A Family Affair
18 May 2012 Leave a Comment
Earlier this week, I agreed to go on a blind date with a friend of a friend, that I had never heard of before. It seemed a little odd that out of nowhere, a name was produced and permission to hand over my phone number was asked. With my new attitude in tow, I agreed and decided not to Google him or fish around for any details. So when he called and asked me out minutes later I agreed to meet him for a glass of wine. (I later found out that he’s not exactly a friend of a friend, more like a chiropractor that works at her gym, that she’s met a couple of times).
After about 45 minutes, I sat sipping my chilled Pinot Grigio, making small talk to fill in the gaps of a flailing blind date, when my eyes moved towards another man in the bar who was walking directly into my line of vision. I found words fly out of my mouth that I least expected to be saying on a date, “Hey Chooky,” as I was face to face with my little brother.
Startled, his face lit up at recognising me and then he paused, taking a moment to realise that he had stumbled across me while I was clearly on an uncomfortable blind date. We chatted for a few seconds before he introduced me to his date (who not surprisingly, I had never seen before) and I awkwardly had to do the same. Sensing that his date wanted all of his undivided attention we said good-bye and he gave me a little wink.
My date then went on to make some comment about how this is such a small world and how awkward I looked, and at the same time – desperate to know all about my brother. (Um, this was supposed to be a date about me)!!! Not long after, we left the bar and I consciously decided not to go over to my brother. My date and I parted ways without any inclination to keep in touch and I was ok with that.
The funniest part about this date was that this morning my brother rang me to see how it went and said that he didn’t like the guy’s chances as the body language was all wrong and that he could tell I wasn’t into it when I’d spotted him!
Pash’n'dash!
15 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in First Dates, First Kiss Tags: Flirting, Hiatus, Kissing
After a self-imposed 6-week hiatus from dating, I am back!
On Saturday night I got all ‘dolled-up’ and went with friends to a birthday party at a crowded bar. It had been a while since I had ventured further than ‘down the road’ on a night out as I had consciously decided that I was not going to be a hermit any longer. We got to the bar early, found ourselves a nice perch and proceeded to drink and laugh together as different people we knew came and went.
After a few hours of continuous drinking (I can’t actually remember a time when my glass was empty) we decided it was time to move on: home or out was the question. Out! So we ambled down the street to a well-known, less-than-classy bar. This was always where we would end the night – open all hours and attracting the riff-raff of the city! And Saturday night was no exception. We headed straight to the bar and ordered another round and hit the dance floor for an hour of grooving!
As we stumbled out of the bar, we were laughing and slurring, drawing a great deal of attention to ourselves. The token male in our group then asked a random guy in the street his opinion of something – clearly I was not involved in the conversation otherwise I would remember what it was that he asked. The response was almost unrecognisable, but clearly spoken with a thick Irish accent.
“You’re Irish?” I asked, excited by the prospect of speaking to this cute Irishman.
“Ay, me darlin’.”
To my delight, he stopped and chatted briefly to me. I began to flirt like it was going out of fashion and I noticed that my friends had clearly kept walking and were half way down the street. He was so sweet, about 10 years my junior and had the cutest dimples. We were laughing about who knows what, when he leaned in and kissed me. There we stood, having a dirty ‘pash’ on the side-walk for all my friends to see. And just a quickly as it began, it was over. I smiled and thanked him, before walking away… knowing that I was BACK!
Time for spring cleaning!
28 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Marriage, Relationships Tags: Advice, Marriage, Spring cleaning
Over dinner last night a newly married friend showed off her honeymoon photos and was bordering on the side of being one of those “smug married” people. Throughout her story-telling, she kept referring to her life as “Before I met Jason” or “Since I met Jason” and while I am usually tolerant, it began to grate on my nerves. Since when is Melissa not Melissa anymore? She is now only half of a “WE”.
Melissa kept asking about my prospects and she was more than happy to give her take on dating, being single and what I need to do to snag myself a “Jason”.
This is when she passed on some advice that I have thought about all day. When she was single, someone once told her that she needed to clean out her cupboards and make enough room for a second person to share her wardrobe with her.
It seemed like such sensible advice (there’s a first time for everything)! Clear out the rubbish and be open to a new relationship. Anyone want to help my do some spring cleaning???Only then would she be ready for the emotional baggage of a relationship, not to mention having enough room in her house for someone else’s clothes!
