I've wanted to write this blog for awhile now.
It's been quite a few months since my last post (five months) so I thought I'd start 2021 with more consistent blogging.
You see, more than 12 months ago I signed up to a matching making service.
I'd had enough of online dating (I see the irony with the name of this blog!) and thought maybe a professional could find me someone special as I hadn't had any luck.
I'd thought about a matchmaker on and off for a few years and when they did they latest check in, I'd had a really bad first date with a guy and decided why not?
Before I knew it, I'd signed up for six months (and four matches) and was handing over control to someone else to hopefully find my plus one.
I was looking for a happy-go-lucky tradie and if he had a beard, that'd be great!
Let me tell you about my first match.
Oh, before I forget, you don't get shown a photo of your match so basically it's a blind date. When I did sign up they showed me photos of a heap of guys so they could gauge what look I was attracted to.
I was reassured by the matching service the guy makes the plans (which was great because I'm sick of organising everything all the time).
To start with this guy didn't organise where to meet so I had to suggest a meet point.
He turns up wearing a suit and not in that sexy-suit-wearing-kind-of-way. The kind like he didn't have time to get ready after work so went straight from the office.
Or it had been so long since he'd had a first date he had no idea what to wear (turns out he'd been married for over 10 years and divorced for four).
I wasn't attracted to him - in fact wouldn't have given him a second-glance in a line up and certainly wouldn't have swiped right.
So we are wandering around trying to find a place for a drink and finally settle on one. I'm at the bar ordering a vodka and old mate is keen for a lemon, lime and bitters. The bar tender realises we're on a date and asks if he wants vodka with his too as "the lady is having one".
So he was pressured into an alcoholic drink when he only had plans to sit on his soft drink all night.
We get chatting and I quickly realise he's not someone I want to spend hours with (let's be honest - I knew this as soon as I met him but was trying to give him a chance).
He shows me his before and after photos of his 30kg weight loss (umm, this is not first-date stuff) and tells me his mum's had cancer (also not usual first-date chat).
I mean, congrats and all, but you don't tell your date this straight up.
The conversation centred around travel (mainly his) and family (again, mainly his). He didn't ask much about me at all.
I was keen to hot-foot it out of there but was conscious I had to fill out a survey on him (and he on me) after the first date so needed to make sure I wasn't rude or not putting enough effort in (which is hard when you're not interested in the guy).
I thought I'd hidden my body language pretty well but it turns out a friend of mine who just so happened to be walking past us (which I didn't see) messaged and asked if I was on a date? I replied saying it was one of my matches and she could tell I wasn't interested from my body language.
Oops.
And turns out he could too because in his feedback he said he could tell I wasn't interested through my body language and conversation and could also tell I wasn't excited.
Damn.
Oh well, you can't win them all.
One down, three to go.
