College Football Season In Full Swing, Arizona State To Produce Record Number Of Slutty Athletic Apparel
Arizona State University has a reputation for being a party school. Just ask Playboy Magazine. In 2002, ASU took home top honors when they released their picks for “Best Party Schools” in the US. I am a proud graduate of Arizona State University, and yes, I certainly did my fair share of partying. In fact, I would go as far as to say I played an integral part in ASU bringing home the gold in Playboy’s poll.
Describing my alma mater as being a “party school” does not bother me one bit. I had the best time in college, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Even if 40% of my experience was spent in a drunken haze. There is, however, one part of ASU’s reputation that has bothered me since the day I set foot on its blazing hot campus: ASU’s rampant army of sluts.
They. Are. Everywhere. I once knew a girl who got back to her dorm at 8 AM after an all night drinking bender — sans shoes — saying, “I just blew every guy in Sigma Chi.” True story. And sadly, fairly commonplace.
So, naturally, ASU’s line of women’s athletic apparel would represent its female student body accurately. Have a look at their latest:
Post football game clubbing tee for ASU girls on the go:
This shirt looks like it was made special for ASU’s Late Term Abortion Club:
For the ASU football fan who *can’t stand* getting those fucking farmer tan lines at tailgates:
For the half-assed ASU Slut: A classy kimono sleeve with a cooter-cutting hem:
Women’s slim fit tube dress. Features 2 side condom pouches for the ASU lady who plays it safe, and a blend of cotton and Spandex for an easy fit:
Showing school pride on the field AND in the bedroom:
We’re not “snobs”, we’re SLUTS. Get it right, haters:
Don’t know about you, but I’m holding out for the Sun Devil diaphragm.
(Kate Dates) The Bitter End
I’m nearing the end of my three-month subscription to eHarmony, and I’m finding that my enthusiasm is dropping off. Significantly. There are still a couple new guys that I’ve been communicating with, and even a week or so ago I would have had fun checking to see if they’d responded back. Now it almost feels like a chore. It’s like the very end of eating a medium-sized pizza by yourself. I’m completely full, and could totally walk away, but, come on, how do I leave just three bites?! (What? You’ve never eaten a medium-sized pizza by yourself? Well, good for you. You’re probably not single either.)
I’m not sure how I would have felt about this at the beginning of my subscription, but for one of the “Three Open-Ended Questions” portion of the communication process a new guy sent this” question” to me: Tell me 5-10 interestingly random things about yourself. This made me angry. Your whole profile is pretty much random/interesting things about yourself. Why not ask me to tell you 5-10 not so interesting things about myself? Things that actually might have an effect on a relationship. 1. I have trust issues. 2. I hate showering. 3. I don’t cook. And won’t cook. 4. I don’t like paying for stuff. 5. When I get sick, I complain. A lot. Or better yet, why don’t you tell me 20 reasons why I should even give a shit about meeting you?
Another question the same guy sent was How do you balance work and life? Really, dude? “Well, I’m single so I go to work for 8 hours then come home, eat pre-packaged meals and check eHarmony in hopes of finding someone who isn’t annoying, has a good job, and doesn’t think I’m fat.” And I know that wasn’t that bad of a question, but to me the whole guided communication process is only supposed to be a light-hearted way to break the ice with strangers, not an opportunity to ask me something my therapist would want to know.
So, why am I trying to force down these last few bites if I’m full and angry? I paid for a full month and I’m going to make sure to get my full month’s worth! Time to unbutton my pants and make some room. It’s the American way.
{Kate Dates} More Bang for my Buck
Every time I would log onto my eHarmony profile, I would get a message saying it was only 44% complete and another message saying statistics show the more completed your profile is, the more responses you get. I always dismissed these messages. My theory was that everybody only looks at three things 1. Picture 2. Occupation 3. Age. Plus, I was concerned about safety and didn’t want to reveal any kind of information that might be trackable. But to be honest, I think subconscionsly I was thinking that the the less they knew about me, the less they could reject. But last week, I decided with the little time I had left on my subscription I would test the ”statistics” and completely fill out my profile, along with changing my race preferences to “No Preference.” I wanted to get the very last bang for my $20 this month.
