The Drive That Was Longer Than The Date

Sometimes you need to put yourself out there and see what happens. Well, I did that and it ended up costing me 3 hours in the car that I will never get back.

Back in March I thought I would expand my Match search to include Orange County. For those of you who don't live in LA, Orange County is not too far in miles, but is far when it comes to traffic. 20 miles = 45 minutes. However, there are some VERY cute men in Orange County and if it means I'm going to fall in love, what's a little time in the car?

I started emailing with OC guy in February. After a few weeks of emailing, we decided it was time to bite the bullet and meet in person. I should have thought twice when he recommended that I come to him, but you live and learn!

We decided to meet at an OC sports bar and watch some college basketball games around 7pm. He lived 10 minutes from there... I know I'm dumb, please don't point it out! I left my house in LA around 5. Seriously, 5pm. I gave myself 2 hours to get there. I figured if I got there early I could always do some shopping before we were supposed to meet.

At least I know LA well! It took me exactly 2 hours to get there! By the time I arrived, my ass was asleep and my make-up looked like it had been on my face all day. Stressed and annoyed, I cleaned myself up and headed into the bar.

Hmmm... I looked everywhere and wasn't seeing the person I had been emailing. So, I took out my phone and texted OC guy to see where he was. Yup, he was in the bar and I just wasn't recognizing him. MAYBE, because he didn't look anything like his photo. Well, I'm sure he looked like that when the picture was taken, but that had to have been a good 8-10 years ago. Now he had less hair, a few more pounds and an "interesting" sense of style.

I'm there and do not want to get back in the car, so we sit down at the bar for a drink. I order a beer and OC guy orders a beer and dinner. Wait? Dinner? Again? At this point it is 7:15. I'm hungry, kinda pissy from the drive and my slight disappointment from the person sitting next to me, so I order something to eat.

THANK GOD FOR MARCH MADNESS or I wouldn't have lasted another 10 minutes. We eat, chat a bit and even after lots of emails realize that we don't really have much in common let alone any chemistry in person. Now, for those who know me, know I can talk to a wall if it will listen, so it's very rare to be in a position where I have nothing to say. In this case, I had almost nothing to say and turned my attention to the many TV screens of amazing basketball games. I love March Madness - Cinderella stories, last minute buzzer shots, college guys with amazing arms, etc. I digress...

As the game we were watching came to an end, I looked down at my watch. WHAT? How can it only be 8pm? What am I going to say to his guy? So, I did what any girl would do, I went to the bathroom to devise a plan. I called a girlfriend asked for advice. I even texted an x-boyfriend who lives in the OC to come rescue me, (un)fortunately he wasn't home and couldn't help me out. I finally made my decision - He only lived 10 minutes away, just call it a night.

So, that's what I did. By the time I had gotten back to the bar he had paid for dinner and asked it I wanted another drink. Since I had to drive all the way back to LA, it was the perfect out. No more drinks and we're in a bar - lets call it a night! So, at 8:15pm I climbed back into my car and headed back to LA. It only took me 50 minutes to get home and I got to tell 3 different girlfriends about my night. Ah, the drive that was longer than the date.

I'm still interested in dating OC guys, but they either have to meet me halfway or come to LA.