53. October 2011: Dave - A Clicking in my Ear

The best part of this date
How did you meet? online, Match 

Name: Dave 

Height: 5'8" (more like 5"6' - my height. Dear Match - Please recalibrate your algorithms to match me with taller dudes. Love, Me) 

Age: 37 

Occupation: Human resources

Good quotes from date: I cannot count the awkward silences that occurred on this date because I can't count that high. I tried to lead the conversation and then got tired and then learned to sip my bourbon as slow as humanly possible. During one particular long sip Dave regaled me with this little nugget: 

"I had a weird clicking in my ear the other day. I got really worried because I'm a hypochondriac, ya know. So I went to an ENT doctor and it turns out it was just an eyelash sitting against my ear drum. Can you believe it? He removed it with a giant set of tweezers and the swooshing, clicking sound stopped immediately. Apparently it happens all the time." 

No, I can't believe it. Apparently dudes telling me stories about things in their ears is also  common. Remember Brian's ear nugget? They say you learn something everyday. This is something I wouldn't mind un-learning.


Why is he still single?  See above. And also because of this: 

"I saw the movie 50/50 this weekend. It was great. I cried. The girl I was with didn't shed a tear! It was our third date and I decided it would be our last. Because she didn't cry."

Did he pay for the date? Yes, but not without making comments about how this bar had cheap drinks and that's why he brought me here. I think he thought he was being witty but I didn't laugh. Then he wanted a second drink and I didn't and he said, "Oh so you're going to get this round?" I said, "No, I'm not getting another drink."*** 

Sip, bourbon. SLOW. Wish he wasn't getting another drink.
***Of note: In his match profile he writes, "I pay on the first date." Also of note: I came to his neighborhood - a 25 minutes subway ride away! 

Did he contact you after the date? No 

How many dates did you go on? 1 

Would you recommend to a friend?  No. He's 37. Get your shit together. Please.

Comments:

I know this guy was nervous and I always, always forgive that because dating is a lot of pressure for dudes. I know this. I think he tried to make jokes that I didn't know were jokes or weren't funny or maybe they weren't jokes at all. But besides that he was one of the most negative people I've ever met. He hated his job and hated his boss, and didn't really love the city. He also went off about how he hates cigarettes because they're disgusting. I don't smoke so I don't know how that subject came up. 

Another case of a guy with his own apartment, a car, a decent job, a full on adult but not mature enough to be a gentleman on a date. He told me he sets his expectations extremely low on dates. I can attest to that. This was one of those dates that makes me dislike dating.

The best part of this evening: When I emerged from the subway I looked down and found a crumpled dollar. There is always something exciting and mysterious about finding money on the ground like the universe is throwing me a bone saying "Don't worry, I've got something/someone really good coming to you soon." I will save this dollar. I may not have high expectations about dating either, but I do have hope.

31. January 2011: Diego

How did you meet? online (i decided to try a different site for the new year)

Name: Diego

Height: 5'10"

Age: 28

Occupation: web designer

Good quotes from date:

 "You'll have to tell me what it's like to turn 30."

Sorry, but that needed to be bolded.I actually asked him to repeat this because i wasn't sure i heard correctly. sadly, i had heard correctly.

see comments...

Did he pay for the date? no and i'm pretty sure he didn't even think of it as a date

Did he contact you after the date? i'm sure he won't

How many dates did you go on? 1

Would you recommend to a friend? absolutely not

Comments:

I know a lot about him because he talked and talked and talked. I'm not sure if he even asked me a question. The hilarious part is that in his online profile he says that a first date no-no is when one person gives a monologue...and here he was going on and on about himself.

During this monologue I learned several things:

-He only went on this particular dating site for a job interview, to do research, to potentially work for the site. I'm the first person he's met and I'm essentially part of the research -- he actually told me this before the appetizer. This would have been better kept to himself.

-He just moved here 4 days ago! Something he neglected to say in his various emails. Instead he said "I'll be back in town next week".

-He proceeded to tell me his impressions and experiences of a country in which he spent only 5 weeks, the very same country in which I lived for over a year. He never once asked me about my impressions or experiences there.

-He told me what real 'pizza' is. He knows this because one time he was in Napoli (Naples, he explained to me when I didn't ask. And i didn't explain to him that my grandfather is from there, I've been there, and as a new yorker and an Italian, i KNOW what real pizza is.)

-He told me i shouldn't put the hot sauce on the dish i ordered because it was sweet and wouldn't go together. I considered this as I squeezed as much of that delicious hot sauce on my dinner as I could, in the hope that the heat would be a more pleasant pain on my tongue then the current pain I was suffering in my ears from his chatter.

18. July 2010: Jason

How did you meet? online

Name: Jason

Height: 6'0"

Age: 23 (ok, in my defense i thought this could be a fun, summer fling...so wrong was i)

Occupation: Writer/comedian

Good quotes from date:

Beginning to middle of date, I got a private ticket to his stand-up comedy routine and new jokes that I did not purchase. He was not funny. 

End of date: "I'm attracted to you, I want to take out out again" Then groped me despite my protests. Also not funny.

Did you make out? Uh...he tried to kiss me after walking me to my bike, a peck on the lips, I pulled away wondering what the hell was going on. Then he tried again, and I actually had to say something...see comments. awkward-ville!

Why is he still single? He's a baby, he should be single

Did he pay for the date? yes

Did he contact you after the date? No, this event actually inspired me to hide my online profile for a few weeks due to exhaustion and general consistent disappointment.

How many dates did you go on? 1

Would you recommend to a friend? No, unless the friend was born in the 1990's

Comments:

I'll give him this: he had total balls. Even after I rejected him for a second date and brushed off the kiss, he still kept at it, saying he wanted to take me dinner...I began to remember what it was like when I was 23, new to NYC, fresh-faced, innocent, caught up in the energy of the city and how everything and everyone felt new and shiny...

I jumped on my bike as quickly as I could and rode back to my 30-something life. I'm happy in this decade.