My brother was visiting over the weekend, and I had accidentally left my eHarmony login page open on my laptop. I’ll admit I was a little embarassed when he saw it, but he was actually pretty curious about the whole thing. He’s been married for 6 years now and had never done any kind of online dating, so he really knew nothing about it. I was way too embarassed to show him my profile, but I had him help me go through my brand new matches. And without me saying a word, what did he want to check out? 1. Picture 2. Occupation 3. Age. He could not have cared less what these guys listed as three things they couldn’t live without! And even he picked up right away that what they say about themselves probably isn’t 100% accurate anyways.
The task of going through matches was way more fun with my brother (plus we’d had a few drinks by then). He was even harsher than I was! He made a great point though, if at first glance there’s not an immediate positive response from the profile picture, then why waste my time, CLOSE THE MATCH! My brother’s experience with eHarmony was the same as most people’s, at first it’s exciting to go through all these profiles, but after about fifteen minutes, they all start to blend in together. My favorite comment he made was, ”I can see where you’re really hoping to find someone interesting, but man, most of these guys are just duds.” Exactly.
So, since completing my profile and unlimiting my race preference, my reponse ratio has not increased at all. Based on those statistics and my brother, I think it’s fair to say that my theory of the three is more accurate than eHarmony’s supposed statistics. Or maybe the guys on eHarmony just aren’t interested in me no matter how much I complete my profile.
On the plus side, remember how I always hoped my $20 subscription fee was a kind of cover charge? Well I actually got checked at the door myself when I tried to upload the below photo to my profile.
What if this is my visually ironic way of saying "I want to live life to the fullest"?
I guess pantless, bottom-halves of lady mannequins don’t make the cut on eHarmony (while shirtless guys seem to be encouraged!) At least they’re keeping some of the weird out!
{Kate Dates} Recaps and Match Updates
Recap: Geoff
Date #3
We decided to go to a local museum exhibit for our third date. And by we, I mean me. I figured that this whole dating thing is a great excuse to get out to places that I’ve always wanted to go. Maybe not the most exciting third date, but hey, I like museums and it was the last weekend the exhibit was open. Geoff picked me up (I was not on his way at all) and drove us there. I still thought the 3rd date was a little to soon to have him know where I live, so I walked to a neutral location. He does know my real first name now, but it’s been a joke between us about how secretive I’ve been about certain details of my life. Say what you will about the safety factor, but mystery can be a very attractive quality.
While the museum was still an environment that gave us plenty to talk about, it lacked romantic lighting and alcohol, two key aspects from our previous first 2 dates. But we didn’t miss them at all. We went towards the end of the day, so we really had the place to ourselves. We were able to casually walk around, take our time, and actually get to know each other. It ended up being the perfect place for our third date. So far, Geoff really seems like a relaxed, go with the flow type guy. I’ve seen him take charge when he needs to, but not in a domineering way. A calm demeanor is a great quality to have if you’re going to date Kate.
Afterwards, we decided to drive down to the beach for dinner. On the way, he drove me by his apartment, where he worked, and even showed me his driver’s license and work I.D to verify that he actually did live and work at those locations. It always amazing me how much information men are willing to give out right away. I still didn’t tell him my last name, but did appreciate that now I knew his. GOOGLE TIME!!!
We had an excellent remainder of the night together, never running out of things to say. When he drove me home, I actually did let him drop me off at my apartment. It was pretty late and I didn’t want to have to walk by myself from the neutral location. So that safety factor out weighed the other. I am now a little less mysterious.
