Girls love assholes.

Girls (like me) love assholes. Anyone who disagrees...you're wrong. We may grow tired and get over it, but we still love them deep down.

Married Man laughed at my reaction to Ron Swanson. "I love that you can't handle a guy being nice to you." But really what am I supposed to think?? The guy wants to make me dinner. That doesn't happen to me. There must be something wrong with him...obviously. Doesn't he know he's supposed to pressure me into sleeping with him, only to never contact me again?

This is just not normal.

It makes me mad that I'm so surprised by his behavior. Have I completely forgot about what it was like to have someone truly care about me? The Busy Builder isn't pleased with my latest entries. Shocking, I know. Naturally, he's felt a need to respond to my recent entries. He knows I have a weakness for assholes, yet he denies being one. "You made zero effort with me, and that probably made me want it more," I said. "It's more complicated than that," he replied. But I know that means he wishes we could hook up again. I told him I can no longer think about our situation as complicated. That's how I ended up seeing him for so long after he showed complete disregard for my feelings.

No more assholes. It's time for a cleanse. 

And hey, it doesn't hurt that I like hanging out with Ron Swanson. The man makes a nice steak dinner. 

Happy 30,000 Views!

Sorry, but today's post is not about my usually pathetic (yet laughable) dating life. Today I honor you: my readers. How can I do that? Well, I'd like to share one of my favorite parts of the backside of blogging. Traffic sources. 

I LOVE statistics! (Math nerd alert)

I google searched "math nerd" and found this

I get pleasure out of reading that my dating profile has been read 660 times, and that two people in Malaysia are reading my blog RIGHT NOW.

But the best part is knowing what people were "google searching" when they landed on my page...

Here are my favorites:

1. can you see your own cervix?
2. severely crooked penis
3. men don't get cherry tattoos
4. do I know you
5. drunk bowling
6. UR CUTE
7. crying girlfriend meme
8. she cock blocked me
9. lady parts fail
10. is he really being or blowing me off?

Thank you, readers. You fucking rock. 

Spring Forward, Fall Back

I spent my extra hour...blogging.

The season changed, and my summer romance officially ended. In fact, I closed the door on everyone I'd been in contact with:

The Aussie
The Over-Texter
The Not-So-Tall Guy
The Busy Builder

After I posted my "Takin It Back, Tuesdays" about The Aussie (and he confessed he knew about the blog all along), we decided it's better when we don't have contact with each other. This might be the first time neither one of us has the other's phone number. It's for the best.

The Over-Texter was umm...texting me too much. So I politely told him I was interested. He said ok.

I was a complete dick to the Not-So-Tall Guy. Ugh. I feel so badly about how it all went down, but I pretty much just pulled a disappearing act. I should have told him a long, long time ago that I just didn't have romantical feelings for him.

And now I'll say what many who read this already know...I'd still be seeing The Busy Builder all summer. We started hanging out about once a week, and I started to think the feelings were strong for both of us. But I was wrong. I'd been having all kinds of anxiety, wanting to tell him how I felt. And then he dressed as an online dating profile for Halloween. I put my heart out there, though via text. I wanted to be included in his world, meet his friends, be more than the girl he hung out with out of laziness at the end of a night. I told him I was ready to shut down this blog and delete my dating profile because I only wanted to hang out with him. But he didn't want that. So that's that.

While part of me has been sad, feeling like I did last November when The Aussie and I ended our relationship, the other part feels relieved. I'm too awesome to settle for only a little attention and consideration. Time for a new season!

Just me and this guy again...

Texts I don't understand

(But I do. Because they're all about sex.)

At 3:00am, "U awake?" ~ Well, now I am. There's just no other reason a guy could want to talk to me right now. And no, I'm not getting out of bed to drive over. My makeup is off; the glasses are on. When will I learn to turn my phone on silent at night? 

"Have a great day!" ~ The Busy Builder can deny this all he wants, but I believe this text message has ulterior motives. It's part 'Don't forget about me,' part 'Yes, I'm still thinking about last night.'

The winky face aka " ;) " ~ I'm to blame for this one. I use it all the time. But I still don't know how I feel about being part of a generation that uses emoticons to flirt. So awkward. This specific winky face comes into play when you text something, and I just reply with the winky face. No words. Just the winky. You know what's up!

