A Message from "Aaron"

I kid you not, I received this message.

"Hey,

"While not being quite sure on the etiquette of [Dating Site], I noticed you on this, so I’ll take a moment to introduce myself to you.

"Recently, I escaped from prison. Now, don’t be alarmed, it was only a minimum security institution. Being a midget made it easier to burrow under the fence and crawl through the pipes and whatnot to gain my freedom. Now that I’m out, I figured it was time to dive back into the dating scene. And let me tell you, dating on the outside is a whooooole lot different than “dating” on the inside. Being a midget fugitive doesn't leave me many options but, in time, I'm sure that you will learn to love me.

"That being said, as you can tell from my pictures, in fact, I am not a midget. Instead, I live and work in the Capital Hill area of the city and have been here for a few years. Recently, I finished up grad school, and thankfully, now have some extra time on my hands. When not stealing tips off the tables at restaurants or throwing sand in the eyes of children on the playground, I'm out with friends, golfing, or sailing. I hope to hear from you.

"Aaron"

"PS. Now, by able to ice skate, are we talking spins and whatnot? If so, I’m not your man, but I did go to that ice skating on the mall once and I can proudly say I spent more time on my feet than on by butt."

I just couldn't find it in me to respond. Something about the mentioning of the midget/jail situation was off-putting. Not really sure what to make of that. Yes, I know he was joking about that (let's hope).

In a lull

So, I wish I had more exciting news to write about, but I don't. Currently, I am not chatting it up with any cuties; the well is quite dry. I could make something up, but that requires too much brain power.

I suppose I could talk about some of my past relationships, but those of you who know me, this will be far from anything new you have heard before, I'll spare you more wasted time.

These lulls happen and I think right now, that's a good thing. I've learned a lot in the past couple months about guys and myself. So, I think I should utilize this lull time to really focus on me and what I have gained from this experience.

One main thing I've learned about guys from this stint of online dating: If they are interested, you will KNOW.

Before, I would waste hours, days, WEEKS, and even possibly months trying to figure out if a guy is really interested me. I'd analyze every text, every conversation, every gesture, every THING between us and try to justify if he is really interested in me. Then, I learned it's much simpler than that. He'll make the effort. He'll let you know if he wants to see you. He'll contact you if he wants to chat. He'll make moves to be around you.

Now, I'm not saying us single ladies have to just sit around and wait; I hate waiting, I'm just as impatient as the next lassie. But my point is not to go too far out of your way to contact a lad. It gets to the point where it is.... smothering. And that is a turn off for both lassies and lads.

I understand the need "to know, just want to know" if he is or isn't interested. However, I came to the realization a couple months ago, thanks to my awesome male roommate at the time, that YOU'LL NEVER KNOW. It is just not that black and white. You don't know what's going on in his life. He may be interested but just not THAT interested. There may be some other girl. There may not be another girl but more so he just isn't ready himself to start seeing a girl. WHO KNOWS! I KNOW I DON'T! And I've come to terms with that and accepted it. You will never know and the MOST IMPORTANT POINT from this: DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. It just is what it is. Move on.

That's another thing I've learned from this experience: if you aren't good enough for his time, then he is CLEARLY not good enough for YOUR time. Why would you want to go after someone who is not making YOU a priority just as much as you are making them?

In the past, I would get quite emotional about a guy not being interested in me, kind of goes hand in hand with analyzing everything between me and said guy and wasting so much time on just that. It's hard not to take it personally. You wonder what it is about you that has turned them off, or what you said, or what you did. But in the end, you are just not what they are looking for. It's kind of like.... college. You're accepted to some schools, because they see the potential in you and other schools don't. So, this point is, make the time and effort for those who are just as interested as you are to them and see that potential. There is no sense in pacing around and kicking yourself over something that didn't work out.

It's not you, it's them. You're awesome and you need someone just as awesome to be with. And whichever guy who has turned you down is clearly not as awesome.

Swim, my fellow fishies. Get out there and swim around. Be free. Eventually, you will find someone who can swim with you.

Why I Decided To Take This Plunge

I personally feel like online dating still isn't widely accepted and because of this it took me a while to get over that feeling of "What will people think of me doing this?"

I was kind of reluctant to tell others "Hey! Guess what?! I'm meeting dudes on the internet!" Yea, that doesn't scream desperate at all (sike). However, I joined because I had quite a number of my friends tell me they had taken the plunge and decided to try out this still relatively new dating scene. That alone made me feel more comfortable with the idea of joining a site and that it's not as uncommon as I thought it was, overall.

One reason I decided to give this all a shot is that I got tired, very tired, very, very, very tired of trying to meet guys other ways. I wouldn't say I'm constantly on the prowl, but I do keep an eye out there if I just so happen to notice someone in particular. I don't consider myself one of those girls who complains about not having a boyfriend but all she does is sit around and whines about it (maybe this blog might counter this argument)and doesn't put herself out there for the world to see. I like to be an active person and involve myself in new and exciting experiences, as well as meeting new people. I've joined running groups, taken lessons for various activities, joined social sports leagues with other friends, and frequently go out on the weekends, whether its out with friends to a bar or doing some sort of activity, like tubing or skiing. I feel as though I'm putting myself out there, not to just meet guys, but to be social and to help keep an open mind about what this city and world has to offer.

Even though I actively put myself out there and making sure I'm not sitting on the couch every night, I really haven't been meeting quality guys who aren't looking for a one night thing. I'm not sure what I'M looking for; but I know I am not looking to just hook up with a guy. I thought maybe that if I tried one of these sites that I would actually meet someone who is looking to meet another someone and have it not be just about ONE thing. And 99.9%, this is true. The majority of the guys I have met are actually INTERESTED in meeting someone for WHO THEY ARE and not solely on physical needs alone. Yes, physical attraction is very important as well, but this is a matter of what you really look for in another individual longer term rather than what you want and need that night.

My overall experience with this has been better than I anticipated, that's for sure. At first, it was hard to filter the creeps from the normal guys. Once I got a feel for who seemed normal and who seemed down right psychotic, it made it a lot easier to message guys back, or even do the initiating myself. The first site I joined had a lot more creeps than normal guys, I felt, and I'm not sure if this is due to the fact that it is a "free" site. It being "free" probably does have something to do with it, so that is why I decided to join a site in which you had to subscribe to in order to meet the fellas. And let me tell you; there is a difference. I'm not sure why, but the guys I have met on the "paid" site are worlds better than on the "free" site. I'm not sure if it's because there is that monetary commitment, but it sure has made a noticeable difference between the two sites.

So, if you have ever thought about joining an online dating site but have been reluctant to do so, I say give it a shot. Just once. I've currently been doing this for three months now and have met 13 guys, some of which I got second and even third dates with, as well as at least talking and messaging with other guys. Nothing has worked out and I am a little bummed about it but at least I can say that I gave this a shot. I tried it. Maybe it didn't work out but I put myself out there, went out of my comfort zone and kept an open mind. It has been an experience, to say in the least, but has definitely helped me figure out what I'm looking for when I meet a new guy.

