Remaining positive and continuing my search.
Round 26:
46. The Pilot
He was 50, single, never married and no children. He was tall with dark hair and light eyes with a stocky build. His profile was short, but well written. When I saw his picture he looked familiar. I had definitely seen him before, probably at the airport.
His message was polite and short. He suggested meeting for coffee. I mentioned I had seen him at the airport before. Travel was one of his favourite things to do and being a pilot, he had seen most of the world. We'd certainly have lots to talk about and notes to compare on all the different places we'd visited. I told him I'd like to talk on the phone at least once before meeting and he suddenly disappeared.
Funny how the guys that seem to ask you out in the first email and then text fast and furious, run for the hills when you tell them you want to talk on the phone before meeting. They truly should bring back the category "pen pal" as many men simply want to email and text indefinitely with absolutely no intentions of meeting.
47. The Dog Lover
He was 63, divorced and living in the outskirts of the city. He was average height with a thin build and white hair. Not my preference at all and I felt he was too old, but he sent a very nice introductory email so I felt compelled to respond.
We emailed a bit and he said he loved my picture on several occasions. I told him about my kids and explained how I didn't think we'd be a good match as we were in completely different stages of life. Under interests all he had listed was that he loved playing with his dogs. A bit of a red flag for me. He soon asked if he could call.
The profile said he was retired. When I asked from where he said he was never able to work for anyone. He was a mechanic and believed in taking his time and doing things right. He quit working many years ago and did odd jobs from home and restored old cars when he felt like it. In my books, this means he's unemployed. He told me he had lost his only daughter to cancer the year before, that was sad I can't imagine. He talked about how great life would be for me and the kids living out at his place. Say what? A few emails, a conversation and he's already talking about moving??? Nope, not happening! He had no friends, didn't travel and rarely went out. His dogs were his life. At this point I told him we truly had nothing in common. He insisted on meeting because he really liked my picture. All he seemed to focus on was my picture, not for me. I said no, I didn't see any potential and meeting would not change my mind. He got angry and said I wasn't giving him a chance. That was the end of the conversation, I wasn't going to argue with him.
48. Mr. Paleo
He was the same age as me. Divorced with a daughter in joint custody. He was very tall, heavier set with dark hair and dark eyes. He had a cool tribal tattoo which gave him that bad boy look. The profile was well written. His pictures showed a love of food and travel and our interests were very similar.
His introductory email was funny. We moved to texting right away and then we spoke on the phone a few times. He was very interesting and had a great sense of humour. We talked about the kids, our work, travel...everything. POF had not been a great experience for him either. He'd received quite a few nasty emails putting him down because of his size. I didn't find him overly big, at 6'3 he was stocky and built, but I wouldn't label him as being fat or obese. People can be quite cruel.
He was twice divorced and interestingly enough his ex-wife worked in Cuba at the resort I had stayed at a few months earlier. It was a horrible experience. One of my girl friends went off the deep end while we were there and she had to be taken away and committed to a mental hospital for 3 weeks. He was floored by my story. I don't think he believed me, so he called his ex-wife and she knew exactly who he was talking about and had lots to say about it.
He suggested meeting and I agreed. Over and over he came up with excuses; he got called into work, his daughter needed help with a project, unexpected family engagement....as a parent I'm very patient and understanding, but I have my limits. It felt like he was just stringing me along. He was always on POF so I think it was safe to assume he was communicating with several others. Enough, next!
49. The Carpenter
He was a bit older, single and had a grown daughter. He was tall with dark hair and blue eyes. I had seen his profile before, he'd been on POF for a while. Travelling and food were amoung his interests. He also loved sailing and kayaking.
His introductory email was nice and he guessed that my picture had been taken in Cuba. We compared notes on our trips to Cuba and talked about work. Soon after we talked on the phone. I told him about the kids and he said he really liked kids and wished he'd been able to have more. We liked some of the same TV series and he recommended another one that he thought I'd enjoy.
He asked if I'd meet him at Dow's Lake for a walk and I agreed. We met in the parking lot and he was stunned when he saw my truck. Not what he expected me to pull up in. He had a really nice truck too. His profile pictures didn't do him justice. We walked over to the Arboreum, then he mentioned he'd never been to the Experimental Farm so I suggested we go there. It was closed, but we were still able to see some of the animals and check out the flower gardens. It was a beautiful night. As we were walking around we talked about Game of Thrones and Vikings, he was surprised I liked those. Then he told me it was his birthday. What do you say? I wished him a happy birthday and asked him why he wasn't out celebrating with his friends? They were taking him out on the weekend so instead of staying home he was out with me. I told him I was flattered and suggested we grab at drink at Dow's Lake or on Preston. He hadn't eaten because he worked late and said he was going to say the same thing and hoped I'd agree.
The staff at the restaurant didn't seem happy to see us. They were in a rush to shut down, even though it was still early. He mentioned he didn't drink. He was a recovered alcoholic, but he was fine with others around him drinking. We had a bite and I wanted to order dessert and ask them to put a candle on it, but the waitress brought the bill and said they needed to close. Ok, I guess our date was over. We walked to the parking lot and he walked me to my truck. I gave him a hug and wished him a happy birthday again. I said it would be nice to go out again and have a proper celebration. As I drove off he just stood there, it seemed odd. I texted when I got home to thank him for a lovely evening. He wrote back and said he didn't feel a long term romantic connection, but wanted my opinion in case he was wrong as he often was. ??? I was stumped. It's one thing to say you didn't feel any chemistry or a connection, but I've never had someone ask me for my opinion as to whether I felt a long term romantic connection. I was attracted to him and the fact that we had only planned a quick walk and then it turned into a 5 hour date should have been a pretty good indication that things went well. I responded that if he didn't feel a connection, then it really didn't matter what I felt. I had a great time and would go out with him again.
He texted regularly for a couple of weeks so I suggested going to a movie. He agreed and then disappeared. A few weeks later I saw his profile was back up. Oh well, the search continues!
Weird how sometimes you feel a connection, but then you're surprised by the other person's perspective. Not an overly successful round, but my date with Mr. Carpenter was very enjoyable and I got out. Hopefully the next one will be better.
Dateless in Ottawa
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