Madame deVenoge

I’d personally go with the newer Honda Accord. I have a 2019 Accord, and all I’ve ever needed to do is the routine maintenance. Hondas also have a reputation for holding resale value, though I’ve never had to sell one. My first one (2002) got totaled by my kid in 2013. He’s now driving the 2013, and I have the 2019. As you can tell, I’m pretty serious about buying new and keeping them until the wheels fall off.

Ok, this sounds promising!!! In my world, I’m “hidden” on Match - the constant “likes” from men whom I would never consider get old. And, it’s disheartening - there are a ton of players out there, and I’m going to put both the Doctor and Law Professor in that category. A higher class of player, but players nonetheless. Mr Chief Marketing Officer and I had a pleasant second date on Thursday. It was jazz night at a nice hotel restaurant. I haven’t heard from him since, but we did plan to do a third date. The Pilot and I had a date last night, to which I showed up 30 minutes late, ack! I totally flubbed the time on my calendar. I apologized profusely and offered to pay for dinner, but he insisted. We then went to the comedy club, which was super fun, then Johnny’s Hideaway, where we danced until about half after midnight. He wanted to…continue things at his place, but I said I wanted to keep things slow, so… …we made plans for a third date. Which is Sunday.

Just let us know when you’re ready to *cough, cough* kiss and tell.

I am also sorry for your loss, @Mr. Chatywin et al.

I had no idea that “government cheese” was an actual thing. I thought it was kind of apocryphal.

He has not even called me, so I’m expecting he has been sold for parts. Or being kept for his manliness, and being plied with food, drink, and such.

Exactly! I found the pre-emergent herbicide to work wonders. Also, I like aeration, as well - I think it gives a nice jump start.

It will take a year to see improvement in a lawn. I did it with the help from a Board member, here, 10 years ago. He had been a golf course head-of-landscaping and is married to another Boarder, so he was just helping a sister out. And this was also all via internet with a 10 hour time difference. My son, who has intensively studied soil science (it’s a thing) has stated that aeration is not good for the soil, but this is quite a heavy area of debate, and it’s seriously A Thing. When overseeding, proper time of year and watering is key, and I also pre-germinated. There was a book that I used which was very helpful, and some of it is weird, but it’s also “not wrong” (and if it is correct, awesome). Also, baby plants - which is a lawn - are also intensive little creatures. You must pay as close attention to them as you do the ornamental plants. IMO, landscapers, unless you are paying them golf course money, are actually actively harmful because all they (cheap ones) do is mow too close and scalp the lawn, carry disease on the mower blades…mower blades don’t get sharpened…again, asking for more disease.

I’m right there with ya, kid. Too much stress and a glass of wine at the end of a long day. It adds up.

Because 23 and Me says I’m 75% Norwegian, so I’m going with that

I’m exotic as I’m tall and have very dark brown hair. :p All my siblings got the blonde hair and blue eyes. But, you are correct, it’s no different than looking Swedish or German, from what I can see.

Well, everyone says he can go f— himself, and Dua Lipa does have those New Rules, so…we shan’t speculate. Might I also mention that men in general are now incredibly bold. I’ve literally gotten somewhat propositioned on the street, twice in the last two weeks. Last week, at the gas station: Man: How are you doing? Me: doing great, thanks; and you? Him: great. Hey, you wanna go out sometime? Me: (ignores him) Tonight: I was walking-and-talking on the phone at the Battery, which is an entertainment district by my house. I got off the phone and was walking down the sidewalk. A Man at Battery, seemed 100% sober, powered his wheelchair quickly to move up to alongside me. Man at Battery, in power wheelchair, seemed 100% sober: Hey. Do you want to hook up? Perhaps tomorrow, or even tonight? Me: I am seeing someone. Him: Ok. You do have a really nice ass. Say, are we in (city) or (city)? Me: Great question. I know that two blocks that way (west) is (city), but one block (north) is (city) and the rest of it is unincorporated. Him: does it matter to anyone around here? Me: probably only to either (city) for their tax base. Have a great night! I am going to confess that this was SUPER STRANGE to me because he had a health attendant of some sort with him. Who was kind of studiously ignoring this whole interaction. She literally did not look me in the eyes at all, and I am actually really kind of curious as to this whole dynamic. @Toth - you now have a strategy to attempt to apply. I’m sure it’s a numbers game. These men wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work.

