It's not just the separated guys I am wary of, it's the divorced ones too. Not that I have anything against divorced guys, if they are truly divorced. I'm not so sure they are, though. Perhaps I am being cynical, but I am having a hard time believing that all the divorced guys on Match.com who have kids have kids who live at home. Not away from home, not sometimes at home, but 100% resident kids. What are the odds?!? Is there an unusual custody judge here who always sends the kids to live with their dad? Are they trying to impress the women with how sensitive they are? Hmm...I smell something fishy here....Methinks that some of them are not really divorced.
Back when I was doing the internet dating thing a few years ago, I met a dude who claimed to be never married and in his early 30's. We had an entertaining email exchange and then made plans to meet for lunch. After he stood me up, I got pissed and realized that some stuff didn't add up. I got cranky and cyberstalked him (again, it's easy to cyberstalk scientists and academics). It turned out he was 12 years older than he claimed to be, and there was a picture of him wearing a wedding ring . That incident made me be a little bit more suspicious and on the lookout for things that don't add up.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
You can teach old cats new tricks..or at least, they can learn them on their own
My cats are different here in Ithaca than they were in California. I did not expect this. Rugrat is the sweetest cat in the world, but she was kind of a wimpy little homebody who wanted attention all the time and was always underfoot. Now she's much more independent and (gasp) actually doesn't bug me every time I go into the kitchen. She really likes going outside and spends a lot of time in the underbrush. She even caught her first mouse ever, at the ripe old age of 13, and has lost weight and reverted to some habits from her younger days, like running the steeplechase from yard to house and chasing bugs obsessively. I'm not really sure why, but think it has something to do with liking my yard, since most of this started after I loosened up and started letting them out more.
On the other hand, Luna has turned into a homebody lapcat. I don't think she likes this yard as much as the one in CA. It's missing the catnip patch, good napping places, and fences that she so loved. However, she's gotten healthier too, and has filled out and gotten a very nice sleek coat. She's turning into a real lapcat, too, which is the biggest surprise. I suspect it may have something to do with Rugrat not obsessively getting jealous every time I pet Luna.
My kitties have learned new tricks, and I wonder if I have too.
On the other hand, Luna has turned into a homebody lapcat. I don't think she likes this yard as much as the one in CA. It's missing the catnip patch, good napping places, and fences that she so loved. However, she's gotten healthier too, and has filled out and gotten a very nice sleek coat. She's turning into a real lapcat, too, which is the biggest surprise. I suspect it may have something to do with Rugrat not obsessively getting jealous every time I pet Luna.
My kitties have learned new tricks, and I wonder if I have too.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Dear Mid-life Crisis Men of Match and elsewhere
Dear Mid-life crisis men,
Yeah, you. You know who you are, even if you won't admit it to yourself. I see you on Match.com, emailing me. I've got news for you. I don't want to be part of your midlife crisis. I know some women might view it a an opportunity to get a good guy before some other woman snatches him up, pun intended. I view it like buying a redesign of an existing line of cars. It may be an improvement overall, but you just don't want to buy one in the first model year, no matter how nice the cupholders are. I'll let the other women lease you for a year and work out all the glitches, or you can sit on the lot and let some of the issues work themselves out on their own with enough time.
"But why not, Old Biddy?" you say. "I'm a nice guy and oh so sensitive and my ex-wife/ex-girlfriend just didn't understand me/appreciate me/etc. Maybe we can just be friends and see where it goes?" No. I do not need the drama of a pissed off ex-wife, a sad-sack mopey dude, or, worst of all, guys who say they're separated but really aren't. Not going to go there. Look me up again once it's official.
And yeah, you, T. I think you're a mid-life crisis dude too, which is perhaps why I've got a such a grudge. WTF is up with IM'ing me for an hour on Saturday night and going on about how stressed you are with work, how you're so tired, etc?!?! They last time you were like this you were getting ready to break up with me. Obviously that is not the case now. I am actually starting to worry, but that doesn't mean I have any patience for your mid-life crisis.
I've had my own pseudo mid-life crisis, even though it does not technically qualify as one since it was mainly a response to external events. So I feel I am qualified to comment on yours, if only in my blog.
