Dating...?

I never thought of myself as fickle.  But when it comes to dating, I have to believe this is a good thing? You know, you see what's out there...find what you like before committing to any certain guy?

I mean, back in the stone age, (your teens and 20's) you would meet a guy, hit it off, and fall right into a long-term relationship. At least that is how it has always worked out for me.

I hadn't heard much from high school guy. I was also dating new old guy, and that seems less exciting since he is really shitty at communication. I seem to be remembering why things didn't work out the first time. Isn't it funny the things you forget over time?

Meantime I've told high school date guy that I am only dating, and nothing is serious, and until someone I like enough to be exclusive with asks me to be exclusive, I'm doing just that! And, I don't see the harm! I'm not sleeping around, I'm going out to dinner! Seeing movies! Hanging out, drinking coffee, and seeing what I see!

That being said, I have a date with high school guy this weekend.

I guess I am still paddling in this dating pond! But at least it is a leisurely pace, and I don't seem to mind as much.

Another Date....

It's weird to say I had a second date with someone I dated sort of seriously before...but it was our second new date!

I was even more nervous for this date, because I had less than 24 hours notice of said date.

I am a planner. I have my whole week planned out on Sunday! Actually, I have my whole life planned out.  I know the days I go to the gym, the days I run, the days I take my dogs to the park, when I grocery shop, when I prepare my food for the week...and yes, I realize how very single, and tragic this may sound!

So, I got a text one evening asking if I'd like to meet the following evening...after WORK..because he was working near my side of town the next day (we live about an hour apart)...my first instinct was to say I was busy. I mean, I go to the gym at that time every single week... But my second instinct was that I am trying to break out of my shell, and this wouldn't happen very often, and I wanted to see  him, and so I said YES!

At dinner, in the spirit of being honest, I told him that I am a planner, and this was outside of my comfort zone, and that I usually like a 48 hour advance notice to go out, but that I knew this was something that just came up so of course I said yes, and it was good to do once in a while....even though I was laughing when I said this, I meant it.

He got some extra points for saying he noted that I like advance notice for going out. And it sparked a really great conversation after that!

It was about 20 degrees that night, and he walked me to my car, like a gentlemen...and we hugged...and still no kiss!!

I remember the last time that we dated, years ago..it took him about 4 dates to finally lay one on me. I remember thinking he didn't even like me, because he didn't make a move.

The Last Race of the Season???....

I was so caught up with my Disney vacation, and my new date that I never posted about my last race!

That, and the fact that it was just for "fun" and swag, and not for time, were both factors!

I did the Bernie Kosar Shuffle in Cleveland in October.

Sure, I don't like sports, let alone the BROWNS, and my Mom is a huge Steelers fan, and Bernie may be washed up for some people...but I am a sucker for a great medal. And an even bigger sucker for awesome swag.

It was raining, 30mph winds, and miserable. All of my friends that talked me into the race never signed up and it sold out. I luckily found two girls at work (that I didn't even know) and hitched a ride to the big city with them.

It was one of the most miserable runs due to the conditions (a level below canceling on the race advisory). And I've run at the beach in 90+ degree days, and in the snow.

That is a pretty sweet medal ..you rarely get a 5k medal, and well, it's glittery!! 

The swag was nice, a tshirt, medal, and a browns colored sweatband that may have saved my ears from freezing off!

Rest assured, we got a picture with Bernie, but letting the world see that would be a great injustice to all of us gals. It was a really rough day! But here he is right before we got our picture!

Is Timing Really Everything?....

You hear it all the time, right?..."timing is everything"....

Is it? When things never seem to go as you want them to go...this sounds like a bunch of malarky...but on that off chance things seem to fall into place...you can begin to embrace this as truth!

As I mentioned before, I had dated a guy a couple years back, and I was too hung up on my exmanfriend to give it a real go, and we just recently re-connected.

Great conversation, lots of laughing, and I felt 100% at ease from the moment he walked thru my door!

I felt like a lady the entire night...I can't remember the last time a guy took me out and made even the smallest effort to do so!

Even though we had a *cough* "history", he still kept it classy!!! He drove me home in the wee hours of the morning, and asked me on another date before giving me a hug and a few little kisses and went on his hour trek home....

I am kind of in love with the idea that he didn't assume that since we had gone further than this before, that "it" was not where our date was heading.

I didn't know guys like this even existed anymore?

He said the next day he wanted to see me again...SOON. I told him I felt the same way.

Dating mostly sucks...but sometimes you actually have a fun time!

Doggy Paddeling in the Dating Pool...

Dating is a lot of work in your late 30's! Especially online dating!

You email, you text, you talk, you decide not to meet.

You email, you text, you talk, you decide to actually meet, and then you decide to not talk to them again.

This whole process takes a lot of time! Lather, rinse, repeat! 

Turns out, I actually know this guy! And not in a "you shouldn't be dating this guy again" kinda way either!

He is a friend of a friend's husband, and we dated off and on a couple years back after one of my many ..many break ups with exmanfriend.

We met at a time in my life when I was not yet over the ex. we had fun, he treated me like a lady, we had great chemistry, laughs, the whole nine. At the time, I had expected to have the same deep feelings for him as I had for my ex...expected to jump right back into couple-dom and decided I wasn't getting "enough" even though I told him I only wanted to date casually

...plus, I was still hoping exmanfriend would realize the error of his ways.

You live and learn!

I've been relationship-less for a few years now, and I am finally open for something new! He said he had been thinking about me for a very long time. I admitted that the past few months I had been wondering about him as well.

He said he would LOVE to take me out, and to anywhere that I wanted. That is a lot of pressure! If someone is taking you out how do you decide the level of dining? Fast food? Retail Chain? Mom and Pop diner???? I left the dinner up to him.

He picked one of the nicest restaurants around. One I'd never been to. It was a lot of pressure!

No one has ever taken me to such a fancy place! Especially not for a first (or maybe 10th or so/second first) date!

I'm not complaining. It has been a very long time since I've been wined and dined!! I'm so excited to go on a date again, followed by a movie.. and I already know that we get along.

In true dating fashion, once I got another date, HS friend asked me out. I told him I was busy this weekend, and he asked if it was an internet date. I said "no, I actually know the guy in real life".  He wished me luck.

But in retrospect...that was kind of a mean thing to say after  not talking to me for a week, not seeing you for almost a month, and then asking me out two days before you want to go out with me! Right? I would love to go out again but I already had plans.

So..wish me luck!