Happy New Year, everyone! Guess what? One of my friends got engaged over Christmas vacation -- to a guy she met through Match.com a mere 7 1/2 months ago! They live in the same city and love to go out dancing, so I have a feeling they may have met each other eventually anyway. But Match.com brought them together first. They are really happy. A summer wedding is in the works. :)
Also, December 28th was the one-year anniversary of when the Nicest Guy in the World and I started dating! It doesn't feel like a whole year has gone by already. Which I guess is good -- better to feel like it hasn't been long at all than to feel like it's been way too long. ;)
A reader commented on my last post about a web site called Six Singles (http://www.SixSingles.com). It's an on-line dating site, but they also have interesting articles like "What If Your Profile Is A Dud?" and "What To Talk About on the First Real Date" -- worth checking out.
Showing posts with label nicest guy in the world. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nicest guy in the world. Show all posts
January 4, 2010
February 7, 2009
Valentine's Day (and Anti-Valentine's Day)
Professionals in the City is having not one but TWO events in NYC (Manhattan) next week to help singles meet their Valentine. One is billed as "New York's Largest Singles Anti-Valentine's Day After Work Party," and it's taking place Thursday Feb. 12th at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $19.99 on-line or $30 at the door.
The other event is an Pre-Valentine's Day Mixer on Friday February 13th at 6 PM. Tickets are $5 on-line.
You can find details about both events at http://www.prosinthecity.com/index.cfm?cityid=5&action=events&eventid=7363#Event7363
The other day the Nicest Guy in the World asked me quite seriously, "Should I give you your Valentine's Day card in person on Valentine's Day, or would you rather I mail it to you? I know how much you like mail." I AM freakishly fond of mail! Does he know me or what? :)
Have a good weekend, everyone! Oh, and for non-dating-related posts, check out http://HerArtichokeHeart.blogspot.com
The other event is an Pre-Valentine's Day Mixer on Friday February 13th at 6 PM. Tickets are $5 on-line.
You can find details about both events at http://www.prosinthecity.com/index.cfm?cityid=5&action=events&eventid=7363#Event7363
The other day the Nicest Guy in the World asked me quite seriously, "Should I give you your Valentine's Day card in person on Valentine's Day, or would you rather I mail it to you? I know how much you like mail." I AM freakishly fond of mail! Does he know me or what? :)
Have a good weekend, everyone! Oh, and for non-dating-related posts, check out http://HerArtichokeHeart.blogspot.com
January 24, 2009
Computer Dating, 1970s-style
Last June I wrote about an episode of "Silver Spoons" from back in the '80s and speculated that Ricky Schroder was television's first computer dater (http://www.bestdatesnow.com/2008/06/ricky-schroder-tvs-first-on-line-dater.html). But I was wrong. When the Nicest Guy in the World came over the other week, he brought his DVD of the TV show "The Odd Couple," which featured an episode from 1972 (the year I was born!) called "Gloria, Hallelujah," in which Oscar joins a computer dating service at the suggestion of his secretary, Myrna. Of course, in the paperwork (which he has to fill out by hand) he describes himself in the most flattering light possible, to Felix's chagrin. How can the highly scientific computer-matching process work, after all, if Oscar stretches the truth? Maybe Felix was right, because Oscar gets matched up with Gloria -- Felix's estranged wife! So of course Felix gets all jealous. Then at the end, Oscar tries meeting someone from the dating service again -- and he gets matched with Myrna. It was pretty funny, and worth watching for the cool '70s outfits alone. ;)
Nicest Guy and I had a lovely two-year anniversary of our first date on Wednesday. He took me out to dinner at the Renaissance Diner in Manhattan, where we'd first met for lunch on January 21, 2007, and he gave me a rose -- made of the Dove milk chocolate that I am addicted to! Then we promptly killed the mood by going to see the movie "Revolutionary Road." ;O Well, not really, but that is not a happy film! But we'd already seen a romantic comedy the week before ("Last Chance Harvey" -- really sweet, even if Dustin Hoffman is a whopping 22 years older than Emma Thompson), and "Revolutionary Road" looked so good. But we both thought it was overrated. Some of the dialogue and even some of Leo and Kate's acting seemed so fake and soap opera-ish. As Nicest Guy put it, "Sometimes it felt like we were watching a parody of the '50s." I can see why it didn't get nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. I'm curious to read the novel it was based on, though.
Nicest Guy and I had a lovely two-year anniversary of our first date on Wednesday. He took me out to dinner at the Renaissance Diner in Manhattan, where we'd first met for lunch on January 21, 2007, and he gave me a rose -- made of the Dove milk chocolate that I am addicted to! Then we promptly killed the mood by going to see the movie "Revolutionary Road." ;O Well, not really, but that is not a happy film! But we'd already seen a romantic comedy the week before ("Last Chance Harvey" -- really sweet, even if Dustin Hoffman is a whopping 22 years older than Emma Thompson), and "Revolutionary Road" looked so good. But we both thought it was overrated. Some of the dialogue and even some of Leo and Kate's acting seemed so fake and soap opera-ish. As Nicest Guy put it, "Sometimes it felt like we were watching a parody of the '50s." I can see why it didn't get nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. I'm curious to read the novel it was based on, though.
January 18, 2009
Man Panel
I noticed on Facebook the other day that one of my friends RSVP'd to attend something called "The Man Panel" (http://www.manpanel.com), an event in which you "join the CEO of OkCupid.com, an online dating expert, and a panel of male online daters to find out how to increase your odds of meeting someone online. Bring in your own profile to get feedback from the panel!" It's in Boston, so if you're in the Boston area you might want to check it out. The next one is on January 30th, and tickets are $8 on-line or $10 at the door.
The other day, the Nicest Guy in the World said, "I hardly ever use the pockets in this jacket, but today I did, and guess what I found?" He showed me a Metro North ticket stub from January 21, 2007 -- which must have been when he came into the city for our very first date! So he suggested we go out to dinner this Wednesday for the two-year anniversary of our first date...even though our second official "date" wasn't until January 1, 2009. ;) Isn't he sweet?