I'll still stick around with the online dating scene for another month or so, but I'll be honest in that it is starting to lose its luster. And who knows what will happen in a month.

For now, I'll just keep swimming in this sea full of... weird sea creatures, that's for sure.

More Than Just Brunch

This past Sunday morning I went to brunch.

There was a small wait so I stepped outside to enjoy the fresh air. While waiting, a guy and a girl also came outside as they waited for a table. He was a little rambunctious, which I could understand. I, too, was excited for bacon.

I looked up and his face struck a note with me; who was this guy?

Oh yea, that was "MATT", as in the guy who said he was down for brunch that following weekend after our date and never got back to me, "MATT".

Apparently, "Matt" does enjoy bacon on a late, post-hurricane morning, but perhaps just not with me.

That other chick can totally have "Matt". Besides, I had a much better brunch date that morning with one of my good girlfriends from college. She's my homie 4 life.

This town is too small for my liking, sometimes. Hopefully I won't have too many run ins...

"Josh"

Next: "Josh"

I met "Josh" this past weekend through friends. A few of us decided to venture into DC this past Saturday evening and one of my close friends decided to invite two fellas out with us after attending a BBQ. I wasn't really looking to meet anyone that evening, especially since I was the only girl out of 8 guys (I seriously need some more single lady friends, going out with guys is fun, but totally cramping my single-lady style). My friend showed up with the fresh bait and I honestly didn't think anything of it. This little fishy wasn't hungry.

We started off at one joint and then decided to mosey down the street to another bar I had never been to; I just wanted to try something different. "Josh" and I had spoken some here and there, but it wasn't clicking with me that I might find this guy interesting; I was being oblivious. It wasn't until we were at the next place that I really started to chime in; this guy was pretty awesome. We started to chat more and more, and the more I listened, the more I found this guy pretty awesome. There were a lot of things I liked about this guy; he was really smart and on just about every topic as well. He mentioned he's a Philadelphia sports team fan, which I wasn't thrilled about, but at least he didn't like New York (sorry, I despise them). We chatted a bit about work, college, music (which I am awful at, I am so tone deaf) and just about anything you would ask when meeting someone for the first time.

Eventually, it got late in the evening. Thank goodness, because some of my friends were noticing that "Josh" and I were flirting quite a bit but they decided to throw in the towel and head home. Finally, after most of my friends had left except two, I was really feeling this guy. I really wanted to kiss him, but didn't want to make it obvious. Just when I thought two of my friends weren't looking, we both leaned in for a quick kiss. Wroooong. I'm 99.9% sure that both of my friends saw this event. I felt kind of bashful but really wanted to kiss this guy more, so I dragged him to another area of the bar/dance floor and we kissed some more there. He was a phenomenal kisser. It had been a while, and several dudes later, to finally meet a guy who knew how to kiss.

Eventually it was quitting time and we decided to head out. Earlier in the evening we discovered that "Josh" lives in the same complex as my friend, which happens to be about three blocks down from my apartment. Since we were so close, he and I decided to split a cab ride home. However, we didn't exchange numbers. I was kind of bummed because I thought we really hit it off well enough that maybe we could hang out again. The next day later, I noticed my friend and "Josh" were now Facebook friends, so I toyed with the idea of friending him also. I decided to take the plunge and ended up sending him a request, but I guess to make it less awkward/obvious, I also friended his roommate who I had met that same night, abd he was also a cool dude. Eventually a few days later, I noticed he accepted.

That's pretty much where the story stops. I'm not really eager to pursue more of "Josh" mostly because I felt as if he were really interested, we would have exchanged numbers and I would have heard from him by now. Oh well, at least I met someone out and about through friends and it was a nice change of pace. Maybe we'll run into each other again. Who knows.

For now, I'm just going to keep swimming.

"Peter"

Next Up: "Peter"

"Peter" was hot. He first messaged me and boy was I excited. He was new to the site and I was one of the first girls he decided to contact; I was flattered. He was a really ambitious guy and extremely smart. He had THREE majors and a great job at a major accounting firm here in the area. I was really impressed how driven he was but was also a bit intimidated since although I have goals, I have yet to achieve them and feel as if I could do a lot more in my life to strive towards them. Anyways, he had studied abroad and had amazing things to share with me about his travels. He even offered to exchange some photos, but I declined, since my email is my entire full name and we had only just begun messaging one another.

We still talked for a little over a week and since he hadn't asked to get together, I went ahead and suggested getting drinks, hoping it wasn't too forward of me. He agreed to meet up and didn't think it too forward of me to ask; he had been reluctant since I didn't want to exchange emails so soon. We set a date for a Friday night at my favorite restaurant for drinks. We exchanged phone numbers and kept in touch during the rest of the week. He even called me one evening and we ended up speaking for an hour on the phone; his voice was as hot as his photos. Hubba hubba.

One thing about "Peter," though, is that he was EXTREMELY busy. He constantly worked 12-14 hour days and wouldn't get home till 9 or 10 at night. Sometimes even later. This concerned me because how was he going to have time for dating/a relationship if he is at work all the time? I had a previous relationship with a guy who also would have periods of working extremely long hours and it was NOT easy on our relationship, that is for damn sure. I just threw this thought into the back of my mind and tried to focus more on meeting up that Friday.

We met up in front of the restaurant and he was just as attractive in his photos as he was in person; he was very much my type physically. Yum. We grabbed two seats at the bar and ordered some drinks. It was a bit awkward at first, mostly because this was his first ever online date, apparently. That also made me very nervous. However, we found plenty to talk about and chatted for a couple hours. We covered pretty much every topic and I was really starting to dig this guy more and more. I felt like he was someone I could introduce to my friends and my family and could really just roll with the punches that life gives him. We were both fairly tired and it was getting late. We decided to split and walked out together back to our cars.

We hugged goodbye and happened to park just a few spots away from one another. I felt pretty good about this date, but was still unsure how it would go in the coming days. When I got home, I noticed I had a text message from him saying he had a fun evening. It really put a smile on my face and definitely was a good start to the weekend. The next day I sent him a text saying I hoped he was enjoying his weekend off from not working and he was enjoying the beautiful weather. He replied back and also asked how my weekend was going and I replied once more.

I haven't heard from him since this past weekend. Either he's not interested or he's buried beneath TPS reports. Oh well, his loss.

"Jake"

Next: "Jake"

Jake was a really nice guy but a little odd. I thought he looked attractive in his photos and seemed to be a really well rounded guy, also. He had studied abroad, traveled a LOT throughout the States, interested in a lot of different activities and hobbies, something I really look for in a guy. We messaged a bit and then he asked if I wanted to get together one weekend. I suggested drinks at one of my favorite restaurants which happened to be fairly close to him, also. However, there was something a little off putting, more so of a flag going up, about him. He had mentioned in his messages that he had a bit of a limp when he walks due to an accident when he was young. Apparently, when he mentions this to girls in messages they stop speaking with him.

A few thoughts crossed my mind.

