Shopping for Mr. Right. Or Mr. Not So Annoying would be fine.

Solo date night story below, but first, another update:  So I guess I got pretty fed up with Mr. 6:00/Storm.  It's a shame he said and did so many little things that pissed me off, because otherwise he was pretty great.  I told him that I was searching for "Mr. Right" and he had the nerve to essentially say that I wouldn't find him (that it was a fairy tale).  And follows it with a lot of words about how I am amazing, and he would fight to keep me,

...and this, "No one is ever perfect, and no one is ever fully in sync with another, we just need to find someone who makes us happy, is good for us and to us, and who we feel akin to.  To me you're that person".  That nearly broke me.  It sure is nice to hear things like this.  But I will keep looking.  Could be a mistake to walk away from someone who /wants/ to give me everything....(so he says).  He took me out on a "date" that went horribly wrong.  He said and did all the wrong things. I wanted him out of my life immediately, but was willing to give him some time.

Went out solo tonight.  My "solo date" was sponsored by my good friend Tanya.  Yeah, she paypal'd me $25 to take myself out.  In part because she wanted to make sure that I DID go out.  Thank you Tanya!!!  Besides being an awesome friend, she is also an awesome editor and has done some editing work for me.  In need of an editor?  Check out her profile on LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tanya-gold/27/160/aa2 . 

The story is very familiar:
Walked down the street, around the corner.  Happened to be walking nearly in tandom with a young guy....right into the restaurant.  Got a seat at the bar, "walking guy" a seat away.  Two guys on the corner.  Another guy on the other side who looked up and smiled at me.  I've been to this bar before and ordered my "usual" when I go there.  Which is not at all often (beer and buffalo chicken wrap).  Walking guy is obsessed with his phone and looks REALLY young (early 20's maybe?), so I don't pay him much attention.  Guys on the corner are more like it, and I can kinda hear them talking about dating.  One guy asking the other, "hey you have a date to so-and-so's wedding?".  They seem to be regulars and ask the hot waitress her advice concerning a wedding date.  I kept to myself....smiled once at one of the guys on the corner.  This is that bar where I discovered that I don't know how to flirt.  And I haven't gotten any better.  Finished my beer and sandwich, UNDER budget by the way, so Tanya has $7 towards my next night out.  Headed to the grocery store.

Normally when I go grocery shopping, it's when I've left the store in the evening and am stopping on my way home.  So I am hungry, which makes me loopy and tired.  So I rush through the isles,  knowing what I need and where to find it and don't really look around.  Tonight was different.  I was relaxed and in no hurry.  Grabbed an onion and a garlic and turned to find an attractive guy around my age looking at me...I smile and keep moving.  This is Connecticut for god's sake, we don't say Hi to random people here.  A couple isles away, I am thinking, "My goodness....this is where I will meet someone".  I double back, having forgotten parmesan cheese, and there's "produce guy" waiting at the deli now.....I'm staring and he looks up, so I quickly look down at the cheese like I'm trying to decide or remember what I needed.  Ok, this is silly, and I'm embarrasssing myself.  Moving along.  Wow...hey...there's another guy.....and another.....are they all single or just doing the grocery shopping for their wife and baby?  I should be checking for rings on fingers and getting a better look at what's in their cart.   This is a skill I need to work on.  Leaving the store, I see that "produce guy" has barely gotten past the deli.  That's the way to do it.....push a cart slowly up and down the isles, read labels on products, pause to smile at someone....

And maybe, maybe, I'll meet Mr. Right between 7-8:00 on a Tuesday night in the cat food section.

The Art of Wooing

It's been a month since I've posted here, so let me catch you up: except for a night out for a second time with "the 3rd guy", I've been exclusively seeing Storm.  Like almost every day.  And he has a new nickname that we developed on facebook: Mr. 6:00.  There are loads of things I could be writing about, but it's been getting personal...so I haven't.  But I might still yet.

Possible future topics:
The Rude Friends
The Spices Move In
Popping the Question
Meeting the Parents
Mr. 7:10 wants to stand up for himself
Pissing off my Bodyguard


So, I can be a little old fashioned.  I like being wooed.  If a guy likes me and wants to be with me, he needs to make me happy.  Impress me.  Do nice things for me.  Take me out to dinner.  Maybe buy me things....and I've been feeling like it's been a while since Mr. 6:00/Storm has taken me out to dinner.  And as I type this....I realize just how many things he has done for me lately....and it's quite a lot!  And he just texted me: "I miss your sweet smile".  Ok, all forgiven.  I'm such a sucker.

I guess "wooing" can be complicated, and different from guy to guy.  Boat builder attempted to woo me with a bag of fresh clams and a bottle of special vodka.  Storm has been trying to help me/win me in every way he can.  He's coming up with ways/ideas to help my business.  Helping me around the house....etc etc etc etc.  Last week I had no money for groceries, so he bought some for me.  He offered to help me clean my house because my family was coming over and I had no time.  We went to a wine tasting.  He introduced me to his friends.  He is determined to become best friends with my ornery cat and has him eating out of his hand.  He bought me a hedge trimmer and said he would tackle the overgrown bushes in my yard.  He bought me a cuisinart coffee maker (used) because mine was only a 4 cupper that I've had since college.  He said he would patch the corner of my property that is being washed away by the flooding river.  He built a make-shift trellis to hold back my lavender plant.  He tells me that I am amazing and beautiful in every way.  So many other things he's said or done....like he wants to meet my parents, and had me meet his last weekend.  He asked me if I'd be "His Girlfriend".  Yet...somehow I'm feeling like I'm not being wooed?  Maybe it's just because it's been a couple weeks since he's taken me out to dinner...made me feel like I wasn't just a body but a woman who wanted to feel special.

He's still waiting for my answer.  I guess that's the "Popping The Question" topic.  Why didn't I want to say "yes, I'll be your girlfriend"?  Maybe he should take me out to dinner instead of spending all his money on a new camera and hiring a model who is going to pose for a shoot in MY house!!!!!!!!!  Is that asking too much? Take me out on a date damnit!