The other day, the Nicest Guy in the World said, "I hardly ever use the pockets in this jacket, but today I did, and guess what I found?" He showed me a Metro North ticket stub from January 21, 2007 -- which must have been when he came into the city for our very first date! So he suggested we go out to dinner this Wednesday for the two-year anniversary of our first date...even though our second official "date" wasn't until January 1, 2009. ;) Isn't he sweet?
January 6, 2009
Another NYC speed-dating company; and New Year's Day
A few days ago I received a nice e-mail from Rich, the president of NY Minute Dating (http://www.nyminutedating.com/). He said that he enjoyed reading my blog and offered to let me register for one of his company's speed-dating events for free! I won't be doing that since I'm now dating the Nicest Guy in the World, but any of you NYC-area readers who want to try speed-dating may want to check it out. I thought I'd tried every speed-dating company in New York City, but NY Minute Dating is new to me. On their web site, they promise you will meet up to 15 other singles and have a five-minute "date" with each. In addition to more general events, they have some niche events coming up, including Asian Singles, Russian Singles, Latino Singles, Interracial Singles (one event for white women to meet black men, one for white men to meet black women), Middle Eastern Muslim Singles, and single parents. If you attend, let me know how it goes.
Nicest Guy and I had our second official date on New Year's Day! I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the Nicest Guy in the World has the Nicest Family in the World, so for our second date we went to his sister and brother-in-law's place and played with the new Wii Fit they'd given their kids for Christmas. It was so much fun because his sister and her family are really great, AND it turns out I'm a much better athlete on the Wii than in real life. For example, I've never bowled above a 74 in an actual bowling alley, but on the Wii, I bowled a 130! The only Wii sport Nicest Guy and I didn't enjoy was boxing -- you couldn't really see what you were doing, so it felt like we were just flailing our arms around (and my arms got sore!). I also wasn't very good at the ski jump. But bowling, tennis, baseball, and yoga were all pretty cool. If only I could've had a Wii gym class back in school, I might've actually gotten an A in phys ed once in a while.
Since his sister's place is a little tricky to find, especially for someone like me with 'directional dyslexia,' I had driven to the nearby mall, Nicest Guy met me and left his car there, and we drove to his sister's in my dad's car. When we left, we drove back to the mall to get his car, so we shared our second kiss in -- where else? -- a parking lot.
"We have to stop kissing in parking lots," I said.
"I know," he agreed. "People are going to start thinking we're trashy!" ;)
Nicest Guy and I had our second official date on New Year's Day! I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the Nicest Guy in the World has the Nicest Family in the World, so for our second date we went to his sister and brother-in-law's place and played with the new Wii Fit they'd given their kids for Christmas. It was so much fun because his sister and her family are really great, AND it turns out I'm a much better athlete on the Wii than in real life. For example, I've never bowled above a 74 in an actual bowling alley, but on the Wii, I bowled a 130! The only Wii sport Nicest Guy and I didn't enjoy was boxing -- you couldn't really see what you were doing, so it felt like we were just flailing our arms around (and my arms got sore!). I also wasn't very good at the ski jump. But bowling, tennis, baseball, and yoga were all pretty cool. If only I could've had a Wii gym class back in school, I might've actually gotten an A in phys ed once in a while.
Since his sister's place is a little tricky to find, especially for someone like me with 'directional dyslexia,' I had driven to the nearby mall, Nicest Guy met me and left his car there, and we drove to his sister's in my dad's car. When we left, we drove back to the mall to get his car, so we shared our second kiss in -- where else? -- a parking lot.
"We have to stop kissing in parking lots," I said.
"I know," he agreed. "People are going to start thinking we're trashy!" ;)
January 5, 2009
I told him!
The Nicest Guy in the World and I drove up to Albany on Dec. 27th to visit a good friend of his since childhood & his wife, and their five-week-old baby. By then I knew I wanted to tell him that I liked him as more than a friend, but I didn't know when to bring it up, so I kept putting it off. We had a really fun visit with his friend and his family -- their baby is so cute! Nicest Guy had brought some great Christmas presents for the baby, including one I had suggested -- since his friend was a big fan of the rock group Twisted Sister back in the day, Nicest Guy got a Twisted Sister onesy for the baby, with the Twisted Sister logo and "I Wanna Walk!" printed on it. His friend loved it!
The other funny thing happened when Nicest Guy and his friend exchanged Christmas gifts. As Nicest Guy was opening one, his friend said hesitantly, "I don't know if you'll really like this or not, I just thought you might find it interesting...."
Nicest Guy laughed and said, "Well, I definitely know someone who'll want to borrow it." It was a PAUL SIMON DVD! His friend had no idea, but I am one of the biggest Paul Simon fans around. So it will be the perfect gift for me to steal when Nicest Guy's not looking, er, I mean, watch with him. ;)
We finally left at around 9 PM, and Nicest Guy drove me to NJ, where I was staying with my dad for a few days over the Christmas/New Year's holiday. The closer we got, the more nervous I felt. When we finally arrived at my dad's apartment, the street had enough parked cars and snow piles to prevent us from parking there, so we had to park way in the back of the complex by the Dumpster. We went inside to chat with my dad for a few minutes, and when Nicest Guy said he'd better be going, I said quickly. "I'll walk you to your car."
We walked quietly through the parking lot. It was a cold night, raining so lightly it was really just mist. I looked up at the moon, blurry in the fog, my hands jammed in my coat pockets. I was so nervous. I thought, what if I've misread every signal, misunderstood every sign, and he doesn't actually want to be more than friends after all?
As we got to his car and started to say good-bye, I almost chickened out, but I knew if I did I would regret it. So I finally blurted out, "Remember like a year ago when you said we should start dating and I said no?"
"Yeah," he said.
"Um -- I've changed my mind," I said, and held my breath.
He blinked. "Oh!" he said -- and then he broke into a grin. "Wow! Well -- wow! That would be -- that would be -- wow! Yes! Yes!"
We kissed then, between the Dumpster and the cars in the apartment complex parking lot. And that is how it came to be that two years after he first sent me a wink on Match.com, and one year and eleven months after our first date in January 2007, the Nicest Guy in the World and I planned our second official date -- for January 1, 2009.