Recap: Date #4
Later that week, Geoff came up for a late dinner. Which brings up to our 4th date. We spent a good four hours just talking. It’s still too early to say where things are going to go with Geoff. But right now I can say that I enjoy spending time with him, I feel comfortable around him, he is completely respectful, he’s cute!, and he likes me (or so I think). I think that’s a good start for now. We have plans for Date #5 next weekend…
Match Update: Raj
Raj and I had plans last week for a 4th date. He texted at the last-minute saying he wasn’t feeling the greatest. After pussy footing around issue (I knew he wanted to cancel, but I wasn’t going to do it for him) he finally, finally said he hated to cancel but he thought it would be best to reschedule. Fine. And of course this wouldn’t be a big deal if he was actually sick. But the way he was texting was a clear indication that he wasn’t interested in me anymore. It did upset me for a while. Why the sudden change in behavior? He had been the most persistent and consistent for three months! We had plans to do a bunch of stuff together. I actually really enjoyed hanging out with him! What the heck happened? But I had to step back and remember that this is all part of the dating experience. You open yourself up to people. And people are finicky, weird creatures. And you have to be OK with all types of rejection at all stages of the process. And as I suspected, I haven’t heard one word from Raj about rescheduling. So, as far as I’m concerned, Raj is now a Closed Match.
Match Update: Jin
Remember Jin, the really cute guy that I had a first date with a couple of weeks ago? The one that said he’d call me for a 2nd date the following Friday? Well, it’s going on three weeks since I’ve heard from him. This was another “What the heck?” moment. I had heard about this phenomenon before, but never really believed that you wouldn’t see it coming. But seriously, what the heck? We both had a great time. It was obvious we had a connection. We had tentative plans for a date next Friday. Why didn’t he call?! I think you could easily go crazy if you let the “what the heck?” moment take over.
But, I feel lucky though that we only had one date. The more you see the people you really like, the more attached you become, and the worse it hurts if they don’t call later on. I’m thinking Jin should be officially Closed as well. Sigh.
UP NEXT: Squeezing the last few drops out of my eHarmony subscription.
{Kate Dates} Recap, with bonus Recaps
Remember Raj? He was one of the first matches Britt and I wrote about. He had been the most persistent and consistent as far as communication. He was very eager at first, which I wasn’t sure how to interpret. We communicated through email and instant message until I got my google voice number, and then we began talking on the phone, a couple of times a week. It got to the point where we were starting to establish a rapport and I knew I needed to meet him before we went any further. There is only so much chemistry you can tell you have with a person over the phone and computer. You have to practically be smashed up against them staring into their eyes if you’re ever going to determine if the two of you have a future together.
Raj and I ended up meeting at Universal City Walk. We went to one of the less popular, less touristy restaurants for beers and humus. This was on Sunday evening. And I already had one first date on Friday night, and one second date on Saturday night. So I had to really rally to get myself ready for this date. Per my advice from Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger, I’ve been wearing dresses on all my first dates, actually the same dress, and go the the extra mile to look nice, which for me a pretty big deal. I rarely do the regular mile, let alone the extra one. And to be honest, I pretty much phoned it in on Sunday. I wore some “nice” capris. And by nice I mean the nicest ones out of my comfy capri collection. My lips were dried out from all the lip gloss, so I went plain ol’ vaseline (has anyone found good lip glosses that moisturize?). My hair was still straightish from the night before. Not great, but acceptable. There was just no way I was going to take another shower that weekend. I did put on a little extra perfume for good measure.
When I first saw Raj, I was pleasantly surprised. He was cuter than I thought he was going to be. From his profile picture, I thought there was a good chance he would have a unibrow. And I would be lying if I said that a unibrow wouldn’t be a possible deal breaker. He also took charge of the greeting and went in for a handshake instead of a hug. Interesting choice, and I kind of liked it.
The date itself went rather well. He’s definitely one of the most interesting guys I’ve met. I even slipped into the bathroom half way through and tried to fix my hair to look a little nicer. Afterwards, we were walking around and passed the now infamous iFly. I wasn’t going to say a word about it, but he had asked if I had ever done something like that. Ok, now I had to say something. So, just like before, I made the comment, ”My fear with those things is that I wouldn’t lift off the ground.” Raj busted out laughing as if that was the most ridiculous he’d ever heard, gently touched my arm and replied, “I’m pretty sure you would.” PASS This was also my Golden Moment.
