The Silver Lining

After writing several somewhat negative posts critiquing men, I thought I'd share some of the sweeter and more creative things men have done to get my attention.

I had a date picking me up for our third date, we had gone out on several casual dates but this was our first dinner date. I came downstairs to greet him since my apartment requires several security checkpoints. He was carrying a bouquet of wildflowers and tulips and explained that the tulips were for my bedroom and the wildflowers were for the living area - so I could think of him wherever I was. It was really cute, and pretty original!

Another date came over with a bouquet of roses and several DVDs that he thought I would enjoy watching. I won't criticize the fact that he showed up thirty minutes early and insisted on watching them, but I will focus on the fact that after we went to dinner he said he had another surprise for me. He had remembered my favorite drink combination and had brought along a bottle of the liquor and mixer. It was a very clever way of getting back to my place! Although I would recommend playing it a little cooler and suggesting going to some scenic locale to enjoy the drinks! Don't rush the night!

A Proper Date

There are many ways to execute a wonderful and romantic date, and some of the best dates I've been on have been simple and spontaneous. A day at Six Flags, playing darts, or even something as simple as going to the bookstore together. I'm by no means a traditional "dinner and a movie" kind of girl, especially when it's for a first date.

I think if you go to watch a movie on the first few dates, someone is afraid of not being able to make conversation. The point of going out is to talk and see if there is anything in common, not to sit in a dark room for two and a half hours without communication. Don't get me wrong, after a few dates it can be very fun to sit in said darkened theater... but not right away!

I had a man recently invite me to his house to cook me dinner, I felt comfortable enough to accept even though it was our second date and looked forward to the experience. Two days before the date he started hinting at enjoying our "dessert" before dinner. It was cute the first time he mentioned it, but he kept referencing it to the point of killing any potential mood his romantic environment created. I got there already not in the mood for any cuddling, especially since I had to drive an hour to get there on a weeknight; you can imagine my dismay to see he really hadn't started cooking (even though he had me call when I was thirty minutes away) and really believed that we would start fooling around the moment we walked through the door.

I've also had several men want to take me to meet their friends by the third date, if not on the third date. Now that confuses me. If I accept a date to get to know you better, and we haven't defined the relationship (DTR) it just seems a little too premature to meet friends. It's like bringing someone home to meet your parents (post high school) there is serious consideration involved in who goes and when! Sure it's acceptable if it's an unavoidable social function, or the kind of party that a date goes unnoticed. But functions like house parties, double dates, and other such things should be reserved for dates you've had a chance to know!