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.