Day 20: Blind. Date.

"Blind date: Where the people involved have not met each other previously. The match could have been arranged by mutual friends, relatives or by a dating system" -Wikipedia

One of the greatest joys of single-hood is the blind date.

I went on a blind date this weekend. It went something like this:

Six days before the date:

10:00 pm - We talk on the phone for almost an hour about: His hobbies, his talents, his job, and Bolivia witchcraft stores.

Night Before the Date:

7:00 pm - I receive a voice mail message with a detailed description of how he'll be dressed so I'll recognize him (White collared shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbow, dark jeans, sunglasses, and some schnazzy shoes whose brand name escapes me for the moment).

Date Night:

6:55 pm - Just in case I didn't get the clothing details right, he texts me once again to tell me his sleeves are rolled up.

7:00 pm - By a miracle I identify him at the top of the stairs, where it's him and two women.

7:00 pm - The conversation starts. We talk about his laser eye surgery, which I find hilarious for a "blind" date conversation. Get it?

7:05 pm - My first attempt at a joke, comparing him to Stevie Wonder...silence...maybe he doesn't like it Stevie Wonder.

7:20 pm - The guy taking our order is really cute, and exchanges a couple flirtatious smiles and comments with me...maybe the highlight of the night. He really was good looking.

7:30 pm - I make the fourth attempt at a joke and hit another brick wall...tough crowd.

7:35 pm - I pull out my moleskine notebook to write down a book suggestion of his.

7:36 pm - He goes off about how he had moleskine notebooks before they were popular and since he is an artist, he deserves to carry one, not like all the hipsters that think it's trendy.

7:37 pm - Time out. Is he calling me a trendy hipster not good enough for my notebook?

7:40 pm - We decide it's a nice night for a walk. So we walk.

7:40 pm - A 20-minute thorough discussion about the difference between medic teams and ambulances. It was interesting, but so were the two squirrels that were chasing each other around the park. I divided my attention between him and the squirrels. I thought that was only fair.

7:47 pm - I finally get him to laugh, only I wasn't being funny...I'm not even sure what it was I said, but it sure struck him as hilarious.

8:00 pm - A homeless man comes up to us and tells us all about this awesome concert that is happening that night. I think it sounds awesome. My date thinks otherwise. Against his better judgement, we walk to where the concert is, according to my friend Frank.

8:20 pm - No concert. Oops. That's the last time I'll trust Frank.

8:25 pm - My feet are tired. We've walked a couple miles and I'm in heels. I don't feel the need to impress anyone, so I stop for a second to change into the flip flops I carry in my purse, for just such an emergency. As I change my shoes, he tells me he's okay with me doing that, it doesn't bother him.

8:26 pm - I stand puzzled, wondering if dating etiquette now requires you to ask your date's permission to change out of heels. I guess I'm lucky that my date is generous enough to allow it.

8:31 pm - We get to the first metro stop, he suggests we keep walking...

9:00 pm - We're still walking, he's still talking. It's enjoyable enough, but not incredible.

9:24 pm - We're talking about something and biking comes up. I mention I hate biking more than anything in the world...he says he loves it, and then quickly finds a metro station. I guess that was a deal breaker.

9:26 pm - We hug and part ways. I get on the train and smile, thinking about the cute waiter. Oh yeah, and my date.

Conclusion: Nice guy, but not a match. I could use a little more laughter and a little more spark. And it wouldn't hurt if a guy could also get just as excited about crazy squirrels and homeless men with wild entertainment suggestions.