This isn’t a blog so much as it is a journal/diary filled with my thoughts and news about me. As such, there’s not much traffic except for the time I wrote about how enjoyable it is to shower at the gym. That was crazy because dozens and dozens of hits came up from folks searching for “showering at the gym” or “guys showering”. I know they were disappointed that the post neither had photos nor explicit details beyond that hot water and a change of clothes feels better than walking home sweaty and cold in the Seattle winter. I did get a comment from someone who wondered whatever happened with the Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson concert. It turned out okay. I went with a coworker of one of my friends. Thanks goodness she wanted to go and thank goodness she was a fan of Michael Jackson. The show covered many songs from many years of the MJ catalog. There was only one song that I didn’t recognize, but Alice recognized even that one, so she must have been legit.
In that post, I bandied about the idea of finding an Internet date for the concert. It was a very real possibility; at the time, I was thinking of how to explain to a random girl on a dating website that I wanted to meet her and pay her way to a $70 concert within 3 days. It doesn’t seem as far-fetched now as it did then, but it’s not my M.O. In any event, I’m glad I didn’t do it. Even after the concert, I’ve stayed on the OKCupid, you know…trying to get a little adventure during the month I have left. It’s flattering when I receive an initial email from a woman often there’s no attraction or she lives in Modesto or some other faraway place. What’s even the point of that? I always wondered why a person would specify something over 30 miles as their search range. Hell, I’ll even give ‘em 50 miles. But are you really gonna travel over 50 miles to meet a person you’ve been talking to over the Internet?
On second thought, scratch that question.
Well, I guess if it’s strictly to get laid. But, me…well, I have a more noble focus! I’m trying to establish a physical and emotional connection with a lovely woman…just to throw it all away once I leave the country for a year on February 24. Much more responsible, I know.
Anyway, as a guy, the way to communicate on OKCupid is to blast out the initial messages. A few criteria: does she look good? Does she live close? Does she write in complete sentences? Then, send it! And when a reply arrives, it’s so cool. It’s like being granted a job interview–it’s good to make it to that next level and to get the opportunity to use my Internet correspondence skills to convince a chick to meet me in person. But, like a job interview, it’s still stressful. The messaging phase is so precarious. A delicate balance must be struck between giving and getting information and not seeming either too eager or too disinterested. It’s like those Lumberjack Games on ESPN3 where the guys have to balance on the rolling log in the water. In my mind, though, perception of me is always taken to the extreme; I envision that the girl on the other side sees me as either an obnoxious flake or a lurking creeper, with nothing in between. In reality, I’m just a guy completely overanalyzing the situation.