"What R U up 2?" ~ Sometimes this happens around 11am. I'm at work. What do you think I'm doing? Sometimes this happens around 4pm on a Sunday. The next thing I know I'm eating ice cream in my backyard with him, wishing I'd shaved my legs that morning.

"Hey" ~ Okay I know what you're thinking. "Hey?" Is no text message safe from a sexual innuendo? But I'm not talking about your normal day to day "Hey" from friends. This happens to me riiiiiiight as I'm getting over a guy. I haven't decided if it's really a sexual reference or just a power play, but it really fucking annoys me. He's bored of the new girl he left me for and decided to browse his phone contacts and take a trip down memory lane. And if he's really lucky, I will respond and he's one step closer to sex. Ugh.

Totally unrelated photo, but check out one of my blog's kitty fans! 

I deleted you.

I'm somewhat notorious for a drunk text or two...or ten. Whatever. If a guy is on my good side, most likely a late night text will mean he's getting lucky. If he's on my bad side, better watch out.

See I'm the "cool girl" who will never start fights when I first start dating a guy. But if he's fucked up a few times, I unleash the bitch on him when drunk. All that anger just builds up and coupled with whiskey, it's a recipe for disaster. Just ask one of my best male friends who received a text from me after a fight that read:
LOSE MY NUMBER.

The Busy Builder had it coming. On the eve of my best friend's wedding, I decided to delete his phone number to prevent drunk texts ruining my weekend...it's about her, not him. He'd already lost privilege of having his name saved in my phone; I only save numbers of people I'm sure will be around for awhile. But on Friday as I sat getting my nails done with the girls, my phone dinged. Noooooo! I tried to ignore. The rehearsal dinner got started, and it turned into a complete debauchery. If you knew my friends, you'd understand. The groom bought us shots of patron and it all went downhill from there. He texted me, and I responded:

Me: You're annoying.

BB: What?

Me: I deleted you.

BB: What? On your phone?

Me: Yes. If you don't like me or want to date me, don't bother texting me.

BB: Just cuz we aren't meant to be doesn't mean I don't like you or want to hang out. There's a difference.

...and then I passed out.

His text made absolutely no sense to me. But of course this dumb girl texted him the next morning and the rest of the weekend. And then I jokingly asked him to bring me ice cream on Sunday as I sat in my hot backyard, totally hungover.

Knock knock.

My Date with a Pro

No, you guys. I did not solicit a prostitute. Times are tough, but they're never that tough.

I believe that the best way to get over someone is to crush on someone else. So I got my butt back online and responded to a message from a guy who seemed nice. I couldn't tell if I was attracted in photos, so I figured we should just meet and decide then.

The Pro invited me out on a Friday night to a cool little gastropub near my house. I put on my big girl heels and met him outside the bar area, which was packed. He was a little guy, but his smile kept me attracted. We decided to venture somewhere else since the bar was so full (Guys, you should really plan for that situation) and walked to another nearby spot, which was also standing room only. Shocking. It's Friday night. We walked a little bit farther to one more restaurant, and decided to stick it out and get drinks while we hovered for seats.

Our conversations were pretty smooth until he asked me about my experience on the site. I told him I'd been on more than one date with two different guys. He replied that he's been on JDate (not the site we met on) for TEN years. Wait...what?

RED FLAG RED FLAG RED FLAG!

Apparently, his Jewish mother suggested he join and he's been on there ever since. He considers himself something of an online dating professional. Umm...but he's only been on a couple second dates...EVER. I'm sure he saw the shock on my face; I couldn't hold it back. "No relationships have ever come from your online experiences in ten years? And wait, you're 32...so you've been on there since college?" 

Check please!

At least my cocktail was delicious...I went home at about 10pm that night only to receive a text from The Busy Builder minutes later. Oh, fuck my life.

Excuses, Excuses

Curious if The Busy Builder ever got his priorities in order? Yes, he did. And he chose work. Which is why he's single. And also why he should probably not be on a dating site looking for a relationship.

The Busy Builder drew this just days before the dump.

