Karma, karma, karma...

Dear Karma,
I know I had made mistakes in my pre-Rules dating life. I know I may have sometimes scared men away by my over - commitment madness. I know that at some break-ups I may have reacted a bit crazy.
But seriously? You really had to make Mr Elevator that scary?
We met at 6pm. Ok, I was, according to him 7 minutes late. Not 5 minutes, not 10, 7 Minutes! He asks me where I wanted to go. Considering how precise he had been on where to meet, I assumed he already had a plan. Never mind. We walked aimlessly down the road. The discussion felt a bit too heavy. He is very opinionated and slightly aggressive (verbally). We finally stop at a lovely, very old, pub. There is no seat so we just stand next to a drink shelf. He is kind of cornering me against a bench, not literally but he still makes me slightly uncomfortable.
The discussion is difficult, full of awkward silences. Thanks god for the pictures on the walls and the old map to keep the conversation going.
After the second drink, yes I managed 2 drinks, felt like I owed him at least a second drink chance, he asked whether I would like to go out again for a drink.
I had to be honest and so said : "I'm not sure..."
That's when what had been an uncomfortable evening became even more uncomfortable, if this was at all possible.
"What does that mean?"... Er... I didn't think that needed translation or explanation... I'm just not that into you.
He then carried on with "Well that's quite ambiguous..." Really? No. Really?
And it carried on... "So what did I do wrong?" Me, "Nothing, you are a nice enough guy, I just don't feel the vibe..."
Oh, crap! Why did I have to say that?!
"The vibe? What is that?" " How do you know what I'm like after 2 hours?" "Is it because I am too young?" (oh, yeah! By the way, he is 28!) It carried on all the way back to the Tube station, getting a little bit more  verbally aggressive along the way... Then, something even stranger happened. The day I met him he was going down the same tube station I was. But apparently he doesn't usually take the tube home. He walks to a train station down the road from it...
He stalked me from my work's lift to the tube station!!!!
Now that I finally have a stalker, I am just not sure how to feel about it... It just doesn't feel as I thought it would...
Let's hope the sliding doors are more favourable next time...

Truly Rules Friends

And I thought that my friends would try to lead me astray from the Rules. How wrong could I have been?
One girl friend read my blog and sent me strict instruction to not text MrTopGun!!
Later I was chatting to a male friend and thought I would ask him for his opinion. To text or not to text. Well, he backed my girl friend. So, no text!
At least, in the mean time I still have my date tomorrow night...

A.W.O.L.

Well, it looks like Mr TopGun as gone A.W.O.L. on me. Last text from him was Friday. I sent him one text on Saturday but haven't heard back since. I know that as a Rule Girl I shouldn't try to text him, but as a normal girl I think I might just drop him a quick text tomorrow and see what happens.
In the meantime I got asked for my number today. I met him in the lift at work. I was on my way out earlier than usual to go to my weekly class. As usual, I checked myself in the lift mirror, just to make sure that I hadn't left my trousers unzipped (like the previous morning), and being my chatty self, pointed out to the only other person in the lift how handy those mirrors were. To be honest I hadn't particularly noticed him neither was I expecting any kind of chat back as most of the men working in my building seems:
a) miserable
b) seriously up themselves
c) not aware of good behaviour (saying good morning, asking which floor other people go to and just smiling in general)
Taking the above list into account, I was not prepared for what followed!
He not only chatted (although he was on the border of defensiveness/aggressiveness/arrogance) but he walked to the tube station with me, took the escalator down with me and then, I almost fell off the escalator at this stage, asked me what I was up to tonight because maybe we could go for a drink.
Err.... "Sorry I can't tonight, I have my class..."
Him - "But you could another night? Maybe you could give me your number? If it's not too forward. If you're not interest it's fine, you can tell me."
So off he went with my number. And here I am, a few hours later, at home but with a date from Mr Elevator for Thursday. Practice makes perfect. Right?

To the moon and back...