1. How many shallow girls are there out there that would just stop talking to a guy be cause he mentions he walks with a bit of a limp?

2. How bad IS this limp?

I felt bad thinking that, but I will admit, I was curious as to what this limp was like. Anyways, we met up on a Sunday and I got there first. I waited inside the lobby area since it was quite warm outside. Then, I spotted him. I noticed him right away.

We hugged Hello and went on inside. Grabbed a high top in the bar area and started chatting away. He talked A LOT. Talk talk talk talk talk talk talk. It was hard to really finish a story or anything because he would kind of interrupt and then go on for 10 minutes about some other related subject. It was nice to finally meet a guy who was so chatty since I've met a few who don't chat at all (cough, Dave, cough). But good gracious. However, during all his talking, and during all my listening, I really picked up on a few things. I felt as if it were kind of distinct that because of his disability, it has kind of affected his social skills when it comes to the art of conversation (this coming from the girl who mentioned poo on a first date. Whatever). I just felt like he wasn't really picking up on my body language and wasn't really listening to ME when I spoke.

However, there was one MAJOR turn off. No, it wasn't the limp. He had mentioned in a message that he was looking to move to a new apartment. I had asked how his apartment search went earlier that weekend and he said that overall it was good. Then he mentioned he had spoke to his mother about looking for an apartment. Well, as he described, she was just quite ruffled that he was looking again and hadn't yet mentioned it to her. She INSISTED that she take care of his apartment search so he didn't have to worry about it and could focus on work. Oh yea, I forgot, she lives in Minnesota, not here in DC.

I understand being close with family; family is important to me too. However, I feel as if there is a certain point in one's life where you learn to take care of your own problems and RESPONSIBILITIES and not have to have your parents do it all, especially something like finding an apartment, the place where YOU are living, from hundreds of miles away, in an area in which THEY THEMSELVES do not live. He also mentioned that one of his SISTERS had created the online dating profile for him, not him.

I take care of all of my own problems/situations. I find my own dwellings, I seek out my own dates, I take initiative in my life when and where I need to take it. I consider myself a fairly independent person, for the most part. So, this dependency in which "Jake" relies so heavily on was a major red flag to me that things would definitely not work out between us.

Lesson learned: Physically characteristics aren't always the deal breaker. Sometimes it really is a personality thing.

"Mike 1" the Fickle Pickle strikes once more

One last time... I promise.

Seriously, I promise.

So after he had texted me indicating he was back in town, and after I foolishly responded back a week later, he told me he was heading out of town, AGAIN. I didn't respond, mostly because I was swamped at work and didn't care about some lame ass who texted me every couple weeks.

He ended up friending me on Facebook after not speaking for a while and we hadn't seen each other in over a month. I took about a week to really think this one through. I thought "What does this guy want from me?! I hate playing this game of toss back and forth the fickle pickle! This barrel has had enough!"

So I accepted his request and went on vacation.

Yea yea yea, I'm an idiot. I was definitely hook, line and sinker for this guy. No, I don't know why either.

It was one inebriated evening that I finally had enough in me to message him. We went back and forth a few times and the texts were about the same as before; kind of ok but clearly not really putting forth any effort. It wasn't until I was back from vacation and he was back from training that more communication came about. He had asked earlier one week if I were free any evening; I replied that I was busy moving to a different apartment and wasn't sure what my schedule would be like. Ha. I'm busy and you can't get to me. Suck it, you fickle pickle.

He was persistent this time. He messaged me a few times and on Friday evening asked to get drinks to celebrate the new apartment and before he went out of town for two weeks for more training. I gave him the answer he gave me, "I'm going to have to say tentatively yes."

HA-HA, SUCKA!!! It felt really good to treat him the way he treated me. I'm not sure as to why I was sinking down to his level, but I have experienced so many fickle pickles in my life that it was time for revenge, served cold. I said I'd keep him posted through out the day on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon rolled around and some friends and I were going to go out that evening. I decided to invite him. Not sure what I was thinking, but whichever guy was going to date me, he's going to have to meet my friends at one point or another, so why not tonight. He accepted the invitation to go out with my friends and I that night. I was shocked. I gave him the details about when and where we were going to meet up and he said he'd be there. I still didn't really believe it, so I just went about my evening as if he wasn't going to show at all.

I met up with my friends, most of which are dudes and that made me nervous in an instant. I realized what I had done. I invited this guy who I was interested in to come meet 6 of my close guy friends. What was I thinking "Me, my date, and 6 dudes. How could this go well?" One of my friends asked who my plus one was that evening, which I then let them know that I invited someone "special," out that evening. I got what I expected; the oooos and heeeeys and the eagerness to embarrass me as much as possible.

However, he still had to show up in order for any embarrassment to occur. I hadn't heard from him and it was closing in on 40 minutes after he said he would be there. All of a sudden I did receive a text from him saying he had arrived. I was extremely shocked that he came at all, especially given that I was there with my friends. I met up with him and walked over to where we had all been standing. After finally introducing him to everyone, we began to catch up. I was pretty nervous because I wasn't sure how to act. I was still a little bitter about the way he had treated me before but excited that he decided to come out and see me. Conversation went all right and overall the evening was a success. My friends behaved, as far as I know, and he and I seem to hit it off once again.

We split a cab back to my place where we decided to watch another movie. Kind of the same deal as before; I actually wanted to watch a movie and he really didn't want to but rather make out. There were some more awkward attempts at trying to sneak in a kiss during the movie, but something about Madagascar 2 really had my attention. Those penguins are just so darn funny!

After the movie was over, we turned on regular TV and made out some. It was starting to get late and I eventually told him that I did not want him to spend the evening; didn't want to rush anything. And boy was I glad I did. He said that was fine and I walked him out. He headed home which was about 3 blocks from my new place, so not too far. I sent him a text the next day saying I had a fun evening and to let me know when he was back in town after his training. He replied saying he had fun too and would let me know.

It's been almost two weeks and I haven't heard from him since that Sunday morning. However, the funny thing is about one of these sites is that you can see when an individual logged in last. He's logged in every day to this site since I last heard from him. I feel as that if a guy who is REALLY, GENUINELY interested in me is not going to ignore me for two weeks and look at a bunch of other girls' profiles. It is QUITE clear to me that he is only interested in ONE thing and doesn't have any intention of dating me/having a relationship.

This little fishy is letting go of that hook, that line, and that sinker.

Just keep swimming.

August: "Mike 3"

For August, third time isn't a charm: "Mike 3"

We are finally into the beginning of this month, which the real story kind of began at the end of July when "Mike 3" messaged me, but we didn't actually meet until August. Anyways, "Mike 3" was another really nice guy and his messages were sweet, pleasant, and there was just enough flirtation in them that didn't cross any lines. He messaged me when I was on vacation and I only had my phone so it was difficult to type on that tiny keyboard. However, I managed and we decided to set up a date for that Sunday after I got back.

