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.