:) :) :)
The other funny thing happened when Nicest Guy and his friend exchanged Christmas gifts. As Nicest Guy was opening one, his friend said hesitantly, "I don't know if you'll really like this or not, I just thought you might find it interesting...."
Nicest Guy laughed and said, "Well, I definitely know someone who'll want to borrow it." It was a PAUL SIMON DVD! His friend had no idea, but I am one of the biggest Paul Simon fans around. So it will be the perfect gift for me to steal when Nicest Guy's not looking, er, I mean, watch with him. ;)
We finally left at around 9 PM, and Nicest Guy drove me to NJ, where I was staying with my dad for a few days over the Christmas/New Year's holiday. The closer we got, the more nervous I felt. When we finally arrived at my dad's apartment, the street had enough parked cars and snow piles to prevent us from parking there, so we had to park way in the back of the complex by the Dumpster. We went inside to chat with my dad for a few minutes, and when Nicest Guy said he'd better be going, I said quickly. "I'll walk you to your car."
We walked quietly through the parking lot. It was a cold night, raining so lightly it was really just mist. I looked up at the moon, blurry in the fog, my hands jammed in my coat pockets. I was so nervous. I thought, what if I've misread every signal, misunderstood every sign, and he doesn't actually want to be more than friends after all?
As we got to his car and started to say good-bye, I almost chickened out, but I knew if I did I would regret it. So I finally blurted out, "Remember like a year ago when you said we should start dating and I said no?"
"Yeah," he said.
"Um -- I've changed my mind," I said, and held my breath.
He blinked. "Oh!" he said -- and then he broke into a grin. "Wow! Well -- wow! That would be -- that would be -- wow! Yes! Yes!"
We kissed then, between the Dumpster and the cars in the apartment complex parking lot. And that is how it came to be that two years after he first sent me a wink on Match.com, and one year and eleven months after our first date in January 2007, the Nicest Guy in the World and I planned our second official date -- for January 1, 2009.
:) :) :)
December 31, 2008
Follow your dreams
A few nights ago, I dreamed that I was kissing a guy. He wasn't anyone I know in real life. I think he was just a symbol of every man that I, full of curiosity and nervousness and hope and excitement, have gone off to have a date with over the past two years.
I should have enjoyed kissing this guy (he was pretty cute for a symbol). But I didn't. In fact, I wasn't having a good time at all. Instead, I kept thinking, "What about the Nicest Guy in the World?" I was flattered that this guy liked me enough to kiss me. But I still wasn't enjoying it. I began to think, "I wish I'd never even met this guy! That way I could just date the Nicest Guy in the World."
Then I woke up. And before I could form objections or excuses or thoughts or any words at all, I was flooded with one insistent, overwhelming emotion.
Relief.
That in my real life, there is no other guy; there is only the Nicest Guy in the World.
And now that my subconscious has spoken, I finally know what I have to do.
:)
I should have enjoyed kissing this guy (he was pretty cute for a symbol). But I didn't. In fact, I wasn't having a good time at all. Instead, I kept thinking, "What about the Nicest Guy in the World?" I was flattered that this guy liked me enough to kiss me. But I still wasn't enjoying it. I began to think, "I wish I'd never even met this guy! That way I could just date the Nicest Guy in the World."
Then I woke up. And before I could form objections or excuses or thoughts or any words at all, I was flooded with one insistent, overwhelming emotion.
Relief.
That in my real life, there is no other guy; there is only the Nicest Guy in the World.
And now that my subconscious has spoken, I finally know what I have to do.
:)
December 20, 2008
Confession
I still have a crush on the Nicest Guy in the World! (who I did meet on Match.com, albeit two years ago...hmm, maybe that site doesn't suck after all....)
He came over today. We had lunch together, and dinner. We exchanged Christmas presents (he even brought a present for my cat). I gave him "The Office" DVD game, and we played it -- fun. Then we watched "It's A Wonderful Life," which he had brought. I love that movie. *sniffle*
When he had to leave I went with him to the train and bought my Sunday paper. As I walked back it was snowing, and I realized I was smiling all the way home.
:)
He came over today. We had lunch together, and dinner. We exchanged Christmas presents (he even brought a present for my cat). I gave him "The Office" DVD game, and we played it -- fun. Then we watched "It's A Wonderful Life," which he had brought. I love that movie. *sniffle*
When he had to leave I went with him to the train and bought my Sunday paper. As I walked back it was snowing, and I realized I was smiling all the way home.
:)
October 30, 2008
No dates this week...
...unless you count my hanging out with the Nicest Guy in the World as a date. I had a lot of fun -- I do like him! It's just that whenever I think about not being able to date other people, I get nervous. Maybe I'm the one with a fear of commitment. :P
I thought I'd have a date with IT Guy (from eHarmony http://www.eharmony.com/) by now. We were supposed to meet last Thursday, but he cancelled at the last minute because of an eye infection. We had a nice chat on the phone that night, and as we said good-bye, he said we should re-schedule for this week. "I'll text you," he said. ??? Maybe I'm showing my age here, but -- text me? What are you, 12? We got through our first actual phone call just fine -- why not continue the practice? Anyway, I haven't heard a peep from him (in any form) since. Strange.
But, I've been enjoying e-mailing with New Jersey Journalist (also from eHarmony). I finally had to suggest actually getting together in person, which normally I wouldn't do, but after a few weeks of great e-mails I was too impatient to wait. So we're going to meet in the city next week. Since he's a journalist, he's taking a week off starting on Election Day just to relax. Can't say I blame him!
Interesting article by Tara Parker-Pope in Monday's New York Times called "Love, Sex and the Changing Landscape of Infidelity" (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/health/28well.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=infidelity&st=cse&oref=slogin). Parker-Pope quotes from studies showing that "in any given year, about 10 percent of married people — 12 percent of men and 7 percent of women — say they have had sex outside their marriage." But younger married women are now closing the gender gap — they are almost as likely to cheat as their husbands are. Also, "the lifetime rate of infidelity for men over 60 increased to 28 percent in 2006, up from 20 percent in 1991. For women over 60, the increase is more striking: to 15 percent, up from 5 percent in 1991."