I was excited for a few reasons; he was pretty cute in his pictures and had a good sense of humor about him and I had a rocking tan from being at the beach all week. We decided to meet at this Mexican restaurant that he had been to a few times. He offered to pick me up, but since we hadn't met before, I decided it was best to just meet there. I got there WAY earlier than I anticipated, so I just sat in my car. Got out and walked on over; recognized him right away.

He was fairly short, I'd say 5'6" or 5'7", which he had indicated on his profile. But that didn't bother me much since, again, I am not that tall. However, he was a pretty thin guy and I know I'm not a skinny mini myself (I consider myself average-ish and curvy for any of you who may not know me). This didn't seem to bother him and he seemed happy to meet me! We went inside and got seated.

A few things happened at dinner. One; there was a live mariachi band playing. It was so loud that it was actually really difficult to hear and converse with one another. He informed me that the other times he had been there for work happy hours, there had not been a band. However, it was entertainment enough!

Another thing about dinner; he was a bit "metro" for my taste. I typically am more attracted to I guess, manlier men than more metro-sexual men. This was not helping me focus on him. Nor was the cute guy sitting at another table. I caught myself staring at the other guy a few times and realized.... I AM HERE ON A DATE. FOCUS. ITS THE LEAST YOU CAN DO. We finished up dinner and in our messages we had agreed that if the evening went well, we could go play some shuffleboard at a local joint. He ended up suggesting it, and I obliged thinking that maybe I need to get to know this guy better.

We arrive at the scene of the crime where I had the disaster date with "Dave." I was praying this time it would go better. It did. "Mike 3" picked up the shuffleboard items and also asked if I wanted a drink or anything. I said "yes," and went to go set up while he grabbed some beers. Shuffleboard went great! He definitely opened up more and that snagged more of my attention. He was funny, witty, competitive, and made me feel more relaxed around him. I was definitely enjoying myself, but I was having a hard time reading him, and myself, as to whether there was something between us. I just couldn't get over that he was fairly metro-sexual and that just wasn't something I'm attracted to in a guy.

We decided to end the shuffleboard games and head on out. He picked up the tab this time unlike.... "Dave," who did the half ass motion to his wallet, who shouldn't have even bothered motioning at all..... moving on. We walked outside and headed back to his car. He asked if I wanted to do something else, which surprised me! I was like "Well, I don't know what else there is to do on a Sunday evening." He fished for ideas, and then suggested going back to his apartment to play pool in the rec room of the complex and have some wine.

I said that I thought it was late and that I should head home since it was a Sunday evening, I had work in the morning, and I had been out on vacation all that week before. Plus, I know better than to go back to a guy's apartment on the first date, especially one I had never met prior to that evening. Let's not rush things here, buddy.

He said that was fine and drove me back to my car that I had left at the restaurant. Before we parted ways, we did the "I had a nice time," speech and exchanged numbers. Before I got out of the car, he went for it; he kissed me. That wonderful, awkward, over-the-center-console kiss. It was a quick kiss, not a full on make out or anything, but I was certainly surprised. I didn't really get the vibe that he was THAT into me that a kiss would be involved at the end of the evening. Perhaps it was because I wasn't feeling that vibe more so myself. I said goodbye and got into my own car.

We exchanged a few texts that evening and next day, but after I had sent one on Monday saying that Wednesday and Thursday worked better for me to get together again, I didn't receive a text from him later that week ON THURSDAY saying Tuesday and Thursday worked better for him. I was confused since Tuesday had already passed, so I just never responded back. Never got anything from him either.

Suppose it was ok I didn't hear back, but lesson learned: don't check out other guys while on a date with a guy. Otherwise, that's a clear indication that you are not interested if you can't even focus on him through a meal.

"Jack"

Next: "Jack"

"Jack" was from Jersey, and yes, I asked if he GTL on a regular basis. He confirmed he did not. He messaged me first and our conversations were pretty good, but not great. He was a Giants/Yankees fan, and I am not a fan of either of those teams (Let's go Red Soxs!).

Despite his lack of taste in sports teams, I still gave this guy a shot. We could at least joke back and forth about who had the better teams, clearly I was the winner. However, he had a very odd schedule. He worked in security in DC and would have a schedule of 2-11pm or something like that. I have a schedule of 8am-4pm (sometimes 9am-5pm if it was a rough morning. Clearly, our schedules don't really match up. And occasionally he would have to work weekends. Well, frequently he would have to work weekends. So it was no surprise that he was on a dating website; when the heck is he supposed to meet a lovely lady, like myself, otherwise? How many single ladies are there just bouncing around during the day from 8am to 3pm looking for a man? I hope not that many.

We found a day that would work for both of us and set up a date to grab sushi. He wasn't very familiar with the area, so picked a place he knew near him. It was only a 15 minute drive for me, so I didn't mind zipping on over there. If you have a 15 minute drive to get somewhere in this area, that's pretty stinking fast. Granted its not rush hour.

I got there first and waited in my car. Eventually, I got out and gave him a call in which he said he was just pulling in and thought he saw me. I saw this sleek black Audi A4 pull up; something about it said Jersey. Maybe it was because the windows were tinted as well. It just looked very.... not DC area. He got out and he was pretty cute! A little shorter than I expected, but I'm 5'4" on a good day so that really didn't bother me.

I could tell on his face that he was nervous/not what he expected to meet. I thought I looked cute with my wavy hair down and a nice sun dress with flip flops. Apparently I should have GTL that day and got some fake boobs or something, prob would have gone better with the car.

We went inside and conversation was awkward. It was hard to get him to talk at all. I tried to ask the usual questions that would at least get him to SPEAK about SOMETHING. We ate our sushi and just sat there for a minute. It was only 7pm on a Saturday, and I asked if what else he was up to that evening and if he wanted to do anything else. I can't quite remember what his response was; it was something along the lines of finishing up laundry (how GTL Jersey of him) and that he might have to go into work. What I do know and gathered is that whatever he was doing that evening, it didn't involve me.

So we got up, headed out the door, and parted ways. He kind of zoomed out of the parking lot, I kid you not.

"Craig," Again.

I know, slap me. "Craig" round 2.

I never met "Craig" and I have to keep reminding myself that's a good thing. We left off at the end of May/beginning of June with him messaging me about getting together on a Wednesday. At this point, it was mid July when I got another message in my inbox on the first site I had joined.

Although I was excited to see that he had contacted me, I was NOT excited that it took him over a month to get back to me.

Here is the EXACT text of the messages:
"Craig": "hey, sorry it's been so long, things have been crazy - how have you been?"

I took a day to decide whether I wanted to respond.

Of course I was going to respond. I thought this guy was "dreamy" and I was ecstatic that he finally got back to me. I responded with this:

Me:"Hey!
So I had this nasty sinus thing for 4 weeks, but now I'm good. I never get sick like that but this kicked my ass. Otherwise, been keeping plenty busy myself. How was all your traveling? This weekend has been a lot of fun hanging with friends and just relaxing. Just what I need before a busy month. Hope your weekend has been treating you well! Up to anything good?"

