Dec. 2, 2003: A lot of balls in the air (so to speak)
Where to start? Quite the onslaught of action this morning, with emails from Joe, Greg II, and James, and a new match and some renewed communication in EH. And I talked to Tim last night. It's like Christmas in, well, December.
I guess I'll start with my conversation with Tim. I waited until about 9pm to see if he'd call, but alas, he did not. He sounded happy to hear from me (although he kept yawning, which was rather disconcerting—not particularly polite), and we chatted about half an hour or so, primarily about our respective vacations. I was a bit surprised at how freely he spoke of getting "loaded" on his flights (he sat in first class—it'd be rude to turn down the free booze, after all). Maybe he assumed I'd do the same, being a Marquette grad and all. While I did succumb as far as calling him back, I managed to hold out on proposing dinner. I decided to leave that to him, and he came through. We're tentatively scheduled to have dinner in my neighborhood Monday night; he said he'd drive in from work. "Pencil me in," he said toward the end of the conversation. "Oops," I replied. "I'm actually holding a pen, but I'll grab a pencil." "No, you can go ahead and use a pen," he said, laughing. So Monday it is.
My Hawaii-induced insomnia had me up again at 2am last night. I was working on my computer when a new match came in from EH. I thought I'd just leave it until the light of day but decided to sneak a peek before I shut down. Then I realized it wasn't a match but a new communication. I don't know why, but I found myself thinking, "Could it be Roger? Nahhh." Lo and behold, it was Roger. I wrote him off a while ago, and this time I wasn't jumping the gun—more than three weeks have passed since our whirlwind Saturday morning exchange that had me so excited.
He certainly put some thought into the short answers he supplied, but did it really take three weeks to craft them? I mean, he does have an MBA from Northwestern, so I wouldn't think it'd be that arduous of a task for him. Or was it my lists of must-haves and can't-stands that caused him so much consternation? Was he mulling over whether he could satisfy and/or live with those? I suppose I should sit on the questions he sent me for a while, so it doesn't seem like I've been biding my time, waiting for him, but I'm so bad at playing it cool, especially when he doesn't want kids and EH swears on its good name that we're compatible. And what's the point? If he's turned off by a quick response and drops communication, no big deal—I'd already written him off.
Looking back at his profile, he does sound awfully good (but possibly arrogant), especially since I've recently decided what I'm really looking for is a Renaissance man. When asked about how he spends his leisure time, he writes:
"I am somewhat of a Renaissance Man. I enjoy working out, playing sports (volleyball, golf, tennis, basketball, football, biking, hiking, skiing, camping - you name it), going to the theatre, the beach, the woods, discussing the news of the day from NPR to Letterman, or just enjoying a quiet evening at home with a classic movie."
From his short answers, he appears to recognize the importance of balance in life—rather than being most proud of academic or professional accomplishments, he says he's proud that he's been able to reap his accomplishments without sacrificing personal relationships. Good, good. In response to the question about an interest of his he'd hope his partner would share, he writes about travel, both vacations and getaway weekends. He adds: "I have been blessed with enough airline miles and hotel points seemingly to last a lifetime. Care to find out just how long we could go?" Why, yes, Roger—I would.
Finally, his idea for a romantic evening with someone he's dated for more than a year definitely works for me:
"I would tailor the evening to the interests of my date. As a frequent traveller, that could mean an impromptu getaway to London, Paris, or Rome. Or, it could simply mean coming home to a prepared picnic dinner spread out on the living room floor. It might also mean a scavenger hunt around the city ending up in a luxury suite at the Drake. Anything that would allow us to be together and enjoy our relationship."
So I went ahead and answered Roger's short-answer questions of me. From the list of questions EH supplies, he asked what I'm most proud of in my life and the three best traits I have to offer a partner. He also wrote his own question: "Sometimes these questions can seem a little too imposing, so let's start with something light and easy. How was your day? Did anything interesting happen that you would like to share with me?" Maybe it'll sound passive-aggressively catty, but I replied: "Well, I'd have to say the most interesting thing to happen so far today was hearing from you. A very pleasant surprise!" It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, develops.
***
Joe wrote back, saying that he also wanted to see a play I'm planning on checking out this coming weekend ("Nickeled and Dimed," based on the book by Barbara Ehrenreich). He also said he'd just finished reading the Sedaris book "Naked." He's a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, so he's on his computer all day at work; consequently, he says he's not good about checking his email at home, so he asked if I'd like to talk sometime: "It is so much easier to getto know someone that way." He included his phone number, but you know how I feel about that—I sent him mine and told him to call when he can.
Greg II also would like to chat or maybe meet for coffee after work. He wrote a nice long email. He visited my business Web site and asked some questions about that and my career path. Also wrote about a trip out West, his cat, Palatine (who knew its library was ranked 3rd best in the country last year?), and golf. He mentioned that he does volunteer work, too—very nice. I'll write back and toss my number out to him, as well. The lunch buffet is now open!
