the match diaries- entry #2.

the first match guy threw out his number a week ago.

a marketer from southern california transplanted to minneapolis, he captured my attention with his witty email rapport. i wasn’t sure how it would translate from email to the phone or in person, but i decided it was worth the risk, so i threw my number right back at him.

we talked on saturday as i was decorating for the birthday bash. we texted multiple times on saturday night (hey, that’s what happens when you give the birthday girl a liquid concoction labeled “curiouser and curiouser...”) and on sunday morning, he asked if i’d like to do brunch. i paid my $60 dues to match for a reason- what the hell, right? we decided to meet at noon at a favorite brunch spot in uptown.

he was just as witty, sweet and smart in person as i originally found him to be online- and he had cute dimples to top it off. i was running through random online dating horror stories in my mind as i sat across from him... but then he asked if i wanted to taste his tomato basil soup, smiled his cute smile and held out his spoon for me.

a good sign, right? who knows. i like him. (i think) he likes me. despite my crazy over-analytical mind, communication since sunday brunch has been...simple. sweet. funny.

a good first match, if i do say so myself.

being alice.

thanks to all who made my 27th a very memorable one, indeed!

27 life lessons at 27.

since i will be celebrating another birthday in a few days, i thought i’d compile a list of my life lessons thus far, inspired by an email forward i received. enjoy the cheesiness!

1. i’ve learned to pray. meditate. be with my thoughts and be with god. it’s allowed me time to slow down, breathe and re-connect with the bigger picture.
2. i let myself sleep in every so often—it’s just a must.
3. i’ve worked really hard to quit wishing for what i don’t have—i spend too much time missing all the wonderful things i do.
4. having a good cry on the bathroom floor when i need to is better than therapy. (and then i pick myself up and move the hell on.)
5. it’s really not as bad as i think it is. and when i think i've got it bad, i remind myself there’s always someone out there who’s got it worse.
6. those 10 extra pounds i think i need to lose don’t really make a difference to anyone else in my life (i think), so why do i let them make such a difference to me? in the end, it’s all crap anyway.
7. i've found causes i believe in and support… whether it’s through time or money, i’ve found it to be an incredibly important piece of my life, a way to gain perspective and see the bigger picture.
8. mothers are always going to worry and that’s just the way it is.
9. when i ask for advice, i truly want it, but i always try and remember that in the end, the only person walking my path is me.
10. i try to keep this in mind when giving advice as well.
11. cheesy as it may be (and it is), one of the greatest feelings i have is that i own my sexuality and feel like a woman at all times—thank you nonromantic life partner, for instilling that in me so many years ago.
12. the best way to truly appreciate my home and my surroundings is to leave them for awhile.
13. and the best place to get away is most certainly south beach.
14. patience is a virtue and one that i will likely never have.
15. the only two people who will ever truly know what a relationship is like are the two people in it.
16. cats can be a major pain the ass—the hair, the litter, the meowing at 4 in the morning—but having my cat fall asleep purring next to me makes it all worthwhile.
17. when i was a child, all i wanted was to be an adult. now that i'm an adult, there are many days that i want to go back to being a child. i guess my mom WAS right…
18. when it comes to friends—quality, not quantity.
19. the best times in my life are always completely random and unplanned.
20. experience is what i get when i don’t get what i want.
21. i am so grateful i’ve taken the time to know myself before committing to anyone else.
22. my dad is the best man i've ever met—even when he pisses me off, i can’t imagine a better guy out there.
23. this too shall pass. (that one is for you, quiche love burger.)
24. cubicles are known to be dreary little spaces in which to spend the majority of your week—but trust me, all you need is some funky fabric, fake flowers and a bunch of pictures and it will become a place you actually look forward to being at!
25. i like to refer to my tattoos as “the roadmap of my life—“ and they really are. i cherish every one of them and the meaning behind them.
26. i've learned not just the importance, but the absolute necessity of having my wonderful women (from my mother to my sister to my best friends) in my life. no matter which boyfriend-of-the-moment happens to be drifting in or out, they always have and always will be there. priceless.
27. i may be 27, but i'm still going to put on a bright blue tutu skirt and throw myself an alice in wonderland themed birthday party. what the hell—i only live once and i want to throw some sparkle into the world on my ride, damn it!

the match diaries- entry #1.

yes, i bit the bullet, jumped off the cliff, whatever euphemism you want to use. i joined that one dating site.

three days, 58 "winks," 8 emails and 3 real possibilities later, here i am. here i go? i have yet to set a date, but thought i should start this little "diary" as a way to chronicle my "adventures in match dating."

the first three days have been interesting, to say the least. i've had to wade through a lot of profiles (neither "hoping4luv2000" or "uandigoodthing" got a wink back from me), but i have found three men that i am in the process of emailing with. i figure i'll take it slow, get to know them a little bit online before biting the next bullet and meeting in person.

however, before any match dates happen, another date is taking place wednesday night, with someone i've met in real live person. if it turns out to be something, i'll tell more; if not, i'll just let this one fade into oblivion with all the rest.

here's to happy dating...

recap.

the wedding was.... hard. harder than any other one i've been to, for some reason.

but. when, during the prayer before dinner, my sister took my hand, looked at me and smiled, i knew she understood. she didn't have to say a word and i knew she was right there with me.

and. when, after a good cry and a slightly restful night's sleep on saturday, i met my friend D at the pool to vent, talk, laugh and just be our girly selves, i knew that it didn't matter if i had a husband or not-- because i already have a beautiful family of my own. we might be made of up of all those misfits they place at the single table at weddings, but god, we know how to be there for each other!