Yea, there's nothing like talking to a guy about how you had snot dripping from your face for a month. I bet guys really like it when a girl talks about how ill she is. Bet I left the impression, "Great, this is one of those girls who is always sick."

No, I'm not always sick. I try not to be at least. And I missed a total of 4 days from work out of those 4 weeks, thus supporting my point that yes, I went into the office sick, exposing everyone of my plague.

It took him several days to respond, but less than a week. Progress.

"Craig": "Hey,

"Last weekend I went out on Friday in Dupont, then watched the UFC fights on Sat with some friends, and then went and watched the fireworks on the mall on Monday. Otherwise very low-key, hung out by the pool at my apartment (between thunderstorms, haha). Glad you're feeling better, those lingering sicknesses suck.

"My traveling was good, Denver was cool, and Utah was a lot of fun. I'm visiting Atlantic City next weekend, so I'm excited for my first true Jersey Shore experience. What are you up to this weekend?"

SCORE!!!!!! A QUESTION ABOUT THE WEEKEND!!!! I thought this meant, hmmm possibly we would hang out? Huh? Huh? Huh?

Fail on my part. I didn't get back to him for two days, like he did to me, but it was well into the weekend at that point. I had sent the following message:

Me:"Hey "Craig!"

"Dupont is a great area; I haven't been out in that area in a while. Which places did you all go to? I really like Madhatter, every time ive been there, I've had an awesome time. Sometimes its hard to convince Virginians to travel into the city, maybe I'll suggest a Dupont night sometime soon! I've heard nothing but great things about Denver, so I'm thinking I might have to make a trip out there in the near future.

"A few friends of mine have visited Atlantic City and have had a great time! I have yet to visit, but both Atlantic City and Vegas are on my list. Although I am an awful gambler. I went to the slots a while back and didnt win anything, and I have absolutely no poker face, ahaha. Maybe I'll just watch and cheer folks on! Have fun in Jersey, it's an interesting place for sure! Fist pump like a champ while youre there and dont forget to GTL before hand! :)

"This weekend is looking pretty low key, but busy as well. Last night was my friend's bday and he also passed the CPA, so we went into DC and celebrated. Then today is filled with some chores and errands, and tonight is another friend's bday, so we're planning on hitting up a karaoke place in Adams Morgan. I'm pretty pumped for karaoke, its been a while since i worked these vocal chords. I'm awful, but who is actually good at karaoke?! Sunday some friends and I are planning on hitting up the pool for the day. So overall, good weekend spent with good friends.

Have a great weekend! Any fun plans?"

I don't know if it's the fact that I admitted I'd go to casinos to cheer people on (who does that, honestly) or that I said GTL, maybe he thinks karaoke is dumb (uhh, clearly who ever thinks that hasn't tried it) but I never got a response back after this message.

Maybe I should have asked if he was DTF after his GTL. Kidding. Ew.

"Eric"

Next: "Eric."

I'm kind of "meh" about Eric. He was also a very nice guy, but there was something that I couldn't put my finger on that I felt was off. We first met for a glass of wine one evening and it was pleasant, definitely better than I expected. He had also studied Poli Sci and I feel as if there is a certain personality that a lot of Poli Sci majors have, and he had it. My major during my undergraduate studies was in the Poli Sci department, so I am familiar with this type, as well as the fact that the nation's capital is filled with them.

Anyways, he was great at holding a conversation which is very important to me. I feel that even though maybe you aren't quite feeling your date, that doesn't mean you can't hold a decent conversation. Hint: people like to talk about themselves. So with that, you can ask them anything. Ask about where they grew up, where they went to school, what did they study, did they like what they studied, were they involved in any clubs/sports, what are their hobbies, do they follow sports....... I'll stop.

I enjoyed his company that evening and overall it turned into a very nice night. He walked me all the way home to my apartment, which was really kind of him. It was definitely done in a more chivalrous way and not "I want to come back to your apartment ;)" type of way. We hugged goodbye and said our good nights.

We scheduled another date for the following week. I had a HORRIBLE day at work and was in an awful mood. I honestly didn't want to go on this date since I was in a bad mood and I was feeling very "EHH" about him. But, I went. I also got hit by a sprinkler when I walked out of my building; apparently I'm not as fast as I thought. I arrived at the restaurant and we got seats at the bar.

He really did perk up my mood. Our conversation was better than I expect in that it flowed more than before, and more so than other dates. I felt like I was talking to a friend that I had known for a while and it really helped me relax. He walked me back to my car, again hugged good bye, and then parted ways.

Ehhhhh. I thought about it, about how interested I was in this guy. It just came down to that I wasn't. We are in very different places in life: He graduated undergrad a year or so before, was working/volunteering/interning, and about to start grad school which I assumed was going to be full time. I've been working for three years now and although I plan on going back to school, it would be part time. And I'm not even certain that's even going to happen. So, we talked here and there via chat, but overall, ehh.

Haven't talked to him in a few weeks. Ehh.

"Mike 2"

Up Next: "Mike 2"

This picture are the actual flowers he BROUGHT me to our first date and I took once I got home.

I melted.

I REALLY liked "Mike 2." He was pretty much almost perfect. He was funny, he had great taste in music, he was caring, witty, motivated; almost the perfect guy (Seriously, a true gentleman). I was so excited when we finally set up a date on a Wednesday in Mid July.

The date was amazing. I show up, nervous as all hell, only to walk in front of the restaurant to see two friends, another couple, sitting right outside the restaurant having drinks. There was no hiding; I was right there and so were they and they aren't the type of people you can pretend you didn't see. They're my friends for Pete's sake. So I said "Hi," and we chatted and such. Well, I tried to chat. I spilled the beans right away that I was there waiting for a blind date. They spoke but I was so nervous, I honestly wasn't even listening. I kept nervously dancing around and tripping over myself. At one point, I "went in side real quick to see if he's there waiting" (and I knew he hadn't arrived) but I felt the need to send him a quick text saying that I'm waiting outside with my friends who happen to be there.... AWKWARD.

As I stood there, barely standing from being so nervous, I finally spotted him walking up the street. Under my breath I said "Omg there he is." And just stared as he came up the sidewalk. He was carrying something, and I thought "Is that a bag in his hands? Why would he be carrying something that looks like a gym bag?" Then I realized it was flowers.

As he approached we noticed each other and once he realized it was me, he had a huge smile on his face. I must of looked like a tomato, I could feel myself blushing so hard. He said "Hey," and we hugged "Hello" and then I said "Annnnnnnd these are my friends! Yaaay!"

Yes, "Yaaay!"

He was totally cool about it. He's the type of guy who makes small jokes here and there, so that's exactly how he handled the situation. He said "These are for you," about the flowers and pretended to put them in my friend's drink as if it were a vase. I swooned. I was on cloud 9. I couldn't believe this was happening. Here was this tall, handsome guy who brought me flowers and was just such a delight to be around; one of those people who just ooze great energy.

We made our way inside and sat down for dinner. I laid the flowers there on the edge of the table and so the date began. We spoke about everything; sports, work, family, school, music, etc. Just a normal conversation with someone who I felt like I knew forever. We ate and continued to just chat away the evening. When we were all finished our waitress had a surprise for us.

