DAte 32- Lets hope 2010 is better

Date 32: Last one of 2009...and with this bachelor

SUCH A NICE GUY...but I am not interested at all. As I continue to date different gentlemen I really am figuring out the qualities that I am attracted to. Now, I would admit that girls are attracted to a** holes, but I like the qualities that many a** holes have. Let me explain:

This guy, Date 30 and now 32 is SOO nice! But boring nice. He agreed with everything I said, and always seemed nervous around me. We want to see the movie "INVICTUS." Although the movie was amazing, I would not recommend it for a date. It wasn't funny, sad or scary. It was just powerful. During the entire movie, Date 32 looked over at me every single time I moved an inch. I could tell he wanted to hold my hand or something but that wasn't gonna happen. He made me feel uncomfortable at how nervous he was. He made a few remarks that have stuck with me though......

In discussions about my busy schedule he said, "I don't see how you ever have time to get to know someone, but I guess you already have friends." Now.....I laughed this off, but he may have a point, sort of. If I really liked him, I know I would of made more of an effort to see him but at the same time I can't expect to find a boyfriend if I never make time to meet one.

After the movie he asked if I was interested in grabbing dinner. Obviously he didn't read my body language! I turned him down b/c I was dog sitting and needed to take the dog out. He offered to drive me back to my house, which I accepted out of guilt. Upon dropping me off he asked if I wanted to go out the following day to Lucky Star Casino. Although that would be a GREAT date..not with this guy. I told him I had to check my schedule and I would get back to him. Here is the kicker...he called me 45 minutes after dropping me off to see if I could go out.

WHOA TURBO! Give a girl a chance to breath.....

Needey and agreeable are not two qualities that I am looking for and I owe Date 32 a thank you for showing me that.

Already have the first date scheduled for 2010......

Date 30 and 31- Not a holiday romance

With the holidays, snowstorm, and crazy schedule I have still managed to continue dating but have lacked on the blogging component. I always feel like I need to take a day or so to reflect about the date before I blog to ensure I am fair to the bachelor.

Date 30- A new bachelor, but from the same tree as SLOW and STEADY

Recently it has taken me more time than usual to find the time to schedule dates with new bachelors. Date 30 faced the same scheduling issue but we finally got together before Christmas for coffee at Starbucks. ( Another coffee date for the girl who doesn't like coffee/Starbucks). Honestly, Date 30 is a super nice guy and we held good conversation throughout the date. Topics included

• OSU athletics (more of a mutual hatred for OU)
• Health care reform bill (he works in politics and is very republican...i am not)
• Tiger Woods and his 17 girlfriends (if that is what you call them)
• Favorite Movie comparison...

As you can tell, most of these topics are current events or standard first date conversations. Although Date 30 never said anything wrong, he always seemed to agree with me even though I could tell he felt differently. Many of you know me and know I am not afraid of a conflict or disagreement but this bachelor must be because he pretty much rolled over and let me win.

Another interesting detail about Date 30 was that he wanted to schedule the next date right away. A way to guilt you into the next one....! with the holiday I was able to deflect till later on but I found he is pretty persistent.

Lets just say nice guy but I'm not interested....

Date 31- To come clean or not??? That is the question

Slow and Steady and I had already scheduled another date before the realization that he is still "looking." Considering it is December we took advantage of the OKC Downtown in December activities and went ice skating. Now, due to the realization discussed in the last post, I decided to not get him a xmas present b/c I didn't think we were there. Well he walked in my front door with one for me. (Gift card to an ice cream placed we had been to...cute but nothing special).

So....backup plan went into place. I had cookie dough in the fridge and had him help me make sugar cookies and then sent the batch home with him. Cute....yes I know. It is actually a REALLY fun date activity. Highly recommend it :)

Now.....things are comfortable with this bachelor and I wasn't in the mood to rock the boat right before Christmas...so I decided to not bring up the whole internet dating thing. Why cause an issue where it really doesn't matter. Are we seriously dating...NO. But I enjoy his company and want to keep him as a friend. I think it is better to let this one play out naturally...as I am sure it will.

So lesson learned: I am looking for someone who challenges me.....not lets me always win.

Two more dates are on the books but I still need your help setting me up! Keep the suggestions coming!

No longer feeling guilty..but a little hit on my ego

If you have been keeping up with my post you will know that the past few months I have been been filled with guilt because I felt terrible that one of the bachelors that I have been dating was not aware of the 52 in 52 program and /or blog.

I AM NOW GUILT FREE!!!! Many of you may be thinking that I came clean with the fella, but that is not the case!

Let me start from the beginning:

If you remember I met this guy on an online dating website. At first I was sure that it would lead to nothing, so I chose to leave my little dating adventure out of conversation. One thing lead to another and we have been what my friends keep calling "dating" for a few months now. (all the while I have continued to rack up the dates with other bachelors). Recently I have posted about how I felt that this guy may be getting more into this that I originally planned and that the guilt of 52 in 52 started to consume me. (see date 29 post for more details).

Since I had such great luck finding dates on this website, I have recommended it to many friends. One (who will remain nameless) just recently signed on and was overwhelmed with messages (as she should be b/c she is AMAZING). Tonight she was so overwhelmed that I offered to filter through her messages and delete out all of the "junk". To my surprise the first message I came across was from THE BOY THAT I AM DATING!!!!!

