Because I Can (and My Friends Can't)

Things married people generally can't do:
1) Move abroad in 5 weeks
2) Be apathetic about unemployment
3) Speed date

In my quest to fully enjoy being single, I have finally accomplished number 3. An events service in DC has a speed dating event something like every Tuesday, and I finally decided that that would be a fantastic way to jump start my dating life.

And a jump start it was! Speed dating is just like it is in the movies (although, sadly, Will Smith did not make an appearance)--women on the outside of the circle, men on the inside, men rotate. Make the men work for it, that's what I always say. You talk for 4 minutes--which truly is enough time for a basic screening--and then the men move on. You write down each name on a sheet and put an "x" next to "interested" or "uninterested," so that mutually interested people can contact each other.

You get kind of a typical assortment of people--some fairly cool people, some young people, some old people, some scary people. Well, I don't know if the women ran the full gamut, but the men certainly did. There were, I think, 7 men (and 7 women). I've been contacted by 5, I think, so far. Not bad odds.

Actually, not only have I been contacted several times, but I've actually already had my first date! As I left the event, I left with a guy that I particularly hit it off with, and he confided that he had marked "interested" for me. I was delighted, as he was the one guy in the joint that I actually was hoping would mark "interested" for me, and we walked together for a few blocks before we parted ways.

I crossed the street and found yet another guy I had met at the evening, and he and I started chatting. After a couple of minutes, he mentioned that he was hungry and invited me to dinner (we were standing right outside a restaurant). I accepted, and we had a great time chatting over Ethiopian food. It turns out that he has an MPH (and he knows what epidemiology means, which leads me to believe that he's telling me the truth), he's interested in travel, and he doesn't like spicy food. A great match! I won't mention that I think he's 24 and lives with his parents. After all, these are just hypotheses of mine.

So, that was my evening. The only downside (and it's hardly a downside) is that I didn't get home early enough to put my hair in curlers for Halloween. Whatever; I didn't win the costume contest, anyway. Much more profitable to go on my date!

Back on the wagon

I've done it--I've officially signed up (and paid for!) the Halloween 4-minute dating experience courtesy of Professionals in the City. Hopefully, more food and fun to come... Now, I just have to figure out what to wear! :)

Sneaky!

I've decided that Mormon #1 is very sneaky.

We were in choir practice (there's something really wrong with this), and I was sitting next to Mormon #1--he sings bass, I was singing soprano. Another bass comes in and sits in the 3rd row, and I inform this new guy that the choir director is likely to want him to sit in the second row (between Mormon #1 and me). He declines because "he doesn't want to interrupt anything," at which point Mormon #1 says, "We wouldn't do anything here, in public," to which I add, "Certainly not in the chapel." Mormon #1 and I cackle in the back, while the choir director is trying to maintain order (just for a bit more weirdness, Mormon #1 is actually dating the choir director, albeit inexclusively).

So, Mormon #1 gives me a ride home after choir practice--a mercy, given that it was fast Sunday, and I hadn't eaten anything yet. As we're driving into the city, he tells me that he had this image from choir practice that he was having trouble getting out of his head--that of scoring a little "necmo" with me. For those of you who don't know, "necmo" is NCMO, and it stands for "non-committal make-out," and I haven't heard this term since college. I can't believe someone used that term around me. Anyway.

Just to clarify, while I did invite him to stay for my dinner/break-fasting meal, and we hung out for a couple of hours, THERE WAS NO NECMO. I just want to make that clear. He did, however, as he was leaving, say that he intended to score some with me at some point.

So, here's my take: if we're going out on little tete-a-tetes to see the Mets (hee hee--that rhymes) and we're also making out, how does that constitute not dating? I say that's looking for a loophole.

On the other hand, the Big B has been remarkably reclusive lately. I think I may need a new make-out buddy. What to do, what to do?