Here are some of the key points from our conversation. He didn't even realize all five are used by every single man on Earth:

1. I'm sorry. I'm an asshole. -Yeah, I get that. But what a copout. Why are you sorry? And what are you going to do about it?
2. I'm just really overwhelmed with work. -Aren't we all? This is one of my least favorite traits from the people of my generation. We're so busy trying to reach personal success, we forget it's all about who you share the moments of struggle with.
3. You deserve so much better than me. -Everyone hates hearing this from someone who has just dumped them. C'mon, we both know if you thought I was awesome, you wouldn't let this opportunity pass you by.
4. It's just bad timing. -Oh this one makes me so angry. Going alllllll the way back to Trechcoat Guy, I've been told that timing is everything. But my experience with The Aussie (a man who I met in Vegas, who lived in another country, and we still made it work somehow even though I hated the idea of long distance) shows me that timing doesn't mean a thing if it's the right person.
5. So, do you NOT want me to call/text you anymore? Can't we be friends? -No, we can't be friends. We had sex. And if you don't have the time to dedicate to me as a good boyfriend, you probably don't have time to be a good friend. And let's be real...you're not going to text me anyway.

I still don't think The Busy Builder is an asshole. Maybe that's my problem, but I always try to see the good in people. Do I think he's going to miss me? Absolutely. ;)

Special Delivery

The next few days were rather dreary. I felt like a fool. Put my heart out there once again..and got burned. The Busy Builder texted to ask how the concert was, and I told him he needed to figure out if he really wanted me as part of his life. He decided to take the week to think about his "priorities." I happened to be out and about when this happened and parked across from a flower truck covered in fake roses. Perfect. I sent him a photo of it as a suggestion for what to do if he really did want to make it up to me...No response. 

On Thursday morning, feeling particularly weak, I left my cell phone at home so I wouldn't stare at it NOT RINGING. It was probably just broken or something...you know, like when I didn't get his texts on our first date? Around lunchtime, the door to my office opened and the thing I saw was a beautiful bouquet of flowers! The 1-800-flowers delivery man walked right up to me and announced they were for me...Lindsay!

Oh.my.god! This is happening! He sent me flowers! He likes me! He's sorry for what happened and wants to be together!

My hands were shaking as I ripped the card open...

Welcome to my life. I could NOT make this stuff up.

Thanks, Mom. It was a very kind thought....very bad timing. 

That's Not Fair.

I'm a planner. I also have a concert ticket addiction. I usually buy two tickets and end up scrambling to find someone who wants to go with me. #singlegirlproblems

As I had begun to introduce The Busy Builder to good music by providing him with some new cds, (ultimate girl move to make him a mixtape) I thought it might be time to invite him to be my date to one of my many concert events. I was extremely nervous to ask him because I had a strong feeling that he would say he would be working and could not attend. When I asked him, he told me his brother was in town for his birthday that weekend, but he thought he could make it work by going home to be with family Saturday and coming back for the concert on Sunday.

This was not just any concert. It was a show at the OC Fair, one of my favorite Orange County events. And even more awesome that the band, Young the Giant, is from Irvine therefore playing a hometown show!

Beer + Fried Food + Carnival Games + Rides + Live Music = 

Best Date EVER!

I double, triple, and quadruple checked if he could come. I even watched as he entered the event into his Google Calendar. Considering his flaky history, I was feeling very nervous when I told some of my friends from Newport Beach to meet us there. I told one of my best girl friends to be on call as a back up date to the show. She understood. 

Friday night before the show, he asked me to go out on a date to Wurstkutche in Venice (I totally recommend it, btw. Rabbit and rattlesnake sausage for the win!) While playing games at the bar, we befriended one of the hipster bartenders. The Busy Builder called me out, shouting to the bartender, 

"Can you believe this girl? She invites me on a date to a concert, but has a back up plan because she thinks I'll flake!!!" Hipster Bartender was on my side. I fucking love hipsters. And beards.

Saturday morning, The Busy Builder left my house for his parents' home. I didn't hear from him all day or night. That's fine; he's with family. Sunday morning, I jumped up at 7:30am due to my phone receiving a text:

"Hey, so I'm really sorry but I told my parents I needed to leave this morning and they are freaking out. It's become a huge deal because I'm an idiot and thought my brother's birthday was Saturday but it's really today and they planned this big birthday dinner for him. I feel like such an asshole, but do you think you can take your friend to the concert? I'll make it up to you."

