Hi friends!  I have been a bit neglectful on the dating topic for a few weeks, so in order to make up for it, I’m about to give you some good stuff….

A hot boy and cold beer:  Last week I went on the best date ever and I didn’t have to do a damn thing to get it! Hating on-line dating, and excited for an entirely new concept, I signed up for Project Fix-up
https://www.projectfixup.com/
.  And when I say new, I mean that they just had their very first fix-ups last week.  Here’s how it all goes down: you fill out some answers about yourself and what you like, post your pictures, send it off into cyber space, and hope something good happens - pretty standard so far, right?  But then instead of wading through the same horrible, boring, cookie cutter profiles, someone else does that tediousness FOR you.  Then one day, you get an email asking you if you are interested in doing (blank) activity.  This first one was: Do you like craft beer? If so, when are you free?  And I replied “Why yes, yes I do love craft beer and I can make myself real free, real fast!  And then they sent me a time, place, and picture of my date and I hit “Yes!” and I guess he did too, and we were set!  Simple as that!   The best way to explain Project Fix-up is that it’s like an online, personalized, matchmaking service.  Oh!  And the best part is- you pay $15 per date!!! So if they don’t find you a date, you don’t have to pay.   

The big date:  Remember when I went out on the most perfect date, with  the most perfect guy a couple months ago thanks to the matchmaker?  I didn’t think it could get better than that, but my Project Fix-up guy made the other one look weak!  We met at the Hopleaf in Andersonville.  He was super cute and greeted me with a hug and bought me a beer.  When we sat down, I learned that he was not just pretty to look at, he was funny, charming, well-mannered, a good listener, and a generally perfect date.  But he was ALSO insanely well-travelled, highly educated, so successful, family oriented, uber liberal, did some teaching to prisoners (just like me!), and of course in the process of publishing a novel!  No exaggeration, he was one of the most fascinating, cool guys I have ever met.  Oh!  And we enjoyed our craft beers as well as the date since that was the “theme” of the Fix-up.  The Hopleaf has an excellent beer selection.  And I hear some pretty tasty food as well. 

So, when are you guys getting married?  Let’s not get all excited friends.  Much like my last date, this one was just “not that into me”.  (How is it that EVERY time I can’t stand a dude he loves me, but EVERY time I like a guy they’re not feelin’ me?!? How do people EVER get together!!!!  I swear- every time!)  Having said that, what made me think he was an even more stand up guy is that he let me know (via email a few days later) that while he did not think there was a romantic connection, he had a great time, thought we would do well as friends, and hoped to run into me in the future.  I let him know there were no hard feelings at all and I was really glad to have met him.  We exchanged a couple emails- and I really feel like he was sincere about everything, and I absolutely appreciated the fact that he was up front and honest.  That is hard to find!!!  But the bigger picture here is that in the years prior to this blog, EVERY date I went on was a ridiculous, painful tragedy.  And now?  Two high caliber, quality, super fun dates in just a couple months!!!  That’s good and rare stuff.  And I would like to re-iterate that I picked neither of those guys, and this is clearly a sign that I cannot trust myself, and total strangers know what’s good for me more than I do!  

Conclusion:  Sign up for this right away!  It’s fun, easy, and a new, original, fresh take on dating!  Ladies- maybe that awesome boy didn’t like ME but maybe one of you might be a better fit for him!  He sounds good, right?  And boys, I’m not sure what the pool of ladies is looking like obviously, I just know that I’M swimming in that pool which may make some of you boys dive right in and some of you may run the other way…. 

Rating: 5/5 so far….I’ll keep you posted

Don’t worry, I got boys on the back burner!  Project Fix-up and my Matchmaker aren’t the only ones looking out for me!  I have a good friend that I haven’t seen in about 10 years.  She lives FAR away (not like north side of the city far, but way across the country far), but has apparently been keeping through my blog.  I guess her husband does work with a guy from around here, and when she met this guy she says “Oh!  Chicago seems so fun!  I’ve never been, but I have a friend who writes a blog about it and I live vicariously through her!”  At which point this guy asks if I’m single, and tells my friend to give me his number and give him a call.  She gave me his number and I gave him a call.  I expected him to be so weirded out, but the conversation was actually really easy despite how totally absurd and unexpected it was.  We talked for a while, and I left the ball in his court telling him to call me when he gets back into town.  I felt certain that would be our only conversation since the whole thing was just so completely arbitrary.  You can imagine my surprise when I checked my voicemail and heard him asking me out!  I love it, I think this is very exciting.  And even if nothing comes of it, it’s a good story.  Although I already like his spontanaeity!  I’ll keep you posted on that as well!

That’s all the updates for this week!  I’m not sure what next week will bring, but you will all be the first to know!