hear it like that…I thought he was making some joke about kissing the love birds, so I was like “no, I’m good.” By the time I realized what he had actually said it was a little late to admit my mistake. I know, no more awkward than the entire date, but still. Eventually he walked me out to my car and we hugged and I went home at like 12:30am, yes, on a Sunday....way past my bedtime.

I texted Ragboy the next morning to say thanks and to ask about the 8am workout he had scheduled...I got a text back, so that was good. I asked him how long he stayed at the bar after I left: "10 minutes. They started making ot again and the term akward is an understatement." Haha. He also texted me a few times last night. Still no invite for a 2nd date, but I guess the fact that we're still talking is a good sign. I'll keep you posted!

Yes, I'm still alive...

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post. Sorry, folks!

Tuesday I had a lunch date with Pablo. Eh. Not good, not bad, just sort of neutral. He also looked very old for being 34, I'm more inclined to think he's 44. Nice guy, just nothing there. That's enough about him.

Tomorrow night I have a date with Ragboy. Why such a name? It just so happens that he has two ragdoll cats, just like I do. I know, a single guy with two cats. I already gave him some crap about it, haha. We are meeting up for some mini-golf. He claims he's very good, but I've also got mad skills. Am I supposed to let him win so he feels on manly and macho? Oh, just kidding, I would never do that. Although I think from experience I shouldn't do anything involving competition on the first few dates (see: Driving range date with Tex). I'm meeting up with a girl from my karate class to practice sparring right before my date, so hopeully that will get all of the "fight" out of me. Doubt it though :)

I told you so

Yesterday I got an email from Johnny...I was surprised to get one, but not surprised by the content. Here goes:

Hope,

I hope you had a nice weekend and enjoyed Vegas. I know I have been out of touch lately so I thought I would send you a quick email. I think it's important to be honest so I wanted to let you know that I think you are a terrific person and I enjoy hanging out with you. I don't want this to sound like a big deal but I have been thinking about "things" and I think it would be best for us to remain friends at this point. As mentioned before, I really enjoy spending time with you but I think our distance and your living situation may be difficult for me to deal with. Again, I don't want this to sound like a big deal because we really don't know each other that well but I wanted to be upfront with you. I would still like to hang out once in awhile when I come up to Reno if you would like. Let me know your thoughts....
Take care,
Johnny

Okay, here are my thoughts:

1) If you didn't want to get into a long distance relationship, don't contact girls who don't live near you.

2) When I told you about my living situation, you said you had no problem with it, and you had been in the same situation, so you understood. BS

3) This is why it is better to just cease contact. I didn't need this email - I fully understood your position when you didn't respond to my text. We went on two dates, no explanation is needed.

4) Nope, I don't want to hang out with you when you are in town. I will be too busy going on actual dates.

5) Yes, I realize #4 is sort of hypocritical, since Pharm was interested in me and now we just hang out as friends...but we're both fine with it, so it's okay :)

6) No, I didn't send this to him, instead I sent a very friendly, polite "I'm disappointed but not surprised, good luck with your search" type email.

He's just not that into me...

Remember last Friday when I was worried about my date with Johnny the previous night? I said that I didn't think he was into me since he didn't make a move, but then received lots of assurance from YOU PEOPLE about how it would all be okay. Yesterday, with the encouragement of a guy friend, I sent another text...nothing big, just asking how Johnny's week was going. And did I get a response? NOPE. None. Nada. So I guess I have to cross Johnny off the list. I will say it's not fun being on the other side, but I guess it had to happen eventually, statistically speaking. Boo.

Okay, I'm over that.

I have a date set up on Tuesday with a new guy. I'll call him Pablo. He's some sort of art manager- he manages the artists who design slot machines. And yes, he works for the same company as Slot. Hopefully he's less of a tool.

Assuming he asks, I will also be going out with 5'5" guy...I'll call him Sprout (you know, Jolly Green Giant's little friend). He does seem cool and I do think that most people deserve a shot...and it's not like it's his fault he's of short stature. Unless he got that way from doing steroids at the age of 7 or something...

Does size matter?