Please don't do this. You promised me. And this is exactly what you knew I was freaking out about. And also, of all the times to pussy out and text instead of calling...this is not that time. 

We spoke on the phone for about ten minutes of him apologizing and saying what a jerk he was. I told him I was horribly embarrassed and didn't see why he didn't make sure something like this wouldn't happen. He could have asked his parents for the weekend plan. If he cared about me at all, he wouldn't have let it go down this way. "There's no way you can make this up to me. It's way too soon in our dating for you to make me cry." 

It hurts my heart to even write this entry. But thanks to my amazing bestie and the power of a deep-fried klondike bar...I pulled myself out of bed and drove to the OC Fair without him.

Goodbye, Busy Builder. Guess you are just too busy to care about my feelings.

  

The EX Games

I got wrapped up in my "I think I'm getting close to having a boyfriend" thoughts. This led to an event I am really not proud of, but I'm going to own up to it. And if The Busy Builder reads this, it will be the first he's heard of it...

Or rather, the Ex Games...

Against my better judgement, I was still in contact with The Aussie. He surprised me with a trip he planned to Los Angeles since he had an Aussie football tournament in San Diego. When he told me he would stay in a hostel and find his way around, my soft spot for him suggested he stay in the guest room at my house (with no funny business). I instantly regretted my offer, but it was already out there, and he accepted. Subsequently, he went on a mission to make the trip about winning me back:

• He bought me tickets to see the X games on Friday and Saturday 
• He bought us tickets to the Dodger game on Sunday

I made it very clear that I had to work while he was in town, and that I'd try to come to what I could. 

As the weekend grew close, I nearly bit all my nails off with anxiety. I REALLY didn't think it was a good idea for us to see each other. I didn't want to hurt him. And selfishly, I would have much rather spent the weekend with The Busy Builder.

Two days before The Aussie arrived, I told him I no longer felt comfortable with him staying at my house. Ugh, I'm an asshole. Frankly, I didn't trust him alone in my house. Last time he logged into my Facebook and read all my private messages. He has a history of snooping through my personal items. My friendship with my ex-boyfriends caused a lot of drama in our relationship, and I wasn't about to continue the cycle with my new relationship. He was really upset, but said he hoped we could still hang out...I said yes to lunch on Saturday and Dodgers on Sunday. 

Friday night instead of going to the X games, I went out and met The Busy Builder's friends. He spent the night and I had no problem sleeping with him while knowing The Aussie was sitting alone in his hostel. I'm an asshole. The next morning my phone buzzed with a text from The Aussie confirming lunch, and I ignored it to get waffles with The Busy Builder. We spent the afternoon in my backyard drinking margaritas and playing silly 20 question games about each other. I was having the best day with him, but my phone kept interrupting with The Aussie's calls and texts. I'm an asshole. After The Busy Builder left my house to get some work done, I finally texted The Aussie back that I was sorry for not answering. I'm sure he knew why. He yelled at me and told me I am the biggest bitch he's ever met and he couldn't believe he flew out there to see me (even though I never asked him to). I felt awful, but also relieved. I guess I needed him to hate me. So he could move on for good.

I never even told The Busy Builder that The Aussie was in LA. If you asked him, he'd say that day we laid in my backyard and got sunburned was one of his favorite dates with me. 

I'm an asshole.

...and I'm sure this will come back to bite me.

A New Facebook Friend

The morning after our drunken reunion, The Busy Builder took me to breakfast. We had a baby version of "The Talk." It went kinda like this:

BB: So, your friends are really awesome!

Me: Yes, I know. It was fun having you meet them.

BB: Yeah, I honestly didn't expect to see you again.

Me: Well...I was pretty mad. But then I got over it. 

BB: It's just been crazy timing because right after I met you, work got so crazy and I'm having trouble managing the stress of it all. I haven't even seen my friends in weeks...

Me: I just think you need to figure out your work/life balance. I'm going to be that person that commands you to have fun more often!

BB: Wow...that's really nice. You're a great lady. 

(Duh. I'm awesome!)

And just like that, he snapped into a different person. He started texting regularly (sometimes that's all it takes to make a girl feel good, guys). He was super supportive while I went through some training at work. And I even went over to his house in sweats and he told me I looked hot. What a nice man. We also became Facebook friends. And he wrote on my wall... 

