that being said, in order to keep you posted, i would need to actually HAVE SOME stories to share. so, it's my resolution to get out there and meet some boys. just say yes. to dates at least. and worse case scenario would be a free meal/drink and a funny story to share, right?? i have nothing to lose and neither do you by reading all about it!
before i get in to this year, let's take a look back at the dating scene in 2009. it wasn't exactly...successful. but it did have some highlights and when it's all summed up, it really doesn't sound so bad at all.
2009 consisted of:
-speed dates
-tennis dates
-36 hour dates that wouldn't go home
-old flames
-young flames
-4 first dates
-2 second dates
-8 kisses (2 old, 6 new, 2 completely nameless makeouts on the dancefloor of a club, 1 really bad and sloppy, 1 really hot)
not too shabby, but there's definitely room for improvement.
so, how will this improvement come about? first step, finding people to date.
and that brings me to eharmony.
now i've been "active" on match.com since moving here to vegas, taking breaks here and there when someone with potential comes along, when i wait patiently for the potential to become actual, while i heal over the disappointment when the potential fades or when i abandon the city altogether for the summer.
well the dating pool on match.com lately was looking rather shallow, and since i truly wanted to dive in, i decided to head back to eharmony (eharmony and i had a brief affair in fall '08). at first i logged on just to peak, then the flood came. seriously, i was getting 15 matches a day (for those not lucky enough to shop for boys via the internet: eharmony matches people for you, then sends you their profile. match lets you just browse and find them on your own). curiousity got the best of me, as i couldn't see photos of all these potential new dates without paying so i reluctantly subscribed to eharmony.
through the new year, i tirelessly poured through profiles and made or replied to "requests for contact" from a good 10 or so gentleman. my interest level was eh in most of them, and as i jumped back into school, it was hard to maintain contact with all. BUT i am proud to say that in the second week of 2010 I went on my first date of the new year.
date #1 of 2010: Dull Dude*
Dull dude had some good things going for him on paper (err...on internet? on computer?)
- football fan
- originally from Pennsylvania (west side though- pittsburgh fan)
- solid job (software engineer)
- likes to travel (but doesn't everyone on these dating sites?)
flash to Thursday night, 7pm. location: Town Square (huge outdoor shopping "village" in vegas), Brio Tuscan Grille.
I was nervous about a dinner date as a first date, but was up for anything.
Well dinner was fantastic. the food at least. conversation was good. but not outstanding. there were plenty of awkward pauses and discussions about the weather. it only took us an hour and half or so to eat, and i was perfectly content ending there, on a pleasant note of next time we'd meet for longer.
but then he asked to get a drink. and well ok, why end a perfectly fine date, let's go have a drink. cue snoring.
nothing particularly WRONG with this guy, but nothing that made me giddy and excited and looking forward to seeing him again. we sat and had A beer for another 2 and half hours. i was ready to fall asleep on the table. at 9:40 i joked that it was past my bedtime and we still sat for another hour. finally at 10:45 i said i had to go. he walked me towards my car and we had a fabulously awkward hug/cheek kiss goodbye (i actually think he kissed my ear) and i told him to be in touch.
and 4 days later, i haven't heard from him.
but 4 days later, i honestly i haven't THoUGHT about him.
probably a sign that i'm just not that into him.
speaking of guys that i'm not that into...
Date #2 of 2010 (that's right 2 in one week!): Poker Player*
You may remember my stories of poker player from the fall. i went out with him 4 times in late sept/oct. like dull dude, his profile was promising...but i still maintain that his profile must have contained pictures that were at least 3 years old. he was much...rounder in person. and while i for one can certainly not discriminate against shape and size, he carried his roundness in an odd way.
but looks aren't everything, so i gave him a chance. 4 chances in fact. then one night when he thought he was going to get some and i sent him home with nothing more than a kiss, i thought he got the picture and stopped getting in touch.
until december 26 when he popped up again wanting to "catch up".
being in ny i had the perfect excuse. let's catch up sometime after the holidays i texted.
and he did. several times, until i finally gave in and in the spirit of the new year and this blog, i agreed to dinner to "catch up"
he picked me up, we went to Red Rock casino where there was a gourmet hamburger place i wanted to check out.
he was annoyed that we had to wait as a large party of kiddie soccer players left. and then annoyed that the Dallas cowboy jersey-clad host was making conversation with us about football. i laughed at the host and enjoyed the football banter even if he was a cowboy fan. poker player grimaced and grumbled under his breath about how annoying the guy was.
we sat, we talked; he's easy to talk to which is a pro. he ordered a vodka-coke, which is odd and possibly a con. mostly cause he doesn't drink ANYTHING else. i had a grasshopper-alcoholic milkshake. it was fab.u.lous.
dinner comes, and my burger looks delightful. before the server can even put his plate down, he goes, "whoawhoawhoa that's not mine. i ordered my plain".
he ordered a burger called the plain jane. which comes, according to the menu, with the standard lettuce, tomato, onion. it's plain in that it lacks cheese and all the other gimmicky sauces that this gourmet place offered. but no, he claims he ordered his plain. and instead of simply, i dunno, removing the tomato, lettuce, onion himself, he has the waiter return the burger and bring him one that is indeed PLAIN- burger, bun. plain.
we finish dinner, and despite my exhaustion, i agree to gamble a bit, and he decides he wants to teach me pai gow poker. silly game, easy to play, no big pay offs, but no big losses either (analogy to my dating life?) so he puts down the money and teaches me to play and it's pretty entertaining.
and then the touching starts. first my back. then my leg. and each time he touches me i turn away or twitch, but that doesn't keep him from trying again two minutes later. 2 hours later...my original stack of chips has dwindled, my winnings are decent, i've learned that pai gow means Shit and i've decided that this date is pretty pai gow. i'm tired and done.
thankfully, poker player gets the hint that i want to leave and out we head. in fear that he wants to hold my hand, i keep my hands in my pockets.
he drives like a maniac back to my house and we get to my house and i fear the inevitable. he's going to want a kiss goodnight.
before he's even put the car in park, i lean over, give him a kiss on the cheek, say thanks and jump out of the car. his mouth drops and i can tell he wants to say something, but i don't give him a chance. i tell him to be in touch, but i hope that he's not. there's just something about him that rubs me the wrong way. he's nice and easy to talk to, and definitely has the potential. but i just can't do it. at least not romantically.
so there you have it. two weeks into 2010 and two dates in three nights. both of them pretty pai gow.
let's hope the rest of 2010 isn't as pai gow.
-Lisa
ps!
thanks for reading! feel free to pass on my ponderings to girl friends near and far. just a plea though-- as family has infiltrated the world of facebook, i won't be posting the link or anything on my facebook. last thing i need is dad or aunt whoever reading about my dating life.
*names changed to protect...me. and the off chance that some dude browsing the internet finds himself one day on here.
I totally left you a comment this morning and now its gone. Did you delete it or did it just disappear??
ReplyDeleteBetween vodka and coke, plaine (read: boring) hamburger, and being kind of a jerk to waiters, sounds like you dodged a bullet on that one! Best of dating luck in 2010! :-)
ReplyDelete