Success

It's a small success, but nevertheless worth posting about I guess.

I just had my first phone call with an eharmony match, and I have to say, it was a definite success.

I can't even begin to tell you how apprehensive I was about it. I mean, it's a phone call, no big deal, right? But I've just been so iffy about this whole online dating thing, not knowing quite what to expect from eharmony, that I've been kind of wary about it all; wary about the people I've been matched with and what to expect from them. So when this guy I had exchanged several emails with asked if he could set up a secure phone call with me, I was a little like, whoa man, you're taking it kinda fast, aren't you? (How ridiculous does that sound, reading that sentence back ... a phone call is taking it too fast? But seriously, that's how wary I've been about this process.) But the secure call means you don't have to give the other person your phone number; you give it to eharmony, and then they set up the phone call between you, so that neither of you sees the other person's number, either on caller id or on your phone bill or whatever. So I figured I'd give it a shot; figured if it went horribly I could come up with an excuse to get off the phone, then just kind of ignore the guy if he sent me any more messages (well, ignore as in give out some lame excuse as to why I just didn't think we were a good match or that I'm just too busy with work these days or met somebody else or whatever.)

But after just getting off the phone with this guy a few minutes ago, I looked at the clock and realized, damn, I talked to him for an hour and ten minutes, and I was having fun the whole time. He had me laughing a lot. And he was just so easy to talk to. I was really anticipating an awkward conversation, but we got over that first awkwardness pretty quickly, and damn but he actually sounded normal. More than normal; cool.

He wants to meet me for coffee sometime. We don't live in the same city, but we're not terribly far apart either - an hour and a half, plus the city where he lives is the one where I grew up basically and where my sister and her family live now, so I go there plenty. But he volunteered to come up here sometime. Just to meet for coffee, to get a chance to meet in person and talk more in person. And it was just so enjoyable talking to him that I said I'd be up for that. Sometime. Don't know when, but you know, just some time. So I would definitely have to call that a success.

Of course, now that I'm off the phone, part of me is thinking, "coffee? whoa fella, aren't you moving a little too fast here?" (Coffee, for christ's sake; I'm thinking it's fast to just have a cup of coffee with someone? jeez but I've been out of the dating loop too long.)

Anyway, point is, right now I'm feeling pretty proud and accomplished and happy and shit. All over a phone call. I tell you what, dating sure seems tougher to me today than it ever used to be.

Alright, I'm gonna have another glass of wine now.