Neck Braces & Boneless Chicken Wings

LONG POST ALERT!! LONG POST ALERT!!!

Hello friends. I'm FINALLY back from posting random blurbs, and am ready to give you my dating updates.

Let me take you back to Sunday, and my date with Lehrer. We are meeting at Barnes & Noble at 3pm. Remember? I'm a member of this PJ Brunch Club (yes, we really all show up for brunch at each other's homes in our PJs), and had rushed home to change for my date. It was a rather warm day....so I wore a navy shift dress, gold sandals, a long string of pears and a little yellow cardigan. I arrived right on time and entered Barnes & Noble looking around for the coffee shop. I assumed this would be where we would meet, as Lehrer hadn't really given me any specifics (ie. meet me in the science fiction section). I looked around and saw the coffee shop. As I headed that way I saw this somewhat familiar face standing in the coffee shop smiling at me. This familiar face was also wearing a neck brace. It took a minute to register, but then I realized who it was! One of my ex boyfriend's best friends. I adore this friend (who we shall call Neck Brace) and broke out in a big smile myself.


Of course I asked Neck Brace what had happened, and he informed me he had broken his neck.....AGAIN. Yes, that's right. This is the second time! Can you imagine?!?!?! He's so very lucky to be alive and walking. I momentarily forgot about Lehrer and asked for the details. Neck Brace proceeds to give me a recap of a bachelor weekend full of drinking, dancing and mechanical bulls. The mechanical bull being the cause of his current condition. I was laughing and having a lovely time when I remembered about Lehrer! I told Neck Brace that I was supposed to be meeting someone. Our conversation went something like this:

NB: Do you see him?
T: I don't know.
NB: What do you mean you don't know?
T: Well....okay....here's the thing.....I'm on match.com :)
NB: What? Are you serious?
T: Yes. Don't laugh at me please.
NB: Well, what do you think he looks like?
T: Ummmm, tall, brown hair. That's really all I know.
NB: Could that be him? The guy in the corner with the hat?
T: No. That doesn't look like him at all.
NB: It's 3:10. Maybe he didn't come?
T: Thanks.
NB: Wait! There is this tall brown haired guy over by the front door who is looking at his phone.
T: Don't stare! I'm going to turn around. Hmmm...could be him. I'm just going to walk up and ask him if he's called Lehrer.
NB: Okay. If it isn't and you feel stupid I'll be here and you can come back and have a coffee with me.
T: Okay.

It was Lehrer! I told him all about Neck Brace, and how I had to hear the story and wasn't sure where we were meeting and so on. Lehrer says he thought I might be me, but then I was talking with a guy, so he though perhaps not? Anyway, Lehrer says it's a beautiful day and what would I like to do. WHAT?!?!? I thought we were going to sit at B&N and have coffee.

***Side Note - I don't drink coffee. Everyone is always trying to have a coffee with me, but I don't drink it. I always say yes, and then get a hot chocolate:)

I tell Lehrer that I thought we would be staying at B&N and therefore hadn't really worn clothes to really "do anything" in. He says that there is a Buffalo Wild Wings in the mall that B&N is in, and that we could go there. Ick. I don't like BWW. It's dark and loud and full of TVs playing sports :( I say okay.

On the walk down to BWW Lehrer tells me that he is pleasantly surprised by me. He thinks I'm pretty, and says I seem very nice and normal. Wow. I guess he's had some bad dates? (I'm rather pleased with him too. He's a bit shorter that he stated, but still taller than me. His "bad hair" has been remedied and he's pretty cute.) He proceeds to tell me that he always suggests meeting at B&N so that if the girl is awful he can have a coffee with her and then say goodbye. I guess that's pretty smart of him. I usually end up getting stuck with someone for drinks and want to slit my wrist about 20 minutes into it.

So far so good. And then....we get to BWW and he opens the front door.....and walks in! HE DOESN'T HOLD THE DOOR FOR ME. Most of the men I know, or come in contact with, just do that naturally. They always hold doors open for me (and other women). I was kindove shocked and reached forward to grab the door so that it didn't slam in my face.

Then, when the hostess says "follow me"....HE DOES! He doesn't step aside and let me go first. Hmmmmm.....this is very interesting. I've never come across such a thing. He sits down first. He orders first. I'm not sure how I feel about this? Perhaps this is why he is 43 and has never been married? Needless to say my impression of him is not so good at this point.

Things get better though, and we end up talking for 3 HOURS!! I went to the restroom and glanced at my watch. 6:00! Yikes. I have stuff to do. So, I tell him that I've had a lovely time but really do need to be heading home as it's 6:00. He seems surprised as well.

***Side Note - Lehrer is a raging liberal and tries to speak to me about politics. I cut him off by saying "Look here Lehrer...you are not going to sway me, and I am not going to sway you. Let's just not speak about politics today, or I can assure you there will never be a second date".

Lehrer walks me to my car and asks if we can get together again. I say that I would like to go out with him again, and I mean it. Lehrer will never be my serious boyfriend because he has no manners, but he's cute and would be an acceptable date to functions and such. I will just have to be sure to explain to him that he needs to open my door, let me sit first, etc. before I take him anywhere. Otherwise, my friends would probably be appalled and wonder what in the world I was thinking to be out with someone so rude!

Lehrer wants to go out Saturday night. I tell him that I am not free Saturday night. I explain that I am attending a dinner that is a Republican fundraiser, and I am a sponsor of the event. I have a table and everything, and it's going to be really fun. I tell him this because I want him to know that I enjoy doing such things, and I want to see if he thinks this type of thing is fun as well. Unfortunately, he replies by telling me that I shouldn't be giving me money to the Republicans, and that I should do this, that and the other with it. I give him the "stink eye" and tell him that I am not free Saturday and to lay off telling me what I should and shouldn't do. Because seriously...he's fed me some boneless chicken wings and some diet cokes and that certainly doesn't amount to him having any input on my life!

Lehrer asks about Thursday night. I say I'm free, and that he should call me to schedule something. I drive away a bit perplexed, but quite energized. I am always exhausted after first dates, and this time I'm not. I believe Lehrer has as much energy as I do, and is quite talkative. Therefore, I didn't have to lead the conversation and that was nice.

I'm really not sure that I can give a full on assessment until our second date, but I do know that there is something weird about his mouth. I will have to stare at him more on date 2 to figure out what it is.

T