We set up a 2nd date for the following Wednesday. This time I did take a shower, wore a dress (my first date dress), and put on all kinds of makeup. I normally don’t go out during the week (I know I’m a lame-wad), but I decided since the first date was pretty half-ass, I could make up for it by going out on a week day. I again, really enjoyed his company. After date number two he asked what my weekend looked like. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to meet him three times in one week. I told him I’d get back to him.
The next day I called my mom for advice (yes, the same mom who warned me about white slavery). At the time I called her she was in the car with my dad, my 88-year-old grandma, and my 2-year-old nephew. It was quite the family affair. My dad said “You’re calling mom for dating advice?!” My parents have been together since age 15, they are now 60 and 61, so there wasn’t a whole lot of dating that either of them did. But after a consensus from the entire family (besides my nephew who no doubt was only concerned with trains and train tracks) they decided that if I liked him, it would be ok to accept a third date within a week. So I did.
We went out that next Friday night (FYI: Jin never called to set up our 2nd date which was supposed to happen that day). Raj had flowers for me this time. A very nice touch I thought. This was a longer date, I got to know him a little better, but it’s still so early to tell what kind of person he really is. We have tentative plans for a 4th date tomorrow night…
But here’s the thing, now that I’m really starting to get to know Raj, and starting to like him, I’m also starting to really analyze everything. Like I mentioned, he was quite consistent with communication, but it has dropped off a bit. I call this the “Urkle Effect” – someone who pesters you everyday, but then when they stop you kind of miss it. And even worse, you wonder why. I had to reel myself back into Kate Land earlier this week and remind myself that I’m doing this for fun. If it stops being fun, then it just needs to stop. I feel like I’m about to enter a whole new chapter of Kate Dates and there’s going to be a whole new set of rules.
Up next— The Third Date with Geoff!
{Kate Dates} Second Date Saturday Recap
Recap: Geoff
Since I’ve started dating, I’ve discovered that the second date is really more like the real first date. The first meet up, to me, is actually a screening process to get to the real first date. If you’ve been keeping up with Kate Dates, you’ve probably noticed that I make sure the first meet up is drinks or something comparable. And then I go through my checklist. 1. Am I physically attracted to you, or can I see myself becoming physically attracted to you? 2. Will I be able to tolerate you long enough to eat a meal together? 3. Did you pick up the check? 4. What are your overall manners? Number 2 is probably the most important (Why didn’t I put it as number 1? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just too lazy to rewrite the list. But not too lazy to finish this parenthetical thought.). I have no tolerance for people who do not know how to carry on a conversation. And you can tell how engaging a person is within the first 10 minutes of meeting someone, sometimes even less. So by using the screening method, you can easily avoid getting stuck in a painfully long dinner date.
Geoff passed the screening to get to the “second” date. He called me on the Monday following our Friday night meet up to set something up for the coming weekend. I liked his enthusiasm and commitment to seeing me again. We decided to have dinner on Saturday. Later in the week he texted me three different options in the neighborhood I suggested (my neighborhood). I thought this was a nice touch. He was taking care of the details, but also letting me ultimately choose. Bonus points.
My friend “Derrick” (he wanted a pseudonym) was hanging out with me while I was getting ready for the date. As he was watching me straighten my hair he commented how much more effort it took for girls to get ready. THANK YOU Derrick. This is also part of my reasoning for not wanting to pay on dates. My bleeding ankles from shaving should be a clear sign that I earned my dinner. Derrick was kind enough to drop me off at my date. God bless good friends. We joked how it might be awkward for Geoff to see Derrick dropping me off, but I couldn’t care less. Part of dating Kate is working around my hatred for driving.
I ended up choosing the sushi restaurant. Anybody here like sushi?! Not only do I love it, but I had just read an article on Yahoo with some dating advice. It said that if you really want insight to your date’s personality, you should go to a restaurant where sharing is encouraged. How open are they to sharing? Do they hoard the dish that they chose? Do they reach for the late bite? Are they open to trying new things? I’m beginning to think that the whole dating thing is just one big screening process. Geoff aced the dinner in my opinion. He was completely open to trying anything and sharing everything. I already know from experience that a picky, selfish eater and I could never live happily ever after together. He also paid. Hooray! I didn’t shave my legs for no reason!