James thinks I "sound too cool" (see what I mean about online communication creating unrealistic expectations?). We have a little inside joke (to the extent people who've never met or spoken can have inside jokes) about Karl Jung, based on his user name of talljungguy. Anyway, I mentioned in my email to him yesterday that I'd heard an NPR interview of a woman who wrote a recently published biography of Jung. Turns out James heard the same interview—gotta like that. He wants to meet and suggested a drink tomorrow night, somewhere near the L because he doesn't own a car. I wrote back and offered to meet him in his neighborhood. So, as of now, I'm waiting for phone calls from Joe and Greg M. and details on a place and time with James tomorrow night, and am scheduled for dinner with Tim on Monday.
I've also received email from a couple of Emode jokesters. Smiley_dave wrote me once before, and I believe I've already critiqued his profile. The other guy, who sends his full name and phone number, is 49, smokes, lives in Deerfield, and is wearing a necklace in his photo. I'm not big on jewelry on men.
And EH found me another match. Mike is 36, 5'11", and lives in Libertyville. Hmmm. He said he typically spends his leisure time watching TV, and for the last book he read and enjoyed, he answered "none." Mind you, not just "has not responded yet"; he actually entered "none" as his answer. Not exactly an intellectual, this Mike. And one of the things he can't live without is "sexual relationship." I think I'll pass on ole Mikey for now.
***
James just wrote, and Greg II followed right on his heels. I'd written James to let him know I had to schedule a job interview for Thursday morning, so it won't be a late, crazy night for me. I also sent an excerpt I saw online about a holiday beer available at a bar in his neighborhood. He replied that we can meet there, at Huettenbar, have a drink and then grab dinner somewhere nearby. Cool.
Greg elaborated on some of his volunteer work (Palatine Jaycees—yikes; then again, my brother is a Rotarian, although I like to keep that under wraps). He said he'll call this evening after 7pm. I'm meeting some friends for dinner at 7pm, but I shouldn't be out late, so no reason to write him about it. I'll just call back if I miss him.
Wow. I just googled James, and it returned a lot of academic papers. He's actually an assistant professor at DePaul and very widely published on computer and math related topics. He looks to have a Ph.D. I'm pretty impressed. Definitely got me a smart one here.
Doh! I don't know what came over me, but I just sent James a message in response to his last email, which set a time and place:
"Cool.
P.S. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I Googled you, and you seem to be one smart cookie. I find that very sexy. But who wouldn't find aspect-oriented programs sexy?"
Who am I? Fortunately, he responded positively:
"That's great! I should get you to come tell my students this! And I'm so glad the pedophilia conviction is finally coming after my professional page on google."
Must resist temptation to reply with some joke about pedophilia and wanting kids. Must … Be … Strong!
I guess I'll start with my conversation with Tim. I waited until about 9pm to see if he'd call, but alas, he did not. He sounded happy to hear from me (although he kept yawning, which was rather disconcerting—not particularly polite), and we chatted about half an hour or so, primarily about our respective vacations. I was a bit surprised at how freely he spoke of getting "loaded" on his flights (he sat in first class—it'd be rude to turn down the free booze, after all). Maybe he assumed I'd do the same, being a Marquette grad and all. While I did succumb as far as calling him back, I managed to hold out on proposing dinner. I decided to leave that to him, and he came through. We're tentatively scheduled to have dinner in my neighborhood Monday night; he said he'd drive in from work. "Pencil me in," he said toward the end of the conversation. "Oops," I replied. "I'm actually holding a pen, but I'll grab a pencil." "No, you can go ahead and use a pen," he said, laughing. So Monday it is.
My Hawaii-induced insomnia had me up again at 2am last night. I was working on my computer when a new match came in from EH. I thought I'd just leave it until the light of day but decided to sneak a peek before I shut down. Then I realized it wasn't a match but a new communication. I don't know why, but I found myself thinking, "Could it be Roger? Nahhh." Lo and behold, it was Roger. I wrote him off a while ago, and this time I wasn't jumping the gun—more than three weeks have passed since our whirlwind Saturday morning exchange that had me so excited.
He certainly put some thought into the short answers he supplied, but did it really take three weeks to craft them? I mean, he does have an MBA from Northwestern, so I wouldn't think it'd be that arduous of a task for him. Or was it my lists of must-haves and can't-stands that caused him so much consternation? Was he mulling over whether he could satisfy and/or live with those? I suppose I should sit on the questions he sent me for a while, so it doesn't seem like I've been biding my time, waiting for him, but I'm so bad at playing it cool, especially when he doesn't want kids and EH swears on its good name that we're compatible. And what's the point? If he's turned off by a quick response and drops communication, no big deal—I'd already written him off.
Looking back at his profile, he does sound awfully good (but possibly arrogant), especially since I've recently decided what I'm really looking for is a Renaissance man. When asked about how he spends his leisure time, he writes:
"I am somewhat of a Renaissance Man. I enjoy working out, playing sports (volleyball, golf, tennis, basketball, football, biking, hiking, skiing, camping - you name it), going to the theatre, the beach, the woods, discussing the news of the day from NPR to Letterman, or just enjoying a quiet evening at home with a classic movie."