On a happier note, thank you to all who have been clicking on my ads: I just passed the $50 earning mark! Once I hit $100, I'll get my first check. Thanks again!
I thought I'd have a date with IT Guy (from eHarmony http://www.eharmony.com/) by now. We were supposed to meet last Thursday, but he cancelled at the last minute because of an eye infection. We had a nice chat on the phone that night, and as we said good-bye, he said we should re-schedule for this week. "I'll text you," he said. ??? Maybe I'm showing my age here, but -- text me? What are you, 12? We got through our first actual phone call just fine -- why not continue the practice? Anyway, I haven't heard a peep from him (in any form) since. Strange.
But, I've been enjoying e-mailing with New Jersey Journalist (also from eHarmony). I finally had to suggest actually getting together in person, which normally I wouldn't do, but after a few weeks of great e-mails I was too impatient to wait. So we're going to meet in the city next week. Since he's a journalist, he's taking a week off starting on Election Day just to relax. Can't say I blame him!
Interesting article by Tara Parker-Pope in Monday's New York Times called "Love, Sex and the Changing Landscape of Infidelity" (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/health/28well.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=infidelity&st=cse&oref=slogin). Parker-Pope quotes from studies showing that "in any given year, about 10 percent of married people — 12 percent of men and 7 percent of women — say they have had sex outside their marriage." But younger married women are now closing the gender gap — they are almost as likely to cheat as their husbands are. Also, "the lifetime rate of infidelity for men over 60 increased to 28 percent in 2006, up from 20 percent in 1991. For women over 60, the increase is more striking: to 15 percent, up from 5 percent in 1991."
On a happier note, thank you to all who have been clicking on my ads: I just passed the $50 earning mark! Once I hit $100, I'll get my first check. Thanks again!
October 15, 2008
eHarmony: An Update
Exciting news: Liz Rizzo, a blogger out of L.A., linked to my "Kicked off e-Harmony" post on her Everyday Goddess blog at http://everydaygoddess.typepad.com/everyday_goddess/2008/10/lets-talk-about-eharmony-shall-we.html She thinks that guy was kicked off eHarmony because he was married, by the way. Anyway, in her interesting and funny post, "Let's Talk About eHarmony, Shall We?", she discusses her positive experiences with eHarmony in the past, as compared to the lack of activity she's experiencing now. But eHarmony always starts slow. At least for me it does. I've been on the site again for nearly three months, and I didn't meet any guys in person until last week! You have to jump through so many hoops to get to open communication that it takes a while. But sometimes that can be a good thing -- after all, it saved me from meeting the guy who got kicked off! :O
My three-month subscription expires next week, and I'm going to let it lapse because I am currently in open communication with three guys who seem promising. One is a journalist, one is a lawyer, and one is a full-time grad student working toward a master's in public health. I've been e-mailing back and forth with the journalist and the grad student for a week or so now, and just sent my first e-mail to the lawyer. Hopefully I'll meet at least one of them in person sometime soon.
But remember when I went to the movies with Sweet but Shy last week? As the movie ended and the lights came on, I thought, "I wish I were here with the Nicest Guy in the World instead." And I found myself a little surprised at my own thought...but pleasantly so.
My three-month subscription expires next week, and I'm going to let it lapse because I am currently in open communication with three guys who seem promising. One is a journalist, one is a lawyer, and one is a full-time grad student working toward a master's in public health. I've been e-mailing back and forth with the journalist and the grad student for a week or so now, and just sent my first e-mail to the lawyer. Hopefully I'll meet at least one of them in person sometime soon.
But remember when I went to the movies with Sweet but Shy last week? As the movie ended and the lights came on, I thought, "I wish I were here with the Nicest Guy in the World instead." And I found myself a little surprised at my own thought...but pleasantly so.
October 6, 2008
Men, men, men....
Guy update: 1) Last week I had a date with another guy I met at the New York Easy Dates speed-dating marathon a couple of weeks ago (http://www.nyeasydates.com/). I won't even bother naming him because I doubt I'll see him again. He has a car service business, so since he's often in Manhattan during the day, he met me for lunch one afternoon last week. We had a great time talking politics for half an hour or so. Then suddenly he said, "I have a customer to pick up at 1:30. I'd better go," and he got all abrupt and left. At least he paid the bill first (though he did allow me to pay the tip). However...
2) Learned Optimism, the other guy from speed-dating who I had a date with a week ago, didn't think I was too old, I guess, even though I'm 36 and he's 28, because he e-mailed me asking me out again. I'm still not sure what to do. It may be worth it to have a second date with him, since he seemed kind of nervous on the first one. But...
3) I still like the Nicest Guy in the World a lot, so that's distracting me. I don't think it would be fair to him to date him while still dating other people, though, and that makes me feel nervous. So I have to hold off, at least for now. Especially since...
4) Mr. No Touchy-Feely is still in the picture. Yes. He resurfaced over the summer after not contacting me for three weeks, and we've e-mailed and talked on the phone. But I still haven't actually seen him in person since July. He called me this past Saturday, we had a good talk for over an hour, AND we made concrete plans for dinner and a movie this coming weekend. That's when I'm going to gather my courage and ask him what our relationship to each other is, exactly. I hereby rename him Sweet but Shy, because I think that's more accurate than Mr. No Touchy-Feely (even though he still hasn't done anything more than hug or kiss me on the cheek). I'll keep you posted!
2) Learned Optimism, the other guy from speed-dating who I had a date with a week ago, didn't think I was too old, I guess, even though I'm 36 and he's 28, because he e-mailed me asking me out again. I'm still not sure what to do. It may be worth it to have a second date with him, since he seemed kind of nervous on the first one. But...
3) I still like the Nicest Guy in the World a lot, so that's distracting me. I don't think it would be fair to him to date him while still dating other people, though, and that makes me feel nervous. So I have to hold off, at least for now. Especially since...
4) Mr. No Touchy-Feely is still in the picture. Yes. He resurfaced over the summer after not contacting me for three weeks, and we've e-mailed and talked on the phone. But I still haven't actually seen him in person since July. He called me this past Saturday, we had a good talk for over an hour, AND we made concrete plans for dinner and a movie this coming weekend. That's when I'm going to gather my courage and ask him what our relationship to each other is, exactly. I hereby rename him Sweet but Shy, because I think that's more accurate than Mr. No Touchy-Feely (even though he still hasn't done anything more than hug or kiss me on the cheek). I'll keep you posted!
