Great feedback, off to a great start!

The emails started flowing in.  I was pleasantly surprised at how many emails I received complimenting me on my profile.  A few guys simply said they didn't think we'd be a match, but they absolutely had to write to tell me how much they enjoyed reading my profile.  Others wrote to say it made them laugh out loud and thanked me for making their day.  Wow, what a nice surprise!  I was excited and feeling very hopeful.

Point #3 seemed to get the most attention:

"I don’t suffer from recurring headaches, I hope you don’t either!"

When I was drafting my profile I wanted to be a bit flirty.  At first I wasn't sure whether this might be too much or misinterpreted, but I'm so glad I left it in.  It demonstrated I had a good sense of humour while letting guys know sex was a good thing in a subtle, but humorous way.  I think I nailed it based on all the positive comments. 

As usual, you always get a few idiots making rude comments and soliciting sex.  No thanks, DELETE!  This time around I was going to screen emails and profiles more closely.  In the past I tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, to my detriment.  No more wasting time.  It was also going to be a requirement that they move to the phone more quickly, then meet soon after talking if the conversation went well and there seemed to be some potential.  As my profile stated, I only played games with my kids. 

Point #2 got the second most attention.  I guess that saying, "The way to a man's heart, is through his stomach" has some truth to it!

"My friends say I’m a great cook, so you’ll never go hungry.  By the way, don’t expect me to cook you dinner until at least date #4!"

The most common question on this one was, "How did you decide to wait until date #4 before cooking dinner?"  From my experience it was relatively easy to get a first date and often times a second.  A third one can be a bit more of a challenge because usually by date #2 you know whether or not you like a person and want to see them again.  Date #3 usually confirms how you're feeling.  I also find many men tend to disappear at this stage, often without any warning or explanation.  If a man successfully manages to keep me interested enough for a fourth date, doesn't pull a disappearing act and I don't detect any red flags, he totally deserves a home cooked meal! 

Many also commented that Point #10 was hilarious and how it made them laugh out loud.

"If the seat is up, I’ll put it down!"

I've never understood why this is such a source of contention for women.  Really?  The men should have an equal right to complain that they always have to put the toilet seat up!  We have 2 hands, it's really not that complicated.  Chances are if you're stuck, there's a YouTube video that can help you!

Point #9 is huge for me:

"We all need to pursue our interests or hang out with our friends and not necessarily together.  We’re not conjoined twins, so sign up for an activity, go play pool or golf or hang out with friends you don’t get to see often.  I’ll do the same all the while missing you and looking forward to cuddling when you get home."

I can't speak for others, but I need my alone time.  In a relationship I also feel it is extremely important for partners to do things separately.  Whether it's hanging out with friends, going on a trip or doing activities/hobbies you enjoy, I truly believe it makes the relationship stronger and you appreciate each other even more.  Remember the saying "Distance makes the heart grow fonder" although others will argue, "Out of site, out of mind."  To each his/her own.  Having some time apart allows you to extend the honeymoon stage and keep things fresh and exciting.  For most men a day of shopping in Syracuse would be the equivalent of a root canal, so why go there?  I'll go with my girlfriends and you can stay behind and watch the game with the guys.  Again, these are simply my thoughts. 

For my acceptable age range I decided to go with 40-55.  I know that given the younger ages of my kids, this could be an issue for men approaching retirement, but I'd let them know about the kids right away and leave it to them to decide whether or not they wished to move forward.  My profile said "kids" and I didn't check off  "My kids are all over 18" so common sense should lead one to assume I have at least 2 kids and they are all under the age of 18.  Great test to see how many men actually read the entire profile and are able to read between the lines. 

Off to a great start, we'll see what happens!

Dateless in Ottawa