Get your minds out of the gutter...I'm talking about height. Sheesh!

Today I got a message from a guy who sounds pretty cool. His last sentence asked if I were flexible on my 5'10" height minimum. I look at his profile. First of all, he's super cute. Hot, even. Good profile, nice pics. Then I look at his height. 5'5". I'm 5'7" without shoes. Unless he's wearing the Peewee Herman platform boots, I'm going to be way taller than him if I wear any shoe with a heel. If I were 6' or something, 2 inches wouldn't be a big deal....but that's not the case.

So, to my female readers, would you date a guy who was significantly shorter than you? And guys, would you date a girl taller than you? Leave your comments and let me know!

So Confused

Last night was my second date with Johnny. I was really looking forward to it because I had a great time with him on our first date, which was two weeks ago. Since then we've talked on the phone a few times and emailed and texted a lot.

We met at a pretty nice restaurant (you know, table cloths, candles, and waiters who have those little bread crumb scraper things). Everything went really well, we had no trouble talking. Afterward we headed back to my place to play some Rock Band (he has it as well, so we sort of challenged each other to a game). We played that for a while and then just sat there and talked (an hour of Rock Band = very tired arms, by the way). We talked for well over an hour. One thing I noticed is how comfortable I was with him. I wasn't really nervous or anything. Oh, and my cats loved him, so he's obviously not an axe murderer (very scientific test there). End of the night comes around....and I get a hug. Yes, much like what you'd give your friend or your sister. No attempt at any sort of move was made.

After he left I was trying to figure out what was going on. Then I remembered something from one of his original emails (remember, he lives out of town, but comes up here for work almost every week):

"I usually hang out with customers when I travel up there but it would be nice to visit with someone outside of work."

Visit. What exactly does that mean? Is he just looking for a friend to hang out with? It seems odd that he would have a profile on match for that. On the flip side, he does say some flirty things and based on his actions/words until 10:45 last night I would have guessed that he was into me. Maybe I'm over reacting...maybe he's just a nice guy who doesn't move too fast and is more of a 3rd date kisser. What do you think? I'm so confused.

My Very First...

...Dear John letter! Today is a sad day. As you may know, I'm going to Vegas this weekend with a friend. We are going because we always have an awesome time there, or wherever else we go...somehow our night always ends up going a completely different direction than we would have predicted. Aside from that, I was planning on meeting up with Maverick while in town. I didn't really see anything serious coming from meeting him, but I did think it would be fun to meet up; after all, we've been "talking" for three months now. Yesterday I get an email from him (okay, cue the sad music)...he said that over the weekend he decided to get back together with his ex, and that he didn't think it would be fair to either of us if he were to meet up with me. I have no idea if what he said was true, I mean maybe he just wasn't into me. But either way, I can't say I'm a big fan of the Dear John letter! My method of just not responding to an email is just so much easier. So, I guess I can scratch Maverick off my list of boys.

Moving on (wow, that was fast), I think Johnny is coming up here again on Thursday which means we will hang out. Yay!

My wonderful week

My wonderful, dateless week has come to an end. It was really nice to just go home after work and not worry about getting ready for a date. However, after watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 last night, I was suddenly reminded how much I hate being single. Even though the sickly-sweet things that the guys in this movie do are completely unrealistic (I mean NO guy has ever lit up his entire apartment with candles and then fed me his gourmet home-cooked meal on the top of his roof overlooking the city), it still give me hope. Johnny is coming back up here this week, so I think we will go out on Thursday. We have talked on the phone a few times and texted back and forth, so I am looking forward to it.

I've recently started at a new karate school. The instructor is really cute. Not hot, but he has that little boy charm. Maybe because he's probably 18?

I'm taking a week off

This week is shaping up to be excellent. Do I have a bunch of hot dates planned? Yes, with Michael Phelps and the rest of the US Olympic Team! Really, what date is better than being at home in my pjs, watching swimmers with god-like bodies walking around and warming up for their swims? No dates scheduled this week, and I am very happy about that...I really needed a break.

