Cold turkey

5 days... that's how long it's been since I've been cast out to mingle with real people, and so far I seem to be surviving :)

Getting used to being truly single is sometimes a little strange though, and there's still some reminders hanging about from my past year.

1st... No.41 (I'll call him The Intellectual) wonders if I fancy joining him for a meal tomorrow night. I'm tempted to go along, but I know he's not really my type, so it would be kind of stringing him along. He has suggested a pretty cool bar though :)

2nd... The Teacher. A long lost (complicated) love interest is about to spring back into his life, so thought it 'gentlemanly' to let me know. But, wouldn't mind staying in touch as friends. Now that always sounds like a good deal, but in reality that never works out. Imagine the scene... summer evening, night out... he with his long lost (complicated) love interest in tow, me remembering I've seen his bod. And there's always the possibility I'll turn into some kind of agony aunt (not the first time, as I discovered with The Twin).

Not a good idea, so best avoided!

3rd... Baileys Guy (remember him). For six months I've had fairly sporadic 'Mutual Contact' with this guy. Now he wants to meet (I know, we've been there before!). I've tentatively said maybe!

4th... The Barman. Now, this is 'very' interesting. I bumped into him yesterday outside the place he works (it's a bar, remember). He gave me the biggest smile so far, and yet another wink. OK, he may have a twitch... but he's quite cute, so I can see myself having to have the odd night out there soon (I guess I could suggest The Intellectual take me there tomorrow!)

Singledom so far has not been too bad then. Of course I've upped my golf a bit (which reminds me, I'm due a lesson with Gorgeous H soon).

And honestly, I will get round to doing the nominations, but it's going to have to be next week. Keep watching :)

Come in No.41, your time is up

Right, I have the sofa, the DVD and the wine... and tonight I'm about to do the whole 'perfect date'.

There's just one problem... neither No.41, or the guy from the 'not a date, honestly' golf game this afternoon really did it for me!

That's it! You can't say I haven't tried, but it's just not happening!

Last night with No.41. He was actually a really nice guy. I can't even pick out any minor faults with him at all... just not really my type. It kind of shows just how easily I get wooed by words. His emails were fantastic... intelligent, witty, slightly flirty. On screen the perfect guy.

But after an evening hyping myself with espressos (he's teetotal) I realised our personalities are too different. When I'm out I want belly laughs and fun. It was a little too 'studious' for me. I like splashes of inane banter, not constant thought provoking questions.

So, off the list (the last one!)

Still not disheartened I headed off for my 'not a date, honestly' golf game. I've never met this guy, so didn't know what he was going to look like. He'd described himself as blonde, and I knew he was in his early thirties. So *obviously* that meant he was a Brad Pitt lookalike... surely?

Well, no. More like a Pitbull lookalike! With no personality at all. And the strangest and most disturbing thing was he seemed to talk in the 'third person' all the time.

Scary... very scary.

So I guess that's it for me. I will do the awards (I promise!). But right now I've a bottle of red and Bridget Jones to watch!

It's happened!

What, I hear you ask... have I found love? Did I take one glance at No.41 and decide instantly he was the man of my dreams? Am I about to embark on a life of coupledom, with DVDs and bottles of red strewn about the place with carefree lustful abandonment?

Well, no... my subscription has ended. That's what's happened!

No more winks, and no more slaving over a hot laptop trying to come up with endless thoughtful, and witty replies to a bunch of completely unsuitable Potentials! Strangely enough the same laptop keeled over and died, possibly at the precise moment my subscription ended.

Did it sense the impending neglect?

Anyway... where does that leave me on the dating front??

Well, first we have the latest Potential. Last time I told you about a *possible* 'Face to Face' (No.41) with him last night... so what happened? A bunch of us went along to this gig where he was going to be working. Knowing he was going to be pretty much by the front door I did a kind of stealth/sniper entrance (I wanted to suss him out before he saw me!). Once safely into the gig it want time to send out an advance party to check him out!

So two of my friends went out and kind of sauntered past where he would be to check him out (I say sauntered past. Apparently what happened is more along the lines of two hyped up meerekats more or less stalked the area ... one of them actually shouting his name before running away. Nice style ladies!)

The verdict... "There are three guys out there, and we hope to god it's the one we think it is!" I'm now obviously intrigued, but the band have come on, which means everyone is inside. If I go out there I'm not going to be able to 'blend' into the background quite as easily as the others did!

So, I just kind of peeked through a gap in the door. They were right... there were three guys, two of which could have more than easily have been featured on America's most wanted. Thankfully my potential looked fine from the two centimeter gap in the door!

What now... do I go over and introduce myself, or do I just casually walk by and hope he spots me! One of my friends thought it was quite funny that I'd 'gone a bit shy' (her words, not mine!). Me... shy!

Right, deep breath. I'm not a bloody teenager, so I went and introduced myself! What a nice guy!! We only had a chat for about 10 minutes, but I can tell you he has lovely eyes!

I'm not counting a little chat as a 'Face to Face', so that's still to come. But it is going to happen! I had a very sweet email off him this morning, pointing out how nice I looked last night (I won't tell him how much thought I actually took in trying to pull of the casual, naturally attractive look!), and when am I free to join him (for coffee, not life!)

