The first few times you hang out with someone, the air is filled with ‘getting to know you’ moments.  “You love Wilco too!?  I have their entire discography!”, “You have two brothers and a sister?  That’s crazy, I have two sisters and a brother!  We’re a match made in heaven!”.

Before you know it, you’re being asked to hold their nephew’s legs at the Bris, or you’re hauled off to church in order to absolve your sins.

There is nothing wrong with following your faith if it makes you happy.  But what’s the path to righteousness if you’re not religious and the person you start dating is their respective religions favorite customer? (more…)

Sometimes when you’re bored out of your mind, or sitting on the toilet without a magazine in arms reach, you pull out that cell phone and start combing through the lost barrage of names in your phone book.  Lost old friends, single serving friends you met on a random night, or even that name that just as a single letter “M” who you can’t recollect to save the shirt on your back.

Occasionally these lost souls have a way of coming back from the past to once again appear in that Recent Call list.  A friend recently asked me what it means when a guy she used to date or “hang out” with contacts you after a long period of radio silence. (more…)

In the spirit of Chicago summer’s, despite how short it has seemed this year, this week’s date idea is festival’s.

There are many different flavors of festivals out there.  From relaxed culture centric, wine festivals, to great opportunities to meet other singles at the Old St. Pat’s fest.  Whatever you are looking for, these festivals are a great place to take a date due to the high level of interaction, social aspect, and the relaxed atmosphere.

Here’s the breakdown:

Pro’s –

People Watching – Walking around at a festival rivals the entertainment walking around at an airport.  Somehow it always seems to draw the most interesting of people.  Whatever your style is, you’re bound to find the opposite at different festivals, and that always makes for great people watching. (more…)

Take a deep breath and calm yourself.  Here’s a shot of morphine… feel a little better?  So that crazy ex of yours is hanging outside your window with binoculars.  From the 14 text messages an hour, 2AM pop-ins at your apartment, and that sudden spike in searches on the internet for your name, you’re tempted to quarantine yourself from society.

Even the city traffic camera’s are beginning to look suspicious…   what was that flash!?  Was that a ticket or just the next glamour shot for their shrine? (more…)

Tick tock tick tock… midnight is fast approaching and you need to be in bed.  You have a big day coming up tomorrow.  Work that nine to five grind, a quick run at the gym, and then the big moment… a first date with that special someone you just met.  You’re sitting in front of the computer.  Email – up to date.  Facebook – checked.  Youtube – no time.  It’s just you, the low hum of your AC, and the curiously blinking cursor in the Google search bar.  You ask yourself…. should I??

“You know the name, all you have to do is type it in me and I will show you everything you need to know,” entices Google.  “Come on, you can even misspell the last name a little bit so you can tell a white lie and say you didn’t do it.  I’ll take it from there.  I have a ‘Did you mean…’ feature that works like a charm,” it beckons. (more…)

For those of you who missed last week’s first date article, I’ll be doing a series of potential ‘first date’ options and breaking down the pro’s and con’s of each.  Due to the **sarcasm alert** impressive move by one of my species who asked a friend of mine to a wedding for a first date, I’ll continue throwing out ideas for first date options with a few venue locations at the end.

Today’s date idea: A Comedy Show

Pro’s –

Humor test - You’ll get a feel for their humor.  If you’re laughing at the same times, it’s a great sign that you’re both on the same wavelength when it comes to humor.  This can sling the doors open to favorite TV shows, movies, and embarrassing stories of the past. (more…)

One of the great ways to meet someone new is to dip into the the pool of your own friends network.

Always a tried and true path, trying to date someone that already has your friends approval puts them a few steps ahead of a random that you meet on your night out.  As long as your friend has decent taste in friends… which I would hope you think so… then it never hurts to roll the dice and give it a shot if you think a mutual friend could be a potential interest.

The sticky situation can occur when things don’t go as scripted.  Their phone calls spike past ‘ok freak, ease up’ volumes, and you realize that there is no way you can see any potential.  What happens when it doesn’t work out? (more…)

The night is set, the weather is beautiful, and your plans are solidified.  Meet up for a casual drink then grab dinner with your date.  You met during that brief exchange last weekend, and first impressions have led you to think this could really light that barn full of fireworks.  You tell those butterflies in your stomach to simmer, it’s just a first date… be yourself, relax, and have fun!

Then it happens…  you find your mind jumping between the green shrubbery that’s strategically wedged between their teeth, their incessant need to use the word “like” in every sentence, and the laugh which flashes the word ‘hyena’ in your mind. (more…)

Recently a friend of mine met a guy with whom she immediately felt the ‘spark’.  She said he hit home on all fronts of her mental checklist and they had a great vibe.

Once he had her hooked in, much like the underrated caliber of Subway Choco-Chip cookies, he threw down the surprise of a century.  He asked her to a wedding… for a first date.

Now I’m not too sure what was going through this guy’s head.  How does asking a girl to meet your family, entertain your friends, AND get to know you on first date help your chances?  If anything, something like this will get a girl running faster than if she had the hounds of hell nipping at her heels.

So this inspired me to come up with a weekly treat for these people.  We’ll come up with ideas for a potential date and discuss the pro’s and con’s.  Since I’m not creative with names, we’re going to call the series “Weddings are a Terrible First Date”. (more…)

Too much stress, not enough time. Work, busy schedule, failed relationships, summer heat, and a thousand other reasons can get you in this mindset: at the moment, you’re just not cut out for the full time relationship.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t turn off the endless faucet of sexual desire. So what’s a civilized person to do?

(more…)