Remember my last post where I was a bit under the weather? After emailing with Doogie, he reminded me that I only had 4 drinks. Four. Over six hours or so. No way I was barfing because of that. I am definitely chalking it up to a combination of bad sushi and going off of a certain pill that is no longer necessary given my relationship status. Apparently people can be barfy for up to a few weeks because of that. Good to know.

Thursday night shenanigans

Early last week I got an email from a friend of a friend who was coming to my area for the weekend. I'll call him Doogie (he looks just like Neil Patrick Harris). I had never met the guy, but he and two of his friends were looking for advice as to where to go in town. I gave a list, after which he invited me to hang out with them. I had no plans, so I told them I would. Thursday rolls around and I wasn't feeling too hot, thinking it was because I was out late the night before with Johnny. I decided I would still go out, but only for a couple of hours. To make a long story short, six hours and an estimated equal number of drinks later, I'm really not feeling too great. Throughout the night, Doogie and I had been getting sort of friendly (minds out of the gutter, it was all very PG). So here's the gross part, and I apologize in advance to those of you with weak stomachs. We're sitting outside. I barf. He still wants to make out. As in right after. Sooooo gross. But I did get to hear such nice things as "are you sure you don't want me to come back to your place" (um, yeah) and "I'd really like to know what it's like to wake up in the morning with you next to me" (that's nice).

Fast forward to Friday morning. Once again, to make a long story short, I ended up having to puke in the bathroom. Twice. At work. I was leaving early because I was going out of town and co-workers were actually betting as to whether or not I'd have to use the facilities again before leaving (I didn't). I felt completely sick the rest of the day. Now, I've never EVER been sick the following day. I've felt crappy, but never actually been sick. Saturday, still felt like I was going to throw up all day. Sunday, still felt like I was going to throw up for most of the day. Then, I remembered an interesting detail. I was having some stomach issues Thursday morning, before the drinking extravaganza. Hmm, could it have been something I ate? Like maybe some sushi Wednesday night? I know the alcohol was a contributor, but I don't even think it's possible to have a 3 day hangover. Maybe my readers can tell me otherwise?

Raw Fish and Pool Sticks

Last night was my first date with Johnny. He happened to be staying at a hotel right down the street from my house, which worked out well because the sushi place he picked was about a two minute drive. He was actually much cuter in person than in his pictures, not that he was bad looking in those, but I was pleasantly surprised. I've always said that sushi would be a bad first date food, and it turns out I was right. First of all, no one looks attractive shoving a giant piece of roll into their mouth...and it's not like you can opt for a smaller bite. Plus, it takes forever to get through a piece, which means you have to sit there and chew before you can continue the conversation. He seemed to enjoy asking me a question at the exact moment I would stick food in my mouth. We ended up staying there for a couple of hours. Right before we left the people at the table next door started talking to us. It was two older couples, who very quickly asked if it was our first date and if we had met on the internet. They then went on to say that we would have really cute kids. After dinner we went across the street to a bar to shoot some pool. I'm a pretty decent pool player, but for some reason my skills diminish with alcohol. At this point I had had a few glasses of wine and then was drinking lemon drops at the bar. We played 5 games, and I somehow managed to win 2 of those. We stayed there until almost midnight, which is way to late for me to be out on a school night...but it does explain why I feel so outstanding today...or like 10 lbs. of monkey poop in a 5 lbs. bag.

Oh a creepier note, today as I was walking into work I had a call on my cell from a restricted number. I answered because I assumed it was my grandma, who think it is necessary to block her number. Nope. I am a member of Mensa, and I have a profile on their website (which only members can view). It's just basic info, name, age, email, phone number, picture, etc. Some member was apparently using the Mensa directory as his own personal dating site. He said he had been to a few events and hadn't met anyone interesting, but that I look like I would be fun (what exactly does fun look like?). I was totally caught off guard. I told him I was just walking into work and he said he would call me back tonight. I told him to just email me instead (soooo easy to press delete). I could tell from his voice that he was older. And creepy. Yucky.

