Monday, April 22, 2013

Duh na na na na na. Duh na na na na na na. Speed dating!

That is right my friends, my first activity on the list is speed dating! A local "specialty" shop has speed dating nights, so (with some encouragement)I called and signed up. The lovely girl on the phone informs me that it is a good thing I called early, my age group fills up. "Yay" I says to myself in my head, this will be great.... ummmm.... then she informs me that there are currently 3 members of the opposite gender signed up... Hmmm. Well, can't put all my eggs in one bucket. It is a start none the less. She assured me that the boys do come, they just sign up last minute. Fair enough.

I did speed dating once, a long long time ago. I enjoyed it. I think I like it better than the online thing for two main reasons:
1, face to face contact. You can be less than honest, but it is a bit trickier. Plus you aren't using an over edited best angled photo to let me imagine what you look like.
2, The rejection process is easier. You either give them a check mark or an "x". And the facilitators give them (me) the bad news. I don't have to tell anyone "I am just not that interested".

Those who know me know that I excel at small talk and chit chat. I can be "on" very easily. I do it all day at work. I am not nervous about that. I am comfortable with the cold chat. I am nervous about the whole experience of course, but I am comfortable with the idea. I am actually kind of nervous that I will enjoy it. Then do I become a serial speed dater? In this city I don't think there are many chances for that.

I had more thoughts on my long drive home from work - but they are gone now. So I will leave with this - in ten days I will have at least one story to tell. Adventures in speed dating! And no, I can't take pictures/videos/bring a friend, but I will tell you all about it!

Here we go again!

Well folks, it is time to take another kick at the can - time to get back into the dating game. It took a bit of time to get into the proper frame of mind to launch back into it, but I am ready to go. So wish me luck! I have a couple of fun activities lined up already and I am excited for more.

The current fun activity is getting the profiles ready to launch. Not only do I need nice pictures - hint hint sister - but I need an awesome write up. It is hard to come across as witty and laid back without sounding like a dork. PLUS we all know everyone lies exaggerates on their profiles. Here's what I've got:

I make a mean cabbage roll, have moderately decent skills at Halo, enjoy playing board games, wish unicorns were real, collect playmobil (it is for the nieces and nephews I swear) and watch reality tv.

I enjoy playing games (of the video and board variety, wink wink!). I do yoga (cough/sometimes/cough). I am a good cook (especially when it comes from a box), I love tv and movies - what kind? all of them! I like music and books....



Okay, let's break it down:
Hobbies - Board games (can't take the geek out of that statement, at least geekiness is in fashion), Halo/video games (again, good thing geek is in!), quilting (hmmm, I don't think I would put that at the top of my list). Cooking (I am a good cook, and I DO make a mean cabbage roll and borscht - lucky for me there are a lot of prairie boys who can appreciate that). Reading (is that considered a hobby? I do it a lot)

Entertainment - here is where everyone edits the truth. If I believed everything I read online, no one would watch TV/movies. Now I do enjoy some good tv (and awful tv too). And yes I do have a PVR full of shows - a lot of guilty pleasures. BUT I don't just sit in my jammies watching reality tv all day... (Big brother is currently on my TV and I am wearing sweats). Fact is, I like TV. I enjoy a break from reality. I do not let it rule my life, the magic of the PVR allows me to live a life AND get my fill of mindless crap. Do I enjoy going out? Sometimes, depends on where I am going. I do enjoy live music and theatre. I like to (poorly) play minigolf or go bowling. Heck, I am really up to trying things at least once. Thing is, as much as I am cool to go out and DO things, I am also content to sometimes just stay at home and chill. There are many things off my hobby list that I have fun doing.

Values - Family and friends (everyone says that of course). Feeling successful and having pride in what I do is important to me, and I would hope that the person I am with has a similar sense of that. Money is a consideration but it is not my focus. I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about what someone does/how much they make. I am not talking that I need to be with a doctor or a lawyer, I just don't want a bum on social assistance, or a dead beat who dodges creditors, or some dude who lives in a box. But the almighty dollar does not strongly dictate who I would be with.

The tricky part is how to phrase any of it without sounding like a sloth who never sees the light of day. Or a superficial bitch. Or a loser. Ah the fun of online dating - you get a small, flat profile in which someone will judge your merits. Maybe I should just hire a matchmaker, someone to do the hard work for me.