September 29, 2008
Post-speeddating-marathon date
Yesterday I met up with Learned Optimism, who I met at the New York Easy Dates (http://www.nyeasydates.com) speed-dating marathon a week ago. We went to a coffee shop, and he bought me a hot chocolate. He had an interesting way of speaking – business-like, almost like we were on a job interview, but from time to time he would momentarily relax and flash this great smile. His parents moved back to Bangladesh last year, and he lives with a roommate in the city. He’s a software engineer and is starting an MBA program part-time in the spring. When I was telling him about work, he said, “So it’s your third job?” I nearly spit out my drink. I was on my third job by the time I was 23! “Oh, no, I’ve had tons of jobs,” I said.
“Really?" He looked confused. “When did you graduate from college?”
That’s what I realized he must have thought I was younger than I am. So I told him I’m 36. He’s only 28! After an hour I said I had to go, and we parted ways. An hour later he sent me an e-mail saying, “It was nice talking to you today. I hope you had fun too.” So I don’t know. Maybe he was just being polite. I’m meeting with another speed-dating guy for lunch later this week. I still haven’t heard back from favorite guy of the night at all, even though I e-mailed him four days ago.
But to tell you the truth, I still have a crush on the Nicest Guy in the World (see my June 11th and June 4th posts – I think those are the last times I blogged about him in detail). I’m nervous, but I keep thinking about him!
“Really?" He looked confused. “When did you graduate from college?”
That’s what I realized he must have thought I was younger than I am. So I told him I’m 36. He’s only 28! After an hour I said I had to go, and we parted ways. An hour later he sent me an e-mail saying, “It was nice talking to you today. I hope you had fun too.” So I don’t know. Maybe he was just being polite. I’m meeting with another speed-dating guy for lunch later this week. I still haven’t heard back from favorite guy of the night at all, even though I e-mailed him four days ago.
But to tell you the truth, I still have a crush on the Nicest Guy in the World (see my June 11th and June 4th posts – I think those are the last times I blogged about him in detail). I’m nervous, but I keep thinking about him!
June 27, 2008
Sexy Hobbies
My blog has been getting much more activity than usual over the past few days. I was regularly getting around 15 or 20 views a day, sometimes a few more, sometimes a few less. But on Wednesday there were 48 views, and then yesterday, a new record: 86 views! One person even clicked on an ad! Since I started this blog in January, I’ve earned $18.81 from ad clicks, but Google won’t cut me a check until the amount reaches $100. At this rate, I should get my check in March 2010. (Hey, it’ll come.) I have no idea why I’m getting so many hits now, but thanks to all 86 of you. And if you’re one person who clicked on this blog 86 times in one day: BIG thanks to you, and I hope you’re off bedrest soon. ;)
Last night the Nicest Guy in the World called. No sooner had I gotten off the phone with him than Mr. No Touchy-Feely called. No decision yet on my part. I really like them both. Usually I can’t find ANYone to like, so I never thought I’d have this “problem.” I wonder what will happen? I'm seeing each of them next week, so we'll see.
The other day EHarmony had an article on “five hobbies women find sexy” (http://advice.eharmony.com/?page=articles/view&AID=2016&start=1), which I found to be pretty accurate. The five hobbies are: playing a musical instrument; volunteering with worthy causes; playing sports; being able to fix things (is that really a hobby, though?); and doing adventurous things like skydiving, cliff jumping, and rock climbing. I could live without someone who plays sports (borrrring) or skydives (no way he’s talking ME into participating), but music, volunteering, and being able to fix stuff rank high in my book. I’m surprised being an animal lover didn’t make the list. I’ve found it’s a very good sign if a guy is willing to be patient with my crazy cat.
Last night the Nicest Guy in the World called. No sooner had I gotten off the phone with him than Mr. No Touchy-Feely called. No decision yet on my part. I really like them both. Usually I can’t find ANYone to like, so I never thought I’d have this “problem.” I wonder what will happen? I'm seeing each of them next week, so we'll see.
The other day EHarmony had an article on “five hobbies women find sexy” (http://advice.eharmony.com/?page=articles/view&AID=2016&start=1), which I found to be pretty accurate. The five hobbies are: playing a musical instrument; volunteering with worthy causes; playing sports; being able to fix things (is that really a hobby, though?); and doing adventurous things like skydiving, cliff jumping, and rock climbing. I could live without someone who plays sports (borrrring) or skydives (no way he’s talking ME into participating), but music, volunteering, and being able to fix stuff rank high in my book. I’m surprised being an animal lover didn’t make the list. I’ve found it’s a very good sign if a guy is willing to be patient with my crazy cat.
June 11, 2008
Weekend Update
Lovely story in the local papers yesterday: one in four adults in New York City has herpes (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080609/ap_on_he_me/med_herpes). Yup. The city’s rate is 26%, compared to the national rate of 19%. I think I speak for everyone in New York, and in our entire country, when I say:
Ew.
On a happier note, I had a nice weekend. Finance Guy seems to have disappeared, though. He sent me an e-mail on Wednesday, the day after our first date, saying he’d had a great time; I e-mailed him back saying the same thing; and I haven’t heard from him since. But I saw Mr. No Touch-Feely’s show on Friday night, which was fun – he’s definitely talented. I’m attracted to talent. Afterward we hung out at the bar talking while he drank a beer. He offered to buy me one, but I was tired and had a headache, and I knew drinking would only make it worse. After 15 or 20 minutes, my head throbbing, I finally said I had to go. He said, “We should try to get together next week!” So I may see him this Friday. I e-mailed him on Sunday afternoon, saying I enjoyed seeing his show, and he e-mailed me back later that night saying he was really glad I’d been there. I e-mailed him back yesterday, and he called me last night, but I didn’t realize I had a voicemail until five minutes before I went to bed so I didn’t call him back.