She came over to our table asking if we were all done with our meals. We said yes, and she informed me that my friend had left some cash with her for us to use to split a dessert.

AS IF THE EVENING COULDN'T BE ANY MORE PERFECT.

We said that we were stuffed, so I ordered another beer instead. I couldn't believe this was all happening. I don't think any guy has treated me like this on a date. I was seriously blown away. It gave me hope that great guys do exist and are worth all of those toads you come across along the way.

We wrapped up the evening and he walked me back to the metro. We hugged goodbye and said we would be in touch. I ended up taking a cab home since it was late and the metro usually runs slower in the night. I sat in the cab and was the happiest girl in the world.

When I got home, he sent me a text saying he had a great evening, and I replied that I did as well. He said it was his pleasure to take me out for the evening. I couldn't get over how sweet and polite he was, and to all people me.

I had a hard time falling asleep that night.

I got to work and told a few folks about the evening. I was in the best mood I had been in for a long time. We stayed in touch over the next few days via text and FB chat. Conversation went well but then it began to slow.

After a few days had passed, and although we stayed in touch, there was no second date planned. I decided to ask him on Sunday evening what he was up to that week. He said nothing at all and we planned for another date on that Wednesday, a week after the first.

We decided to meet closer to him, and after a long day at work I was running a little behind when I drove up to meet him. I showed up and we met at this small Italian place, which was delicious.

Something was different this time. I'm not quite sure if it were because we both had long days at work or if something happened. Conversation didn't seem to flow at first and it wasn't clicking as well as the week before. I tried my best to just think of SOMETHING to talk about, as long as it wasn't poo like the date I had with "Kevin," lesson learned, got it. I knew that he had enough when he was looking for the waiter to get the check. We wrapped up dinner and walked to my car across the street. We parted ways, and over dinner I had tried to drop that I was going to be on vacation the following week out of town, but it was clear he wasn't really looking to know of my whereabouts. We hugged goodbye and I said I hope he had a nice weekend and we'd be in touch.

We haven't spoke since then.

You win some and you lose some. If anything, I learned from this date that nice guys do exist.

"Pedro"

Next up: "Pedro," a little Latin Flav-a.

Si, senoritas, I had "una cita," with a very nice and sweet guy named "Pedro." He was the first guy I spoke with on the new site and he was much more chivalrous than other guys I had met. He was originally from Venezuela but his family was from Chile before that, so he ensured me that he was really Chilean. He moved up here, I'm not sure why, but was up here in the states, nonetheless. He was a very nice guy, we messaged back and forth frequently. Always polite in his messages and seemed like a genuine, nice guy. I had minored in Spanish during my undergraduate studies and thought it would be nice to date a guy who also spoke Spanish. Languages are important to me, so I liked the idea of someone who is bilingual in a language in which I am familiar with, myself. We finally set up a date after July 4th had past, and we were both available and in town.

We met up at one of my favorite restaurants and I did find him attractive, at first. This wasn't my first time dating someone who isn't a native to the States. And that showed all too well, when we ordered drinks. I recognized some similarities between him and my ex, who was also not originally from the States. I am a big beer lover; I enjoy a nice cold one. Apparently, he is not. He admitted that he usually likes more "girly" mixed drinks. I was like "Oh really?! Ahh ok!"

I saw this as a large flag; I did not want to wear the pants in the relationship, no matter how flattering they made my ass look. But I was quickly trumped by that thought later on. The waiter had stopped by to mention that if I enjoyed the beer that I had order, that he also recommended I may like this other beer they had on tap. I took this as he's trying to do his job and sell more beers. "Pedro" took this as, and said to me as the waiter walked away, "Seems like he is trying to get you drunk."

For the record, I can handle more than two beers.

I was definitely put off by this comment. It was a sign to me that this guy would not fit in well with my friends and my shenanigans on the weekends. Most weekends we like to go out and have a few drinks, maybe a few shots, and then a few more drinks, then possibly followed by IHOP at 2am. (I have now stopped the IHOP at 2am. Realized that it wasn't just filling my stomach, but more so in other areas.... like all over. Def do NOT need all those extra calories after an evening of drinking.)Anyways, I saw this comment as, if he seems to have an issue with the waiter encouraging me to order a second beer, then he's going to have an even bigger problem with ME encouraging MYSELF to have a second beer... and a third beer... and however many I feel like having.

The date, otherwise, was very pleasant but when he asked if I wanted to go somewhere else after dinner and I had a surprised look on my face, he got the hint that I wasn't very interested. We walked back to my car, hugged adios, and parted ways.

"Mike 1," aka the Fickle Pickle, returns

Yes, "Mike 1" made another appearance. He sent me a text in the beginning of July, letting me know he was back in town after being out of the country for a bit.

I really didn't care and ignored it.

Well, I ignored it for a week. There might have been some, um, libations, that got me to respond a week later. But I replied with saying how busy I was and that's why there was a delayed response. I thought "I'm so cool showing him that I am so busy with my life that I can't even get back to him in a timely manner. It's what he did to me anyways."

No, I don't know what I was thinking either. There are some guys you just can't shake. "Mike 1" was turning into one of them.

July: Summer Loving... with Mike 1, and Pedro, and Mike 2, and Eric.....

We are finally caught up to date with July. At this point it had been just over a month of doing the online dating thing and I felt like I was meeting guys I didn't find to be all that great. Some were better than others, much better, but still not getting what I'm looking for right now. I have no idea what it is that I'm looking for, I just know these guys aren't it, or they thought I'm not it, in some cases.

I decided to switch sites after a friend gave me RAVE reviews of her success with one particular site. So I did it, I took the plunge; joined a different site. It was again, like a moth to the flame; me being the flame since I'm so hot and all(kidding, I am aware I am no Ms. Klum). I weeded through the... well, weeds that they are and started to narrow it down.

I will say this; I started off on a Free site and switched to one in which you needed to pay to subscribe too. There was a noticeable difference between the guys on the free site and the guys on the paid site. I'll leave it at that.

But July was a good month in the men department, despite my busy schedule at work. I met some great guys, one in particular who was absolutely amazing. Swoon.

<3

"Dave"

Next: "Dave." AKA: WORST DATE EVER. I would have much rather had a date at Mickey D's and devoured the above than have gone on this date and wasted 3 hours of my life.

It didn't start off nearly as bad as it ended. I was ECSTATIC about this guy. He was almost like the male "Me." I was like "This is perfect! I love this guy! He's so amazing!" We immediately clicked with messaging. We had the same sense of humor, great banter between us, chatted all the time. We really got along well and I was super excited for this date.

We met up to play some shuffle board one evening. I was super nervous because I was so excited to finally meet this guy; I had high expectations. I was running about 5 minutes late but managed to find him once I arrived. He was pretty cute but I seemed to sense that he wasn't quite as excited to see me as I was to see him. However, we were already there so we moved on over to pick up the shuffleboard stuff. I took the initiative to ask for it, and we were on our way.

