Yes you read the title correctly...7 dates in 10 days.  The title was suggested by my friend Charlie who said that I HAD to write about my dating adventures.  So here's the lowdown.  I've been having fun!

Yes, dating can be FUN!

I think its all about the expectations.  For the most part (I'll get back to that later), I have gone into this with very little expectation that anything will come of it all.  I needed to get back out and meet new people so that's what I've focused on.  And I have met some very nice, super interesting people.

Date 1 was an Opera singer in his early days, we slugged through the mud on a trail with his dog and learned more about each other.  Then sat for a couple of hours and had some really interesting conversation.

Date 2 was retired from the same industry I used to work in, construction, and was super nice but just didn't have too much to talk about.

Date 3 was a Scottish lad who was super smart and thought pretty highly of himself but again, very nice guy who was totally into his son who I could see he adored.

Date 4 was on Valentine's Day.  Talk about a recipe for disaster.  Instead it was the best date of the week, we laughed and talked for hours.  We've since had our second date, more on that below, and are working on our third when I return from CA.  Taking it slow and seeing where this goes...stay tuned

Date 5 was retired Navy who worked in Intelligence and travelled all over the world.  Another super nice, interesting guy and a total gentleman.

Date 6 was more of a get together with a couple friends who have wanted me to meet their neighbor for years.  The four of us drank alot of wine and laughed and talked and then I don't remember much else...it was A LOT of wine!  Another nice, very interesting guy but, I'm sure much to my friend's dismay, there wasn't really an attraction there*.

Date 7 was a Law Professor who got his Phd from Oxford, was a Rhodes scholar and really, really smart!  Very interesting conversation, what I understood of it, and super nice guy.

Then there is bonus date 8 which was with Valentine's day guy.  This is where expectations creeped in a bit...and the nervousness too.  What if the attraction that was there when we first met was all an illusion, what if we didn't have anything to talk about, what if???  As I said earlier we have a third date scheduled so those what if's were a non-issue.

There have been many messages on the dating site that I have not responded to because the notes did not seem genuine or more than one word.  It can be quite daunting to sort through the profiles that have some substance and those that lack detail.  I almost feel sorry for those people who aren't sure how to write a profile, have trouble expressing themselves and unsure how to reach out and have a meaningful conversation.

Over the past couple of days I've wondered if there was an opportunity to start a dating service for normal, every day people just looking to find love that was more personal than a dating site but way less expensive than a matchmaker.  Or maybe just to help people write their profile and coach them on how to compose an email that will get someone's interest and then how to behave on a date.  Maybe I'm crazy but I keep thinking about it.  What do you think?

So that's the latest on my dating adventures.  I'm pretty sure the first dates will slow down as I explore things with Valentine's Day guy (not ready to share any names at this point) and we'll see how things progress.

If anyone needs help navigating the dating world, let me know...I've got a little experience under my belt now!

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*since this post, I have spent alot of time with Bachelor #6 and the attraction grows more every day.  So I guess you need to give somethings a little more time...