I was talking to one of my friends on Monday night about how he hasn’t held my hand or kissed me. He asked about Mr. No Touchy-Feely’s past, in terms of other romantic relationships, but I have no idea about his past – he’s never volunteered how long his longest relationship lasted, or anything like that, and he’s never asked me about mine. Considering we’ve been ‘dating’ for five months, we should know stuff like that about each other. My friend then suggested that maybe he’s inexperienced.
“But he’s FORTY!” I wailed.
This has happened to me before, and it turned out the guy just wasn’t that into me. But Mr. No Touchy-Feely always gets back to me, always asks me out again, always pays for dinner and whatever else we do, and when I try to disappear, he calls me three nights in a row!
I also saw The Nicest Guy in the World on Saturday – he came with me to my sister’s party in NJ. This involved him meeting me at my dad’s place and riding in the car with my dad and me as we drove two hours to my sister’s; attending the party for seven hours; riding in the car back with us for two hours; and then driving home. But not only did he not mind, he had a great time, and pretty much everything he said proved his undying niceness. He told me about accidentally running over his young nephew’s McDonald Happy Meals toy, which the little boy had left in the driveway, on his bicycle. McDonald’s had already discontinued that toy, but he went on eBay and managed to find one, for $1.99 plus shipping, so he ordered it. “The person who sold it was probably wondering if anyone would actually buy it,” I said.
“Yeah – ‘what sucker is going to buy this old Happy Meal toy’?” Nicest Guy joked. His sister kidded him that by the time the toy arrives, his nephew will probably have forgotten about it.
Anyway, my dad very much approved of The Nicest Guy in the World. “I was impressed he replaced that toy for his nephew – most people wouldn’t have bothered,” Dad said. “I’m going to call him up and tell him you two should start dating!”
He was joking. I think. But just to be safe, I hid my cell phone from him until I came back to the city.
Ew.
On a happier note, I had a nice weekend. Finance Guy seems to have disappeared, though. He sent me an e-mail on Wednesday, the day after our first date, saying he’d had a great time; I e-mailed him back saying the same thing; and I haven’t heard from him since. But I saw Mr. No Touch-Feely’s show on Friday night, which was fun – he’s definitely talented. I’m attracted to talent. Afterward we hung out at the bar talking while he drank a beer. He offered to buy me one, but I was tired and had a headache, and I knew drinking would only make it worse. After 15 or 20 minutes, my head throbbing, I finally said I had to go. He said, “We should try to get together next week!” So I may see him this Friday. I e-mailed him on Sunday afternoon, saying I enjoyed seeing his show, and he e-mailed me back later that night saying he was really glad I’d been there. I e-mailed him back yesterday, and he called me last night, but I didn’t realize I had a voicemail until five minutes before I went to bed so I didn’t call him back.
I was talking to one of my friends on Monday night about how he hasn’t held my hand or kissed me. He asked about Mr. No Touchy-Feely’s past, in terms of other romantic relationships, but I have no idea about his past – he’s never volunteered how long his longest relationship lasted, or anything like that, and he’s never asked me about mine. Considering we’ve been ‘dating’ for five months, we should know stuff like that about each other. My friend then suggested that maybe he’s inexperienced.
“But he’s FORTY!” I wailed.
This has happened to me before, and it turned out the guy just wasn’t that into me. But Mr. No Touchy-Feely always gets back to me, always asks me out again, always pays for dinner and whatever else we do, and when I try to disappear, he calls me three nights in a row!
I also saw The Nicest Guy in the World on Saturday – he came with me to my sister’s party in NJ. This involved him meeting me at my dad’s place and riding in the car with my dad and me as we drove two hours to my sister’s; attending the party for seven hours; riding in the car back with us for two hours; and then driving home. But not only did he not mind, he had a great time, and pretty much everything he said proved his undying niceness. He told me about accidentally running over his young nephew’s McDonald Happy Meals toy, which the little boy had left in the driveway, on his bicycle. McDonald’s had already discontinued that toy, but he went on eBay and managed to find one, for $1.99 plus shipping, so he ordered it. “The person who sold it was probably wondering if anyone would actually buy it,” I said.
“Yeah – ‘what sucker is going to buy this old Happy Meal toy’?” Nicest Guy joked. His sister kidded him that by the time the toy arrives, his nephew will probably have forgotten about it.
Anyway, my dad very much approved of The Nicest Guy in the World. “I was impressed he replaced that toy for his nephew – most people wouldn’t have bothered,” Dad said. “I’m going to call him up and tell him you two should start dating!”
He was joking. I think. But just to be safe, I hid my cell phone from him until I came back to the city.
June 4, 2008
Guy Update -- the Final Four?
Okay. I currently have four guys in rotation: Mr. No Touchy-Feely; the Nicest Guy in the World; Finance Guy; and the Drummer Boy. Mr. No Touchy-Feely and I talked on the phone Thursday night, and he asked me out for the weekend. I said yes, even though I wasn’t sure how I’d fit it in because I already had plans to go to the Nicest Guy in the World’s birthday party on Sunday, and I was getting sick – I could feel it starting. So of course on Friday I woke up with a full-blown cold, and coughed, sneezed, sniffled, and generally felt miserable all day. I left a voicemail that evening for Mr. No Touchy-Feely, explaining I was sick and couldn’t get together with him over the weekend after all. He called me back and left me a voicemail later in the evening while I was on the phone with my sister. I went to bed without calling him back. He also left me a voicemail on Saturday, and I didn’t call him back. On Sunday evening he left me a voicemail while I was on the subway returning from the Nicest Guy in the World’s party, and he sounded alarmed (“Are you okay? You must be really sick if you haven’t been able to return my calls!”), so I finally called him back. It’s like, the less I reach out, the more he chases me -- funny how boys tend to do that. Anyway, we talked Sunday night, and he said this week is crazy busy for him with rehearsals every night. But I’m going to his show on Friday night. It’ll be interesting to see him in action.
The Nicest Guy in the World’s birthday party on Sunday afternoon was a lot of fun. On the Metro-North train up there, I was nervous because I knew his whole family would be there, and what if they were like, “So, how did you two meet!?” I would’ve had to say, “Well, on Match.com. But we’re not dating.” Or what if they asked me WHY I wasn’t dating him? There’s no end to the awkward conversations that could have ensued!