Afterwards, we went next door to a lounge for martinis. He was very sweet about letting me have his, after the one I ordered ended up being absolutely vile. My sister jokes that I always get the worst thing on the menu, and I’m starting to believe she’s right. I ordered a cucumber martini. DON’T EVER GET THIS. I thought it would be light and refreshing. It taste like toilet bowl cleaner.
So while I was drinking Geoff’s hazelnut martini, he kind of out of nowhere, asked what I was looking for in a relationship. It was definitely a serious question and I was thrown a little bit by it. Was this an appropriate “second” date question? After an elongated ”Ummmmmm,” I decided that it was appropriate. Very appropriate. If you sign up for eHarmony, you have an intention. And why waste time (and money) on more dates, if this person ultimately doesn’t want what you want. I confidently told him what I was looking for, but said that I want whatever is going to happen, to happen naturally. I’m not in any rush for exclusivity. He said he was looking for the same thing, and definitely agreed about not rushing things. However, he did say that he was ready to find what he was looking for now. Which I think is good for me to know. The last thing I want to do is lead somebody on and stand in their way of finding true love if I know I’m not the one for them. When it was time to go he said he would take care of our bill. I made the world’s most pathetic attempt to reach for my purse, and barely audible, muttered the words, “Oh, I can pay for these drinks.” He insisted that he would pay and said “Call me old-fashioned, but I want to pay for our first couple dates at least.” This gesture scores very high on my dating chart.
Geoff waited with me for a taxi, he had offered to drive me home, but it was only our second date and I didn’t (still don’t) even know his last name, so I politely declined, but appreciated the offer. We had a brief good-bye kiss and then I was off back home for a taxi ride total of $7*.
We actually have our third date lined up for this Saturday! WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT WITH GEOFF?!?!
*eHarmony expenses for the month=$53.42
{Kate Dates} Recap Recap Recap
Yes, we have three recaps to get through! I was a very busy lady-on-the-town this weekend. I managed to get two first dates and one second date crammed into this weekend. This was such a stray from my normal weekend routine, I think my poor body is still shaken up from the lack of elastic waist pants and the overabundance of lip gloss.
Recap: Jin
Like I mentioned before, I was planning on using my self-created ” The Early Bird Avoids the Awkward Worm” technique and indeed showed up a good 15 minutes early. When I ordered a beer and gave my debit card to my waitress, I told her I didn’t want to open a tab. And instead of doing what a waitress is supposed to do and say, “Ok,” and then close my tab, she asks, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I respond.
“Well, we can keep it open and then you can pay in cash when you close it out,” she offers.
“No, thanks. I just want to pay for it now,” I insist.
“Oh,” she lowers her voice. “Are you on a date?”
Besides the already standard anxiety, now I’m paranoid that it’s totally obvious I’m nervously awaiting a first date. Was I reapplying my lip gloss that much? For some reason I lower my voice too, “Yes.”
“Well, I can just switch over your tab to his card when he gets here,” she offers.
“Stop being difficult! You’re ruining my move lady!!!” I didn’t say that. But I was worried that Jin was going to show up during all this and my carefully calculated first date (genius) move to avoid awkwardness would backfire and end up causing more of it. I politely held back my annoyance and reiterated my original request, ”I just want to pay for this one drink. On my card. Right now. And close it out. Thank you.”
She finally obliged. I paid for my drink and settled myself in a plush, bench-like seat, desperately trying not to look like I was waiting for a first date.
I waited. And waited. Ok, I was a little early, but our scheduled meet-up time came and went. I waited some more.