Love,
-Old Biddy
Yeah, you. You know who you are, even if you won't admit it to yourself. I see you on Match.com, emailing me. I've got news for you. I don't want to be part of your midlife crisis. I know some women might view it a an opportunity to get a good guy before some other woman snatches him up, pun intended. I view it like buying a redesign of an existing line of cars. It may be an improvement overall, but you just don't want to buy one in the first model year, no matter how nice the cupholders are. I'll let the other women lease you for a year and work out all the glitches, or you can sit on the lot and let some of the issues work themselves out on their own with enough time.
"But why not, Old Biddy?" you say. "I'm a nice guy and oh so sensitive and my ex-wife/ex-girlfriend just didn't understand me/appreciate me/etc. Maybe we can just be friends and see where it goes?" No. I do not need the drama of a pissed off ex-wife, a sad-sack mopey dude, or, worst of all, guys who say they're separated but really aren't. Not going to go there. Look me up again once it's official.
And yeah, you, T. I think you're a mid-life crisis dude too, which is perhaps why I've got a such a grudge. WTF is up with IM'ing me for an hour on Saturday night and going on about how stressed you are with work, how you're so tired, etc?!?! They last time you were like this you were getting ready to break up with me. Obviously that is not the case now. I am actually starting to worry, but that doesn't mean I have any patience for your mid-life crisis.
I've had my own pseudo mid-life crisis, even though it does not technically qualify as one since it was mainly a response to external events. So I feel I am qualified to comment on yours, if only in my blog.
Love,
-Old Biddy
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Date nut bread, hold the nuts ;-)
It's time for a rare break from tradition where I cross post something both here and on Recipe Geek, for all (one) of you who read this blog but not the other. Perhaps I was subliminally inspired by my recent dates with nuts from Match.com In any case, I picked up a big bag of dates at Sam's Club with the intention of making date nut bread. I'm breaking with tradition and posting this on both my blogs.
I used the recipe from my favorite cookbook. I'll list it here, since I can't post a link.
Date Nut Bread
2 cups chopped dates
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup boiling water
Combine dates, water and baking soda. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. The dates will soften up a lot from the combination of hot water and baking soda. They will also fizz a little. Good times!
6 tbsp butter, melted
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used a combination of sour cream and milk since that's what I had)
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a 9" loaf pan. Combine egg and milk and wisk to blend. Wisk in sugar, vanilla and melted butter, then add dates and the soaking liquid. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix, then add the liquid ingredients and mix until just blended. Add nuts. Bake for 55-60 minutes.
Anyway, that's the recipe. I have a confession to make - I forgot the nuts. I chopped them and toasted them but forgot to add them to the batter. Perhaps it was a subliminal thing - no more dates with nuts, ever! Perhaps I was a little distracted. The arborist was here giving estimates to my neighbors and I. He was a lot better looking than the Match.com guys. He can come climb my limbs any time.
In any case, the bread was really, really good. Soaking the dates made a huge difference. They were tender and the bread had a great, light texture and a slightly carmelly flavor. It was by far the best date nut bread I've ever eaten, even without the nuts. I took half the loaf in to work. It had mostly disappeared after a few hours, even though not everyone was around. I'll definitely be making it again, but next time I will add the nuts, and probably some chocolate chips too.
I used the recipe from my favorite cookbook. I'll list it here, since I can't post a link.
Date Nut Bread
2 cups chopped dates
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup boiling water
Combine dates, water and baking soda. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. The dates will soften up a lot from the combination of hot water and baking soda. They will also fizz a little. Good times!
6 tbsp butter, melted
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used a combination of sour cream and milk since that's what I had)
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a 9" loaf pan. Combine egg and milk and wisk to blend. Wisk in sugar, vanilla and melted butter, then add dates and the soaking liquid. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix, then add the liquid ingredients and mix until just blended. Add nuts. Bake for 55-60 minutes.
Anyway, that's the recipe. I have a confession to make - I forgot the nuts. I chopped them and toasted them but forgot to add them to the batter. Perhaps it was a subliminal thing - no more dates with nuts, ever! Perhaps I was a little distracted. The arborist was here giving estimates to my neighbors and I. He was a lot better looking than the Match.com guys. He can come climb my limbs any time.
