Dyslexics Untie!

As noted in my profile, I am a single gal over the age of 35. Actually, I don't think I'm quite that specific, but since my 20 year class reunion is this summer, my general age won't be too hard to figure out.

Any-who, there are things about being single that are great, my house = my remote. I choose the music selection and when I leave my lunch in the fridge, it is there for me when I go to work the next day. (Seriously Y, buy that man some food, he's hungry!)

But, there are things that SUCK. Like when all your 'marrieds' have plans and you're home alone and don't want to be. (I am neither brave enough, nor hot enough to venture out to the bar scene on my own. You will note from an earlier blog that I aint ugly, but that fact isn't enough to sustain me on my own in a bar.) Other things that suck is when you need an extra pair of hands, or you're feeling small and want someone to tuck your feet under on the couch. I am fully aware that having someone else around ALL THE TIME can get old and it's a LOT of work - but it's a job I hope to tackle one day.

Rather than sit around forever waiting and waiting, I'm starting to branch out, just a little bit.

Here's my comfort zone X, and here's me X Yikes!

I received an e-mail from a gal at church who wanted to start a singles group for folks over 30. How scary can that be, singles in your age bracket, who share similar values? Sign me up!

After a few weeks in the church noticeboard and on the web site (our church isn't the stuffy beaver cleaver church of 1934, but it isn't the creepy talking in tongues church either) the number of singles, over the age of 30 who were interested reached the whopping number of four, three chicks and a dude. Well, not all I had hoped for, but it was a start.

We tried to get schedules together and eventually landed on a movie for this afternoon. Walk the Line -- very good, people were clapping in the theater at the end. Clapping at a movie makes me uncomfortable, but even I had the urge to move my hands together. I hope that Reese gets and Oscar nod, she was amazing, or rather amazin'.

We decided to meet a few minutes early for quick introductions (I didn't know any of these folks) and then head over to Starbucks for coffee after the show. I arrived right on time, which in an of it self is a small miracle... two more and I can be eligible for sainthood a few years after I die. I spotted a large man in a baseball hat that upon closer inspection had a deer and two rifles on it. His t-shirt also depicted the demise of a deer and a rifle with a large scope. The scope is intended to give Bambi a sporting chance I guess.

I introduced myself and William commented that he liked that I was right on time. I started to explain that because no clock in my house is actually set to the correct time, this was an unusual event. He didn't laugh at my self depricating joke and explained that he lives by his atomic clock/watch that only needs to be reset once every hundred years or so. Okey dokey.

Our other companion arrived just as William was starting to explain that he was saving all of his money to buy a house in the mountains of Idaho. (Scouts honor, I couldn't lie about this.) Brenda quickly assessed the situation as a complete social miss match and suggested that we go inside. Brenda and I made some polite chit chat at the popcorn counter, but I disliked that her first question is "what do you do?" Culturally, I know it's ok that we assess each other by our professions (and other than being nerdy, mine isn't anything to be ashamed of) but we are so much more that what we do for a job. I answered, and they both got a confused look on their face, which I guess is better than Rico's recation which is to feign death. William finally got it, but minimized my profession by calling it "data security" which is like calling a chef a busboy. Because a lifelong friendship didn't appear to be in the works I shook it off and tried to ignore the smug look on Wills face when he said he was a rocket scientist. Brenda tried to ask him some questions to assertain the truthfulness of his claim, but as he's in the aerospace division at Boeing he stuck to his claim. It didn't occur to me to ask Brenda about her profession until we were seated in the theater - post office worker (not a carrier) who has a side business as a massage therapist - in case you care.

The movie was as I said good, but Wills did dance a little in his seat which I will note is better than singing along. Unless it's a Sound-Of-Music one night only Sing-A-Long event, the rule is ... DON'T SING!

As the movie wrapped up, I started to fret about the coffee shop portion of the evening. Brenda said she had to go, and I pleeded with her wordlessly to stay. She gave me a silent head tilt apology as she walked away. William, thankfully declined to go as well. Our fourth person was going to meet us over there, so I went by myself and grabbed a decalf pepppermint mocha (yummy) and waited for 20 mintues. She never showed, and considering how the others didn't click, I was a little relieved.

So, now here's the dilemna: what do we do next? I could live the rest of my life and never spend anymore time with William and be perfectly happy. I'm sure he's a nice person, but his world and my world are not intended to mesh. He needs a nice country gal to clean him up some venison and watch his 62 inch plasma tv or better yet, bring him the cheeto's while he plays X-box on the 62 inch plasma tv. If I bow out of the group because the only guy to attend the first event is a dud... what does that say about me and my ability to live the values I think I have?

I'll just say it, I'm an over critical, judgemental snob.

I suppose I should just wait to see if someone else proposes another event for the SSG (StMats Singles Group -- or as I have been calling it the Sad Singles Group.) My original thought before we all met was to invite the group over to dinner at Casa Tp -- but it's not about to happen now.

Maybe I should try the "it's just lunch" crowd. How scary could it be?