Shuffleboard was fun! He first beat me at the first game and then I beat him at the second game. We had some banter going and overall I thought "This is going well! Not great... but well enough!" We decided to call it a tie and end there.

We went back to drop off the shuffleboard items. I ended up paying. He did the motion to his pocket move, but allowed me to pay. I honestly don't mind paying, but don't be shady about it.

We then moved over to the bar.

I should have left had I known what I was about to get myself into that evening.

The US vs Mexico soccer game was on that evening. My dumb ass actually attempted to have a conversation with "Dave," and apparently he had other intentions, none of which involved me. I would ask "Dave" a question, he would look at me, then turn back to the TV, which had the game on, and would answer with a short response, and say nothing more.

During commercial breaks he checked his phone. I glanced over at one point and he was on gchat.

I thought about messaging him from my phone via gchat, but I refrained. I'm a lady (kinda).

This lasted for 2 hours. I know, I know, I know. I should have gotten up and left when he whipped out his phone for the tenth time and I realized that he was on gchat.

The game finally ended and I suggested leaving. He agreed. But then we sat there for another 15 minutes.

No, I don't know why I didn't just leave.

EVENTUALLY we left, which was the most awkward walk back to a metro, ever. He even started making those popping noises with his lips.

He did apologize for not being very talkative. I said, "Its ok." It wasn't ok.

We parted ways.

That following Monday, I noticed that he had blocked me on gchat. I'm just upset he got to it first.

"Chris"

Next: "Chris."

Something about Chris caught my eye. I saw his profile stream across my page before and it made me go "Who is THAT guy?" I made the first move and messaged him first since he looked at my profile.... several times.... and added me as a "favorite," and still hadn't done anything about it. It was weird.

We messaged back and forth several times for over a week. I was kind of like, "When is this dude going to suggest hanging out already? Am I going to have to make ANOTHER first move? COME ON BUDDY."

Well, he kind of made a first move. He did send me a message saying he'd enjoyed talking with me and wanted to exchange phone numbers. I was almost flattered. Almost.

He called me by the wrong name. Apparently, I became known as "Anna."

I don't know Anna, but apparently she was on "Chris's" mind. I tried to joke about it and told me he can call me as long as he doesn't call me "Anna."

So of course I made another first move, to let him know that I wasn't (too) upset with this Anna chick, and sent him a text. We finally set up a date.

It was definitely the best date up to that point. We went to a nice, little, Italian place and the food was delicious! Conversation was really great and he was very much my type! We joked, we laughed, we talked about almost everything. It was a great evening!

We texted a little bit the following few days. But then it stopped.

Apparently, I'm no Anna.

"Kevin"

Next: "Kevin."

A lesson learned.

There isn't much to say about Kevin. He was a really nice guy. First guy to actually CALL me to set up a date rather than just texting. I think this says worlds, but that's just me. Anyways, because I was sick with this nasty cold, that luckily prevented me from a third date with "Mike 1," our date was postponed a bit. Finally we found a day and time that worked. We met up at an outside, free concert and then planned to grab a bite to eat. Well, it rained on our parade, literally, but parade being concert. We instead just decided to get dinner.

Dinner went alright. I thought it was going well, but we were kind of fishing for things to talk about between us. He expressed his distaste for his best friend's girlfriend and was quite passionate about it. Kind of a turn off, but I think we can all understand when a friend starts seeing someone that maybe we don't quite understand what they see. It happens. Overall, I thought it was a decent date. However there was a mentioning, done by me, about poo. I think that's what turned the date into a shitty date.

I learned my lesson; don't mention poo on a first date.

Creeper #1

I never actually went out on a date with this guy, but definitely worth a post.

Let's call him..... "Dan."

Dan messaged me and he appeared to be a normal guy. He was pleasent in his messages and seemed like a nice guy. He asked if we could exchange email addresses and I obliged.

That's when it went down hill.

I messaged him back my email address. When he logged onto the site later that day, he immediately messaged me apologizing for not seeing the message earlier, sent me a gchat invite, and then sent me another message back asking if I had received the chat invite. It was a bit intense, considering it all happened in less than 5 minutes. I waited, and then accepted.

Whoooooosh...... the sound of stuff going down hill....

He messaged me, and messaged me, and messaged me. About... everything. Then the creepy comments about appearances came out, like "Oh I bet you look real cute in that dress." I had ordered new swimsuits and updated my status to indicate that now that they have arrived, I will no longer be eating in order to fit into them. He took this literally, and reassured me that he bet I looked great in those swimsuits. Ew and ew. Apparently I failed to mention I am fluent and speak in Sarcasm. It just kept getting creepier and creepier.

Then it happened.... the Facebook request.

I don't know what possessed him to Facebook Friend request an individual he has never met.

This is when I, as politely as I could, informed him that I had become uncomfortable with his behavior. I let him know that his comments about my appearance, all of which he gathered from photos I had posted on my online dating profile, had become off putting and that the Facebook request was too much. I let him know that I am not friends with ANYONE on Facebook that I haven't met before. He was extremely apologetic and tried to mend things. I began to just ignore him.

He was a persistent little guy. After a few days had passed of him still messaging me and I ignored all of them, I finally cracked. I told him that I am not interested in getting to know him any more. He didn't understand why, so I blocked him. Problem solved.

And no, I never confirm the Facebook Friend Request. Come on. Don't let the title of this blog give you the wrong idea about me.

Another week or two had passed, and he messaged me ..... AGAIN. He said he was upset things didn't work out between us and felt as if we had a lot in common.

I wonder if he wore glasses.... I wonder if the lenses were rose colored....

So, my friend is also on the same site and started to talk about this guy who messaged her at every waking hour. She kept describing him and I finally asked:
Me:"What's his name?"
Me: "OMG! Is it Dan?!"
My Friend: "Dan."
Me: "OMG GET AWAY NOW!!!!"

I told her what had happened to me. She ended up telling him the truth that the messaging was a bit much. That didn't go over the same as when I had told him. He called her a "Bitch" and got into a bit of a spat.

I also forgot to mention he tried to video chat with her. They also hadn't met yet.

Am I the only one who finds that inappropriate and off-putting? Since when is it acceptable to do this? Why can't folks today actually have lives not in front of a computer screen?
(I say this as I type away.... but I'm writing about my life AWAY from the computer screen.... whatever. Just work with me here.)

And that folks, is a seemingly harmless guy gone creeper.

"Mike 1"

Next: "Mike" 1. Yes, 1. There are more "Mikes." Apparently "Mike" is a popular name. And those of you who know me, I really recycle names. A little too frequently, also.

"Mike 1" messaged me first and we went back and forth just a few times till he asked me to grab drinks. Smart guy, engineer, military, lived close by, laid back. I liked that he asked to get drinks right away because one thing I've learned that after about 5-6 messages each, it gets old real fast. We met up and had a pretty great time! We talked about everything and he was great at holding a conversation; something that not all guys, especially those of which you meet online, are great at doing. Before we parted ways, he mentioned about getting together for a second date! I was like "CHA-CHING! We got one!" I left and walked home ecstatic that I finally met a decent guy after messaging with SEVERAL for the past few weeks.

