All dressaged up: With places to go

The Background

 When 24-year-old med student Jason wrote in, he described himself as fit and intelligent. As proof, he included a photo of himself– buff, tan, and beachside with some buddies. He requested a woman who shared his interest in fitness and could hold her own in conversation. "I don't want to be the only one talking," he wrote. He also wanted someone between the ages of 21 and 26, who is "not overweight."

Along came Kathleen, a 24-year-old horse trainer and outdoors enthusiast with a degree in studio art. "I'm definitely looking for someone of a fit/athletic build and in the 24-30 year old range," she wrote. Kathleen was clearly at fighting weight (though Matchmaker would never disclose that information).

But would two rock hard bodies be enough?

 

The Date

 Kathleen and Jason met at L'etoile on West Main Street.

 

Who arrived first?

 Kathleen: I got there a minute or two after Jason. Somehow, it seems to work out like that.

Jason: I was first.

 

Were you nervous?

 Kathleen: I was fine all day at work, but after I left, I definitely started shaking a bit. I had never been on a blind date– or even a date in a long time.

Jason: Not really– it was only a date.

 

When did you calm down?

 Kathleen: When I walked in and met him. There was no going back.

Jason: I wasn't really nervous, so I didn't need to calm down.

 

First impression?

 Kathleen: I noticed that he was physically fit, attractive, and dressed well. He was also well mannered and polite.

Jason: She seemed friendly and attractive as soon as I saw her.

 

How about their style?

 Kathleen: His style seemed pretty UVA/Charlottesville. He wore casual pants and a print/plaid button up short sleeve shirt and brown shoes. It's hard to tell on a blind date, especially since you're meeting the person out of their environment. For example, I don't normally wear a dress, so I can't say that Jason was able to judge my style. Perhaps because I'm a bit of a chameleon... and awkward... and tomboyish.

Jason: She was wearing a lovely black dress with trendy sandals and a cute little purse.

 

Would you say this person was your type?

 Kathleen: I've found over the last couple years that I have a few different types, and that he most likely fits into one of those groups, the outdoorsy/intelligent/humorous type.

Jason: I don't even know what my type is.

 

At L'etoile...

 Kathleen: I did feel a little odd getting a beer at a nice restaurant, but it was good. I think we even established that we are both fans of truly good brews.

Jason: I ordered a nice wheat beer, an Alagash White.

 

What did you eat?

 Kathleen: We had a bread basket and a seafood salad for appetizers. They were very artsy. We both had different salads, and I had a gnocci in puttanesca sauce for dinner. I was a bit nervous since I have never had French foods or even gnocci.

Jason: For appetizers, we had a lovely seafood roll with muscles, scallops, and bits of apple wrapped in a nutty crust. That was followed by a spinach salad with blue cheese crumpled over it and a vinaigrette dressing. For my entrée, I had the baked salmon with sweet chutney. The food was very tasty and well displayed.

 

Kathleen: We shared a bit. I'm not big into seafood, so I didn't try the salmon, but I did offer the gnocci. We shared our dessert a bit too.

Jason: I snacked off her plates, but she was a picky eater and didn't want to try anything I was eating. However, she did taste my peach pie.

 

How was the conversation?

Kathleen: It was very easy to talk with Jason. We would be talking, and the waiter would come to take our order, and we hadn't even looked at the menu. I think we ordered on the third try!

Jason: There were no awkward silences, and we were laughing throughout the meal. We talked about biking, hiking trails, farms, and so forth. She had some amusing stories.

 

Did you have a lot in common?

 Kathleen: We both grew up in neighboring counties on farms and had experiences working with cows, horses, and various other animals. We even share a similar interest in moving away to try new places. I also thought it was very cool that he had learned to salsa dance, something I've been interested in learning.

Jason: We had many of the same interests and hobbies. For example, she likes to talk, and I like to pretend I'm listening. [Ouch! Matchmaker's going to pray that's some kind of inside joke between the two of them... otherwise Jason just won the award for worst BDC comment...]

 

What did you find out that was interesting about this person?

 Kathleen: He had a very unruly goat. It was a pretty funny story.

Jason: There were many things interesting about her, such as her food peculiarities and her vast beer knowledge.

 

Was there anything you found out that you really liked?

 Kathleen: Everything was pretty likable. Pretty flat answer, but it's true.

Jason: I liked the fact that she can build a bike from scratch and can climb a sheer rock face.

 

Was there anything you really disliked?

 Kathleen: I can't say that there was.

Jason: I didn't like the fact that she was a very finicky eater, not willing to try new foods.

 

Did your date do anything that impressed you?

Kathleen: He threw out that he knew that the restaurant name means "star" in French, and how appropriate since it is on Starr Hill, even if his bud suggested before the date that he mention it...

Jason: I was impressed that she ordered a Steel Head beer. Most girls I've dated go for the Michelob Ultra.

 

Was there "chemistry"? Interesting body language?

 Kathleen: We were talking and doing the eye contact thing the whole time.

Jason: She was tomboyish, and there was more of a friend vibe between us.

 

How were your date's table manners?

 Kathleen: Couldn't have been better and very polite.

Jason: I'm not the best person to ask.

 

How did dinner end?

 Kathleen: Very well. I think we were both fairly stuffed, especially from the dessert. Afterwards, we decided to hit up the Downtown Mall.

Jason: We first went to Zocalo, but we couldn't get a table outside, so we decided to check out Rapture.

 

What was the VERY end like?

 Kathleen: We decided at 11-something that our night needed to come to a close since we both had things to do on Sunday. So, we walked back to my car where he gave me a nice hug, and I gave him my number to catch up again sometime...

Jason: We had to end the night earlier than normal since I had to be up early the next morning, so I walked her to her car.

 

Did you have fun?

 Kathleen: I had an incredible time, and I spent a lot of time laughing.

Jason: We never had a dull moment, and we laughed a lot.

 

Would you see this person again?

 Kathleen: I think there is definitely a chance. Can I mention again that he knows salsa?

Jason: I got her number but am unsure if I'll use it. Maybe we'll go horseback riding or mountain biking some time.

 

Overall date experience?

 Kathleen: It was a fun, interesting, and entertaining time. I like that we walked to the Downtown Mall instead of driving.

Jason: I'm glad I met her.

 

ON a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the date?

 Kathleen: 8. I think everything went very well, but there's always room to learn more about the other person.

Jason: 5

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