It should be noted that I may have to offer Chuck his own page on this blog. I personally love his style and humor, it plays well in the sandbox (he doesn’t throw the sand, smack others with his dump truck or shovel and bucket, and isn’t a cat so doesn’t view this as a litter box…we have good chemistry going here!) I leave you this morning with Chuck, while I go find coffee and get a shower and get ready to take on this day….
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I have a first date story that I’d like to share.
Testing a comment made previously on this blogger’s site, I was compelled to test the “Welcome Home” theory.
My first date was walking into the appointed meeting place as I pulled up. Acting quickly, I beeped and waved. Well done me! She turned away from the door and started walking towards my car. My plan is working. I would much rather meet someone for the first time anonymously and away from others. There’s just something about meeting someone for the first time from a sitting position, a sitting in a restaurant or otherwise type of establishment that I’m uncomfortable with. As if one of us has been sitting there for a time alone has somehow drawn the attention of others. Hence, now our meeting is a show for the entertainment enjoyment of those already there and with someone! I’ve recognized those situations myself, and likewise take great interest in the opportunity to observe two strangers meeting.
So… as I got out my car and walked towards her in the relative anonymity provided by the establishment’s parking lot/building front my immediate thoughts were of her hair, her smile, and her eyes. Wild arse hair, great smile, and beautifully gifted eyes. I’m not one to ogle, so I didn’t check to see if the smile on her face went all the way to her toes as was claimed previously on this blogger’s site. However, I did note later when she showed me her lower back tat, the smile went at least that far… but I digress as is my tendency to do.
So back to my first meeting… As I approached, she smiled and held out her hand for the obligatory “shake”. I shook that off and went in for the ostensible “church hug”… after all, it was Sunday and no one refuses a church hug on Sunday. It has been my experience that “hello hugs”, while not necessarily taboo are generally not part of a “meeting you for the first time” greeting… at least in the virtual dating world. But that may have something to do with the virtual vs. actual touching thing where touching another person may absolutely ruin a good virtual experience. The hug was a bit awkward at first… I believe each of us had one arm up and one arm down but other than that, all I will say is that I was able to move my hands up and down her back a few times while contemplating the question, “do I feel ‘Welcome Home’?” Note I had driven an hour to get there and had just recently navigated a hairpin turn on a steep hill the likes of which have probably failed many an Oak Hills High School student driver. I won’t even mention the bus transfers, losing my luggage at the train station, and being pawed by the TSA lady I match dated once a few years back. Nonetheless, I knew for certain I was deep in the Westside… Like Charlie Sheen in Apocalypse Now, a near drop off from civilization… I think I smelled Indiana.
Again, back to “the hug” and the end of this story… what I felt is what I wanted to feel, and that was to be comfortable and comforted. That may sound strange but believe me it was exactly where I was at today. Maybe “Welcome Home” only happens at home… and I’m definitely okay with that concept. I also want to make one last point before going to bed (good thing I took a nap today… it will help at work tomorrow). She talks fast, upbeat, and with excitement… a conversational pace and style very similar to my own. Actually, even my use of the “ellipsis” or “…” in writing is simply a reflection of a conversational style of both wanting to provide further detail on a subject yet move on all at the same time (ADA, multitasking, call it what you will). But in general, the “…” notes that more was said or done in that interval and there may be more to come… which in case you’ve not been reading there is yet more to come…
Marti Gardner 
Thanks Em. lol I do appreciate Karen’s complimentary on my writing style, I mean that seriously. I really was trying to make the response fun… I guess I made it so much fun as to unbelievable… I’d say that’s a home run in writing! I don’t know what you bloggers do or the correct style or tense… I will say I enjoy being a part of the experience, but not so much that you will find me on any other blog on the planet. And about your last sentence Em, ditto here except the guy part… insert “gal” there and let me add to it that through your writing of this blog and the few times we’ve met, I find you also to be just like your blog, open and honest and forthright and a bunch of other stuff.
🙂 Good morning, Chuck!
The Chuckster. He’s been there and done this before. Me thinks, not only his dating game, but I wonder how many other blogs we could find this Chuckster Huckster fellow on, hum? Writing in his newspaper guy human interest style , fact filled, smooth, with a few quirky comments and some humor thrown in for good measure. Now, he’s infiltrated our dear Marvi-Marti’s blog about her dating adventures. The Foxster, ‘um Huckster, ‘er, Chuckster, is right where he wants to be.
Thanks for the concern Karen but I know ‘Chuck’ (as he goes by) personally. We’ve been out together, in person, and he is a really fun, funny, intelligent, all around great guy.
Well done Chuck! I agree that it’s a little bit nicer to coincidentally meet someone in the parking lot rather than sitting alone inside – so long as they aren’t driving a windowless conversion van and wearing a mask – save that for the third date at least.
I also know what you mean by the ‘Welcome Home’ feeling. It’s either there, or it isn’t. It’s a nice thing. (Shhh. In fact, cheesey as it sounds, when I first saw my husband, it felt like some weird kind of homecoming – like we had a good inside joke between us before we even got talking. Difficult to describe.)
I love it! Keep us posted…