We kept in touch over the weekend, random texts here and there. We decided to meet the following week, again for drinks. Overall, I really liked this guy, but he was still a little shady with his communication, or lack there of. He would do some half ass responses, or not get back to me several DAYS later. I thought it was a little odd, but that's just how I roll; I expect a decent, timely response, it's the least a person can do after a date.

We met up late one Thursday evening; he suggested a meeting time of 9pm. I thought 9 was a little late, but I decided that I had nothing better to do and I'd just go with it. We hit it off again, but I felt as if this guy was seriously lacking in the dating experience department. Every line seemed to be forced and he came off as if he was just trying to get to "one thing," if you know what I mean. He invited me back to his apartment to watch a movie "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." I LOVE a good cartoon, with Finding Nemo being a personal fave, and decided, sure, WHY NOT?! I'll go hang out. I thought it to be a little soon to invite someone back to an apartment, but once again, I just went with the flow.


Inexperienced, indeed. There was first the awkward seating arrangement on the couch. Do I lean in? Do I just sit here comfortably? Do I lay down? No, no laying down; that's insinuating too much. Eventually we get settled and watched the movie. Now, like I said, I like a good cartoon. So I actually wanted to WATCH the movie. Apparently he had other plans. There were some... attempts... to sneak in a kiss, but really, I just wanted to watch the movie. That's why we came back in the first place... right? Besides, he can work for it. I'm not that thick in the head; I knew what "come over to my apartment to watch a movie" meant. However, I REALLY wanted to watch this movie. We managed to get through the whole movie, actually watching it, and it's one I highly recommend, for the record.

Then we made out. It was awkward. But he did just sit there for 90 minutes with me under his arm. Kinda owed it to him. And I wanted to make out, also. It's fun and it had been a while. Moving on....

It was like kissing in middle/high school; it's your first time, or first few times, and you're not quite sure what to do, but you just go with it and hope it figures itself out. But I actually knew what I was doing (well, at least I think I do, I suppose that's subjective) and felt like it was not reciprocated. There was a lot of trying to get one person to lean this way... but someone wanted to lean that way.... and after a few awkward positions, we finally settled on one that worked for the mean time.

After what seemed like an hour, but was probably more like 20 minutes, he suggested me spending the night. HA. He said we didn't "have to DO anything," and that he just wanted to "cuddle." What grown ass man wants to just cuddle after a 2nd date? Seriously. I'm blonde but I'm not dumb. Well, not THAT dumb.

Plus I had work in the morning, and doing a walk of shame at 8am on a Friday during rush hour on the metro sounded like a terrible idea. And I always run into SOMEONE I know.

We parted ways and agreed to meet up again the following week on Wednesday. Kept in touch some over the weekend, but there were days that passed in between texts. I'm thinking "If a guy is really into me, he'd be making more effort than this." I know we all have lives, but it takes all but 2 minutes to send a courteous text saying "Hope you are having a great week!"

A few days pass, and I finally sucked it up and texted him asking if we were still on for Wednesday.

Wednesday: "I don't think I can go out tonight... stressing too much about stuff/trying to get it done."

Conveniently, I got sick, again (bad cold)and couldn't go out. I asked if he wanted to meet up that weekend by chance. His response "Going to have to be a tentative yes."

Tentative? ....... yea, ok.

A week and a half later.... I finally get a message from him. At 10pm at night. Which he mentions that he's heading home from a Happy Hour. You're trying to tell me that the only time you have to get in touch with me is when you are leaving and heading home after an evening of drinking? ..... ok.
I never responded.

3 weeks later I heard from him again.... but that takes us into July, in which I'll save for later.

"Matt"

Next: "Matt"

Matt was brief. One quick date with one quick beer. Good energy, outgoing and seemed like a really nice, fun guy. I thought I looked hot that night in a tight, red dress, but apparently that wasn't his thing. We chatted about everything; turned out his company was a subcontractor for my work on one of our programs. We seemed to have a lot in common and decided to get together again that weekend. He asked what my schedule is like, and I knew I had something already planned, so I suggested brunch for Saturday morning. Who doesn't like brunch!? Apparently, Matt doesn't. He said, "Yes," to brunch at first, but then when I texted him Friday asking about Saturday's brunch, he never replied.

Honestly, who doesn't like bacon first thing in the late morning?

"Gerry"

Next: Let's call this one "Gerry."

"Gerry" had a lot of qualities I liked in a guy. Funny, honest, from the same town in which my parents first lived in after getting married, motivated, direct, knows what he wants type of guy, which I think stemmed from the fact that he was a lobbyist on Capitol Hill, hence the above picture. I was like "Awesome! We have a lot in common and he's being really communicative! And he studied Poli Sci, which is similar to my undergrad studies!" "Gerry" asked to get together, so we did and met for brunch.

Brunch, itself, was good, at least.

You knows those stories where folks have gone out on dates with people they met online who ended up not looking like anything in their photos? Yep, that was "Gerry." As described by himself, he was supposedly 6 feet tall, blonde, 190 lbs, fit, blue eyes. A few things were true; the blonde hair and blue eyes. However, I'd say the others were a bit.... exaggerated, or under-exaggerated in some cases. When I first met him I had one thought in my head, "...Oh." We had brunch, chatted, and overall it went ok. Before we parted ways, we said we would be in touch.

I still haven't heard from him..... and I think I'm Ok with that.

It all began in June... with "Craig"

I guess a little back story....

I've had my fair share of dates. Some good, some bad, some just down right terrible. After a few years of attempting to meet guys through friends or out and about in bars, I decided that it just wasn't working out. Then a few friends revealed to me that they had joined a few dating sites, and I decided maybe it were time I gave it a whirl myself.

And a whirl it has been.

I joined at the end of May, 2011 and immediately got swarmed with messages. I thought, "Wow! This is awesome!" Then I started reading the messages. Not so awesome. Definitely a lot of sifting through messages like "Hey baby, you're hot. How bout we get together sometime? (insert several cheesey lines here)Holler at your boy."

Once I weeded out the ones I felt were a little too creepy for my liking, the fun began.

First I spoke with one guy, let's call him... "Craig". After reveiwing "Craig's" profile, I was like "This is the type of guy I'm looking for! Awesome!" We messaged back and forth, and he finally asked about getting together for drinks. SCORE! We exchanged numbers and went from there. Well, after a few texts back and forth, he said to me "How about Wednesday? I'll get back to you then."

I'm still waiting. Not quite sure what happened, but "Craig" reappears later down the line... in July.

Welcome!

Howdy there! Welcome to Hook, Line and Sinker!

I'm creating this blog to document all of my exciting, and also not so exciting, dates here in the DC Metro area. Just wanted to share my stories with the world as I attempt to date my way through the men of the DC area. Even though some dates don't work out, there are always plenty of great stories to share as a result. :)

Enjoy!