This has been just a shitshow of a week. Work was ridiculous on Monday and yesterday, and on Monday, called the Doctor to tell him about it. Also, I was curious as to him calling me last week on Thursday and Friday. Apparently, he had called me to talk about his toenail that was falling off because he had injured it, walking through Italy. And was curious as to see how it would progress (as a former marathon runner, I’ve lost plenty of toenails). He’s a doctor for Pete’s sake, this was a transparent excuse to call. Ok, great, we caught up. Then, last night, he sends a text asking if I’d seen Die Walkure, and I texted back that I had, and probably over-shared that this particular Walkure at Hometown Opera was better than the Walkure at the Lyric Opera that I’d been to, but not quite as good as the Met. Are we cringing, yet? Because I also then asked him if he wanted to go see it with me, as I was contemplating going again. Either that, or he was asking because he’s a complete arsehole who is asking my opinion so that he can take another woman there. ETA: Date with Mr. CMO - Board Member was great. He was easy to talk to, super nice. We do have an ethnic difference of which you should all be apprised; it is not significant to me, or, I think, to him, and it was pretty obvious from our pics, as I look pretty darn Norwegian to anyone who is keeping track of things. He also caught my accent, which I am pretty careful to modulate, but he identified North Dakota pretty quickly, so I’m impressed. We talked a good bit about books. I haven’t read a lot in the African-American literature genre but for Toni Morrison, but I’m certainly open to reading more. @Mlle. Zabzie might be dismayed to learn that he went to UNC, not Duke, but we can’t all be perfect.

Got that, but JUST SAY IT. He was all “cats are great, I love cats”. Ok, awesome, but if your allergies to my particular cats are the deal breaker, just say it. Don’t say “I can’t put my finger on why I lost interest in you after leaving your house on Friday morning.” And I even offered “hotel room” and “we don’t have to spend any time at my house”. The cats aren’t going to live for more than another 3 years with their health conditions and considering an average feline life span. He was with someone FOR THREE YEARS WITH NO SEX. Three years and only spending time at his place sounds a hell of a lot better than three years with a partner with…no sex.

Yeah, his name is not (the Doctor). I had a good cry about it, today. But, yeah. I’m a very forgiving person - but this is a bridge I can’t cross.

Aaaaaaaand he hasn’t answered back, so I’m hurt, mostly because my ego is seriously bruised, but also: he’s a giant douchebag, clearly.

I’ve actually gone catless a number of years, much as my son jokes about “Cat 4.0” when I’m 90-something. I have also spent literally 1/3 of MY life on antihistamines. Zyrtec every day and sometimes twice…I must do what I can to remain compatible with life in a world filled with plants. BUT - UPDATE - my son says the drama is ridiculous. To sum up: Law Professor answered my text. Praised the openness and honesty of my feelings, and stating he didn’t want to be callous with my emotions, but stating that he would not accept a time frame, it is essentially forever that the door is open. I responded back, stating that by so stating, he IS being callous with my emotions. And the offer is extended, and time is of the essence, and my terms are one week, and one week only. i did apologize for being bitchy, I do have multiple work obligations tomorrow, and must arise at an unaccustomed time to do so. That said, if I really want to hone my repartee in legalese, there is a conference I’m considering crashing (at least for the evening soirées) in Palm Beach.

