Cold as ice: Taking the plunge, then gasping for air

The background

 "I love to dance," wrote 35-year-old Debbie, who said whoever she was matched up with "must love music and dancing." That's pretty clear instruction, so The Matchmaker set to work finding Debbie her Fred Astair.

Lo and behold, along came 39-year-old Paul, a one-time computer programmer who now restores old homes for a living. No two-left feet here: Paul dances regularly and reported it was one of his passions. A sweet British accent added to his phone appeal. When both Debbie and Paul revealed they love hiking with their dogs, the match was sealed.

But was it sealed with a kiss or given the kiss of death?

The date

 Paul and Debbie met at Mono Loco for dinner, and then were supposed to go ice skating. Perhaps sitting in at a wake would have been more appropriate the silence from these two regarding their date was deafening– especially from Debbie, who seemed to wish she'd never taken the risk in the first place. After a few prompting phone calls, she emailed sparse and curt details.

Who arrived first?

  Paul: I got there first. I ordered a beer while I waited.

Debbie: Second

Were you nervous?

  Paul: I was a little nervous, but I calmed down when I saw she wasn't my type.

Debbie: I was calm initially.

What was your first impression of your date?

  Paul: She wore jeans with a brown top with a jacket. Appropriate for our next adventure– ice skating. My first and lasting impression: She wasn't physically attractive.

Debbie: He was somewhat physically attractive. Not my type if I were to see him on the street.

What did you order at Mono Loco?

  Paul: I ordered a Mexican beer, and she had Margaritas. We didn't have dessert. The service was really good– apart from receiving appetizers and dinner so close together.

Debbie: Quesadilla special

Did you find anything interesting about the other person?

Paul:  Conversation flow went very well. We discussed our careers. We both have a history of computers.

Debbie:  Nothing really interesting. We talked about dating and being single.

How was ice skating?

  Paul: We didn't go; she didn't feel comfortable.

Debbie: Didn't go

So what  did you do?

Paul: Instead of ice-skating, we went to Court Square Tavern for drinks and simply chatted.

Debbie: We went to a bar.

Come ongive us something! How did it end?

Paul: At the end, our signals didn't connect. I thought she was waiting for me to walk her to her car, and I was waiting for her to say that she was ready– except she decided to hang with the bartender. It could have ended a little better.

Yikes! That sounds like baaaad date etiquette.

Debbie: He said to call if I ever wanted to go dancing. We exchanged cards.

Did you have a good time? (Anyone still wondering?)

Paul: No. I thought she was very nice, intelligent, and ambitious, just not my type.

Debbie: No.

Would you see this person again? (Anyone still confused out there?)

Paul: No.

Debbie: (Debbie failed to answer this, but we think we know the answer...)

How would you rate the date, on a scale of 1-10?

Paul: 5

Debbie: 2

Humor, people, humor! Blind dating is not for the faint of heart, and there are no guarantees. If you can't deal with a bad date, why take a chance?

BDC is now taking applications online, so if you think you have a sense of humor and are feeling adventuresome, take the plunge at readthehook.com!

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