But nothing of the sort happened – it was just really nice. I got to meet his parents and siblings, a few of his friends and their wives. We all sat outside on the deck, talking and eating hamburgers from the grill. It was so sunny and beautiful out, and his friend’s two little boys ran around playing with squirt guns with his young niece and nephew. It reminded me a lot of hanging out with my extended family in Buffalo, very relaxed and enjoyable. I had a great time. I gave him a birthday card and present, of course. Then when it was time to go and I went inside to get my purse, I noticed a plastic bag on top of it. “That’s a get well present for you,” he said with a grin. I opened the bag, and it was two six-packs of spearmint Tic-Tacs, which I am addicted to and which are extremely hard to find in the six-pack, for some reason. HE IS SO THOUGHTFUL!!! Who else would give me a gift when it’s *their* birthday!?
Last night I had a date with Finance Guy, the only guy who chose me at the speed-dating event I went to a couple weeks ago. He’s eleven years older than I am, but he’s very nice, and VERY high energy. He works 7 AM to 7 PM every day, plays in three softball leagues on the weekends, and is taking credits toward another graduate degree at night (he already has an MBA). I don't know how he does it. He still manages to see movies, though. It did give me pause when we were talking about the most recent movies we’ve seen – for him, it was “What Happens in Vegas” and “Made of Honor.” Total chick flicks! I was trying to figure out if he’d been dragged there on dates, but he said something like, “Oh, all those rainy Friday nights in May, I just felt like going to the movies.” He made it sound like he went by himself! But he’d also seen “Iron Man,” so that reassured me a bit. It was funny, at one point he looked at me and said, “Why was someone like you doing speed-dating? I mean, you’re attractive!” Ha ha! Little does he know that he was the only guy from the event who thought so, since he was the lone man who actually chose to see me again! We talked about a lot of important stuff for a first date, though – how long our longest relationship was, do we want to have kids, etc. Honestly, in some ways I know Finance Guy better after one date than I know Mr. No Touchy-Feely after five months.
Last but not least, a random guy e-mailed me after seeing my profile on the speed-dating web site. I’ll call him the Drummer Boy because he plays drums in a band as a hobby. I was surprised he wrote to me because I’m 35 and he’s only 31. But I guess he doesn’t care how old my ovaries are because under the “do you want kids” question, his profile says, “Nope, and I never will,” whereas mine says “someday,” or something like that, so we certainly don’t match in that regard. I wrote him back anyway, though, because his profile was really clever and funny – and in his profile picture, he looks SO MUCH like Almost Perfect (see my January 30th post). In fact, when I first glanced at the photo, for one heart-stopping second I thought it WAS Almost Perfect and he was messing with me -- that’s how similar they look. We’ve been exchanging e-mails and are making plans to meet after work one night next week. I’ll keep you posted.
The Nicest Guy in the World’s birthday party on Sunday afternoon was a lot of fun. On the Metro-North train up there, I was nervous because I knew his whole family would be there, and what if they were like, “So, how did you two meet!?” I would’ve had to say, “Well, on Match.com. But we’re not dating.” Or what if they asked me WHY I wasn’t dating him? There’s no end to the awkward conversations that could have ensued!
But nothing of the sort happened – it was just really nice. I got to meet his parents and siblings, a few of his friends and their wives. We all sat outside on the deck, talking and eating hamburgers from the grill. It was so sunny and beautiful out, and his friend’s two little boys ran around playing with squirt guns with his young niece and nephew. It reminded me a lot of hanging out with my extended family in Buffalo, very relaxed and enjoyable. I had a great time. I gave him a birthday card and present, of course. Then when it was time to go and I went inside to get my purse, I noticed a plastic bag on top of it. “That’s a get well present for you,” he said with a grin. I opened the bag, and it was two six-packs of spearmint Tic-Tacs, which I am addicted to and which are extremely hard to find in the six-pack, for some reason. HE IS SO THOUGHTFUL!!! Who else would give me a gift when it’s *their* birthday!?
Last night I had a date with Finance Guy, the only guy who chose me at the speed-dating event I went to a couple weeks ago. He’s eleven years older than I am, but he’s very nice, and VERY high energy. He works 7 AM to 7 PM every day, plays in three softball leagues on the weekends, and is taking credits toward another graduate degree at night (he already has an MBA). I don't know how he does it. He still manages to see movies, though. It did give me pause when we were talking about the most recent movies we’ve seen – for him, it was “What Happens in Vegas” and “Made of Honor.” Total chick flicks! I was trying to figure out if he’d been dragged there on dates, but he said something like, “Oh, all those rainy Friday nights in May, I just felt like going to the movies.” He made it sound like he went by himself! But he’d also seen “Iron Man,” so that reassured me a bit. It was funny, at one point he looked at me and said, “Why was someone like you doing speed-dating? I mean, you’re attractive!” Ha ha! Little does he know that he was the only guy from the event who thought so, since he was the lone man who actually chose to see me again! We talked about a lot of important stuff for a first date, though – how long our longest relationship was, do we want to have kids, etc. Honestly, in some ways I know Finance Guy better after one date than I know Mr. No Touchy-Feely after five months.
Last but not least, a random guy e-mailed me after seeing my profile on the speed-dating web site. I’ll call him the Drummer Boy because he plays drums in a band as a hobby. I was surprised he wrote to me because I’m 35 and he’s only 31. But I guess he doesn’t care how old my ovaries are because under the “do you want kids” question, his profile says, “Nope, and I never will,” whereas mine says “someday,” or something like that, so we certainly don’t match in that regard. I wrote him back anyway, though, because his profile was really clever and funny – and in his profile picture, he looks SO MUCH like Almost Perfect (see my January 30th post). In fact, when I first glanced at the photo, for one heart-stopping second I thought it WAS Almost Perfect and he was messing with me -- that’s how similar they look. We’ve been exchanging e-mails and are making plans to meet after work one night next week. I’ll keep you posted.