A new sense of anxiousness filled my stomach when I started wondering if he wasn’t going to show up (why didn’t I bring a to-go cup of Pepto!). Did he forget? Did he decide to bail on the last minute? I had never had this happen before, it would be another dating first. And now I couldn’t help but imagine what the waitress was going to think when she sees me stand up and leave. Alone. Fifteen minutes had passed and I had just picked up my phone to call my sister for advice, when it buzzed with a text message. He had finally found parking and was headed over. Ok, now I could resume my normally scheduled first date jitters. And reapply my lip gloss. He walks in, we spot each other and embrace in what I now like to call the eHarmony Hug. And I would have been more annoyed that he was late, but he was really apologetic, and it was only 15 minutes. And he was cute. Really really cute.
His positive energy that came through on the computer screen translated completely and clearly into real life. I thoroughly enjoy listening to him, getting to know him, and of course, looking at him. I couldn’t tell if he was enjoying our time together as much as I was or if his charming, enthusiastic personality followed him everywhere regardless of who he was spending time with. I was waiting for my golden moment, a clear sign that he is interested in me. And like I said, we were on a bench-like seat so it would have been very easy to initiate any kind of physical contact. I was sure that the waitress was even watching us and waiting for the golden moment too.
It wasn’t until we were outside and waiting for my car (I opted for the $5 valet, for the 2nd week in a row*) when my golden moment came in the form of a lingering forearm touch. Dammit! Why didn’t the waitress get to see this?! But better late than never! I enjoyed every lingering second. As my car pulled up, he asked what my plans were for the week. I told him I was free next Friday (Kate doesn’t like to go out during the week). He said that we should definitely get together.
So we have half-baked second date plans in the works. And now we do the second date chant: Please call me. Please call me. Please call me. Go ahead and join me: Please call Kate. Please call Kate. Please call Kate.
Check back to read the recap of the 2nd Date with Geoff!
*eHarmony Expenses for the Month eHarmony Fee=$20.00 Frozen Yogurt=$3.42 Valet (Twice)=$10 Coconut Mojito (yes it’s as good as it sounds)=$7 Blue Star Beer (if you like Blue Moon, you’ll like Blue Star)=$6 Total=$46.42
{Kate Dates} First Date Fridays Continue
I have another first date lined up for tonight! Who is it with, you ask? Do you remember Jin? He was the first match that I spoke with on the phone.
The Stats
Name: Jin
Age: 28
Occupation: Lawyer
Can’t Live Without: Laughter, Books, Curiosity, Music
I actually suggested we go to the same place that I went to for last Friday’s first date (of course I didn’t tell Jin that part). The place was great, and only a mile from my apartment. Dimly lit, two fireplaces, cozy seating, full bar, it’s a perfect setting for First Date Fridays. And now that I’ve been there, I can already go in with confidence. Plus the place gets so busy, no one’s going to know I was there with a different guy the week before. And wearing the same thing. I’m proud to say that my nervous energy is now replaced with excited energy. And you can bet that I’ll be using my “Early Bird” move and getting myself there before our scheduled time and settled with a drink. I’m still so proud of this move. I feel like I solved half of the anxiety involved with a first date. And I’m getting getting more excited than nervous for these first dates, a far FAR cry from where I started. It’s becoming a thrill to meet new people, and I have real motivation now to shower on Fridays other than, “Well, it’s been a couple days.”
I’m really looking forward to this edition of First Date Friday. Jin has been one the guys from the get-go that really grabbed my interest. His profile seemed to leap off the screen with positive energy the very first time I veiwed it. I can’t wait to see how the energy translate in person.
And now for the First Date Friday chant:
(crossing fingers) Please be as interesting as you seem…please be as cute as you seem….please be normal…please don’t call me be chubby…
Sharing A Car Brings Couples Closer
My husband and I riding the train to our wedding. July 31, 2010. A year later, we moved downtown and actually committed to being a single-car couple.
My husband and I have just become a one-car household.
*Applause*
Thank you. Your enthusiasm is as much appreciated as it is needed. We couldn’t be more positive about this change, but as with all change comes unexpected hassles and snags. And being faced with relying on Los Angeles’s broken public transit system is certainly no exception. I describe LA’s metro system as ‘broken’ for two reasons: 1. Southern California residents, for the most part, are afraid of the metro because it is known to be unreliable and in some cases unsafe. 2. Southern California is enormous and we need way more train lines for people to even entertain the notion of dumping their cars for good. Yes, there’s a bus for every place you need to get to practically, but buses aren’t nearly as convenient or as fast as trains.