I did what every girl would do. I looked through all the photos of him and his ex-gf, and made myself want to vomit. She's pretty. Wow, they went on a lot of trips together. Hmm this picture is kind of recent..is that when he told me they broke up? Ew, a kissing photo! EXIT FACEBOOK. I also decided I needed to lose weight. After the initial stalking, I made a promise:

...again.

Thrown to the Wolfpack

Well, shit. I didn't exactly expect The Busy Builder to say yes to my offer. He's not too busy? I snapped out of my champagne coma and wondered how exactly I might pull this off. I was on my way to dinner and a night out with the girls from the bridal shower, and I'm so not the girl to ditch her friends for a penis. But the girls were very supportive and told me to invite him out with us. "It's a group of like seven girls. You're okay with that?" And he said yes.

You might think I shouldn't have gone to this much trouble, but I went and picked him up from his house. Apparently he'd already had a few beers on his own. The ride over to the Venice bar was slightly awkward. We hadn't seen each other in a few weeks, and who knows what this means that we're hanging out again?

We were just starting to warm up to each other again when the girls danced into the bar, most of them on the prowl for guys...and all of us a couple skinny margaritas deep. I was extremely nervous since I normally don't bring guys around unless they're sticking around, but The Busy Builder jumped right in, attempting to learn names and buying drinks. He even had the balls to suggest a game of "Who Knows Lindsay Better" with the bride-to-be, my best friend of 22 years. She won. As the tequila shots soaked into my veins, I was right back where I started. So very smitten with The Busy Builder. He must like me...or why would he be here, making nice with my girlfriends? 

I gave him the signal that he should take me home, (my little c-block was staying the weekend at my dad's house) and I went to wait outside while he closed out the tab at the bar. As I stood at the exit, another very cute guy came bounding out the door. He did a double-take and walked right up to me. "I don't normally do this, but you are gorgeous. Can I get your phone number?" Part of me felt like I should give it to him. Hey, I don't owe The Busy Builder anything, and he wouldn't even be with me tonight if I hadn't made it happen! But, instead I used the phrase all girls dream of, "I'm sorry. I'm actually here with someone." And as I turned to find him in the crowd, he was outside the bar watching..."Lindsay!" I went running to him.

Some of the best parts of this night are lost in a fog of tequila, but I'm pretty sure The Busy Builder's fish witnessed some inappropriate kitchen behavior. Sorry, Mom.

Playing the Game

I'm always playing the game of dating...with myself. I don't believe for a second that the guys I date have any idea what's going on in my head. Those evil thoughts.

My experience with The Busy Builder is a perfect example. Obviously after blowing me off for his grandma, he wasn't going to contact me again. I should have moved on to the next...But I didn't.

Instead I told myself there's no way this is over. I have to make him like me, without looking totally desperate. I hate to lose. I have to initiate contact, but in a really cute way...

I sent a photo of myself.

Whoa whoa whoa...I know what you're thinking, but this isn't an after-school special. It wasn't that kind of photo! It was of my bulging bicep muscle post workout...Duh. Check them out:

Caption: "I dunno. I think my arms are bigger than yours."

Wait for response....ding ding.

"I don't think so."....and there it is! What I secretly wanted. A photo of his huge arms. Drool. Fuck, I wish I hadn't deleted that off my phone in a fit of rage.

I sent cute texts like that every couple days that week. Clearly he needed to be reminded of how awesome I am. And he always responded, but never initiated. That Saturday, I hosted a bridal shower...every single girl's favorite event. After countless glasses of champagne, I got brave. I texted him...

"...May I interest you in a beer?"

"Yes!"

Happy Birthday, Grandma.

After our fourth date where I planned a night of Japanese BBQ and drinks at a cool bar, The Busy Builder got...busy.

The texts came fewer and far between. I started to feel perhaps he's not that into me. Stupid sex ruins everything! But there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Wayyyyy back on our second date (okay it was only about two weeks before), he had invited me to see one of his friend's bands play. And it was coming up! I was pretty excited to potentially meet some of his friends, and dates with music involved are my favorite. And considering how "busy" he is with work, it was awesome to see him planning ahead!

The Friday before the Saturday night show, I had a really stupid meeting about websites at work. I snuck away for a moment and checked my phone...there were a few messages from The Busy Builder.