An invitation via text message
08 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Blind Dates, First Dates Tags: Blind Date, Technology, Text message
Oh how the world of dating is changing with technology – I just received a text asking me out on a date!
I shouldn’t really be surprised that some guys will send a text message to ask out a girl. The problem is, why is this becoming socially acceptable? Gone are the days when someone would get your phone number from a mutual friend or family member, carefully plan when to call to make appropriate chit chat before asking you to join them on a date.
Like every other part of our lives, technology is becoming more and more involved, from online supermarket shopping to internet or mobile dating. But are we losing touch with what dating is all about? Dating is about making a connection and getting to know the other person, both on a physical and an emotional level and while web-cams can help (with the physical barriers at least), text messaging further removes that personal touch.
I did write back, but I am wary of a guy who doesn’t call…
“He works where???”
22 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in Blind Dates, First Dates, Relationships Tags: Career, Job, Sex shop
“He works in a sex shop.”
Not quite what I had planned on telling anyone. Actually, not at all what I expected to hear either, but who am I to judge a book by its cover??
Last night I sat across from a handsome 38-year-old musician/actor and I began taking stock of my own situation while being careful not to be too judgemental. Having a clear career path was easy for me; finish school, go to university, apply for jobs, instant career. The path for a musician, however good he may or may not be is always a bumpy ride unless you get signed in high-school or if you shoot to instant YouTube fame overnight. Both of which are not likely. So how long would you give yourself to ‘make it’?
I listened intently as my date told me of the trials and tribulations of constant auditions, band practice and the paid gig here and there. He explained that the life of a performer was not always lucrative and that the past 10 years had seen him have many career changes. He has been a printer, a writer, a DJ, a labourer, a call centre operator, a driver, a student, a market researcher and a fruit picker. Right now, he was currently the manager of a bar, a landscape gardener and he works in a sex shop two days a week.
Judging from the look I must have had on my face, my date proceeded to tell me that working in the sex shop was one of the greatest acting ‘workshops’ that one could do to practice his trade. Each week he would enter the store with a clear idea of what skill he would be working on, whether it be comedic timing, emotional reasoning or even practising different accents, all the while trying to sell as many products to the customers as he could. At times he would have to hold back from laughing at the obscure questions he’s be asked and at other times, he would need to convince the customer that they needed the item they were only considering. This amused me.
A shiver ran through my spine as I had a quick flash down the line to the awkward conversation that would probably take place between my parents and I. Why would it really matter what the guy I am dating does for a living?
The sex shop thing was just a job, what bothered me more than that was that his life was less together than mine!
Like this:
Time is Precious
30 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Blind Dates, First Dates Tags: Blind Date, Strike Out, Time
I have been on many dates in my life but I have never been kept waiting as long as I was last night! Everyone values their time, whether it be sitting in a doctors waiting room, being kept on hold from a utility company or waiting in line at the bank, but why do some people feel their time is more valuable than mine???
A few months ago, I was supposed to meet my blind date at 9:00pm at a cool bar in the city as he was only flying back from a work trip earlier that evening. Due to the fact that I was leaving the following day for some sun and fun, we thought it best to try to seize the day and meet sooner than later – partly because if there was no chemistry I would be free to play out ‘girls gone wild’ overseas and not feel like I was cheating on anyone. At about 6 o’clock I received a text explaining that his flight was delayed and he wasn’t sure what time he’d get in, but that he would keep me posted and he was still keen to meet up if it wasn’t too late. I was hanging out with the girls, so we ordered pizza and seeing that I hadn’t begun to get ready yet, I took my leisurely time primping and preening and psyching myself up for what I was hopeful would be a fabulous first date.
When he texted at 9:45pm to let me know he had landed, I quite put out and frustrated. Why hadn’t he texted me before he took off?? I could have kept track of his flight online and planned my time more carefully, leaving me plenty of time to get ready. None-the less, I quickly pulled myself together and got to the bar at 10:30pm. Luckily he was apologetic and in truth, I had nothing better to do than wait.
Last night however, my date kept me waiting in limbo for over an hour! I was hanging out at a friend’s house, so it wasn’t like I was actually sitting in a restaurant waiting for him to arrive, but my time is precious. If I had have been at a bar waiting, I’d have left after 22 minutes, but for some stupid reason I sat around, playing solitaire on my phone. Needless to say, I should have realised that if a grown man couldn’t get his arse into gear and meet me on time or at least come up with a plausible explanation and a great apology, he was not going to be for me!
