Brotherly Advice

R-----, the guy from OkCupid, texted me today, and we set up a date. We're going to dinner and a movie on Wednesday after work. I think I know what I'm going to wear, and I already checked the menu to make sure there's something I will eat at the restaurant he chose. E---- and J---- don't know yet, but my sister and U------ have been full of help.

K---- is dictating what I wear, how I do my hair, what kind of make-up I wear, etc. Being her typical bossy self.

U------ offered me some brotherly advice. He said, "Let him pay, and if doesn't pay, let him go." He also said I need to be optimistic. He's planning a get together for Thursday, and if things go well on Wednesday, he wants me to invite R----- to the party. Provided R----- drinks. If he doesn't drink, U------ said to just let it go. :)

At least, I like to think that if I had a brother, he would say something like that.

It's Possible That Hell Has Frozen Over

So... I might being meeting up with a guy later this week.

I'll let you digest that for a minute.

Yeah, I know, I can't believe it, either.

It all started when we got a new boss at work who had met her boyfriend on Plenty of Fish. That set E---- to nagging non-stop about me trying online dating. I tried telling her that I had tried it in the past and felt uncomfortable with it, but she just kept at me, and (as usual) she won. In the end, I broke down and made profiles on PoF and OkCupid, both of which I had tried before, and both of which and had met douche bag guys on.

About a week after I joined, I told E---- about this guy who had messaged me, but after I messaged him back, his reply was a little bizarre. Bizarre enough that I didn't think I wanted to reply back, so I just left it. As I was telling the story, she kept wanting to see my profile, so, finally, I let her read it. She ripped my poor little profile apart. Everything about it was bad. I showed her a couple more of the guys that had contacted me, and she was as unimpressed as I.

So, I rewrote my entire profile, and again, this guy messaged me, the same guy as before, but this time, he was really nice. He told me that he thought I seemed interesting and that I was very pretty, blah blah blah, and he gave me his phone number. With a what-the-hell-why-not attitude, I texted him. He asked what I was doing this weekend, and I told him that I had to work all weekend. Then he said that he gets off at four all week this week, if I wanted to hang out. I told him what days I was free, and he said he would text me this week.

Now, I know that whether or not this happens remains to be seen, but it's the closest I've come to a date. Like ever. I'm not so much excited as I am nauseous, and I'm working really hard to keep my expectations at rock bottom levels. E----, J----, and U------ are all incredibly excited. E---- said that she wants to take all responsibility for this date (the one that's not even planned yet), and I said, "Great, because if he turns out to be a serially killer, I'm coming back to haunt you!"

Anyway, wish me luck with this longshot. Advice is greatly appreciated (and openly solicited) either about the "date" or about online dating.

Gilligan's Island

Relationships are kind of like Gilligan's Island. You start out going for a three hour pleasure cruise, and then, things get serious. You end up somewhere with this other person that you barely know, and you don't know where, or for how long, so you try to make the best of it. There are tears, and serious moments, but there's lots of laughter, too. Then, when it's over, you are a different person because of it, and, looking back on that three hour cruise, you can't help but be thankful for the storm.