La Vida Dolce

As Aries mentioned, I joined Match.com to jump start The Year of The Man. I joined last Tuesday. By Thursday, I had 150 emails.

When I was younger and living in the city, I had very little physical confidence. Looking back, it was obviously due to the fact that I was hanging out with models and the men who date them. Of course I felt fat and plain. But, at the time my lack of confidence was very real. It made it hard for me to have fun and be myself. As a result, I wasn't meeting anyone. After all, who wants to talk to the desperate looking chick when her carefree friend is right there? It became a vicious cycle.

Something happened with the advent of the new year. Sure, I entered it totally humiliated by an ex. But surprisingly, in joining Match, I realized how much I'd been selling myself short. There are men out there who read the same novels I do, who have the same ambition and energy, who come from happy families. I was having brunch with my friend on Saturday and when I said this to her, she looked at me quizzically.

"What kind of men have you been dating that you didn't know this?!" she exclaimed.

What men, indeed...

So, with the influx of emails, I've realized I can be picky. Quite picky. Otherwise I'll never get to the bottom of my Sisyphean inbox.

Since I've spent the last... oh I don't know, TEN years dating men of different ethnicities, cultures and religions, I think it's high time to date someone - gasp - like me!

So, here's the (admittedly) incredibly ridiculously picky list.

Over 6'2"
Caucaisan/American
Graduate degree
Lives in Manhattan proper (I sacrifice a lot to live here, he should feel the same)
A good family (meaning he's emotionally close to them)
Reads novels
Highly verbal
Loves his job
Embraces life's challenges/curveballs
Optimistic
Funny
Adventerous/spontaneous
Well traveled
Skier/snowboarder (it's my family's religion)
Some version of Christian, Catholic, Agnostic, Spiritual but not religious
Age 30 - 36 (I'm 28)
Kind-hearted (would love if he volunteered)

So I put all of these criterion into the search, and I found 18 men who fit it! Yes, only 18 out of the thousands in Manhattan. Haha!

Obviously some of these are more important than others, but it was fun to be as picky as possible and see what happens.

I went out on a date on Saturday with a man named Stuart, who according to my list, is too old and Jewish. But he was so interesting and lovely and kind and intelligent. I just may go out with him again...

Tonight I have a date with a 'good on paper' guy. Great family, great job, great education, looks like a Ken doll. I'm going to wear my secret weapon Dolce & Gabbana dress. Modest neckline, curve hugging silhouette.

We'll see...

*scorpio*