Dating Like It's My Job

Match.com is a part-time job.  I know this is not news- everyone always gives this as a reason for not online dating.  They are right!  It has been a while for me, and it has also been a while since I had a regular day-in, day-out, non-freelance work schedule.  It turns out that one almost needs a freelance (or even better, unemployed!) lifestyle to keep up with this stuff!

When I am home for the evening, I start the second shift.  The sheer volume of people on Match means that there are suddenly a lot of emails.  Which is great!  But there are also winks.  And other emails about "catching someone's eye" in "the daily five" (don't ask).  So it can be a lot to sift through, with many potential suitors to keep straight.  First, one must delete all the creepy men in their 50's and 60's,  the non-hot dads,  the ones who photograph themselves shirtless in the bathroom mirror, those that crop out the tops of their heads in all of their pictures, and the all the ones with piercings, shiny shirts, and/or spiky/crunchy hair.  So, then, what's left are a lot of average guys who seem exactly the same.  Which one lives my neighborhood, and which one is in the Mission?  Which one works for some sort of non-profit? (Vast majority.)  And who is it that's into cycling and hiking?  (Oh wait, no need to worry about that one- that's 100% of San Francisco men.)  I need an assistant and a spread sheet.

I think I am finding them less than memorable, because, unfortunately, none of these guys are really grabbing me.  And of the maybe 5 that actually do look good on paper, 2 of them have already dropped the ball and abruptly stopped emailing me.  (I'm telling you, I'm a MASTER at finding these guys.  Doesn't even have to be in person anymore!)  So, I guess maybe it is time to duty-date some middle-of-the-roaders.  Because I have gone out with many guys who have "wowed" me over the years, but where has that gotten me?  And, no that's not settling, it's called reprioritizing and being open.  (Right?  At least that's what I'm going with.)

Date 1 with Joe SF Match Guy (average height, average looks, fancy education, tech job, outdoorsy, with photos that include both tevas and polar fleece) tomorrow night.  Let the dating season begin!

Discount Dating

Oh dear.  It seems I took a month off.  Plus about 2 weeks.  There's nothing like a move and lack of a love life to push blogging to the back burner.  I have had an apartment to set up, boxes to unpack, and oh yeah, I had a birthday (I am now 279, btw.)  But now that I am sort of settled, I figured it's time to unpack my love life as well.  And if I have to do that, God knows there will be some funny stories to share.  So here I am.

So what's a girl who's still obsessing about her late summer fling with no other romantic prospects to do?  That's right, dear reader: Match.com.  Uggh.  I've been there before, and it is rather a grueling undertaking.  In my illustrious dating career, I have had more luck with Nerve.com.  It's linked to The Onion, so it's usually not too hard to find those Onion-y guys (well-educated, funny, politically aware, above-average taste in food, music, and sneakers.)  But the thing is, it's kinda small, and like all boutique establishments, the choices are far fewer.  I was feeling like I had either dated or eliminated everyone within a 10 mile radius and a proper age range.  It was time to turn to the Walmart of dating, with aisle upon aisle of bachelors for the picking.  But just like shopping at at a mass-market discount emporium, the quality is lacking, and I feel sort of bad about giving this kind of company my money.  There are many, many guys who would not know a cool sneaker if it kicked them in the behind. But the good news is this:  3 days in, 18 emails, 5 winks, and 3 pages of favorites!  Dating is a numbers game, right?  Here's hoping there's one worth the trouble.