Posting early again as I'm off to sunny California for the weekend. With any luck, it will actually be sunny - or at least warmer than here.
As a sidenote, in response to several messages I received after the last entry: this isn't intended as an advice column, dictating whether or not you should use this particular service. That's part of the reason the service is never actually named. This is for entertainment only, and if I impact your decision one way or the other, you should keep in mind the single most important aspect of who I am. I am ridiculous. I see this this blog as a way to share my (admittedly, often stream-of-consciousness and sarcastic) thoughts. That's it, that's all. Please don't take me too seriously. I certainly don't.
Two months down, one to go.
Week Eight
8.1 Four matches over the weekend, but no time to check them out. The polls are now open as to whether or not one of these will be the be-all and end-all. Don't forget to initial your ballot.
(After work now, checked the matches) Nope. All four closed. Two in my city (one younger than I, the other within the specified age bracket) but nothing that popped.
Seems there's a whole lot of "not popping" going on. Which brings me to a very astute observation made by someone I know... Apparently, I am romantically stunted.
And it's true, I am slow to warm to romance - but slow and steady wins the race, yeah? Well, no, fast and steady wins the race but that's neither here nor there really. Also, slow and steady doesn't really win the race against that tick-tocking biological clock, either...
...*cough*...
... So, in short, yes I am a late bloomer when it comes to romance. Being a ridiculous sort of person, perhaps I'm genetically predisposed to a lack of romanticism. Think about The Notebook. Great movie, right? Now picture the leading lady tripping over her own two feet at every turn. Somewhat less great, right?
Perhaps I'm just too picky.
Yes.... yes, I think that must be it. ... Picky.
8.2 Three matches, all within a year or two of each other - within the age range. One of them is fairly attractive, comes across as intelligent (though, you know, it's online - you can be whomever and whatever you wish to be online), and claims to be an accomplished musician. Sure, he'd be perfect if you went for that intelligent, talented, attractive sort. Me? I apparently like my men dumb, useless, and just this side of repugnant.
I'm feeling like just looking at my matches has become a chore - let alone deciding whether or not I should communicate with them. Because what if? What if so-and-so with the lack of a photo, three-word answers, half the questions unfilled-out on his profile is the one? Then what? This site claims to be different from all other services because of the science behind pairing people up... What kind of science could there possibly be if one of the participants (or both!) don't answer all the questions?
But what do I know? I'm sittin at the station in Acerbity drinking an overpriced diet cola from the vending machine...
8.2.1 One of the matches previously closed now requests that I re-open the match... What's a girl to do? This gentleman still has next to no information on his profile. He has no photos up. He has his height listed as six inches shorter than mine (what can I say? I own FMBs, I like to be able to wear them once in a blue moon, and they'd make me ten inches taller than him - not a disaster, but I prefer taller men) and none of the information intrigues me in the slightest.
Does not read, spends his leisure time at the dance club with friends - have I mentioned that I don't dance? I'm German. We polka. Nuff said - and is employed as a "troubleshooter." Now, that runs the gamut from game testing and debugging to standing on a sidewalk and figuring out why it keeps cracking in the winter.
Oy. Match will remain closed. Perhaps he could potentially be the one but I'm going to go with "no," which will give me another "what if?" to ponder as I sit on the porch with an afghan and six cats, later in life. And, depressingly, I just realized something. I don't think I've ever actually been asked out on a date... Oh dear. Perhaps I should reopen this match.
No communications from anyone else.
8.3 Received a message from one of you asking if I was taking this whole process too personally. I'm really torn about this, which came as a little bit of a surprise even to me. On the one hand, no I'm not taking it personally because I don't feel I'm particularly emotionally invested. This is a curiosity, and I can honestly say that though I am interested in the process, I am not hanging all my hopes and dreams on this site.
Sure, I may become that crazy hag who mutters her way through life and spends every February 14 contemplating spraying all nearby couples with a fire hose filled with marmalade - random, but c'mon, that'd ruin your Valentine's Day, wouldn't it? - but if that is to happen, it won't be solely because of this site. I'm still young, and I've still got a fair amount of play left in me. You can't quit the sport just because you're benched for a few games - *sigh* or seasons...
On the other hand, when it comes to dating and relationships... doesn't it kind of have to be personal? It's not like I'm pitching a product here - this is me: I'm ridiculous, I don't crave epic romance or someone to worship me and drop everything when I say so, I don't play games because I haven't ever learned (and don't care to learn) how, and I'm more interested in a partner than drama. In short, a fairly average person, I think. Take it or leave it. Even when someone you aren't interested in decides to "leave it," it stings a little.
Mais c'est la vie. You get your bumps and scratches and you move on! If not, we may as well all remain as prepubescent children who don't understand and can't react to a darn thing when it comes to this whole idea of love.
Goodness, wouldn't that be a hoot? "I met someone who doesn't think I'm the most amazing, awesometastical, perfectest person ever EVER. *stamps feet* It's not faaaaay-errrrrrrrrrrrr."
Oh, yeah, no new matches or communications...
8.3.1 Attraction... Call me shallow, but I think that there needs to be some physical attraction between partners. If that's all there is, there may be problems, but I think it's important. There, I said it. Rail against me all you like, but deep down, you know you agree. Of the (now) 179 matches I have received, I have found one physically attractive right off the bat. I mean, I can't think of anyone who has no redeeming physical qualities, but only one of the matches was an instant "oh my... he's yummy" reaction. I didn't include him in the case studies, but we communicated for about 3.2 seconds.
Why so short? Because not only was there nothing in common... Okay, well, there was nothing in common. We'll leave it at that. So attraction really can't be all there is, I guess, is my point.
8.4 Three matches and only one of them is in my city (unfilled-out profile, no photos). One isn't too far away, about an hour and a half (unfilled-out profile, no photos... as well), but the last (photos, filled-out profile) is in another country entirely. No other communications.
Perhaps I'm just not matchworthy to men in my own country. I worry about changing my "match distance" to include other places, however. What happens, then, when I still don't have matches?! What happens when this service scours the entire globe and still returns with "flexible" matches that aren't really matches at all?
Ohmygoodness, what happens when I have to look in that mirror and realize that maybe, just maybe, I'm actually not the most amazing, awesometastical, perfectest person ever EVER?!
Could you please hand me that paper bag? I think I'm having a panic attack.
Now. I have to make a cake tomorrow for my brother-in-law's birthday this weekend, which I will be missing because I'm off to California. I promise I'll try not to spread my panic about relationships to the other passengers whilst flying.
Final payment for the service has been processed.
