Dates #5 and #6

Whew! It was a busy weekend of dating, folks. Let's get right to the action, shall we?

Date #5 - Canoeing with Barback Boy
On Saturday, Barback Boy and I went canoeing with his cousin. Even though we met nearly two months ago, this was only date #3 for us. The canoe trip was a great metaphor for our relationship; pretty laid back, slow moving and occasionally completely stagnant. And yet, it was a really fun time. The sun was shining, the water was smooth and the company was fantastic. We threw back a couple of beers, made one another laugh and had a great time. I really like him.

At the end of the date, he asked me to the baseball game for the next afternoon. Except for that I already had a date planned. (See Date #6) Barback Boy looked a little surprised that I would even tell him about a date with someone else. His response? "I guess when you leave something on the market for too long, it gets snatched up." Envious, Barback Boy?

Grade: A+

Date #6 - Newport Aquarium
On Sunday afternoon, Italian Stallion and I met at the Newport Aquarium for some educational fun. I was already feeling like the chemistry wasn't completely "on" -- but we'd had such great conversations before and he'd admitted he was being a little quiet on our first date -- so I thought it was worth a second date.

So there we were, wandering among the sharks and fishes. We had good conversation. We learned some interesting facts about penguins and got to pet some sharks (weird feeling, kinda like a scuba suit). Afterwards, he bought me a Sno-Cone. We enjoyed people watching and general conversation.

But still no spark.

As we were walking to our respective cars, he asked me if I'd like to do it again. I really, really hated what was coming. But I felt I had to be honest. "I had a really good time, but I don't really feel like we are clicking."

And guess what? He felt the same way! Whew!

Well, okay, not exactly. He said that he agreed, but that he felt like he was really holding back and being really bashful. That he was being really shy and likes me a lot and doesn't feel like he's fully opened up to me. So that is not exactly the same as "not clicking." I suggested that we be friends. I can always use another guy friend looking out for me.

Do I think we'll be friends? Nah. But you never know.

Grade: N/A

Up next: Dinner with Mr. Marvelous tomorrow, dinner with Teach on Wednesday.