Friday 25 May 2007

Nominations please

I’ve had a couple of emails this week about ending this blog. Some of you want me to carry on dating, just for the sheer entertainment value (sadists), some of you thing I should publicise my potential blossoming romance with The Triathlete (voyeurs), and some of you think occasional snippets of my life are entertaining/stupid enough to make you smile (or just save you the bother of keeping in touch!).

One thing I thought I really should do is a kind of award ceremony, to honour those Potentials who left ‘some’ kind of impression on me.

First I need to work out some categories. Let me think…


hmmmmm...


Ok, I’m done thinking! The Categories are:

Funniest Potential
Sexiest Potential
Potential I wouldn't sleep with if they were the last man on earth
Scariest Potential
Dullest Potential
Most Intense Potential
Most Intriguing Potential
Most Confusing Potential
Most Annoying Potential
Best Date
Worst Date
Strangest Date

Obviously there has to be a Lifetime Achievement Award, given to the Potential who has put in the most effort, but to be honest I think I deserve that more than anyone!!

The ceremony will take place in a week, so if any of them have stuck in your mind at all, then let me know, and I will carefully consider your nominations!

Sunday 20 May 2007

Would you believe it

It's less than a month until the end of my online dating experiment... and I've signed off, early!!

Why? Well, there's been a series of events this week that have made me realise I just can't carry on at the rate I'm going. The Teacher kind of slanted at it a couple of weeks ago, when he said I spread myself too thinly.

Work has taken a step up (or rather a jump), and with The Voice of Reason to occasionally look after, and oodles of golf to play I've realised he's right. I just can't do it anymore!

And besides, I've been given a challenge to stop dating for 6 months by my power drinking colleague. In another drunken night (sometime last week, but I can't for the life of me work out what day) he set me this challenge (and you know me, I can't resist a bet).

Apparently there's a prize at the end?!?

However... I can't possibly end this year of strange and fun times without a happy ending, can I?

I met The Triathlete yesterday. I know I haven't kept you up to date, so here's the full story.

I think I mentioned I was thinking of meeting him earlier in the week, but ducked out in favour of guaranteed giggles, alcohol and challenges. So he offered to come down yesterday (200 miles remember). SO, I thought 'what the hell'. After all, this is my last 'Face to Face', how bad can it be?

Well, not bad at all if you really must know. He turned up on time, and stone me he was bloody sexy as hell! And fit too! So, we spent a fantastic afternoon strolling about (obviously stopping for various refreshments, alfresco style!).

There was a funny moment when I bumped into one of my beloved nieces. She stared at him, bemused, before pointing and saying 'Who's this' (I'm going to have to pop there later to get her verdict!).

Then an evening of tapas, and a couple of glasses of wine. And a lot of chat. Interestingly, most of the Potentials I've dated have always told me I come across as guarded, or vague. But not The Triathlete. He thought I was quite open :)

Has the Ice Queen melted... finally after almost a year I've met someone I don't feel the need to be on my guard with.

He's gone back today to the other side of the country, but we're kind of making arrangements to meet again, soon (As always I have the work/family/golf juggle going on).

So the end of my dating life (for now). I've logged onto the site to take my profile off. It feels a bit like cutting a lifeline, but I honestly can't do it anymore.

I'll keep you posted about The Triathlete (and there are a couple of other Potentials I'm still in contact with)... but this could well be a goodbye from me moment :(

Monday 14 May 2007

Bunker Babe?

The golf society... now this is turning out to be a very productive way of meeting new guys. I've now got TWO games lined up for the next couple of weekends!

It's pretty cool really. They even have their profiles on the golfing site, so I get a sneaky peek at their credentials, and at least I know they're serious golfers.

To be honest, it's a good job, as my time seems to be getting more and more limited by the minute. I've worked out this week I'm not going to have any potential dating action until Sunday!!!

Sunday... that's *technically* next week :(

Although saying that, being away with work towards the end of the week does throw in a possible 'Face to Face' with The Triathlete! I'm going to be in his area for a couple of nights, so he's asked if I want to meet for dinner?

