So, if you’re someone who’s been close to me in the past couple years, you probably know that I am admittedly a “serial dater”; not that I’m unable to or uninterested in anything long term, but more that I’m comfortable putting myself out there and taking the initial step to meet just about anyone of notable interest for the proverbial cup of coffee. And, yes, I do believe coffee dates are the ideal first date environments... Its quite simple, if you and the person really hit it off, you can chat for hours with interruption from the server asking if you’d like another glass of wine or interested in the dessert menu. On the other hand, if things just aren’t meshing (say the person weighs 30 lbs more than they did in their profile photos OR even better, you quickly realize they are a little more socially awkward and dorky than the geek chic you were hoping for) you can call it an early night and say your pleasantries after a solid 20 minutes and be on your way with much more money left in your wallet. So, needless to say, I go out several first and second dates on any given week. It’s actually quite refreshing to meet so many new faces in a 1-on-1 setting, especially since I’m a huge extrovert and love the art of communication ☺. PS: So far, my favorite coffee shops in Seattle are Bauhaus Coffee on Capitol Hill http://www.bauhauscoffee.net/ and Café Solstice on the Ave in the U-District (near UW’s campus) http://www.Cafesolstice.com.
But, on occasion, I find myself longing to just treat myself to a night alone. Not a night alone at home, although they are much appreciated, but rather a night out by myself. I did just that tonight. I went to one of my favorite bar/restaurants called Rose Bud on Capitol Hill. http://rosebud-restaurant.com/ They have the most savory bowl of macaroni with smoked gouda cheese, and the bartender makes a kick-ass bloody Mary. Plus, they have these cool windows that open inward and the the people sitting at the table to literally be inches away from people walking along the sidewalk. So, even though I’m eating alone, I still get to watch lots of people pass by and interact with the rest of the world. I was really excited about this self-date, because I also got to see a movie I’d been anticipating all weekend (I was stuck on-call this past weekend and couldn’t make it down to this indie theatre to check out the movie on opening night). After scraped my mac&cheese bowl and took my last sip of spicy tomato juice with a spirited kick, I headed around the block to the Egyptian theatre http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/Seattle/EgyptianTheatre.htm and waited for the movie “Adam” to start. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185836/ Writer/Director Max Mayer does a decent job of capturing the life of a young man who learns to live with a mild case of Asperger’s Syndrome and meets a woman in the building who eventually falls smitten to his rare and refreshing dose of genuine honesty. Yes, it’s a total chick flick, but I also thought it raised some interesting issues about falling in love and mental/developmental disorders. Of course the guy with Asperger’s with super attractive and the lovely woman who falls for him comes from an affluent background that would completely forbid her dating anyone but a rich investment banker who could add to the family’s wealth. I won’t spoil the movie for you. But I’d recommend checking it out if its showing in your area. I wish I could judge a movie based on whether it makes me cry, but sadly when I watch movies alone, I am a complete sap and find myself shedding tears and choking up over the simplest gestures or moments of romance in a film.
I don’t think there was anything profound about this particular self-date night, but I think I definitely prefer taking myself out to the movies, versus staying home to watch a movie alone. Sure, my couch is a bit more comfortable than a movie seat in a renovated theater, but there’s just something refreshing about treating myself to something other than a quiet night at home, and allowing myself to just be me and not worry about impressing someone or spending any energy wondering what the other person is thinking as we sit and watch a movie together. Plus at the end of the day, I’m the cheapest date I’ll probably ever have! LOL
2 comments:
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About 1/5 of my nights or so are me "self-dating" (due to the amount of travel I do for work nowadays).
It's kind of funny, but the guys I work with (or...the guy...) are able to do this much more easily than the girls. They tell me that they're kind of self conscious and what not.
My answer: "It's kind of dumb to have to travel around the NE just to eat at a Chili's / TGIF / Panera, etc. when there are so many good local places to eat at."
I'm usually out with a book, however (last one being The Night of the Gun...
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