Let the dating begin

So I bit the bullet and re-upped my match.com membership. I found a few profiles that looked unusually great, so I felt compelled to contact them. I'm excited about feeling excited about it!

I'm still not sure online dating is the best way for me to meet Mr. Right, though two of my closest friends have, so why not me too?!

So here I am, leaning on the one thing the tarot card reader said in April that I treasure most: "it's going to be easy for you from now on ... no more thieves, no more scoundrels, no more struggle."

From her lips...

How should I date?

After a long hiatus, I'm feeling ready to toss my hat back into the dating ring. Actually, I should clarify. I'm interested in a relationship, not just dating. The truth is, I hate dating. At least, I hate those first couple of dates -- when every move each of you makes (including what you decided to wear and what you decided to order for dinner) takes on vastly disproportionate levels of meaning, open to intense scrutiny.

I'd much prefer to jump ahead a month or so to the part where we're just beginning to explore our physical compatibility, and we feel comfortable enough to expose our real selves by wearing sweats and NOT wearing makeup.

It's all easier said than done though... because my biggest problem has always been FINDING someone to date. I'm sort of tempted to go back to the online dating thing (with which I've had off-and-on success, albeit short-lived)... but the recent trial of the guy who was accused of raping his dates freaks me out.

From ABC.com:

"A man who told dates he met online tall tales of being a doctor, an astronaut and a CIA assassin was convicted Wednesday of two counts of sexual assault but acquitted of raping several women who accused him of drugging them. Seven women, six of whom Jeffrey J. Marsalis met through the Match.com dating service, told similar stories of blacking out or becoming unusually intoxicated during dates from 2003 to 2005..."

Ideally I'll meet someone along the way, as I live my normal life. You know, like through mutual friends and such. It's the only true way to have a guy's "papers" so the above is less likely to happen. But that has only ever really worked for me once. I met a guy at a friend's party, and it turned into the longest relationship I've ever had.

And you know what they say -- it only takes ONE. It's true. I only need one! One guy to fall in love with. One husband. One possible father to my kids.

It's definitely incentive to wait it out again and hope to meet someone the old fashioned way rather than going back to the online thing.

I continue to be undecided about it. Any advice??

I'm all 4s

I just turned 40. They say it's the new 30, and I'm banking on it. My birthday is April 4 ... so I turned 40 on 4/4. And apparently the number 8 comes up in my numerology, so I'm all 4s like crazy. The woman who recently read my tarot cards (and my palm, and seemingly my mind) said that means, unlike most Arians, I crave structure, predictability and organization. This often gets in the way of my creativity and passion. And how.

She also promised, however, that this is the year things will begin to get easier for me ... including the fact that I'm done with picking the same scoundrel/villian boyfriend (her words) over and over again. She says I'll end up with a teacher who loves to read and is very stable, yet energetic. Bring him on, I say. I'm all fours.

Photo by Snado; art by Mr. Biggs.