Well, it's possible, although I have kind of promised one of my colleagues I'll pop out for a drink, and knowing how funny he is after just a couple of sups, it seems like a safer option.

At least I'll be pretty much guaranteed a giggle!

Sunday 13 May 2007

Oops, I did it again

Hmmmm... How many times am I going to be wrong about Potentials!

The Charity Worker. Earlier today I'm extolling his virtues. Intelligent (I said) and interesting (I said). What he didn't really give away during our 'Mutual Contact' was the 'issues' he with women, in so many ways!! Issues with his ex, and issues with his (female) boss, as well as issues with single mothers (although he did try and rationalise that a little by excluding me from his rant!)

Oh dear :(

He told me I made him feel nervous too, which I found quite funny. What is it with these grown men that makes them feel so uncomfortable? I really don't get it sometimes. If you sign up to a dating site, surely you've got to mentally prepare yourself a little. Unless all you want is to hide behind a stream of emails, chances are you're going to meet someone 'Face to Face'.

I'm going to have to start setting some kinds of psychometric tests, so I can get a better picture of who I'm dealing with!

charity begins at home

Thank you 'Friend from Work'!

Yes... Friday night The Teacher did indeed turn up, complete with a tux and a bag full of boisterousness! He is a interesting guy, and like my Friend from Work put it, someone who is willing to challenge me a little!

No next date planned though (yet!)

Anyway, I do have some new date news! I have a 'Face to Face' (No. 37) this evening with a new Potential!

I don't think I've actually mentioned this guy at all yet. I've been enjoying a little bit of fairly intelligent 'Mutual Contact' with this guy for about a week, and he's asked me to join him for a drink tonight.

He 'Seems Nice' (tm) . Works for some charity in a kind of PR role, so I'm hoping he's as interesting in real life as he is by email, but hey... I've been wrong about that so many times! I've no idea what he looks like, so this is a blind date for me!

As it's my last month on the dating site, I've decided I should try and maximise my chances of finding love, and date as many Potentials as I can. Difficult with my limited time, but I think I just need to get a bit for creative with the kind of dates I'm having (I'm sure I could squeeze in a couple of breakfast dates!).

Ooh, and talking of being creative, I recently joined a golf society (to find golf partners, not 'love' partners). I got an email off a guy the other day inviting me to play a round in a couple of weeks. I've suddenly thought that this society *could* be the perfect way for me to meet someone who isn't going to get annoyed with me when I want to play golf!!

Fab :)

Saturday 12 May 2007

Your favourite guest blogger is back....

Good evening from 'Friend from Work' guest blogging for my dear Ms Jones. What a fricking day. To spare you all the stupid details, suffice to say that it was a bit crap. Poor Ms Jones and her kind natured soul.

But on to more happy times. Five thirty rolled around and it was time to go to the pub. It took a little arm twisting but we all made it. It was a good exercize considering it reminded us all that we actually like eachother as people and there is more to us than our job titles.

But enough about that. Lets talk about this Teacher bloke. I show up to Ms Jones place at approximately 2:30 am and the teacher arrives shortly there after. What do I observe you might ask? Flirting, banter, intellegent conversation and what appears to be a mutual respect. I also sneak a peak at some physical affection (just a hug or two for you dirty minded readers). It is nice to see someone who seems to understand the normal boundaries and still be willing to test them a little. Thats what this girl needs, someone who gets her but is willing to challenge her a little, even despite his testeronical exuberance that makes her so insane.

This teacher is prancing around her flat in his tuxedo from a previous black tie event making me feel a bit like a loser for not being in a formal gown. But alas, loser or no, I am fricking awesome. He has just read this over my shoulder and im not sure how I feel about that but its all good.

With reference to a conversation the three of us were having earlier, the words ' post coital' came up and I decided that those words must appear in this blog. So there you go. Post coital.

That is all.