From his short answers, he appears to recognize the importance of balance in life—rather than being most proud of academic or professional accomplishments, he says he's proud that he's been able to reap his accomplishments without sacrificing personal relationships. Good, good. In response to the question about an interest of his he'd hope his partner would share, he writes about travel, both vacations and getaway weekends. He adds: "I have been blessed with enough airline miles and hotel points seemingly to last a lifetime. Care to find out just how long we could go?" Why, yes, Roger—I would.
Finally, his idea for a romantic evening with someone he's dated for more than a year definitely works for me:
"I would tailor the evening to the interests of my date. As a frequent traveller, that could mean an impromptu getaway to London, Paris, or Rome. Or, it could simply mean coming home to a prepared picnic dinner spread out on the living room floor. It might also mean a scavenger hunt around the city ending up in a luxury suite at the Drake. Anything that would allow us to be together and enjoy our relationship."
So I went ahead and answered Roger's short-answer questions of me. From the list of questions EH supplies, he asked what I'm most proud of in my life and the three best traits I have to offer a partner. He also wrote his own question: "Sometimes these questions can seem a little too imposing, so let's start with something light and easy. How was your day? Did anything interesting happen that you would like to share with me?" Maybe it'll sound passive-aggressively catty, but I replied: "Well, I'd have to say the most interesting thing to happen so far today was hearing from you. A very pleasant surprise!" It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, develops.
***
Joe wrote back, saying that he also wanted to see a play I'm planning on checking out this coming weekend ("Nickeled and Dimed," based on the book by Barbara Ehrenreich). He also said he'd just finished reading the Sedaris book "Naked." He's a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, so he's on his computer all day at work; consequently, he says he's not good about checking his email at home, so he asked if I'd like to talk sometime: "It is so much easier to getto know someone that way." He included his phone number, but you know how I feel about that—I sent him mine and told him to call when he can.
Greg II also would like to chat or maybe meet for coffee after work. He wrote a nice long email. He visited my business Web site and asked some questions about that and my career path. Also wrote about a trip out West, his cat, Palatine (who knew its library was ranked 3rd best in the country last year?), and golf. He mentioned that he does volunteer work, too—very nice. I'll write back and toss my number out to him, as well. The lunch buffet is now open!
James thinks I "sound too cool" (see what I mean about online communication creating unrealistic expectations?). We have a little inside joke (to the extent people who've never met or spoken can have inside jokes) about Karl Jung, based on his user name of talljungguy. Anyway, I mentioned in my email to him yesterday that I'd heard an NPR interview of a woman who wrote a recently published biography of Jung. Turns out James heard the same interview—gotta like that. He wants to meet and suggested a drink tomorrow night, somewhere near the L because he doesn't own a car. I wrote back and offered to meet him in his neighborhood. So, as of now, I'm waiting for phone calls from Joe and Greg M. and details on a place and time with James tomorrow night, and am scheduled for dinner with Tim on Monday.
I've also received email from a couple of Emode jokesters. Smiley_dave wrote me once before, and I believe I've already critiqued his profile. The other guy, who sends his full name and phone number, is 49, smokes, lives in Deerfield, and is wearing a necklace in his photo. I'm not big on jewelry on men.
And EH found me another match. Mike is 36, 5'11", and lives in Libertyville. Hmmm. He said he typically spends his leisure time watching TV, and for the last book he read and enjoyed, he answered "none." Mind you, not just "has not responded yet"; he actually entered "none" as his answer. Not exactly an intellectual, this Mike. And one of the things he can't live without is "sexual relationship." I think I'll pass on ole Mikey for now.
***
James just wrote, and Greg II followed right on his heels. I'd written James to let him know I had to schedule a job interview for Thursday morning, so it won't be a late, crazy night for me. I also sent an excerpt I saw online about a holiday beer available at a bar in his neighborhood. He replied that we can meet there, at Huettenbar, have a drink and then grab dinner somewhere nearby. Cool.
Greg elaborated on some of his volunteer work (Palatine Jaycees—yikes; then again, my brother is a Rotarian, although I like to keep that under wraps). He said he'll call this evening after 7pm. I'm meeting some friends for dinner at 7pm, but I shouldn't be out late, so no reason to write him about it. I'll just call back if I miss him.
Wow. I just googled James, and it returned a lot of academic papers. He's actually an assistant professor at DePaul and very widely published on computer and math related topics. He looks to have a Ph.D. I'm pretty impressed. Definitely got me a smart one here.
Doh! I don't know what came over me, but I just sent James a message in response to his last email, which set a time and place:
"Cool.
P.S. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I Googled you, and you seem to be one smart cookie. I find that very sexy. But who wouldn't find aspect-oriented programs sexy?"
Who am I? Fortunately, he responded positively:
"That's great! I should get you to come tell my students this! And I'm so glad the pedophilia conviction is finally coming after my professional page on google."
Must resist temptation to reply with some joke about pedophilia and wanting kids. Must … Be … Strong!
posted by Bemused @ 8:35 AM
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