By Katie Walker
I know you’ve been waiting patiently in anticipation, so, without further ado, I present you with… Chapter Two: Getting Ready for the First Date! Basically, there are four things you want to accomplish on a first date: make a good impression, be relaxed, get to know the person, and enjoy the evening. I know it all sounds incredibly obvious, but the details may escape you.
If your date is right after work, it’s a good idea to bring your “date clothes” with you if you don’t have time to change at home.
Be sure that your clothes for the date are neat and tidy. If you bring your clothes to work (or if you have a late class), pack them carefully! There’s nothing worse than showing up for a date (especially a blind date) looking like a schlemiel.
Just like you take care of your clothing, pay special attention to your personal hygiene. Just because your office has Casual Friday does not mean you shouldn’t shower. Regardless of whether or not you have a date after work, please, for the delicate nasal passages of those around you, always shower before coming into the office. That cute computer whiz two cubicles down might end up being Prince Charming.
Here’s a very special piece of advice that not enough people heed: bring your toothbrush, dental floss, comb/brush, and mouth wash or breath mints with you on your date. Who cares if you’re in the bathroom for an extra two minutes? At least your teeth will be crumb-free and your breath won’t be kicking it like a bottle of Garlique. Nothing kills your witty repartee like halitosis.
Today may not be the day to have a sausage and pepper sandwich for lunch. And the spinach salad might be out as well if it gets caught in your teeth. Here’s an idea: CHECK THEM! Remember, the wonderful aroma of your lunch will not be wonderful later on in the evening. Keep a small supply of toiletries in your car or desk for after a long day at the salt mines.
Okay, so now you look great, but you’ve got butterflies in your stomach. Problem: you can’t relax. “What am I going to say? What are we going to do?” You can relieve most of those fears by being prepared. If you’re going out to lunch or dinner, scout out the place first. Nothing is more embarrassing than showing up to a business casual steakhouse in your $1000 Gucci dress and stiletto heels.
Don’t forget to leave yourself plenty of time. It’s Murphy’s Law at its finest: If something can go wrong, it will go wrong. Your biggest client will call and talk your ear off, or your boss will stop by your office and say, “Oh, good you’re still here!” Meanwhile, you’re looking at your watch, and thinking, “Oh, God, I’m going to be late.” A few words of wisdom: it is so much easier to make a bad impression than a good impression. One of the easiest ways to make a bad impression: be late.
If you’re not the weather/current events kind of chatter, you can always use your trusty Cardinal as a conversation starter. Otherwise, on the way to meet your date, think of questions to ask. Where did they grow up; what do they do on the weekends; if they could be any flavor of ice cream, what would it be and why? A very basic principle of dating: most people love to talk about themselves. Just keep in mind how you’d feel if the person sitting across from you reversed the question. If you would get all red-faced and flustered, it’s probably not a good question for them either. ATTENTION: The answers to “Why did you get divorced?” and other commonly asked personal questions do not require long, detailed, blow-by-blow descriptions. There will be time for that if the relationship develops. This is not the time to get into an impassioned diatribe about what a #&$(%@ your ex is.
Chapter Two and a Half: Where to Go for the First Date Not everyone is into the sit-down-dinner-date. Here is a list forever long of things to do. Pick out a couple you like, write them on pieces of paper, toss them in a bowl, and pick one. Save the rest for later.
Go to: the zoo, an amusement park, an arcade, a drive-in movie, an auction (and pretend you’re glamorously rich), a park (to play), a jazz club, a fortune teller/palm reader, a garage sale, a museum, an art gallery, a poetry reading.
Go: antique shopping, swing/salsa/ballroom dancing, horseback riding, hiking, on a mini-road trip (less than two hours away- any longer and you may be stumped for conversation), rock climbing, sky diving, putt-putting, test drive cars (start with the Jag dealership), go-cart racing, play in the rain, get massages together, moonlight bowling.
Random other ideas: make a picnic and have it indoors on the floor, have a theme night (e.g. Mexican night, with tacos and margaritas), check out a bar with karaoke.
I hope someone who reads this gets a date, and all my efforts will not have gone to hell. And just a reminder: I THRIVE ON EMAIL. cardinal_sexpert@hotmail.com. Happy dating!