Thursday 10 May 2007

Date drought

Bloody hell... so far it's been a date free week!

Don't worry too much, I've still been able to get my quota of alcohol, only it's been with real people! My nieces kind of summed me up last night, while I was enjoying a (long awaited) tea with my Bruv and his beautiful family. I was offered a glass of wine, which I turned down (I was still nursing a hangover from the night before). At that point my two nieces gasped... shocked to the core!

It was enough to make me change my mind and have 'just the one'!

So, what's been happening (date wise) this week?

The Triathlete has been in touch fairly regularly, almost to the point of boring me. You know me, I'm not a big fan of the 'how was your day' back and forth. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm not interested, it just seems a little routine(ish) to be doing that sort of chat so soon.

I want to find out more about a person... what makes them tick; what makes them cry. Not what time they got up, and had for breakfast!

The Teacher... very cool on the communication front. The odd text, or undemanding Skype comment. We're possibly meeting up tomorrow night, so a potential 4th (or is it 5th) date. It will be quite funny if we do actually get together, because I'm out with the guys from the office, and he's on some kind of black tie function.

It could well be disastrous... I'm out with people, some of which think the government recommended level of alcohol is per day, not per week. And as I'm so easily led it's going to be difficult not to keep up!

So we're just going to suck it and see tomorrow.

Right, other Potentials:

The Football Fan. He winked at me again the other night. I think it was yet another taunt, what with his team beating mine in the league. I gave him a stern telling off for being so insensitive!

The Scotsman. This is a new Potential, who I've been having a little bit of 'Mutual Contact' with for a week or so. We've decided if our paths ever cross we're going to get married, and run away somewhere warm (although as a Scotsman is his book that means Devon!)

The Thinker. He's another new one. I've called him The Thinker because it's taken him three days of umming and aahing to think of something trivial about himself (I sometimes ask Potentials for a trivial fact... just to see what they can come up with).

THREE DAYS... I could've written a book on trivial facts about me in that time!

Wednesday 9 May 2007

It's not so bad

Being single, that is! It it struck me yesterday was my anniversary... one whole year of semi independent singledom!!

Bloody hell... time flies when you're having fun (I'm sure I can put together a whole host of cliches here!).

I won't dwell too much on past times, but this year has been phenomenal in terms of how well I've got back on track (to what, I don't know yet). I have to say a huge thanks to loads of really important people;

Voice of Reason. He may roll his eyes, and I'm sure I frustrate him at times, but his sense of humour and support is always there

My family (especially my Bruv). For keeping me fed, and persuading me to subscribe to online dating in the first place.

My friends. Some of you put yourself in a scary situation to help me out, and that is really special. And thanks for not judging, or steaming in with guns blazing.

My Ex. Now before you all start thinking I've finally lost the plot, in a way I do appreciate what he did. It gave me an insight into a situation I never thought I'd be in, and knowing I'm able to see it as a positive is fantastic. Sometimes you need the lows to get the highs!

As Ronan said, life is a rollercoaster :)

Monday 7 May 2007

Detention anyone?

The Teacher showed a little hint of 'stroppiness' yesterday! Admittedly it was my fault (sometimes my organisational skills leave a little bit to be desired).

My mother picked me up for the Captains Drive yesterday (she's such a sweetie... she knew there would be free drinks on offer, and as she's keen for me to 'fully integrate' with the golfing fraternity thought taxi duties would be in order!).

It was only in the car my mother mentioned the dinner and presentation that went on AFTER the golf. What!!! I've got a bloody date at 8 o'clock! There's no way in hell I'll get back in time for that!

Bugger!

So, having to make a snap decision I sent The Teacher a text to let him know. His response... a pretty curt reply, more or less pinning me down to choose; golf or him!!!

I chose golf!

As nice as he is, golf is a lot simpler, and doesn't make you feel guilty. So, as the date was cast aside I thought I way as well make the most of a good day, and actually did very well (possibly helped by the two glasses of punch I had before the game!).