"Hey, so I'm really sorry but I'm going to have to cancel tomorrow night. It's my grandma's 90th birthday, and I totally forgot. Sorry." 

Lies. That HAS to be a lie.

I texted back in an attempt to be funny..."That's fine. But if this is your way of blowing me off, pretty bad to bring your grandma into it ;) " 
A winky face makes it a joke, obviously.

No response.

I checked my phone obsessively the rest of the day, but he never responded. Fuck. I'm such a bitch. Or wait...he's the dick! Why isn't he at least responding to let me know if that's the case? UGH. I waited all night for something from him, but it never happened. At this point, I figured it's over. But I just couldn't give up, so in the morning I went to release some of my frustration...

And I sent one last text after my workout, asking for him to at least respond since it wasn't like him to just disappear. He wrote back and claimed:

• It's really his grandma's birthday
• He has a bad memory
• Work is crazy, and his phone died.
• He didn't charge it until just now. 10am on a Saturday morning. 

How much of this is true, I'll never know. Is this just a fluke? A stroke of bad luck? Should I continue to pursue this guy? Or is this a sign of things to come? 

Is bad tipping a Dealbreaker?

...if you're an ex-server, potentially.

On our first date, The Busy Builder admitted to not really understanding why we tip in this society:

"I don't get a tip. Why should they? If anything, people cut down my fees and I make LESS money."

Um, you realize people who you tip are purposely in a field where they can make money be giving great service right? Otherwise, they're making minimum wage.

"Ya, but they're still not getting more than 15% from me. And definitely no tip to the valet for driving my car 20 feet. And no tip for the car wash."

[Insert Lindsay's "this is awkward" face.]

And then I sent him to Gratuity Not Included...but he was too busy to read it. 

I will confess that I always peek at the check when I'm on a date with a guy. Habit, I guess. Guys who are great tippers get extra points in my book. Then there are guys like Sandwich Guy, who on most dates...handed me his credit card and then fled the scene. "You sign for me, babe." I fucking hate when guys call me babe.  Barf.

I decided that in The Busy Builder's case, bad tipping would NOT be a Dealbreaker. 

...Oh, sorry. I was just daydreaming about the ways I could change you. Soon you'll be a great tipper, your Affliction shirts will be burned, and your musical taste will reflect something better than Weezer. 

Losing Bets and Getting Laid

Things were going well with The Busy Builder. We'd only met a week before, but I already let my guard down and allowed him to pick me up at my house for the third date. We planned to go to a bar in Venice Beach to watch the UFC fights, a very typical Saturday event for him. He's got that "All American" vibe about him.... a jeans and tshirt, beer-loving, truck-driving man.

As we sipped on giant margaritas and took bets on who would win each round, I asked when his birthday is. I think astrology is fun, and I couldn't be more of a true Sagittarius: read more about that here. Completely shocking, we discover The Busy Builder and I have the same birthday, just one year apart. What are the odds? Girl Thought: this must mean something! It's a sign! I almost didn't believe it until he showed me his license. While sharing is not one of my strengths (Remember my freak out with Sandwich Guy?) this could actually be a positive for The Busy Builder, as he claims to have the worst memory ever. Can't forget my birthday, now!

At this point he looked at my nearly empty giant margarita and laughed. He couldn't believe I can keep up with his drinking. I'm awesome like that. We ordered another and kissed in the bar. I'm not usually big on PDA, but it felt nice to want that again. The main event was about to start and he announced that if I lose this round, I will have to plan our next date. DEAL. I ended up losing, and it didn't bother me one bit. Why?

1. It means we get a fourth date.
2. I'm great at date-planning! 

We were about to go home after the fights, both a bit tipsy, but we turned around and headed to the sand, climbing onto one of the deserted lifeguard towers. It was so romantic. I got caught up in the moment and knew I wanted him to go home with me that night. It was way too soon, but I broke the rules. Hey Everyone! Aren't you proud I waited a whole week? Umm, you only live once?

When we woke up the next morning, I instantly grew concerned. I know what happens when you sleep with a guy too soon...he loses all interest. Surely I'll never hear from him again. Stupid, stupid girl! As we dressed to go to breakfast at one of my favorite spots on Main Street, I walked Oliver (who was thankfully NOT a c-block the night before, sleeping quietly in his dog bed on the floor) to the backyard. When I came back inside, The Busy Builder was nowhere to be found. My heart sank. I knew this would happen. I opened the front door to check for his car, and there he was...sitting on my stoop, shaking the sand out of his shoes. 