So we're meeting tomorrow night!

Oh, I have to share my last email from the dating site, before they booted me out:

"love the legs - and the rest nice to. im on msn if you up 4 chat and to see my legs".

I'm really going to miss those little gems :)

Only 48 hours to go!

Seriously, that's how long I've got left on the site. My god they try anything to keep you hooked... daily emails letting me know what I'm going to be missing, selections of profiles *way* more attractive than normal. Date pushers, that's what they are!

Now, last time I updated this I'd chosen Option 4 (The Triathlete) for my weekend fun, and hinted at a brand new Potential I'd started a bit of 'Mutual Contact' with. Prompted by comments on my last post (Icouldhavebeenacontender.... who *are* you?), I feel obliged to update you all.

First, the weekend. Now, he may have a body you so want to wake up to every morning, but you know, I *just* couldn't muster up enough enthusiasm for a weekend with The Triathlete. Why... well, it would have got in the way of my golf plans!

I know... Gorgeous, attentive Guy, or frustrating game. In my usual style I went for golf instead! I would've squeezed him in around games, but it seemed a little unfair to drag him all the way down here . He does want to come down this Friday though... so I haven't *quite* closed the door on him just yet!

Now, the new Potential. This guy is fantastic. Every single one of his emails has me reaching for both a dictionary and the encyclopaedia. It was one of the few times I've actually instigated the first contact, but his profile was so interesting I couldn't resist.

Topics of conversation in the first few days: jam, pigeons, industrial porn(?), composers, knicker styles, embarrassing itches, TLA scrabble, Islam, water bombs, chips, Fothering's reductive (yep... needed Wikipedia for that one!), txt spk. All seemed to be injected with a hint of humour.

It's been email flirting at it's best (but a *little* bit taxing for my mind). We had kind of arranged to bump into each other tonight (at a gig)... that was until I realised (or rather, was told) that I'd got the day mixed up, and I'm actually going to the gig TOMORROW.

No problem... he's going to be there too, which gives me 24 extra hours to get ready!

'Face to Face' 41 then. And there was me, all prepared to give up at No.37.

JP pointed out to me if I get to 42 then I've found the meaning of life. It's technically still possible, because I've also had an email of The Twin, who wants to take me out to dinner!!

I'm going to have to tell you later in the week about a golf match I've arranged for the weekend, with a guy from a golf society I've joined (hey... I'm leaving the dating site, so needed to do something). My Old Friend pointed out last night this game was starting to look suspiciously like a date. I've booked a mid afternoon tee off, which should get us in just in time for drinks/dinner. And our last couple of emails *have* gone off the topic of golf... ever so slightly!!

What can I say :)

I chose shoes

I didn’t actually give ‘Face to Face’ No.40 a name did I. I think I’ll call him ‘The Unreliable Hypochondriac with a Grudge Potential’.

Why?

Well, after Tuesdays comedy date, I quickly realised there is no way I could see me going *anywhere* with him (he’d probably get lost anyway). So, as I’m generally a polite kind of person I sent him a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ email. My god he took it badly! He wants feedback!! It wasn’t a bloody interview, so I don’t think I really need to.

I’ve still resisted the temptation to sign up to the ‘Upper Crust’ site (and as the title suggested, now have another pair of very ditzy shoes instead). And I’ve officially cancelled my original one too. But that site is quite sneaky too, and let me know they’d leave my profile there for 7 more days, just in case!

I’ve been there a year… I seriously doubt my Soulmate is going to spring from the woodwork now! I mean, what are the odds of that happening!

My leaving the site must have sent out vibes to a couple of ex Potentials though, as yesterday I had text’s off both The Whistler (yuck), *and* Outdoorsy Guy (yum). The Whistler wanted to know how my swing was coming along, and Outdoorsy Guy wanted to know if I fancied a drink sometime (he’s obviously worked his way through some Potentials, and is bored!)

I did send him a text back… maybe next week!

Can’t this week though, as I’ve already got a couple of dates planned!

I’m out tonight with the Ever So Challenging Sales Guy… tapas and wine! Yes he’s arrogant, and yes I don’t see us going anywhere… but a night out is bound to be interesting (as long as I keep my wits about me!)

And the weekend… well, I had oodles of choices for this weekend…

Option 1 - My End of Dating Party. This will have to be postponed for a week, but I blame the dating site for giving me an extra time on their site.
Option 2 - My neighbours flat warming party. This is actually a fairly swanky affair, with cocktails and a Sinatra style singer in our garden?!?
Option 3 – A boat show with the Ever So Challenging Sales Guy

Or

Option 4 – a weekend with The Triathlete (and his washboard stomach!!)

So I’m going for Option 4 (if you remember my thoughts did drift off to his six pack on the date with ‘The Unreliable Hypochondriac with a Grudge’ the other night). So… two nights with The Triathlete, and we’re going to the beach!!

There’s one fly in the ointment though… he’s given up alcohol. His very demanding training schedule doesn’t allow any vices (well, I may need to clarify that!), so curling up with a bottle of red is not going to be on the agenda!

I may be able to sneak out to my neighbours for a cocktail though if I get desperate

I’m going to have to fill my boots tonight then :)

Ooh… and lastly, if I remember, I must tell you all about a brand new Potential sometime!