Funny moment at the club. As you know, apart from Gorgeous H, most of the guys are 'more mature' (there was actually a moment at the dinner afterwards where they were talking about free bus passes!). Anyway, this rather attractive guy turns up at the start, saunters over, and introduces himself!

Hello... has my luck finally changed at the club?? Am I playing with him??

No, I wasn't. He was playing with my mother!!! How unfair. I get paired up with a rather lecherous 'more mature' gentleman, she gets sex on legs :/

So on with the match. I sneakily took my phone with me (two reasons... The Triathlete and The Teacher). I know it's a complete no no on the course, but I *did* have it on silent! Halfway round I checked it, and surprise surprise there's a message of The Teacher!

Seems he had calmed down, and was up for rearranging the evening a little. So we agreed to meet a bit later!

Mind you, when he turned up, boy was I told off! Sheer frustration on his part. He thinks I spread myself too thinly, and don't I understand how annoying that is to others? I was half expecting him to dole out some corporal punishment for my bad behaviour!

However, once the lecture was over we did have extremely good fun. He was saved from cooking the bizarre mix of ingredients I'd cobbled together (Voice of Reason is currently refusing to have *anything* to do with a courgette!). And technically I've had 4 dates with him, as I popped to his place this morning for a coffee :)

Now onto today, and The Triathlete. He was all set for a 200 mile trip to take me to lunch, but I decided yesterday to cancel (I know, I'm just so indecisive!). Only because it seemed a little insane of him to be prepared to travel so far (although, with hindsight I could've rustled him something with the courgettes!).

Instead we've been chatting on the phone for a couple of hours, and have 'loosely' arranged to meet for a weekend towards the end of the month! Face to Face No.37. All we need to decide is where?

I think I should do the decent thing, and at least meet him halfway.

Saturday 5 May 2007

I'm back

Firstly... apologies to you guys who've complained I haven't updated this, but it has only been three days! I haven't dropped off the online dating circus *just* yet!!

So, as I'm still very much part of it, what's happening??

Today has been totally date free. I spent my regular 3 hours getting my angel curls tamed (which have been astonishingly abused since I've got that bloody bike!).

Taking of that bloody bike... I fixed it myself. Neither I, nor Voice of Reason were prepared to be totally humiliated by taking it back, so I took it apart, and (after a couple of attempts) put it back together the right way!

But you're not here to read the Beginners Guide to Bike Maintenance, so on with the dating news!

I've a couple of busy days coming up (as usual). First I'll have the pleasure of (hopefully) Gorgeous H tomorrow at The Captains Drive. Don't worry, I'm not sneaking off for a meeting with him on someone's tarmac... it's a golf competition!! Apparently I'm going to be saved my usual first tee nerves this time. I'm playing with a gentleman, and he gets the honour (if only it was going to be Gorgeous H... I've a feeling it may well be one of the 'older' gentlemen!).

Still, I'll wear the 'Oh So Cute' golf skirt, just in case!

Tomorrow evening it's my 3rd date with the Teacher! After a bit of on/off (he seems as busy as me) it looks like we've got a time sorted. He's going to cook, at mine (sensible chap). But get this... I've got to supply the ingredients!

That's going to make for an 'interesting' meal, as a quick rummage through my kitchen has so far only produced fish fingers, tinned pears and some porridge... tasty :)

Then Monday. Now is this fairly interesting, but a bit insane. The Triathlete wants to take me out for lunch. Nothing unusual in that you may thing. Well, no... but he lives over two hundred miles away!!

Seriously, he's at the other end of the country, and is all geared up to drive here, take me to lunch, then drive back!

Should I tell him I've managed to fix the bike?

Wednesday 2 May 2007

Option 3

I got a wink of a guy today who had cycling down as one of his hobbies. Well, more than cycling... triathlons.

Super fit, and handy with a spanner no doubt!

So we've started a bit of 'Mutual Contact'. I don't think I'll tell him about my bike problem just yet though. I don't want him to get the impression I'm some sort of dunce!

