1. B #1: I went into this hang out with reservations. We had plenty of long and interesting conversations so I thought that I'd give it one more chance, however he was incredibly pushy about romantic involvement (which I am kind of repulsed by at the point) so I was hesitant. It ended up being awful. He preached to me for a solid thirty minutes about Israeli/ Palestinian conflict and Jewish anarchist groups. Talk. Talk. Talk. He talked the entire time and I couldn't wait to leave. I need friends with whom I can have intelligent conversations, but I want to be able to get a word in here and there. I think this guy just needs a mirror and maybe a blow-up doll and he'll be good to go. I've been very upfront with him that I'm not looking to date anybody- I've told him several times- and yet later that day he sent me a text: "I wasn't sure how to read our hangout. Did you just wanna be friends w/ me, & not really go out on a date?" Oy! Too much work. Maya wasn't into him either. Moving on...
2. G-: We met up after my draining hangout with B #1, and had crepes and wine. When my crepe came with sour cream drizzled all over it, he was understanding and sent it back for me since it wasn't vegan. I was worried that he'd think I was being demanding, but he didn't seem concerned at all. Phew! We talked about veganism, societal collapse, the concept of "the other," and he was able to hold a conversation about Harry Potter with me. I was able to geek out about it for a bit. We ended up hanging out all afternoon into the wee hours of the morning playing frisbee; going to his friend's house to play games; and visiting Sun Liquor for a late-night drink. I can see us being buddies. Our sarcasm runs so thick that there were plenty of times when we would have to pause to consider whether the other was being serious or not. He's smart, almost intimidatingly so, but it wasn't the most amazing time I've had. He's borderline pompous. I am still not sure how I feel about getting to know him further, but I guess when you can spend 10 hours with a person and still have things to talk about, it's a good sign. Maya thought he was okay.
3. B #2: One lad came over to play games on Saturday night with my friends. He was something else and was the spitting vocal image of Daniel Plainview (I'm trying to be open to getting to know a variety of people, okay?). While I was making dinner and repressing laughter, A- (who was in the room) sent me a text which said, "I didn't know you invited Daniel Plainview to dinner." I could have died, but luckily I had another text from S-, who informed me that her cat had just fallen into the toilet. I could therefore laugh, mostly at Mr. Plainview, and say it was over S-'s text. He proceeded to guzzle a bottle and half of wine as if it were water (and he took his half empty bottle with him when he left, which I think is hilarious). I thought he was gulping water at one point, but then I realized it was wine. He abandoned his wine glass and switched to a water glass! The game we played was a lot of fun, but there are other people I'd rather play with in the future. I have ignored his texts. I'm thinking that's the best plan at this point. He doesn't know who Steven Colbert is and thinks abortion is morally wrong so I just don't see how we can be friends. Moving on...
4. E-: This date was the one I was looking forward to the most. While we were planning it, it became clear to me that this guy has his shit together. We met at Magnuson Park to go kayaking and he had everything set up and ready to go. When he was fitting me into my life vest, I joked that I wouldn't need it. I went kayaking in South Carolina the weekend before and didn't fall in once. I was feeling confident, but since he brought them I decided to wear it to be nice. Out of all the guys I've been hanging out with he is the easiest to talk to, which after a long weekend of awkward and exhausting moments, was a relief. The weather was gloomy which meant there weren't many people on the water and made for a private and peaceful trip, but the water was choppy- much choppier than it was in South Carolina.
It was interesting to hear all about his life and he asked me a ton of questions about mine. It was a very equal conversation, there wasn't a single lull, and he seemed to get me. I don't know what we were talking about, but we were engaged and looking at each other when our kayaks got a little too close. I tried moving over and dug my paddle in at too much of an angle just as a wake slapped the side of my kayak and flipped me over. The only other time I've been in water that cold was when I skinny dipped with my friends in college, but that's another story. I was so shocked and cold that I couldn't catch my breath. I was sputtering "I...I...I...I'm...I'm so...so...I'm so...em...em...em...barr...barrass...embarr...assed..." It took a while and several deep breaths to compose myself, but E- stayed calm and reassured me that I didn't need to feel embarrassed. He came up with a plan and told me what he was going to do which made me feel much better. He flipped my kayak over and proceeded to pump the water out while I stayed in the lake and began to laugh. Honestly, it was hilarious and he handled it so well that I no longer felt embarrassed. If he hadn't been there, I don't know how I would have gotten back into the boat because he had to pull me up into it. I don't know that I'll ever go alone knowing this.
When we got back to the car it seemed clear that we were both enjoying each other's company and I didn't want the day to be over. I had to run an errand for work at a store near his home and suggested that I go home, change and we could meet up after I ran my errand. He agreed and when I talked to him on the phone a bit later, he mentioned that he had a coupon for this particular store and offered it to me. I know that this sounds like such a trivial thing, but it seemed really thoughtful. Anyway, we ran my errands then had a picnic, which Maya was present at. She took to him right away and let him pet her. She sat on the bench with us and we continued to talk without strain.
I invited him to an event which was happening the next night and I didn't think he'd show up, but he did! I guess so many people say that they'll show up to things and end up flaking out that I've been conditioned to assume they won't show up. Anyway, he wants to plan a mountain biking trip with me for next weekend. I'm beside myself to have a friend who is super easy to be around and wants to play outside as much as I do. The only hang-up is that he's a flight instructor and I fear that one day I'll be suckered into flying in a tiny plane with him. That is something I'm not sure I could handle.
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