Having enjoyed date number 1 with Mr TopGun I was kind of hoping he would asked me for another one...
And he did, pretty much the following day. Not bad!
We agreed to meet on the Monday in Chiswick. He choose the restaurant, I checked it out on the website and it seemed lovely.
I managed to get home early enough to grab my car and make my way to our date. I go there right on time and park in front, or near enough, of the restaurant. Something seems amiss...
The restaurant looks very dark inside, chairs are piled up and none of the chairs and tables you would expect to be set on the terrace by this lovely weather are no where to be seen... Oh, no... The restaurant is closed.
It's not as bad as it sounds, Chiswick is full of lovely restaurant, so finding another place to eat will not be a problem. I decided to go and get some cash, just in case I need it and as I am walking to the cash point my phone rings. "I swear, it is not like me to be late", my date, Mr TopGun, "I got a phone call and miss the restaurant and I am now parked miles away and making my way to you." indeed he is, I can now see him. Now, how do I break the news to him about the restaurant? " I have a bit of bad news... The restaurant is closed... But I'm sure we will find something around, plenty of restaurant to chose from."
Thinking I am being clever I go for the Thai restaurant, just across the road from the original restaurant... Poor choice. The service is not great and the food is just about average. But the company more than make up for it.
We just seem to click and keeping having a good laugh throughout the evening. once again, we almost get kicked out of the restaurant.
I offer him a lift back to his car parked so far away. As I am dropping him and he is about to get out of my car there is an awkward moment... and then it passes. He gets out of the car and we promise to get in touch again soon...
To be continued... Maybe?

Flying to the moon

During a free trial weekend on one of the site where I had filled in my details I got a message from an American guy who actually seemed quite nice. Ex-US Navy pilot, 42, tall blonde and cute. We exchanged 3 e-mails before he asked me out, we spoke on the phone once and after 20 minutes (yes I know it's meant to be 10...) I made my excuses about being a busy bee and before I could put the phone down he asked me out. So far, so good.
The night before our date he still hasn't confirm the location. I am going back to my Rules training and I think "it's a cancellation". Then, on D-Day, I get an e-mail sent to me around 10am, confirming time and place for the date. A quick chat to my colleagues and I decide that his e-mail was really sweet and that I would give him a chance, but not without a little reminder that I am not Miss Lastminute.com. So, rather than answering his e-mail I send him a text:
"Hi Mr TopGun, I was just about to ask my colleague to join me for a drink when I saw your message. 8pm at the pub sounds good. I'll probably drive down, not sure what traffic is like at that time but hoping to be on time..."
Boy, should I have known what would come next, I would have been more careful with my choice of words...
I left work on time and for once all the Public Transport seemed to have rallied on my side. I barely stepped off the escalator at my tube station that an empty train arrived, I got to the train station and the train was there waiting for me. Got off the train and the bus arrived just as I got the bus stop. I even had time to get a quick shower and get change, drive to the pub and get there only 2 minutes late.
I barely parked my car than my phone rang. Mr TopGun. As it happens he had an I.T. meltdown. His Satnav got stolen 2 days before our date, his laptop got a virus the day before, his printer broke down and now his Blackberry's satnav function has decided to freeze and yes, he is lost!
I tried to understand where he is, as it happened he had chosen a pub in my old neighbourhood and I know the roads around there pretty well. Unfortunately my directions get lost in translation and 20 minutes later he finds himself in "a city where there is no signs in English". Oh, Boy!
After some more directions Mr TopGun finally arrived at the pub... at 9pm.
As he walks in I give him the quick once over (the girls will know that it isn't reserved to the male side of the species), not quite what I had expected but I can see the potential. He takes a seat at the table I have been holding for one hour. He not only apologise but also demonstrate a good sense of humour, there might be hope.
We move on from a drink to a share starter, then a main for him and straight through to dessert for me. We finally have to leave after the waitress reminds us that it is past closing time...
We leave on the promise to get in touch again.
To be followed...

First date of the summer

Following 2/3 more "phone dates", each over 20 minutes I finally had a real date with Mr Garden and... I shouldn't have let the phone chat past the 10 minutes. He is sweet but... he looks older than his picture, I can get over that, he is just not my type. Too shy, not enough "Humpf" for me.
We went to a nice'ish pub (let's be fair, there isn't much potential, pub wise, around where I live). We both had soft drinks and, mainly, I spoke. I tried to prod him to tell me more about himself but he remain silence most of the time. And, yes, I filled in the gaps.
Oh well, at least it was good practice for my next date, hopefully next week, with an ex US army pilot, Mr Top Gun? I just have to hope that he is taller than the original Mr Top Gun!

Back in the game!

I'm finally back in the game. So I had my first phone exchange with the latest suitor. And.... I failed!
22 minutes on the phone. But I did made my excuse first.
And... he still didn't ask me out. Oh boy...
He did start asking me which evening I would be free this week, slightly raising my hopes. Busy tomorrow night, busy at home baking Friday night.
Him:  "Oh, I guess you can talk whilst you're baking, no?"
Me: "Er... I guess, but they are new recipes so you might hear some French swearing"
Him: "That's ok, I already know merde..."
Great, so I have a phone date with a guy who lives 5 minutes from mine.