Exhausting as always

I can't decide if I have had plenty (or more than enough) fishing. Sara suggested that even though my three months are up I could just leave the profile up there and check it every now and again.

I kind of thought, here at the end, I'd give a positive review of what is to be had on the internet. I know people have had good experiences, for heaven's sake I'm going to a wedding next month that is based on such a story. I feel like I met a good person but the potential there is up in the air at this point. Maybe there are other people like me, people who really are ready for an actual relationship. I worry though that I'm just going to meet more of the same: douchebags, people who are too awkward in person and people who are using it as a easy way to rebound. I mean I guess it's free so I might as well just let it be. I will let the final set of messages be the deciding factor if I stick on this site.

One reply, even though I don't know why I'm doing it since I'm not really finding him attractive based on the pictures. (Stay on?: Nah)

Ok scratch that thought. Holy Fuck! DONE. A message from my friend's ex-fiance/giant douche bag? Are you kidding me? I really want to send a nasty message in return but better get approval first. (Just called nearly every person I know, no answer, everyone besides me has a life on Sunday afternoon, being single is the worst on Sundays) (Stay On?: NO WAY)

As much as I didn't feel like going after that at least there was a nice message from potentially cute fella. (Thanks fish site for making my life so complicated). Replied. (Stay On?: Perhaps)

Apparently just agreed to go for some coffee. The more messages I read the more reckless and insane I'm feeling (maybe worried about putting all my eggs in one basket that is attached to a jetpack). (Stay On?: Maybe I should.)

I love it! I've official gotten three (this being the third) stock messages more than once! It's a wonder anyone gets together anymore with behavior like this out there. (Stay On?: Feeling more pointless)

"ok lets face it im a pretty
amazing guy so dont mess up your
chance here lol jp. so whats up?"
(Stay On?: Nope)

Add on the the 4 "hi, what's ups" and I feel like the question is answered. Perhaps I'll stay on long enough to correspond with the two nice ones and hopefully get to send that jerk a very mean message. Then maybe, I need a break and a cat and perhaps a tub of frosting.

Reinvention

I feel like the reasons for rejecting people on Chemistry are just silly and completely useless. Here they are: no photo, not a good fit, different interests, not enough information on profile, educational differences, religious differences, marital status, doesn't want kids, pursuing another relationship, taking a break from dating, did not respond, age difference too great, communicating outside of Chemistry, physical difference is too great, prefer and non-drinker, prefer a non-smoker, different relationship essentials, no chemistry based upon short answers.

I highlighted all the ones in red that the magic preference formula is supposed to weed out before it sends you matches.

The ones I have used because they are the only ones that kind of work I highlighted in purple.

I will purpose a new list of rejection criteria starting with the old favorite of I don't like yo' face renamed as, not physically attracted to you.

Here's my new list:
Not physically attracted to you
Different interests (this one is good enough to stay)
You seem kind of douchey
Something about your profile creeps me out
There is no way you are under 32
Laziness on your profile makes me think you are probably lazy in person
No photo (also a good enough reason to keep)
Did not respond (got to get rid of those somehow)
Once I learned more about you my suspicions about you were confirmed
Meh


I am getting too judgmental when reviewing profiles. As Chea pointed out it's like house hunting or apartment hunting. After a lot of searching they all start to run together and none of them have what you want at a price you can afford to pay. So I'm trying to think of ways to freshen it up. My ideas so far consist of not really looking at the pictures and going off of profiles completely and responding to everyone who shows interest. I think neither of these are very good ideas. Must do more brainstorming.

Judgey McJudgerson

I hate myself for thinking and now saying this but why is every internet guy bald or balding?

I just like hair, when it's attached to a head.

Worst Fear Realized, Almost.

Looking through a new feature called "You May Like."

I just got matched with someone I went to elementary school with.... Oh Gawd. Random enough that I might as well give it a shot.

The good news is it turns out I'm an idiot and it's actually quite simple to remove my "religion/spirituality" interest. Good.

Be nice readers and vote on my little boxes, please? I worked hard on them. (Edit: deleted boxes because they didn't work, thanks blogger for getting my hopes up and then crushing them.)

Chemistry Round One ::Ding::

My method worked and now I have a lot of perusing and deciding to do. I must have chosen my words and photos wisely (or people are easily impressed) because I have ten suitors interested in me and one who noticed me. I don't know what the difference is between the two categories.
The first on the list has a headline that reads "I love my wiener...dog that is :)" Poorly chosen words and use of emoticon. Makes me think of the unfortunate picture of a testicle I received on my phone on Friday night and my college roommate's annoying dog. His profile isn't too bad but he doesn't provide a picture which is just dumb, in my opinion. This isn't the Dating Game, dude.

Second guy has a picture and looks like my Godfather and some creepy Everquest player mated about 29 years ago. At this point I wonder, if you know you won't be attracted is it even worth it to spend the 36.8 seconds reading the profile? He needs a singer.... I'm not your lady, at all.

Third guy, no picture again. I just don't understand this. I might have liked you but you aren't showing all your cards... Next. Oh there is a button you can click to "request photo," still stupid.
Fourth guy, is it wrong to deny someone for simply wearing a paperboy hat?

Oh man I just realized there are more than ten to go through. This is time consuming....

Found a potential. He has stupid facial hair but well that's more temporary than a love for paperboy hats. I will click... learn more.
I'm learning a lot about myself through this process for instance I don't want to date a cast member of The Newsies, fellas who aren't ballsy enough to include a picture or guys with pear shaped heads.

You had me until "my favorite band is Social Distortion." I'm a snob, I fully admit it.
Ok eventhough you have an non-ironic mohawk and a frat t-shirt on, I'll give it a shot. See, detailed profiles can make a difference.

I still can't believe that they don't have the option of "not attracted to yo' face." Is it to make people feel better? So you are forcing me to lie?

Chemistry lists what the person has chosen to look for along side what they "are" and I find it, I don't know, lazy verging on desperate if every answer is "any" or "no prefrence." Really, you don't care if I'm a 400 pound, worshipper or Satan, divorcee with 3 kids who lives with her parents and drinks like a fish? Ok then.

I think I'm done. I currently have six Connections, meaning I clicked "Learn More," one "Decide Later" and four chaps waiting in limbo, sorry chaps.

Total time: 1.5 hours-ish

Raking in the Men

I figured out how one gets more quantity of matches on Chemistry. With the ones you get you have to categorize them either as "Not Reallys," "Decide Laters" (of which you can only have 5) or "Like to Learn More." If you don't do anything you don't get more matches. At first I was resentful, as you may have noticed, about this. I think, though, it's good. It rewards activeness and decisiveness which are positive qualities. It also forces me to be not as nice as I usually am, meaning I now have to cut someone if I'm just not that attracted to his picture or something he said in his profile, no dangling the men along. Way to make me a better person Chemistry, well played.

Matches: Chemistry

So Unlike Plenty of Fish, Chemistry gives you actual matches not just every single person in your area. I don't know how well I filled out the survey but the first person I was matched with because we both value spirituality (I do?) and he's a conservative. Hum...

I will say that most of these sites less Eharmony do not let you choose the political beliefs of your matches and for someone like me, that's pretty important.

Just finished looking through the 1st set of 10 matches. Only rejected, I think 3, guys (one on looks, even though that wasn't a reason you could and one or two on the information on their profiles). The rest I left to decide later since no one really jumped out at me. Oh you can only keep 5 in limbo, tricky forcing me to make decisions.

Well that will do it for the first run on Chemistry. Wait and see what happens for the moment because now I'm pooped.