So I walked to the beer garden and met Jay. He was cute. Now granted, this was my first date with someone I'd met online - so it was a concerning point to see if he actually looked like his picture. I suddenly understand the plight of every casting director on the planet. I'm gauging headshots here, folks. As it were, he did. I'd have suggested leaving the hair longer as in his pic, but eh - whattayagonnado. Besides, he works at a preparatory school so I've got to assume this lends to his yuppier of looks.
Anyway, so we chat, drink beer, eat sausage. All is great. Then we went for a bit of a stroll and eventually back to my hood and to Doyle's. It was crowded. I think the Mets game was still on - or had just ended - so Doyle's was packed with your drunk Irishmen - and smoky as all hell. Though I must say that I handled myself with ease the whole night as to the smoking - between the beer garden, Doyle's, and Nua where we finally ended up, I was surrounded by smokers most of the night and didn't have the slightest urge to join them. In fact, I woke up the next morning with such a sore and raspy throat you'd have thought I did. I guess the 2nd hand smoke or the Jameson's on the rocks really packed it in.
We walked over to Nua which was not nearly as packed and he ordered us drinks and we sat in the back at a booth. By this point I was pretty into the guy. I was charmed by his dogs - and more so charmed by how in love he was with them - and his sense of humor was just on par with mine. At one point he leaned over and kissed me. He was a great kisser. I'm still a little flushed that we were making out like teenagers in the back of the bar. But hey - c'est la vie. Frankly, it was a welcome change in my life. I'd always kinda resented the fact that the men I'd been involved with the last few years hadn't done more of that. I'd see couples on the subway - all in that wrapped-up embracing kinda way - where you think either "wow - they're really in love" or "ew" (cause you're bitter that they are) and wonder why I didn't have that. So then he walked me home. Holding hands, talking about going apple-picking... Yes. It's kinda silly to me now - the whole romanticism of it all. Yet in the moment it was pretty fuckin great. He met Java, we kissed, and I sent him home. He was running a marathon the next day so the excuse was handy. And I - with all the willpower on earth - was determined to get past my first date without sleeping with anyone. Mission accomplished.
Yesterday I was supposed to have another date but I cancelled. Apparently I'm quite the hot commodity on the dating site. I've looked at the other girls - all pretty cute - but I think that my quirkiness must be the kicker for me. Anyway, the other date was a guy I just didn't really feel it for: he was more yuppie than I think I could deal. Besides the fact that he emailed to say he wasn't into dive bars (and was that a problem?), he also lived in the West Village and was a vegetarian, tv journalist and human/animal rights activist. Oy. Though I respect his causes and his volunteering, I'm really just pretty damn sure that me and the old veggie weren't gonna mesh. Above it all, though, I think the fact that he didn't like dive bars was the kicker for me. It just says so much about a person, really. I'm a dive bar, pool/darts kinda girl. I may love the high life - love the nice wines, the things that luxury affords as well - but really - if you can't also see the beauty to a game of darts in a dark and seedy bar then you're just not for me. It's really that simple.
So I cancelled. Did my adr with Cliff - thank the Lord that's done. Met Karen on the UES for a few drinks at a sports bar. Then came home. Got a text message from Jay to say that tomorrow was "choose your own adventure date" and that he'd call later to explain. I had to laugh - again. He did call and I chose my adventure - which was between holding off to go apple-picking until next week when the foliage would be more autumny and stay around Brooklyn (vs. doing the apple-picking now). I'm a little flustered that he has managed TWICE now to set up the next date before the current one. But I guess that means he likes me. A helluva lot better than fucking me and running, I guess - so no complaints. So that's that. It's Monday morning and I'm probably going back to bed for a bit. Later I'm going to search for jobs and then at some point I guess I'll find out where Jay and I are going to hang.
It's an interesting world, folks. I've closed myself off to it for too long.
Love, Ross