NOT UNALIVE. He is sounding quite chipper, with both kidneys intact. One couldn’t sell his liver, anyways. He is quite busy (wink, wink, nudge, nudge??) and shall call me on May 7, at which time he shall again post. That is, if he isn’t really part of the Borg collective. He has stated that his, ah “essence” is safe News in Chatayaville: I confessed to Law Professor that I was quite blindsided. He responded with a nice (and authentic sounding) text that when he left my house on Friday, he was just “not feeling it” and that he “couldn’t put his finger on it”. I’m thinking “well, you feel like shit because my cats set off your allergies.” But what I said was “might you possibly take a week to reconsider? I suspect that my cats triggered your allergies and we might have been moving too quickly. If you are amenable to continuing, we could not spend any significant time at my house, and also move more slowly. That said, if your decision as it stands is truly final, I respect that. Just let me know.” I’m going to assign at least a 75% probability that he comes around. Let him talk to his therapist. His therapist will hopefully tell him that he clearly needs to keep spending $200 per week if he lets me go. Meanwhile, I shan’t do anything untoward with other people, but I am keeping my options open.

I will give him a call and report back.

Yeah, gigantically douchey. I’m incredibly hurt, there were zero warning signs. Literally a fuck me and leave me.

You did mention it; I remember it - the post went away when we had to kill the thread due to my Cyberstalker.

Intimidated - I’ll let other men explain it to you. And it’s totally possible for a cat allergy to be a real deal breaker…he had taken All The Allergy Things before he came over on Thursday. Some people really do have allergies that intense. My break shall last until Wednesday, when I meet Mr (no nickname yet) for drinks. I’m about as successful at taking breaks from dating as I am at “work-life balance”

Yup, Law Professor. COMPLETELY out of the blue, since we went out Sunday, last week, and he was all about having two dates during this week - one on Wednesday, which was just going to the movies and snuggling in the theater seats, then a walk-and-talk with drinks in the area (it’s an “entertainment district” so open container is allowed). And then Thursday, when he brought me flowers cut from his garden, and he stayed over. Romantic evening, plenty of post-action snuggling with him even teaching me some words in Hebrew. He literally left my house on Friday morning, then called me that night and broke it off. I started the conversation asking how he was doing, and he said he had felt terrible all day, he had turned out to be allergic to my cats. I told him that I would get a hotel room for after the opera on Saturday (today). Then he dropped the bomb - he had “done a lot of thinking” that day and his “head and (his) heart are in different places” and even though I’m a “fantastic person” he….well, wasn’t going to continue to move forward with an “us”. So, I’m pretty sure there might have been potentially an element of intimidation there (there were some signs), but possibly the real deal-breaker for him was likely the cat allergy. At least, that’s how I read it. I deleted his phone number, and promptly texted Trey and asked how his home renovations were proceeding. I then reactivated Match and responded to a message sent a few weeks ago by a guy who is at the top of my age range, but appears to be very cultured, sophisticated, etc with the subtle signs of a recent picture at a very highly placed table at a charity event with which I am familiar (but you have to be “in the know” to know where it was taken) - like, $25k gets you that table. The Doctor’s table was the $4k lowest tier table. I also responded to a gentleman of a similar age who is a retired music executive - candid pics with David Bowie and Steven Tyler to prove it. It seems he’s gone sober, but “can still mix a mean martini, should you like”. You all know that my ideas of “taking a break” are….well, aspirational words.

I’m 100% betting on this, as well!!!!

I was very in flagrante and not answering the phone Law Professor brought flowers for me from his garden The cats have enjoyed eating the leaves. EDIT - well, ah, I just got broken up with. Ouch. He was very nice about it. Still not fun, though. I soooo did not see this coming. He was all about how attracted to me he was, how gorgeous I am, etc. I didn’t make any serious mistakes like getting drunk or picking a bad restaurant. I deleted his phone number, so that I can’t make any mistakes. My son is kind enough to be going to the opera with me, tomorrow. The Doctor called again tonight; I missed the call, tried to call him back twice and it went to voice mail. I’ll just pick myself up, dust myself off, and keep going. I am going to take a week - this is going to be a week from hell at work, so can’t even think about going on a date until May 15.