whiskey? no?

Okay, so I did it.

I actually went on a date with someone that I met online. Actually, I don't know if you can call it a "date." My friend refers to it as a "meet-up." I like this term better. He didn't pay. Well, he tried, but I beat him there (it was just a coffee shop, and we were just grabbing a light lunch), and I didn't feel like awkwardly waiting for him to get there, or making it seem like I was waiting on him because I wanted him to pay for it. Actually, I think he was bothered by it . . .

Well, maybe I should back up a bit . . .

So this guy and I started chatting about a month ago. He's perfect on paper: artsy, interesting, funny, smart, has a good job, etc. Just one e-mail into the "open communication" phase, he asked if I wanted to meet up. After an incredibly encouraging e-mail from a friend, I decided to say yes. I mean, why not, right? Still, I was nervous.

First of all, every single one of his photos online looked like a different person. How was I supposed to identify him? This turned out to be fairly easy in reality -- and so did the date, in general.

Tip: If you're nervous about meeting someone from online, meet up for lunch, and have a deadline. For example, we met on a Thursday, and I had to be back at work at a certain time. If it goes well, then great. If it doesn't, at least you have an out.

Anyway, he was a really nice guy, and everything that he said in his profile seemed to be true. He was interesting, artsy, etc., but I honestly wasn't attracted to him, and I felt like he was a little awkward. Also, I had to carry the conversation the majority of the time, which I did not enjoy. I found myself looking at the clock, which was strategically placed on the wall, right above his head.

We left the coffee shop, gave each other a hug, and he said, "Well, I'll e-mail you soon." I said, "Yeah, sure, definitely." But as I said it, I was already plotting the outline of my rejection e-mail. Brash? Maybe. But (and this may be a really weird statement), I found myself thinking that he was not the kind of guy that I could have fun with at a bluegrass show. I want a guy who will drink whiskey, slightly embarrass me by being overly chatty with everyone around us, and just, in general, have a good time. I don't think he was that guy.

Ironically, though I planned my rejection, he has not contacted me. It's interesting how quickly I can go from feeling like the rejector to the rejectee. (Are those even real words?) Yikes. I'm realizing that I may be a bit more vain than I had thought. Uh oh.

So . . . will I go out with anyone else from eHarmony? Maybe. I definitely feel more comfortable with the idea now. And I have proven to myself that I can turn a somewhat awkward situation into an okay one. Apparently, I'm good at talking about myself for an hour!