Married Man Seeking Married Woman?!!

Have you ever smelled something that brings back such a vivid memory?    There is something about the air of a summer night- especially when it’s slightly humid.    It reminds me of carefree times when I would go out and drink beer at festivals and wonder if it was going to be the night I would meet my future husband.  In essence- summer reminds me of possibilities. 

So maybe that’s why this time of year I restart my hunt to find my friend the perfect guy.   Let me correct myself.  Not perfect- but perfect for her.   I have encouraged her to use dating sites, go on blind dates and try speed dating.   I definitely had my share of unusual dates.   One guy I found on Yahoo Personals suggested we meet at a local bar.  He was a good looking guy- dark with a nice physique.  He should have just kept his mouth shut though.   As he slurped the last couple of drops out of his Budweiser bottle he said, ‘Sorry hon, I would offer you a drink but all I have left is spit.’  Uh, gross.  And I guess laying down three dollars for my very own bottle was out of the question?

And then there was the guy I went on a date with who was a bank customer.   My married co-worker at the time was reliving her single life through me, so she wrote my phone number on his receipt.   He called and we had a typical courtship.  We went out to dinner, we talked on the phone and then his girlfriend left a message on my answering machine that she was going to, ‘Kick my !%$!’  

One dating site I didn’t encounter when I was single was AshleyMadison.com.   Ironically, the site was launched the year I met my husband in 2001.   The tagline of this great matchmaker?  “Life is short.  Have an affair.”   Yes- this website is targeted for married people and boasts of providing a service for discreet encounters.  They even have an Affair Guarantee Program and give tips on how to have an extramarital affair.  Aww- how sweet and helpful.

Cheating is awful- but planning to cheat, that’s a whole new level.  And there’s a company out there that encourages it?!   The site claims that they are not doing anything wrong or making things easier- people that utilize the service were going to cheat anyways.   That’s like targeting alcoholics or drug users.  Oh- they’ll eventually break, so why not capitalize off of it?

In an age where it’s getting harder to find (and obviously keep) a mate, shame on you AshleyMadison…..

Chutes and Ladders

I was channel surfing the other day and I settled on the episode of Friends where Rachel turns thirty.  Have you seen it?    To sum it up, she’s down in the dumps about the big 30.  She isn’t married, has no kids and Chandler thinks he’s being funny when he gets her a birthday card that says, “Happy Birthday Grandma.” 

I can kind of relate because my birthday is just around the corner.  But mine is the big 33.   I can’t even “accidentally” turn around the numbers like my 32^nd birthday.  I have the married part down, but have no kids as of yet and am unemployed.  Not exactly where I pictured myself at this age.

So I’ve started the great interviewing process again.  It’s sooo much fun.   One of the places I interviewed at I was told they don’t take lunches and at another one I had a guy snort when I said I missed work once because my cat died.   Obviously not an animal lover….  I’ve always had a history of interesting job stories.  I had an employer once call me only to tell me to stop sending them resumes!   Another place I interviewed at not only had three people interviewing me, but I also simultaneously interviewed with two other candidates.  I felt like a game show contestant because once a question was asked, the first one to “buzz in” got to answer.   I guess I didn’t win the show because I didn’t get the job.

Remember the games Chutes and Ladders?  I like to think of life like that game.   For those of you that are not familiar, you can land on a chute that will send you almost back to the beginning of the game, or a ladder that will send you so far up you can win the game.   I like to think my ladder is around the corner…