adventures? in speed dating

What you probably don't know is that this wasn't my first speed dating rodeo.  Oh no!  The first time was called pre-dating and I did it while doing the whole ever-so-healthy on again / off again thing with my ex-boyfriend.  No worries....it was during the off again phase.  A friend participated in the event with me.  When we were done, we met up with my off again boyfriend and some of his friends and then hung out for the rest of the night (and then he became my on again boyfriend once again).  See...healthy!

Since I had done the whole deed before, I did have somewhat of an expectation in my mind - not for actual results, but for the set-up, I suppose.  That was my first mistake.

My second mistake was to wear heels.  This kinda coincides with the first mistake which you will learn more about in just a second.

My third mistake was believing what I hear and not questioning specifics.

I'm sure there are more, but for purposes of maintaining my self-esteem, we will cut it at 3.  =/

Okay, so here goes...

The speed dating was offered by Eight Friends Out.  Their normal concept is to put 8 people at a table together for dinner - 4 guys and 4 girls.  Before dessert is served, they switch out the guys from another table so that you get to meet even more people.  Normally, the dinners are broken into age groups of 30s/40s and 50s+.  Obviously I attend the 30s/40s events and I'm always so disappointed when it turns out I'm on the younger end of things.  The last dinner I attended, in fact, I ended up sitting next to a *gentleman* in his upper 40s (nice...NOT) and he made some stupid comment about not being interested in younger women because he found them to be boring...they lacked the capability to have stimulating conversation, etc.  WHAT?!  I mean first of all, it's just a terribly rude comment to say considering it's quite obvious you are sitting next to a younger woman.  Secondly, to make such a blanket statement is so ignorant, it's obnoxious!  Finally, I'm bored listening to you talk, so SHUT-UP (thank you).  So, yeah...needless to say, I took a hiatus from attending events until last night. 

Last night called out to me because it was an event for 20s/30s and not a dinner.  I didn't really have any high hopes for it.  I figured if anything else, it should be entertaining.  I really can't even say that much.  I arrived about 15 minutes late, purposely, and all dolled up.  I looked good, if I do say so myself!  The event was held at Arcodoro's, a restaurant I had eaten at once before with a friend.  I got my name tag and was told by the organizer that the drinks were on special for us for $4.  Nice!  I went to the restroom to make sure I didn't have raccoon eyes from my dramatic smokey eye effect, and then went to the bar to order my vanilla vodka and soda.  It was more like soda with a splash of vanilla vodka, but hey...$4, so whatever.  I started a tab.  While waiting for my drink, the organizer informed me to line-up once I was done.  WHAT?!  Line-up?  We doin' a little line dancin'?  Um...okay.  So I looked behind me and sure enough...the girls were lined up on one side and the dudes were lined up in front of them - all were standing.  Hmmm...the first time I did speed dating, the girls were spaced out sitting around various nooks and crannies of the rented out bar the event was located in and the dudes made the rounds.  It was...kinda comfortable.  This was like a group of team players lined up to do the hand slap and say "good game!"  Let's give a shout-out to wearing heels while sporting a pelvic stress fracture, shall we?  Had I known I was going to be standing in them for an hour+ (and given additional information for the evening), perhaps I should have just gone with my flip-flops or rocket dogs??? 

There was a table full of name tags for people who signed up, but didn't show up.  To think our little area could have been more crowded.  yay.  So, there were 5 more girls than guys.  Two of the girls stood all unapproachable off to the side awaiting their turn to "date" while the other two girls and I dated each other until it was our turn.  Eventually, I just dated one of them until I was left dating myself.  That was an awkward 6 or 8 minutes.  I decided to make nice with myself and buy me a refill.  Ah...another soda with a splash of vanilla vodka.  Oh look...it's now my turn to date.  There were 8 guys in total.  They were all perfectly friendly and polite.  Some were easier to talk to than others, none worth mentioning specifically.  While dating my 4th dude, they decided to bring out the appetizers.  It's really cool talking to someone for a precious 6 or 8 minutes while stuffing cold-that-is-supposed-to-be-hot food in your mouth.  Yeah, it was like that.  After dating my last next-ex, I returned to the bar for my 3rd and final soda with a splash of vanilla vodka.  The organizer called out to me and asked me how I felt it went.  I told her it wasn't what I expected, that I had done it once before and it had been better organized, BUT that it was nice to see younger people finally (yep...always trying to see the silver lining).  She bounced some ideas off of me for future events to get more of a turn-out.  I then sauntered on over to a group of girls.  We chatted for a bit and then they invited me to join them at Taco Milagro for some late night dinner.  First, I had to go close out my bar tab.  Imagine my shock when my bill was $24.75.  I inquired about the $4 drink special and was informed that was only for four specific drinks.  Oh, nice to know.  Perhaps if you are going to charge $8.25 for a drink, it ought to be vanilla vodka with a splash of soda.  Just sayin'.  I then went to the organizer and asked her about it.  Yep..oops...she meant to tell me it was for four specific drinks.  lovely.  =/ 

I met the 3 girls at Taco Milagro and enjoyed some food, iced tea, and music.  I wish I could say I enjoyed the company, but well...one of them was friendly...another one okay, and the 3rd was anti-social.  Ah well...

So there you have it.  I dated 2 girls, myself, and 8 dudes last night all while paying a hefty price for spunky club soda and further agitating my pelvis (as in I'm a new kind of crippled now) - all in the name of trying to find my heart's companion.   Never a dull moment in this 30-something year old's life...