One thing I did find a little strange about him was the way he signed his emails. Now, I send a squillion emails a day (work related, honestly!), and most of end with "kind regards". To be honest half of me doesn't even know why I do it... I guess it's polite. But I never use it for personal emails.

The Triathlete did... how odd :/

Ooh... got a text off The Teacher too today. It looks like we're on for the 'testing' 3rd date at the weekend! Why testing?

You know me... getting past 3rd date is some kind of achievement :)

I want to ride my bicycle

This is not strictly related to dating, but is so typically me I thought I'd share!

My bike... you may remember last weekend I bought a bike. An impulse buy (I had romantic visions of me cycling down country lanes, in a floaty little number, angel curls being teased gently by the breeze). Well, so far it hasn't *quite* panned out as I'd imagined.

It came in a box... in bits. The guy who sold it to me said they're relatively simple to put together, so I thought being a 'fairly' intelligent person I should be able to manage it myself.

So I spend last Sunday morning wrestling with various bits of metal, cables and rubber. It only took an hour to do. Even though I couldn't work out how to get the back brake from being stuck on (I thought the extra effort cycling would help in my eternal quest for a Kylie-esque bum!) it all seemed to be in working order.

I've now been riding this bike about the place for a week, and OK, my little vision is *slightly* different in reality;

There isn't a country lane for miles, and the stuck brake kind of limits the distance I can go before complete and utter exhaustion sets in.

Floaty little number... on a bike? What was I thinking!

My angel curls are not really being teased by the breeze. What actually happens is the wind frizzes it into some kind of Christle Tips affair, and various little bugs seem to get trapped in it!

(The Kylie-esque bum is coming along nicely though, so it's not all bad!)

I *have* been a little mystified by why the bike seems to veer quite sharply every time I turn, my foot scraping against the front wheel, causing me to lose my balance... but I put that down to the fact I haven't ridden a bike for about 15 years.

Anyway, yesterday on my way back from a meeting I parked the car, and proudly showed one of my colleagues my shiny new little number. Immediately he starts guffawing and shaking his head in disbelief, and takes a quick snapshot! Why? What on earth's wrong?

I've only put the front forks on BACKWARDS!

I must've had the instructions upside down! I know by now the photo has done the rounds of the office, and will possibly be emailing it's way around, in a Darwin Award style way :(

So I have a couple of choices;

Option 1 - take the bike apart again, and try to work out how to put it back the right way (but in my typical minimalist style I've thrown the instructions away)

Option 2 - take the bike back to the shop, act stupid and ask if they can make it right (I say *act* stupid... in this case I don't really think I need to act at all). My colleague has pointed out if I do this I should fully expect to be made a laughing stock, and Voice of Reason has refused point blank to suffer that humiliation with me, so I'm on my own.

Option 3 - find a new Potential who lists cycling as one of their hobbies, and see if they can help me out!

Tuesday 1 May 2007

Layed back Ladie?

The Curly Wurlys may well have been a sweetener, to soften the blow of seriously hindering any impending dates on my love horizon. The Teacher and I were on for a 3rd date tomorrow, but 'due to circumstances beyond my control' I've had to postpone it :(

But the plus side is when I get messages like this one: "your a real nice ladie nows what she wonts in life" off The Whistler, I don't feel guilty about saving my fingers from needlessly texting back.

Or when I get winks of guys who say they're "very layd back and averythig have to be easy" I know the limited time I have is going to stop me even thinking about replying!

I can be a pedantic little minx (and many times you guys have picked up on my own grammatical errors), but really... don't these guys think for a minute BEFORE they press send!

Anyway, back to my dating dilemma. I've got one night free this week (and a possible couple of hours tomorrow), so I have to choose wisely. The Teacher actually had a very interesting date planned... maybe he'll switch nights!

And there I was hoping to maximise my dating possibilities during the remaining 6 weeks on the dating site, only to find I now have to be selective... a whole new experience for me :)