S: Mr. September

You will never believe it, but I actually did it. I got a date for September!

And I didn't even want one.

I'm still pretty hurt from the whole Guy thing and he and I are still on kind of a roller coaster, so I was just starting to feel like I didn't want to open myself up to anyone, even just a little. I'm in no condition to date. I know who I want to be with.

Enter cute artist type from OkCupid. The ONLY fellow of any interest I have run across there as of yet.

I discovered his profile early on and sent him a cute, flirty, witty, casual message. I found some hidden references in his profile description and used them in my message to show I totally smelled what he was stepping in.

And it worked. He responded. And he remained non-stupid and non-creepy and non-perverted and non-clingy in subsequent exchanges. His messages make me giggle, so I keep responding. Of course, it helps that, at least in his photo, he looks super cute in a hat.

This weekend there will be another sporting event that Guy and I would have attended together. Again, something I had been looking forward to ever since he tricked me into making future plans last spring. So, I did some legwork and made some plans to tailgate at this sporting event and maybe get a ticket with a buddy of mine. Good hang time with him AND no sitting at home wishing and hoping. And beer.

The deal is that Mr. September does not live in my fair city, but rather in a small town not too far away. And it just so happens that this small town is where the aforementioned sporting event will be taking place. "Convenient," she says slyly while tapping the tips of her fingers together.

So I just happened to mention in a message to Mr. September a couple of days ago that I would be in his town on Saturday. Hoping he would now smell what *I* was stepping in and suggest a meeting. It's just so much more fun to get the guys to ask you out while making them think it was totally their idea. You have to be a little creative, but it's a fun game.

Anyway, it took a couple of messages, but the other night, he finally suggested that we meet if I was going to be in his neck of the woods.

I will fully admit that when I read his message, I freaked out a little. Here he was doing exactly as I intended and suggesting a meet up so I can get in my September date, and I didn't want to accept.

I didn't want to go.

I was frozen. I didn't know what to do. Going out with someone else means giving up on Guy. I don't want someone else to ask me out, I want Guy to ask me out. If I date someone else, it means I've lost all hope for Guy and am destroying any chance I have with him.

HEY SHEILA...SNAP OUT OF IT!

Dude, it's over. There is no hope. Guy's a dumbass. He has no nads. He's not going to get past that.

MOVE

ON

I will also admit that these are not things I could think until I had a little Facebook chat with our fair Jane who typed GO! about a thousand times. She's such a good pal. I do hope I can get over my crap and let her gush to me over the phone soon. I'm getting there. She's being very patient with me.

Anyway, she was totally right and I knew it. I wrote him back and said his idea was a welcome one, let's make it so.

His response: "Excellent!"

Wow. Very enthusiastic. Perhaps he's more interested than I thought he was.

I was still feeling reticent about the whole thing because I've been missing Guy a lot this week. Giving up still feels wrong, but I have my sanity to regain. I have to get on board with meeting someone new. Even if I have no intention of getting involved.

Which I don't. I know better. I knew better before. I could kick myself for being the fool. No more stupid. Just a few more dates to finish out the year and then back to spinsting.

Anyway, what I've found is that the more we discuss our plans for meeting...the more we try to make it work out even though it's kind of a logistical nightmare...

(To make this work, I had to beg my buddy, who is riding to this other town with me, to find a different way home so I could stay and meet some strange internet guy. He totally understood. You can't beat good friends who get it. And he's one of the best.)

...the more I look forward to it. Over the last day and a half, just the coordinating of the thing has provided a nice build-up and an undercurrent of first date excitement.

Plus, somebody new to use the same old jokes on. Sweet!

So, the plan is that we will meet up after the sporting event at a predetermined street vendor who makes a delicious food that I happen to love and never get to have because I'm never in this particular town. I'm no dummy. Make the date somewhere where at least the food is good so if the company isn't, it isn't a total loss.

I do hope the company is as good as the food. And I have a feeling it will be.

There you go. That's it. Mr. September. He makes me giggle. And thinks I'm funny.

And he's not Guy.

Sheila Barnes...back in the game.

Go get 'em, slugger!