Mike

I should have known better than to let Aunt Belle* set me up on a blind date (with her basement subletter!), but I can't resist the adventure. So I met up with Mike* at National Harbor - we had chatted on the phone a little beforehand, and he had a plan. It must have been 12 degrees outside, and windy, and I had only a thin jacket. Mike starts out, "So I thought we'd go to this quaint little restaurant I found online. It's called Pot Belly's." not kidding. I chuckled inside, but of course I was happy to go there - except: Saturday night and the place was packed! So we had to eat outside in the freezing cold. Oh well, no harm done.

Next we went to Bobby Keys dueling piano bar, which was a trip. Mike was a bit shy, but I loved wearing the glo-stick necklace, dancing to the music, drinking beer, etc. Mike was a bit too serious for all that... he asked me a bunch of very personal spiritual questions at the bar, which I found both socially inappropriate and awkward. "Tell me about your spiritual conversion story." "What's your favorite religious book and why?" and so many more. He then started critiquing Obama, and singing the praises of Reagan. The other problem was that Mike seemed to be a stickler about not drinking... Maybe I'm too picky, but these little things start adding up.

And finally... I can't remember how we got onto the subject of money, but I think he mentioned he didn't have cash to pay for parking. I was happy to spot him some money, which Mike interpreted as "I'd like to make out in your car and pay for your parking, and then I'd like to have a ride back to my car." No, Mike, not where I was going at all.

After I emailed him a thanks-but-no-thanks email, he told me he didn't want to see me again either. Ok.... and then this past Christmas (perhaps 8 months later) I heard from Aunt Belle that Mike is engaged! Good work, Mike!