Taking Stock

OK, I will be 39 years old on Friday, and it's time to take stock of my current situation.

In the dating department, I am in a major rut. This summer I have been alternating my attentions among three women, none of whom is a possible candidate for anything long-term. And because the gratification is not far away, I have become lazy about meeting other women.

I have met 20-somethings in bars and 30-somethings online, for the most part. I have never joined E-Harmony or Match.com---I only have a Myspace profile, but I used to get random inquiries through that. Now the top 8 friends field and the comments are filled up with women and it gives me something of a "used" look.

What I really really need to do is spend more time approaching women in bars or, maybe, in supermarkets or train stations or something like that. Spread a wide net, see what turns up. The problem is, it's one thing to talk to a woman in a bar. The last time I dated a woman I met randomly on the street was....1995? Is that right?

No, of course not, it was 1997. Claudia. On the train. After a couple weeks she moved into my apartment. And was sleeping with one other person I know of. There may have been more. Oh well, she introduced me to Carlos Vives. And Merengue. And tasty Colombian dishes. And tasty massage oils. I wonder what exactly it was her father did for the military...

Well, the weekend is coming up. ZB is having a party on Saturday. I will make a special point of approaching strange women. Even if....no....especially if I am uncertain. I will put my ego on the shelf and expose myself to all manner of rejection. At best, I will have one or two or three new phone numbers, which will result in something positive. At worst, I will have interesting stories to write about. And I know, judging from my comments, that stories of degradation are always more popular than tales of triumph.....