May 27, 2008
Weddings
I was the maid of honor in my friend’s wedding over the weekend. We had perfect weather for an outdoor wedding. The ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was so much fun. Good times. It’s amazing how quickly it goes by, though. All the planning and coordination and details -- and several hours later, it’s over. Which is fine, but it’s similar to that after-Christmas feeling -- all that build-up and eager anticipation, and it’s over already!? Just one more reason to pick the person you marry very carefully, I guess. The wedding is one thing, but then you have to wake up with each other every morning for the rest of your lives, so you’d better choose someone you’re happy and excited to see all the time, or at least most of the time, and who feels the same way about you. It’s a tall order.
So, to mix it up a bit, last week I went to my first speed-dating event in several months, through Hurry Date (http://www.hurrydate.com/). I sucked! I didn’t act any differently than I normally do, but out of ten guys, only one picked me. Yep. ONE. That’s an all-time low for me! Fortunately it was a mutual match, as I’d chosen him, too. He’s eleven years older than I am, but he had a nice smile and seemed friendly, and he actually has a good job in finance, which is a refreshing change of pace. (Guys who like me tend to have low-paying jobs that they don’t enjoy.) He did seem a bit business-like about the whole event, like he was on a job interview or something, but maybe he was just getting warmed up – he was my first “date” of the evening. He e-mailed me over the weekend, and we’ll probably meet for drinks sometime next week. Oh, I hope he’s not a Republican....
But I still like Mr. No Touchy-Feely and the Nicest Guy in the World. Mr. No Touchy-Feely left me a voicemail on Thursday night five minutes after I’d shut off my phone to go to bed, and I left him a voicemail on Friday. I also e-mailed him this morning. And I’m getting together with the Nicest Guy in the World on Saturday, which should be fun!
So, to mix it up a bit, last week I went to my first speed-dating event in several months, through Hurry Date (http://www.hurrydate.com/). I sucked! I didn’t act any differently than I normally do, but out of ten guys, only one picked me. Yep. ONE. That’s an all-time low for me! Fortunately it was a mutual match, as I’d chosen him, too. He’s eleven years older than I am, but he had a nice smile and seemed friendly, and he actually has a good job in finance, which is a refreshing change of pace. (Guys who like me tend to have low-paying jobs that they don’t enjoy.) He did seem a bit business-like about the whole event, like he was on a job interview or something, but maybe he was just getting warmed up – he was my first “date” of the evening. He e-mailed me over the weekend, and we’ll probably meet for drinks sometime next week. Oh, I hope he’s not a Republican....
But I still like Mr. No Touchy-Feely and the Nicest Guy in the World. Mr. No Touchy-Feely left me a voicemail on Thursday night five minutes after I’d shut off my phone to go to bed, and I left him a voicemail on Friday. I also e-mailed him this morning. And I’m getting together with the Nicest Guy in the World on Saturday, which should be fun!
May 21, 2008
Choices
Update on Mr. No Touchy-Feely: after our enjoyable 45-minute phone conversation last Friday night, I forwarded him a link to a funny commercial. He responded on Saturday agreeing that it was funny and sending me a link to a funny video. I e-mailed him Monday morning thanking him for sending it and asking how his weekend went. He wrote back that afternoon telling me about it. I responded a few hours later. Instead of writing back, he called and left me a voicemail at 9:45 last night. I responded by e-mail this morning, saying I’d be out tonight but if he’d be around tomorrow night, we could chat then. No response yet.
The other issue making this whole situation very confusing is someone I’ll call the Nicest Guy in the World. I started writing to him on Match.com (http://www.Match.com) in December 2006 after he sent me a 'wink' on the site, and we then met for one date in January 2007. He likes me, but I’ve always said I didn’t like him in that way. However, over the past couple of months, I’ve suddenly started to like him in precisely that way! I have to see if it’s just a crush or if I actually like him in a long-term relationship kind of way. I don't think he would just want to date casually, so I have to be careful. How could I live with myself if I hurt the feelings of the Nicest Guy in the World?
I actually just read a really good article about this type of situation called “Sometimes ‘He’s Not My Type’ Ends Up Being ‘The One’” (http://www.tangomag.com/2006182/unnatural-selection.html) by Leslie Bennetts. She and her husband, who “wasn’t her type at all,” were nothing more than colleagues and friends for many months before they finally started dating. Here’s my favorite paragraph:
“Although many women still think of falling in love as if it were the product of that mythical coup de foudre, a bolt from the heavens that instantly illuminates the entire landscape, that’s not my experience at all. To me, love is more like a plant. When you scatter seeds in the earth, you never know which ones are going to sprout. Some thrive while others die, but over time the strong ones put down roots that will eventually support a plant: one that may grow for years, or even decades. To me, a friendship that grows deep roots long before it blossoms may ultimately become the strongest foundation for a lasting love. For when it comes to love, ‘you just never know,’ my husband says. ‘Until you know.’”
The other issue making this whole situation very confusing is someone I’ll call the Nicest Guy in the World. I started writing to him on Match.com (http://www.Match.com) in December 2006 after he sent me a 'wink' on the site, and we then met for one date in January 2007. He likes me, but I’ve always said I didn’t like him in that way. However, over the past couple of months, I’ve suddenly started to like him in precisely that way! I have to see if it’s just a crush or if I actually like him in a long-term relationship kind of way. I don't think he would just want to date casually, so I have to be careful. How could I live with myself if I hurt the feelings of the Nicest Guy in the World?
I actually just read a really good article about this type of situation called “Sometimes ‘He’s Not My Type’ Ends Up Being ‘The One’” (http://www.tangomag.com/2006182/unnatural-selection.html) by Leslie Bennetts. She and her husband, who “wasn’t her type at all,” were nothing more than colleagues and friends for many months before they finally started dating. Here’s my favorite paragraph:
“Although many women still think of falling in love as if it were the product of that mythical coup de foudre, a bolt from the heavens that instantly illuminates the entire landscape, that’s not my experience at all. To me, love is more like a plant. When you scatter seeds in the earth, you never know which ones are going to sprout. Some thrive while others die, but over time the strong ones put down roots that will eventually support a plant: one that may grow for years, or even decades. To me, a friendship that grows deep roots long before it blossoms may ultimately become the strongest foundation for a lasting love. For when it comes to love, ‘you just never know,’ my husband says. ‘Until you know.’”
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