With the holidays and all the craziness that they bring (tears, anger, laughter, strange dates) behind me, I can finally get back to the true purpose of this blog. I had a few “almost dates” before the holidays and even a couple of real dates right in the middle. It’s time to take my notes from the back of receipts, cocktail napkins and the random messages I leave for myself on the phone and translate them into something readable and “blog-able”….here we go!
The Boy Who Cried “Date” – I received a “want to meet you” message from a guy I’ll call “Art”. I reviewed his profile and liked what I saw. He is a schoolteacher, very attractive, likes a good dive bar now and then, has two grown children and a weird fascination with Target (I also have a strange fascination with Target but it is not on my profile…This could be fate!!) I responded back and we agree on a time to chat online. The chat went very well. We talk about our kids, which is the best dive bar in the area and the strangeness of internet dating. He tells me that he has been divorced for almost a year and that his luck with dating has been poor. He has a great sense of humor and the best part is there are no spelling errors or abbreviations while we chat. After about 20 minutes we sign off with an agreement to chat again the next day….and we do – for four days in a row!
I finally decide to send him my phone number so we can actually talk. He calls me almost immediately and although he starts off a bit shy, we manage to have a nice conversation. Since I have been dating, I have lost all shyness so I ask him to meet for coffee. He agrees and we decide to meet the next evening. 15 minutes before we are supposed to meet, he calls and asks if we can re-schedule – he has papers to grade. No problem with me! I tell him to call when he is free. The next day he calls and we agree to meet at lunchtime….again he calls at the last minute to reschedule. Hmmm…..oookaay. He calls that evening and apologizes. He has been very busy with the holidays coming up but still REALLY wants to meet me. We talk on the phone for almost an hour – he makes me laugh and cry as he tells stories about his students. The conversation flows so freely that when he suggests another try at the coffee date (this time on a Saturday so there are no possible interruptions) I quickly agree. Guess what??? He cancels once again! This time instead of being my polite, sweet self I tell him that although it is only coffee this is the third cancellation…three strikes and you’re out! He begs forgiveness, he explains that he was reading and got so absorbed in the story that he lost track of time. I can actually relate to that – be a voracious reader myself, I have been known to put my nose in a book and all of the sudden 3 hours have gone by. He says he REALLY, REALLY wants to meet me and instead of coffee he wants to take me to lunch to make up for it can I meet him in a hour?? I say yes….but….
I don’t show up!! When he calls to ask where I am, I tell him about one of my favorite stories growing up……The Boy Who Cried Wolf. You can only cry “date” so many times (apparently 3 is the limit) before no one believes you!
The Serious Comedian – I come across the profile of a guy I’ll call “RGG” (for Really Great Guy). In his profile he describes himself as a bit of a “nerd” although his photos do not reflect that! He also is a child of the 80’s (very important to talk to someone who understands the impact of the movie “The Breakfast Club”) and describes himself as somewhat serious with a sarcastic sense of humor.
He seems really well rounded (not to mention good looking) so I send him a message. We exchange messages over the next few days. I really like his sense of humor and the fact that he seems grounded. I feel so comfortable that I actually tell him about my blog and for some crazy reason, he still wants to meet! We agree to meet at a great little tiki bar right on the water. I know, it’s supposed to be coffee for the first meeting but I am starting to develop a nervous tic from all of the caffeine and I don’t need anything else to add to my social awkwardness!
When I get there I panic for a second because either he didn’t show (a bad sign) or he looks nothing like his photo (a REALLY bad sign)! Thankfully the crowd at the bar parts and I see a very attractive man with gorgeous green eyes walking towards me wearing a big, inviting smile on his face. Okay….This is a very good start! We say hello and while he grabs us a couple of beers, I snag us a table on the beach. What started off very good is getting even better as we talk. He has a couple of kids that he obviously adores and takes his role as a father seriously. He is also VERY funny and gives me the hilarious details of a horrific date he had with a woman who showed up to meet him wearing pajama pants and a sweatshirt. I am practically crying when he tells me how she surprised him with a kiss not one, not two, but three times! I am having such a great time that I don’t realize that 2 hours have gone by. We decide to call it a night.
As we are walking to the parking lot he tells me he had a great time and I respond with my usual grace by saying “Really? You did?” In spite of that stupid comment, he asks for a second date and I accept.
Next post, The second date!
Happy Fishing - Annie~
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