Creme d' le crap

A coworker and I have started a new blog. Rather than stories about dating, it will contain interesting emails or profiles we get from guys. Check it out:

http://cremedlecrap.blogspot.com/

Fun Quotes

I came across a website with dating quotes, so I thought I'd share:

“There are three possible parts to a date, of which at least two must be offered: entertainment, food, and affection. It is customary to begin a series of dates with a great deal of entertainment, a moderate amount of food, and the merest suggestion of affection. As the amount of affection increases, the entertainment can be reduced proportionately. When the affection IS the entertainment, we no longer call it dating. Under no circumstances can the food be omitted.”
-Unknown

“I've been dating since I was fifteen. I'm exhausted. Where is he?”
-Charlotte York, Sex and the City

"If you want to say it with flowers, a single rose says, 'I'm cheap!'"
-Delta Burke

"Jagshemash! In U.S. of A., if you want to marry a girl, you cannot just go to her father and swap her for 15 gallons of pesticide. Here you have to do something called dating."
-Sacha Baron Cohen

"To attract men, I wear a perfume called 'New Car Interior'."
-Rita Rudner

Dating burnout

I think I'm burnt out on this whole dating thing....it's sort of like going on 3-4 job interviews a week for, what, 12 weeks now? I mean how many frogs will I have to kiss to find my prince (figure of speech, there's been none of that!). Do match makers still exist? I'm thinking an arranged marriage is the way to go....yes, I'm almost serious.

This week I'm going out with Johnny. I would say I'm excited about it, but I'm really not excited about dating in general right now. We are going to sushi, so I am looking forward to that :)

I was supposed to go out with Tex last Friday, but I had a bronchoscopy on Friday morning and wasn't feeling up to it. Well, I could have gone and been okay, I guess I just didn't feel like hanging out with him. I'm guessing we will go out some night this week.

Wow, this blog is so depressing! Sorry...how about a joke to lighten up the mood? Warning, it's a gross one:

Q: What's the most popular pick up line at the gay bar?
A: Can I push in your stool?

Haha...

Sorry bud, you're just not that cool

Okay, I need to update you on two dates I've been on lately. The first was on Monday night with Pharm. It wasn't so much as a date as it was two people hanging out and grabbing dinner. He texted me after work and said he was craving a Bloomin' Burger and asked if I had dinner plans. There's no way I can resist one of those, so off I went. Pharm really is a nice guy, and I do enjoy spending time with him, just not it "that" way. After dinner he insisted on buying me Cold Stone. I tried to pay but he wouldn't let me. Like I said, he's a nice guy.

Last night I went to the movies with Slot. He had emailed me last week and asked if I wanted to "hang out" again. I didn't really want to do anything that would require a ton of conversation, so we went to see Step Brothers (which was pretty funny, with bits of disgusting stuff, as you would imagine with a Will Ferrell movie). There's just something about this guy that bugs me. He has this attitude that he is God's gift to women...which he most definitely is not. He owns a house and has a good job, and I think those accomplishments just brought him to a new level of cockiness. If he were super hot, I could sort of understand the attitude, but he's just not cute enough to pull it off (and no, I'm not saying being hot is an excuse, but it does make it slightly more understandable). Will I hang out with him again? I don't know, it will probably depend on whether or not I have something better to do. Wow, that sound harsh...such is the world of dating.

I think on Friday I am actually going out to dinner with Tex, so that's exciting. Next week I'm having sushi with a guy who lives out of town, but comes up here fairly regularly for business. And what do you know, he's also in pharmaceutical sales. What do I name him? Pharm 2? That will get way too confusing. Oh, got it....his name is Johnny (yes, an actual name), because the place where he lives is referenced in a Johnny Cash song. I am stretching that one...

Forgot to mention...