Downtown Los Angeles is the most convenient part of the city to catch public transportation headed to any part of Southern California one could ever desire to travel to. By moving downtown, we made a commitment to being a one-car household, and we have no intention of breaking that promise… unless of course, one of us gets a job in West part of the Valley or Malibu, or *gasp* Orange County. In that case, we’d be looking at 3 bus, 2 hour+ commute. At least. And that would be verging on insane.
Witness the enormity of Southern California
We have already accepted the challenges of being a one-car couple, but let us also recognize the unexpected beauties. Because that’s what life is all about, no? Sharing a car requires teamwork, and because of this fact, my husband and I have gotten a chance to enjoy each other’s company more. For example, today he took my car to get it smog checked while I rode the bus/train to work. (My husband is a teacher and therefore off work until September, so I get dibs on the car during the day. When he goes back to work, we will likely switch off until I am off work in November/December). At first, my husband offered to just drive me to work and pick me up, but I said, “no.” I was going to take the public transit plunge. So we walked hand in hand to the bus stop together, and he made sure I got on the right bus. He was actually more nervous than me. It was really cute. And when we kissed ‘goodbye’, he said, “Call me if you have any trouble and I will come get you right away.” And with that I popped on the Silver Line bus and headed straight to the Harbor Transit Center to catch the Green Line train into Manhattan Beach.
I could tell he was proud of me. Well, proud of us really. We set out to move downtown for the purpose of becoming a one-car couple and we were fucking doing it. We put our money where our mouths were, and it felt good. And now we have this newfound shared excitement for being more green, saving money, and being contrarians — and by “contrarian” I mean, contrarian to those who believe that “you can’t take the metro in LA”. I’m sure there are many hairpulling frustrations ahead — i.e. the dreaded construction closure, the detoured route — but for now, we’re enjoying the train and the way it has brought us together closer than ever before.
Go Metro? Go us.
{Kate Dates} Recap
Recap: Geoff
I arrived at the place about fifteen minutes early. I did this on purpose partly because I had never been there and wanted to do a lay of the land and get my bearings. Like most people, I feel way more in control and secure if I know my area and the vibe of that area (first dates are already stressful enough). And the other part is because I always like to do a last-minute hair/makeup check. After I accomplished both, I had a brilliant idea. Instead of waiting until Geoff got there and enduring my dreaded ”who’s going to pay” moment, I bought myself a drink and sat down. My stress level dropped even lower. I’m now calling this my “The Early Bird Avoids the Awkward Worm” move. I really think it deserves to go into the some kind of dating handbook. So when Geoff arrived (on time) I simply explained I got there early and already got myself a drink. And then he did the best thing he could have done, he asked if he could get me another drink, or anything else. Well done, Geoff. I declined another drink, but requested a water. +100 Points
Conversation came easy and he was a really interesting guy. Among some other advantages of eHarmony, one of my favorite parts is that I’m getting exposed to people who have careers nothing like mine. I was enjoying his company and there was definitely attraction on my end. So now all I had to do was wait for what I like to call the “Golden Moment.” This is when you get a clear sign from your date that they are indeed interested in you. We had been chatting for about 40 minutes, our drinks were empty, and before things got uncomfortable he asked if I wanted another drink. I did. Well, it was more that I wanted to continue our date than the actual drink. But this is good, I thought, not a golden moment, but a silver one. +100 Points
It wasn’t until we were half way through our 2nd drink when it happened. He reached over and touched my arm – a completely clear, undeniable sign of attraction. I like this moment because I literally feel golden. I can now not only stop wondering if he’s enjoying my company, I can also bask in the sweet sensation of someone validating my attractiveness. +100 Points
If you kept track of the points you can see how well the date went! It went so well that we’ve already set up a second one! Does anyone have any 2nd Date Tips?!
