Thanks to the great suggestions from all of you, we've now got a ballot for you to vote on. (Let's hope there isn't as much debate over Issue Me as there has been in Ohio about Issue 3.)
I've included below the four ideas that I liked best from all of the comments you guys had on my post asking for new ideas to meet boys.
(That's not to say that I didn't like all of the ideas. But going on the radio to get a date holds too much potential for being very publicly "outed" as myself. And moving is a giant commitment -- what if my luck is just as bad in my new city? And while I love you, Allison, I'm not quite sure WHAT the hell you were talking about when suggesting pecan crusted bacon as a solution to my love life.)
Anyhooo, without further ado, here are the four options up for vote:
- GO EAST. This means doing the same things I normally do, just in places I don't normally do them. Specifically, on the east side. I have to admit there is some merit in this one, as I was at a Starbucks on the east side a couple of months ago for a work meeting and there were some hottie patotties there. I really like this idea because I wouldn't be too far out of my comfort zone (as in, I'd be doing things I'd normally do -- just in a different locale), so I'd be more likely to be myself. (Versus if I tried joining an effing intramural sports league, in which case I would so totally not be myself.)
- BLOGPARENTS.COM. If you read all of the suggestions, you saw that blogmom and blogdad have the idea that they can find me true love if given the chance. The gist is that they'll set me up on one date per week for the entire month of YESvember, with the following caveats: 1. no refusal 2. no backtalk 3. no grief. While this sounds fun in theory (and would most certainly contribute a blog story or seventy), I worry that this could cause some weirdness if the dates go horribly awry. And seeing as I've got nowhere else to go come holiday time, I'd prefer to stay on decent terms with blogmom/blogdad.
- MATCH.COM. Lots of you suggested trying out online dating. To be honest, I've thought about it before, but any time I've gone on to even peruse, I know waaaaaaay too many of the guys (friends, clients, peeps who work in my field, etc.) for it to be an option. HOWEVER, one of my anonymous commenters (who said the nicest things to me, BTW -- love you, whoever you are!!) said that you can make a match profile hidden. So if this is the winning option, that's the route I would go. (To protect myself from creepy stalkers, guys I already know, and possibly you!)
- JUMP BACK BALL. This was another suggestion from an anonymous commenter, and I really like it. Like the commenter, I know a couple of... well... couples who met at this yearly fundraiser for PlayhouseSquare. (And, in fact, one of those couples just got engaged!) Plus, it would give me a good excuse to go shopping for a new dress. (On the east side, natch.) The event isn't until February (I think), but in keeping with YESvember, I will buy my ticket next month to ensure I go.
So whaddya think? You've got til Friday to vote for your fave. Head on over to the top left of the page and cast your vote!
And, if you want to campaign for a specific idea, make sure to leave a note on this post. Consider the comments section your town hall meeting!
In the meantime, I am working on some other plans of my own. Still trying to figure out if I can pull off the mixer before people get crazy with holiday commitments. And, there may or may not be a trip to visit Mr. X in the next couple of weeks too.
Stay tuned!
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16 comments:
I vote for the on-line route. But maybe I am biased - it worked for me :) Plus, online dating makes great blog material!!!
As for the issues you raised in regards to online dating, here are some solutions:
1. You don't tell us, your readers, what site you joined... there are tons out each with their own take on the "online dating" world. In my blog, I NEVER mentioned the site I was on and no one ever found me and linked it to the blog (at least, not that I am aware of)
2. You don't have to respond to the creeps. And on some sites you can block them from contacting you again. Some sites you can hide your profile if it gets too overwhelming or you need a break. Some sites you can mark your favorites or delete people you don't like from your searches so they don't turn up again.
3. Some sites let you pick your dates, some pick them for you - so if you don't want to date someone you already know, pick a site that you have control!
I think you should do all of them! One is even in a different month, so really there are just 3 :)
As far as match.com goes, I did something similar and while I was having dates with the boys I met there, I met my boyfriend. Not online, but at a party my friend invited me to. I think people come across as more themselves and self assured when they are out there dating. Like a nothing to lose attitude that people find more attractive. So I say meet up with people on line, go out with people blogmom and blogdada set you up with and go to the east side to shop for that dress. You'll be so busy you'll forget you're even looking for a boyfriend!
Good luck!
hmm... do you have your MBA/Master's? I would have thought someone would have suggested something like taking 1 Master's level class at a time at someplace like CSU or Case so you have both single men+ men interested in their career.
However, my vote as it is, is head East.