"You thought I just left? You must really think I'm an asshole."

I guess that's just what I'm used to...

We had a great morning on Main Street, talking about life goals and business plans. I love how passionate he is about the design+build company he started; ambition is a huge turn-on. (So are big, muscly arms.) His business is really starting to blow up, and it's exciting...but could be the reason he doesn't have a girlfriend --hence the title "The Busy Builder."

Workaholics are ALL over the online dating world. 

A girl's gotta eat!

Having a crush may be the greatest thing ever. I knew right off the bat that I really enjoyed talking to and spending time with The Busy Builder, but I didn't want to limit myself since I had been messaging another guy online before I met him. I agreed to a Friday Happy Hour at one of my favorite spots in Culver City for Mexican food and margaritas.

He was early, and I was a little late. As I approached the restaurant, I saw a nerdy looking hipster sitting solo on the patio. I took a deep breath, and said hi. The girls at the table next to us instantly noticed that this was a first date, and I felt a little embarrassed to be there with him. I can already tell I'm not attracted. Nerdy Hipster was a Missouri transplant, and worked as a bitch assistant writer on a cartoon that he admitted to being terrible. In fact, it seems as though he hates his job...and life in general. Sounds wonderful. 

I knew I liked The Busy Builder more, but we'd had a massacre at work that day, so I decided to go with it and get some free margaritas...and chips and guacamole...and a full plate of tacos. Don't judge me! I didn't care if this guy thought I was ladylike, so I practically licked my plate clean. I can't even remember what we talked about, but the food was awesome. He got up to use the restroom and I seriously contemplated getting up and leaving. After we finished eating, he asked if I wanted to head to one of the bars in the area for another drink. I told him I was too tired from the crazy work week, and wanted to get home.

We walked toward the parking structure past one of my favorite hidden little bars, and I noticed the bartender outside on a smoke break. Nerdy Hipster offered to walk me up to my car. "That's nice, but I'm good. Thank you for dinner!" 

I hope that bartender didn't recognize me from my Tuesday Date there with The Busy Builder...And shit, I'm wearing the exact same outfit. The bartender thinks I'm a whore.

P.S. Nerdy Hipster called me the next day to ask me on a second date. Apparently guys are into chicks who eat. Who knew!

Text Me, Maybe?

A cute guy messaged me. Geez I really needed that. We messaged online a fair bit, and I was pleasantly surprised with our conversations. His "game" was to send three random facts about each other. I actually thought this was really fun and spontaneous, and it definitely helped spark conversations about each other's lives. But uh oh...he was home-schooled. Yikes. That must be why he's single.

He asked me to hang out on a Saturday night, which happened to be the day of a big fundraising event for work...but I agreed anyway. I was excited about this one. And I know he was, too....because he drunk-texted me on Friday night while out with friends. I worked until the afternoon and came home for a much needed power nap, but we hadn't really finalized plans and I hadn't heard from him since 3pm. Is he blowing me off? Eventually I sent some sort of text wondering what was going on, and he instantly called me. According to him, I wasn't getting any of the messages he'd been sending me. Suuuuuuuuuure. We met in Culver City for burgers and beer. I wore my brand new shoes...

I know.

It was a fun date. I felt really comfortable around him, but also wanted to jump his bones. It's a good combo. We laughed about the failed messages, and I decided he wasn't as socially awkward as I'd expect a home-schooled kid to be. He said he hated first dates, and wished he could skip to the third date where it's less awkward. I rolled my eyes and without thinking asked if that's because that's when you "get it in?" Oh god. Word Vomit. My dating mentor (a dude, btw) always tells not to say anything sexual on a first date. Oops. He was caught off-guard, but I don't think I fully scared him off. Phew.

As he walked me back to my car, I really hoped he'd kiss me. But instead I got a hug next to my car as we stood and joked about his phone still not sending messages. I grabbed and it did a good ol' battery pull...magic. It works now. And instantly the texts he'd been sending came flooding in. Okay, he wasn't lying. And then he kissed me. In the Culver City parking structure. And it was great. Hello, Busy Builder...