My comments and opinions have been rather brutal regarding dating sites, but I have always secretly hoped to hear one of those success stories (something I could personally relate to and not a contrived Eharmony infomercial showing those goofy people who look like brother and sister and probably are).

So let me start at the beginning. Read the rest of this article »

Sometimes we are better off not knowing some things. Take high cholesterol, for instance. I was doing fine until a few years ago when I was told that mine was off the charts and that I would need to take drugs to get it down (translation: immediately age twenty years and inherit the energy level of an avocado), change my diet (translation: become a rabbit), and exercise more (translation: on second thought, become the Energizer rabbit). It was counterproductive.

Here are their rules:
1. Never eat or drink what you want again or you will DIE (there go my Manhattans, my half and half with my coffee, chocolate, desserts, prime rib, Caesar salads, gelato, scones, butter… and the list goes on). Read the rest of this article »

Years ago, I had a reading from a Vedic astrologer who told me that I might have a difficult time settling down (there’s that settling word again) because I needed to have a connection on all levels with a partner.

Ah, the perfect world. Who wouldn’t want someone who could match us intellectually, spiritually, and physically and could make us laugh and also be our confidante with whom we could shop and share our most vulnerable secrets while wearing our flannel pajamas? Read the rest of this article »

So I have a few questions. Who does a shrink go to when they have a problem or an issue? Do they work it out themselves or do they go to another doc? And does everyone have an annoying little psychic, Tinkerbell-wannabe angel that sits on their shoulder or is it just me?I discovered the answer to these questions the hard way. As much as I hate to admit that this is one more of those stories from online dating hell, it is. But I always seem to have resilience and a short memory of all who have come before and I tend to see (or try) to see the good in folks. Read the rest of this article »

I was a gregarious child. I used to dance with my belly before I could walk and when I could finally maneuver on two legs, I would grab any unsuspecting human close to my size, shake them, and make them dance with me.My first best friend was my neighbor, Michael Casey. We were together constantly. This was perhaps why a lot of my friends are men now. I entered kindergarten at 4.5 years old and had my first boyfriend named Brian for two years. He was very polite, wore a bow tie, and played the violin. Mom reminded me that I brought him to my birthday party in a headlock. Read the rest of this article »

Matters of the heart can sometimes be literal. So when I tell my doc that I am tired all of the time and that my heart is “hurting,” she suggests an anti-depressant.

“I’m not depressed,” I say, with a note of defiance in my voice. “My chest feels tight, I’m out of breath when I walk, and my heart hurts.” (Ok, I haven’t had a good date in a while, which might depress the average girl, but this is different.) Read the rest of this article »

I’m a sales manager in my alter-ego life and, like Pavlov’s dog, have been trained to respond to business cards. I was having breakfast with one of my employees a few weeks ago when I looked up and noticed a very handsome (and vaguely familiar) man sitting by himself nearby. He was smiling and nudging a business card to the end of his table, so I took the bait, wagged my tail, and approached. Read the rest of this article »

Overstock.com must have had a run on Italian men. Or maybe it’s because I secretly wished for the passion that seemed to be missing in my life and it’s always a sure way to share my love of red wine.

So I agree to meet a guy from Italianpeoplemeet.com. Yes, that is really the name of the dating site even though not all of the participants are of Mediterranean descent. I smile as I say it with my best Italian accent, “Italian-a-people-a-meet-a.” He lives a few hours away, so I wonder why he picked me, but he tells me that he has a sales territory here. Hmmm. My mind immediately goes to the old “port in the storm” theory. But I’m a curious cookie nonetheless. Read the rest of this article »

I don’t watch Oprah, but someone sent me a video clip from one of her shows. Every once in a while we get hit by a lightning bolt and I guess I got lucky that day.

Her guest (and I forgot his name) was talking about relationships and suggested that one of the reasons why we single folks don’t have a partner is perhaps because our reasons for staying single outweigh our need for being coupled. Read the rest of this article »

People tell you all you need to know about them within the first twenty-four hours. On our first date, an ex-boyfriend told me that he was a pathological liar. It was the only time he ever told me the truth.

With the weekend fast approaching, I accept a “safe” date from an older man whose online photos look acceptable, but not outstanding. During our first phone call, he admits that he is merely looking for an occasional date, nothing serious or sexual. I don’t expect anything more than a quick dinner and superficial conversation on a Saturday night. His name brings up images of an old-time gunslinger and I can’t imagine ever screaming it out loud in the heat of passion, so I feel safe. Read the rest of this article »

At the risk of sounding like Chicken Little, I have chosen to write this because of the fast approaching date of 12-21-2012. I realize that it is five years away, but nonetheless, it is a serious subject to some.

It doesn’t matter if you are NASA or New Age, we all have to agree that our earth is changing rapidly and whether or not the Mayans, Egyptians, Nostradamus, and the Hopi Indians all had it right and we are in for a wild ride, it has made me start thinking. Read the rest of this article »

I thought I would write about kids. I don’t have any. I often get that “awwww” look from my Mom’s friends. I prefer not to think of myself as childless, but as child-free. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids and for some strange reason they love me back. (Well, most of them. Read on.) Read the rest of this article »

My friend Dee believes that her dream man is at home reading a book. Some night, when we’re sitting outside admiring the sunset at Spanish Bay, he will come strolling in and sweep her off her feet. He will be tall, wear nice shoes, and have a great voice. He won’t be wearing white tennis shoes with jeans, have hair that sticks up, or swear. These are just a few of her deal-breakers. She is picky and I guess she has a right to be. She’s blonde and gorgeous. Read the rest of this article »

Dating sites are like shopping on QVC, but I want something to show for it besides cramped fingers and a numb rear end from sitting so long at the computer. I have to admit that it is addicting and somewhat intoxicating to look at all the choices out there at first. But are they all real? Or are the profiles figments of their authors’ imaginations?

I found myself breathing heavy the other day and not for obvious reasons, but from the sheer exhaustion of reading about a guy on a dating site who claimed he scuba dived, rollerbladed, climbed rocks and Mt. Everest, skied, and ballroom-danced his way through his week. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve never been very good at dating. I never learned the rules and wasn’t comfortable with the process. When I was younger and lived in the Bay Area, I just seemed to wake up in relationships from time to time. But at this stage of my life and finding myself single again, I opted for peace of mind, less traffic, and beautiful beaches and moved to Monterey. Read the rest of this article »