Speed Dating 101

So I finally caved and signed up for one of those speed dating events. I went to one, as kind of a lark, in June 2006. It was suppose to be just a fun night out. Having just returned from Europe and realizing I had no single girlfriends left to troll with (they'd all acquired boyfriends, husbands and babies while I was away), I found myself sitting on the couch with my Blockbuster videos too many Saturday nights. I went with an open mind just to see what this event was all about. Ten men, six minutes with each one. It's actually a great way for some of us non-internet daters to sift through the muck. For me, wading through the plethora of (mostly) losers and liers on line and all the BS they shell out is exhausting. But in six minutes, or less, I can learn a LOT. First, is there an immediate attraction? No bluffing with the six year old photo when you're meeting face to face in an, albeit, dimly lit bar. Second, the guy's ability at quick wit and humor is apparent right off the bat. If someone doesn't 'get me' right up front, then they aren't going to get me...ever. And third, you can tell right away if you want to spend additional time getting to know this person. So not a lot of time is wasted in dozens of emails, eharmony stages, photo sharing, finding time to set up an actual date etc...

And, the last time I did go through this speedy process I met two great guys to date. After dating them both for about a month, things seemed to be getting a little more serious with one, so I had to let the other one go. Once I start sleeping with a guy, I just can't bring myself to continue dating other guys. Call me old fashion.

So now, a year after that relationship ended, I decided to sign up for another round. Why not? And if I don't meet anyone to date, it'll still be an interesting night out. However, the event is October 27th, the Saturday before Halloween. This fact was lost on me until I recently began getting several Halloween invites. Pumpkin carving parties, the Maris Farms Haunted Corn Field event, Halloween parties - the options were limitless. So the question is, do I cancel my speed dating event and postpone it to the next available date? Or just go and 'get it over with' so to speak? I'm toying with this question, when it occurs to me, "what guys will sign up for speed dating on Halloween Saturday?" Right, guys who have no Halloween parties, plans or friends to trick or treat with. Are these the kind of men I want to meet? Mmmm...Probably not.