In any case, the bread was really, really good. Soaking the dates made a huge difference. They were tender and the bread had a great, light texture and a slightly carmelly flavor. It was by far the best date nut bread I've ever eaten, even without the nuts. I took half the loaf in to work. It had mostly disappeared after a few hours, even though not everyone was around. I'll definitely be making it again, but next time I will add the nuts, and probably some chocolate chips too.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Dear Men of Match...
Please do not suggest the 6:00 PM coffee date after work. It just doesn't work for me. I know it's your way of keeping options open in case things go well or badly, but you are pretty much guaranteeing that I will not be at my best. I have to leave work early, I don't get a chance to pretty myself up, and, worst of all, I'll be hungry.* Suck it up and dare to suggest lunch, dinner, or a dessert date, drinks, or coffee after dinner, or, better yet, a hike.
Sincerely,
Old Biddy
P.S. If you are smart enough to suggest a dessert date, that will pretty much guarantee that I will be at my best and that you will get major bonus points which might be useful later.
P.P.S. I don't want to tell you this on a first date, but I am a cranky, uncommunicative bitch when I am hungry.
Some people hate coffee dates, but I never had a problem with it until it became this nebulous before dinner thing. I'm not sure if it's an Ithaca thing or what, but musicprof suggested the exact same agenda as the other dude I met up with, down to the same coffee shop. It would be rather funny if I ran into the other dude there. Anyway, I have seminar until 5:45 so I suggested 6:30. We'll see.
I'm sure it spread like a virus. Some couple did the coffeedate after work, and then they took other Match dates there, until it was par for the course for Ithaca Match dates. Now that I am aware, I'll try to steer it to other times.
Sincerely,
Old Biddy
P.S. If you are smart enough to suggest a dessert date, that will pretty much guarantee that I will be at my best and that you will get major bonus points which might be useful later.
P.P.S. I don't want to tell you this on a first date, but I am a cranky, uncommunicative bitch when I am hungry.
Some people hate coffee dates, but I never had a problem with it until it became this nebulous before dinner thing. I'm not sure if it's an Ithaca thing or what, but musicprof suggested the exact same agenda as the other dude I met up with, down to the same coffee shop. It would be rather funny if I ran into the other dude there. Anyway, I have seminar until 5:45 so I suggested 6:30. We'll see.
I'm sure it spread like a virus. Some couple did the coffeedate after work, and then they took other Match dates there, until it was par for the course for Ithaca Match dates. Now that I am aware, I'll try to steer it to other times.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Meetup groups
People have suggested that I try Meetup groups as a way to get to know people. Ithaca is not that big a town, so the number of groups is pretty small, and making matters worse, none of them really interest me.
There are several 'tea party' groups, and one 'coffee party' group to counterbalance them. There are a couple of gaming and comic book groups, a kids playgroup group, a pop-psychology group, a vegan group, a polyamorous group (really) and a French language group, which is the only one I might even imagine attending. Sigh.
There are several 'tea party' groups, and one 'coffee party' group to counterbalance them. There are a couple of gaming and comic book groups, a kids playgroup group, a pop-psychology group, a vegan group, a polyamorous group (really) and a French language group, which is the only one I might even imagine attending. Sigh.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Match update
I'm exchanging email with a few guys that seem pretty cool. I won't jinx it by posting about any of them just yet, even though I did tell you about one of them by email.
I also get the occasional complete random introductory emails, like this one from a guy that I have no interest in.
lets go for a nice little hike. and then I will take you out to eat ?
I dont like to eat alone so I would be happy to buy you dinner to have the pleasure of eating with a good looking girl.
Not to sound to much like a guy
Um, ok, whatever, bad punctuation man. If it were Javier Bardem I might consider it, but not if it's some random 55 year old who lives 100 miles away. (OK, I admit, if it were Javier Bardem he could live in Spain and have bad English and I'd still go for a hike with him...)
I also get the occasional complete random introductory emails, like this one from a guy that I have no interest in.
lets go for a nice little hike. and then I will take you out to eat ?
I dont like to eat alone so I would be happy to buy you dinner to have the pleasure of eating with a good looking girl.
Not to sound to much like a guy
Um, ok, whatever, bad punctuation man. If it were Javier Bardem I might consider it, but not if it's some random 55 year old who lives 100 miles away. (OK, I admit, if it were Javier Bardem he could live in Spain and have bad English and I'd still go for a hike with him...)
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