@ Rosemarie-
very good point on meeting the boyfriend when you were going on dates with the other guys. I could ramble on and piss off the other regs as usual but I'll just say that this type of mechanism is merely the re-aliging of one's own self-perception as their circumstances change= lift in confidence, more prowess, etc. Polished, if you will.
thanks mg, i agree. you just feel better. i'm getting my mba at cwru right now, and i would say don't spend the money to meet men. they are pretty much either married or JUST out of undergrad. CSU might be a better choice!
While blogdad and I really would enjoy winning this, I am not opposed at all to the online dating idea. I just heard yesterday of yet another success story in online dating. Also, St. Nicholas still needs to make good on our note to him. . . Whatever idea wins, let's hope you meet someone who wins your heart:)
That's the thing. Mr. X. It is clear that you have a strong liking for him, seeing as though you've had a penpal relationship with him for several months and haven't stopped showing interest in him yet. It seems that trying to find other guys to date will simply just not measure up to a continued pursuance (word?) of him. When I was pursuing my now-husband, I tried to date other guys to get him out of my mind, and it actually only made me want to be with him even more. Will you just be wasting your time with these other adventures?
I mean, there has to be a reason why you haven't given Mr. X a 'real' blog name yet. Maybe you should keep your activities with him secret; sure, it will be less interesting to your readers, but maybe he doesn't want other people to be in your relationship with you? Maybe things will progress more quickly that way? I don't know, I'm out of hypotheses; all I know is you both seem to enjoy each other's phone and text company and there has to be a way to make it work if it's meant to be.
If you've never done online dating, I definitely say give it a shot- maybe for a month?
Julesercise,
I may need to find the identity of Mr X to fill in one of the weeks when we win this contest! I cannot wait for Yesvember.
Blogdad
Obvi I'm pro online-dating. I agree with some of the suggestions Smash made earlier. I think instead of making your profile hidden and only contact people you're interested in, make your profile public and block people you know. (On Match at least blocking is easy--just click the X in the corner of their name and you're done!) Definitely lots of good blog material. I could start a new blog (or write on my old one if I ever get around to it again...) based only on the experiences I had there. And you WILL end up with dates. And hopefully they'll be fun!
I voted for Match. Met my hubs there, and it was a great venue to start to get to know someone to figure out if intellectual chemistry matches physical chemistry. If you keep a hidden profile as others have suggested and proactively reach out to guys, you'll avoid most of the weirdos. Go out for gelato on your first dates...it's good luck!
I'm also not sure when I said pecan crusted bacon. (I'm too embarrassed to go back and look what I wrote!)
I would vote go east, mainly because I'm on the east side and I could join you for the festivities.
Or we can throw a date party for you.
I selfishly want to stuff the ballot box for "go east" - that way you can find a nice boy...AND you can hang out with me on my side of town - WE ALL WIN!! :-)
Smash -- thanks for the tips! (That's what she said.)
Rosemarie -- good point. I will probably try out more than one of these. SOMETHING's gotta work, right?
MG -- actually, blogmom did suggest that. But I have neither the time nor the dolla dolla bills right now to take a class.
blogmom -- I would rather skydive off of my office building than have you and blogdad win. So, you know. Good luck. :)
Julesercise -- glad to see your infatuation with Mr. X continues...
LiLu -- nope, never done the online thing. Though it appears to be winning right now.
blogdad -- oy. Double oy, in fact.
Piper -- see? It's the idea that you'd have a whole blog's worth of horrible dating stories from match that makes me nervous to try it in the first place!!
Christina -- lucky for me, I have to intellect to challenge. ;)
Allison -- I'm up for an east side outing (whether it wins or not)!!! Just promise me there won't be any bacon.
OK - we're getting close here, so I just have one add'l comment. Tremont, E. 4th, Warehouse District - are all guys who frequent these places only from the west side of town? Think online is the best way to go - you will be meeting guys (from wherever in the area) who are interested in having a relationship, and you can select dates based on similar interests, eliminating that scary first-date stuff.
I forgot to mention in my last comment that the successful online dates/relationships I have heard of happened in Cleveland, which could be your next blog title if you try this!
Not horrible dating stories... b/c I don't date the bad ones :) But things that you see on other people's profiles that make you go... what. the. fuck. For example... someone who honest to god had a questionnaire on his profile. And would take you out on a correspondingly fancy or crappy date based on how well you matched him. And I'm like 99% sure that he was not kidding. Like I said, you don't date the bad ones. But there's plenty of good! And none of my dates were horror stories in the least. They were all very nice guys.
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