okcupid

Nightmare on 33rd Street

Another flashback Friday date since I’ve been spending more time with Spencer and the Criminal Minds team than out on new dates lately. In January 2014 I went out on a date with a guy from OkCupid. We will call him Freddy. Freddy and I met up on a cold January weekday night at a speakeasy in midtown called Middle Branch. I was very impressed with his choice! It was a speakeasy and I had not heard of it. He had a reservation for us upstairs so we waited downstairs a few minutes until our table was ready. Before the date he made it known that he was going to “grab a slice of pizza,” which means he isn’t going to be shelling out the dollar bills for dinner. It was too late for me to grab a bite for myself and at this point I was just meeting after work and not going back home to Queens (where I lived at the time). So, I met up for drinks on a empty stomach. Classic.

We probably spent about two hours at the speakeasy discussing all kinds of things from family to careers. I was in a career transition at the time and had just found out I got my exciting new job so I was on a high with that. My personality definitely was overbearing for this poor kid. After about two drinks I was thoroughly bored and he was insistent upon having another one. Probably the most exciting thing he shared with me was that his uncle was a director/producer of scary movies. One, in fact that gave me horrible nightmares as a child. This should’ve been my red flag. The date ended and I got into a cab home. I did not kiss Freddy goodbye nor did I feel like I left an impression on him wanting to hang out again. I was also turned off by the fact that he had me pay half of the bill. It was a speakeasy that he picked out that clearly has expensive beverages. He knew it would be pricey and was the one insistent upon more drinks. Now, I did make one error and I will blame it on the intoxication. I did hold Freddy’s hand across the table. There were no romantic stares to associate the hand holding. Honestly, as I remember it, it was completely innocent. This later came to bite me on the behind.

I tried to give this guy the typical “fade out” where I barely respond to his messages. But, poor guy did not get the hint. And, once I broke it to him that I was “just not that into him” he went a whole different direction. I present the screenshots of the nightmarish texts after a mediocre date that also show that I, too, break hearts.

I sent him a picture of a beer pong table at a house party I was at to show that I was “busy.”

text

Note my very terse responses …

text.5

Please, tell me every thought on your mind and your every action. I’m clearly not interested.

text1

text2

I had no choice but to break it to him …

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Then don’t say anything … ? So he waits 5 more days and sends a desperate plea to meet again.

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His uncle’s movies gave me nightmares and his texts gave me nightmares more than a Criminal Minds episode.

Good Date. Bad Timing.

Saturday I took another arrow from OkCupid and went out with another musician. This time, a part-time drummer and future full- time doctor. He wants to be a pediatrician. Those who know me know my dislike for children. Props to him for wanting to deal with crying kids all day. He was an average height, blonde hair, blue eyed 26-year-old from a big Greek family. Oldest of six! Another one good on paper! Our date was at Le Parisian in Kips Bay. Adorable little French brunch place.

But, remember he is a “future” doctor and not currently one. I appreciate the ambition and definitely a desirable career but I have had many friends go through their residency and fall off the face of the Earth. Hence, prefacing this date as “good” but with “bad” timing. He doesn’t even know where he will be doing his residency, which starts in six months, so I’m 100% skeptical to get involved as more than friends with this one. Just trying to steer clear of future problems better than Captain Smith of the Titanic.

Overall, conversation was enjoyable enough to continue onto Cask next door for one more beverage before going our separate ways. I had a bag of purple pom poms and college football to watch. Priorities folks. I think my favorite part of the conversation was when we both discussed how our Grandmothers would cook lamb and the different ways to cook it. Then he lost his train of thought and I just rambled “Mary had a little lamb” and “Lambchop” references. He said that is a tendency of schizophrenia. I was just playing some word association to help him regain his train of thought. I am completely sane but it is still funny though. He tried to kiss me at the bar. I appreciated the initiative but I didn’t feel the moment was right for a “first kiss” at a bar ar 3:30 in the afternoon. Cheesy sounding enough that I should have had some cheese with my wine at Cask I suppose. If he asked me out again I would definitely consider, but proceed with caution. He actually will be in the same city as me over the weekend after Thanksgiving so he mentioned meeting up there. We will see how the schedules match up and if there is a second date with “Dr. Drums.”

Starting this weekend, I will be in the Sunshine State for two weeks and then Christmas is here before you know it. I personally am annoyed when someone takes me on a date before they leave for an extended period of time so I plan on extending common courtesy to the male population for now. Tis the season to put dating on the back burner and cookies in the oven instead. Holiday cheer will be maintained by some entertaining stories I have accumulated from my first year of dating in NYC. Perhaps have the sugar cookies already made though because there is nothing sweet about these stories.