Subject Line: Your book selection is highly shiny.
Body:It’s good to see that I’m not the only person to whom My Side of the Mountain comes to when spotting large, hollowed trees. I actually went searching for a while, when I lived in a mountain range, for somewhere where there could be a giant cave system that I could hide away in (admittedly, in case of zombie/robot/nuclear apocalypse…)
Sailing is an awesome thing, and the East Coast is definitely the place to be learning it. It’s where I learned to sail, and raced (badly, but it’s still fun!) in regattas. I mean, really, where other than the East Coast do you still find regattas?
You’re obviously a geek, which means that you obviously do awesome things. Tell me about one of them? Something that makes you cackle with glee and wring your hands like a super-villain!
Here’s two messages that actually got replies.
Zylon
3582
You might want to bring Wikipedia, UrbanDictionary, Encyclopedia Dramatica, Jargon File and, well, pretty much the entire internet up to speed on this new meaning then.
More likely scenario: Aaron went out with a hot girl who has no freaking clue what trolling actually means, but is playing along to get laid.
Significantly less likely but within the bounds of plausibility scenario: The girl is using “trolling” in the pre-internet sense of the word, and just likes fishing metaphors.
Well, if it’s the first, then I certainly wouldn’t complain, get my drift.
If this is the case, then either she or Aaron here is a terrible speller. And pronouncer.
I think you’re conflating “trolling” and “trawling”, which are two separate fishing terms. The former is apocryphally the source for the internet-related term.
Perhaps she meant controlling, which makes sense with Aaron’s creepy laser hypno-stare.
And people wonder why I hate fishing on general principles. Okay, so, we’re totally going to do the same thing, but with a net, so shove this wad of chaw in your mouth and mispronounce it.
Which is weird, since trawling seems a lot more appropriate for the general behavior of making controversial statements (“Harry Reid is an Uncle Tom! Hitler was right!”) in public forums. I would think trolling would be more individually directed just to piss off one guy.
Gaaah…either way, my bad.
ElGuapo
3587
The eyes thing sound a bit weird. I guess you had to be there.
That being said, I’m more attracted to laid back than super intense. Been there, done that, learned “the candle that burns hottest burns the fastest”, etc. But it can fun for a while. Very fun.
But good luck getting laid in the living room! She-bangs!
Zylon
3588
Trolling has the advantage of having the word “troll” in it. You know how geeks love their wordplay.
ElGuapo
3589
It takes about $11K to get your private helicopter pilot’s license. If you want to have a “Viva Las Vegas” type date and play the role of Elvis. Just sayin’.
… really, only 11 thousand… … huh.
JoshV
3591
Bah, screw that, pay 75K and you get a jetpack, and you don’t even need a license for that one!
I have re-edited my profile again on OkCupid. The site, I have begun to understand even before I was assisted in this process, is split into two parts which don’t intersect in the slightest; people looking for casual sex, and people looking for dates which may or may not include casual sex.
The latter absolutely de-emphasize any sexual interest or factor in their profiles.
It’s interesting. You’d think that people looking for hook-ups solely would be on, say, PoF, where the time invested is so much less. Then again, I don’t understand why people would be on an online dating site if they didn’t want to date, soo…
I understand your confusion Aaron, I’ve never really looked into it but some of the stuff I’ve heard about OkCupid doesn’t make a ton of sense to me. I have a vague understanding from some friends that OkCupid has a sizeable contingent of married folks who aren’t even actually looking for dates or are looking only for the casual sex dates.
ElGuapo
3594
Aaron, pretty much everywhere, it’s casual sex. Where are you now anyway? Only in the midwest in the US and in small towns are women looking for relationships. Everywhere else, both coasts, big cities, they are just looking to fuck around. 80% of them, at least.
Ah, but you see, in Baltimore, they seem to be not only just looking to fuck around, but only looking to fuck around guys who don’t talk about sex or have Casual Sex tagged on their profile.
Funny, no?
Might have to do with my age-range, as well? I dunno.
Then you’re gonna need a jacket.
-xtien
Nah, that’s just chicks for ya. You have to pretend up to the last second that you were meeting for casually chaste purposes, or else it’s “You think I’m some kind of slut!”
ElGuapo
3598
The number of times I’ve heard “Oh my god, I never do this!”
Yeahhhhh, right.
I thought about checking that box, cause let’s be honest, I am unlikely to -turn down- casual sex from anyone even remotely attractive. But on a guy it really does seem to come off as “I am creepy and perverted” and, besides, my -goal- is a relationship. That includes sex.
Here it is, exactly one year later and I’m happy to report I have successfully used online dating to find and secure a satisfying, longterm relationship!
In my mind, that is.
However, reality is not looking too bad. Tomorrow is date #3 with flamenco guy (we are both finally going to see Avatar). After the first two dates I still don’t feel I have a real handle on what he’s like, good or bad, but getting to a third date has been pretty rare for me, so there is at the very least some novelty value here.
The other guy who offered to make me lunch (I love a guy who can cook) has returned from vacation, so there’s a good chance we’ll be getting together again soon.
Last night someone sent me an IM on one site and pretty much said, “You seem nice. Want to meet…tomorrow?” And I thought, “That seems like a bad idea so why not?” We’re meeting for coffee at 2 today. That takes care of my spontaneous side.
I seriously doubt I will come close to matching Mark’s various experiences, though. Even the application of some serious exaggeration to my worst dates still makes them seem mild in comparison to the colorful types he has met. Mark is probably a wilder and crazier guy than I am.