Today was my final kayaking class. Unfortunately, the hot instructor wasn't there. All of us girls were bummed. At the end of the class I told the main instructor that we were all sad he wasn't there, since we enjoyed watching him paddle. Apparently he flew back to Minnesota to visit his girlfriend (who they say he isn't very attached to, but she bought him the ticket). The kayaking school is going to offer a one day trip just for us, and I (and all of the other estrogen producing folks) am hoping that hot guy is there. It is so motivating. Okay, not really, I just like looking at pretty things :)

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I apologize for being a little late on updating this...since I know that soooo many of you are waiting anxiously to hear how my dates have gone :)

The Good
Tonight I had my second date (although I'm not sure you could call the first meeting a date) with Golf. He worked until 5 and had a work thing he was supposed to go to at 7, so we decided to just meet up for a glass of wine. Work ran late and we didn't meet until 7 or so. He seems like a rally cool guy. Not sure how much of a long-term type person he is, but I am definitely interested in hanging out with him some more. We ended up staying at the restaurant until about 9:45. He checked the time on his phone once and his boss had called him three times. The work thing he was supposed to be at was a barbecue, so he said it was fine if he was late. Anyway, the night went really well. He is very easy to talk to and we actually have a lot in common. We haven't made any more plans, but talked about getting together again. It's hard with his schedule since he has to work weekends and during the summer only has one day off per week.

The Bad
Thursday night was my date with Flight. He lives about an hour away, so I offered to meet him in the middle. The town where we met is a very interesting place. And by interesting, I mean gross...lots of mullets and beer bellies. And probably meth. I ended up being fairly late (which I hate) because I missed the last exit in town, and the next chance to turn around is 15 miles away. Luckily the speed limit was 75 so I could go a little faster, but I was still over 20 minutes late. I did call and tell him as soon as I passed the exit, but I felt like an idiot. The date started off fine, just talking and catching up since it had been a month or so since our first date. It actually went pretty well until about half way through dinner when he brought up politics. Now, he describes himself as a conservative, so I figured it would be more of a friendly conversation. Nope. Turns out he isn't as conservative as he thought, and by the end of the heated debate discussion, he told me that I have convinced him that he is actually a democrat. Ooops. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally up for a good debate, but not for almost an hour, and not on a date. By the end of it I was just sort of irritated and ready to leave. Will I hang out with him again? Yeah, if he asks, but I'm honestly not sure he will.

The Ugly
I am prefacing this email by saying what I am about to tell you is 100% true. Last night I got home and checked my myspace. I saw a message from a random person (with no picture). The subject was this:

"Wow. Want 500 cash?"

I was thinking it was some money making scheme. I was so wrong. I opened the message and this is what it said:

"I AM STAYING IN THE AREA CAN I C U?"

That's right, I have officially been solicited. Happy days are here again.

My life is complete

Do you ever discover that there is something you've always wished for, but just didn't know it until you found out it existed? That's how I felt today when I read that Dustin Diamond, better known as Screech (aka Samuel Powers) on Saved by the Bell, is writing a behind-the-scenes book called "Behind the Bell." Apparently, it's going to feature "sexual escapades among cast members, drug use, and hardcore partying." I grew up watching that show...every Saturday morning I'd wake up and wait to see if Kelly and Zack were finally going to get together, or if Zack Attack had any new songs.

*Side note, if you've watched that show as an adult, you will see it is actually the worst show ever.

Life's Simple Pleasures

First, I want to apologize to my male readers for the content of this post. Now...I would like to take a moment to give thanks to those simple things that bring a smile my face. You know, diet coke, red vines, nacho cheesier doritos, costco, and boys with tanned, toned bodies.

I have been taking a river kayaking class. The first two lessons are in a pool and the final lesson is in the river. One of the instructors is super hot. He has really short bleached hair, is nice and tan, and very toned (what's with this weird punk phase I'm going through?). He sort of has a swimmer's body, not super buffed or anything, just right. Whenever he paddles over to me and we start talking it takes everything in me to not sound like an idiot. Girls, you all know what I'm talking about.

Today we were doing some weird side-bend thingies to practice snapping our hips. I did a few, got bored, and then decided it was much more fun to just watch him paddle around. Imagine, this tanned body of perfection paddling away and every little muscle flexing in perfect rhythm. It's like poetry. Unfortunately, our final class is on the river and we will all have life jackets on :(

Oh, and before we get in the pool we set everything up on the lawn. He was bending over/squatting to help people adjust their seats, and he had a bit of the plumber's crack thing going on...but for some reason it's kinda hot when it belongs to a cute guy instead of an old, hairy fat guy. Strange.

Wow, I'm a perve.