I might have died laughing at the ironic nature of this considering that I had been guilt strucken for so long thinking he had the hots for me when all along it appears he has "keep his options open." I know I have no room to be mad or hurt considering my situation but for some reason it was a small blow to my ego while at the same time quite a relief!

NOW...the questions remains, do I bring it up to him as a way to come clean on the 52 in 52....or just let it slide? Suggestions?

Next Date Scheduled

A new bachelor is scheduled for this week.....!!! If you have ANY potential bachelors, PLEASE send them my way!

Date 29- Christmas Time is Upon us

For those of you that live in the Oklahoma area, you all know the best place to go look at Christmas lights! (No...not the Chesapeake Energy Campus although those are impressive) yes..I am referring to the Festival of Lights in Chickasha, Oklahoma!

Last night my date and I walked hand in hand through the beautiful display of lights while sipping on our hot chocolate. Sounds wonderful doesn't it! Well although it was pretty darn close it was spitting freezing rain last night so that put a damper on things! Also, my date had hoping to ride in the horse drawn carriage together but they were not operating last night. Now for him this was a let down but for MJ it was a relief! Let me tell you why:

First off, I always feel like all you can smell when you ride behind a horse is the horse's poop! Is that not true!! I'm not sure how romantic I can be in the midst of that horrific smell. Also, that screams DATING to me. Although I will admit to "dating" this guy I think actually doing activities that could be labeled that way may freak me out a bit. (It could be the guilt of this whole social experiment..who knows). So that being said, for any potential bachelors please don't ask me out for a carriage ride. Not my cup of tea!

I could go on and on about my guilty conscience right now but you all know the story. MJ dates numerous bachelors, they don't know about the blog and now she may like one of them. To tell or not......this is the first time I have felt a movie plot coming along!

On a positive note...a new bachelor this weekend! But PLEASE continue to dig into your friends to find me dates 31-52!!! Who knows..your guy could be the guy for me !

Keep reading, b/c I will keep dating!

Took a break

Just to keep you all in the loop,,,,I went to NYC this past week and have not kept up with the blog while I was gone!! Will post about Date 29 tomorrow!

MJ

26,27,28- I guess they have to count!

Date 26- Ice cream!

Date 27- Drinks!

Date 28- Mexican!

All with bachelors I have already gone out with...but each date a different guy! Ok...here is more detail.

Date 26- Slow and Steady took MJ for ice cream

This was a spur of the moment date. I received a text message from S&S asking how my evening was going and i responded with "i am debating if i want to go get ice cream". Next thing I know, he has shown up at more door ready to take me out for a delicious treat! (you could say he fell right into my trap). After ice cream, I did invite this bachelor into my apartment (it was actually semi clean). We hung out and watched TV, which was limited due to my lack of cable. It felt normal to be sitting on my couch watching Conan with this guy. But he still doesn't know about the blog and my last name. SO obviously there is still quite a bit of ground to cover.

Date 27- One of the originals met MJ for a drink

I was in Kansas City for a wedding and had the opportunity to connect back up with Date #3. If you don't remember this guy, you may take a trip down blog memory lane and go back and review. It was great to see him again but the hard part is that the chemistry is still there but he lives there(not in OKC). I guess sometimes you just have it with some people even if it is the right timing or not. We had a good time catching up and shared quite a few laughs! I may always wonder if this could of been something if we lived in the same town, but I guess you can't worry about that.

Date 28- I hate when people order fajitas!

This date was a long time in the making. I was excited to meet back up with this bachelor, other wise known as the guy who took me to Jerry Seinfeld. It was amazing how much deeper our conversations went this time. I guess it is hard to discuss serious topics after a comedy show. Now this is someone I have known a long time, but during this date I realized that someone can know you but they don't necessary know your past and why you are the way you are unless you share that with them. It was fun to both share and learn about one another even though I already knew him.

Something that makes me laugh is during our first date, this bachelor compared wanting a girlfriend to wanting an i-phone. "It would be cool to have but my phone works just fine."Well.....he has an i-phone now! I laughed because he says he doesn't know what to do with it and feels the same way about a girlfriend. :)

Due to some scheduling issues and other problems, I had to postpone two other dates that were scheduled for this week! Look for those dates to be rescheduled in the near future!

Keep reading, because you know I will keep dating!

Date 25- Its been a while

Date 25 took a long time to get on the books. The bachelor was actually a friend from the high school days who I have not seen since high school, so it has been awhile. We had been trying to get together for awhile, but every time I head back to Kansas I always seem to jam pack my weekends and our schedules always conflicts.

Well after my Jayhawks lost to the Sooners last week, we decided to drink our sadness away and meet for a drink at a local bar in Wichita. It was great to see him again and catch up on the last eight years. Now that I think about it, I don't know that I really knew all that much about him back in high school. Its funny now thinking about all the people you "know" from your past. What do you really "know" about them anymore. People change!

I actually think going on a date with someone you "know" is more nerve racking that a blind date. There is this sense of pressure when you are suppose to have some base level knowledge about someone. If you agree to a date with someone you kinda know, you are unknowingly stating that you are interested, even if you know it or not. I think this pressure may have played a role in this dating experience but it was hard to tell in this laid back environment.

It was great to see Bachelor 25 again and if we can make our schedules work again, maybe we can do it again.

Ok friends......one date till half way point! keep the recommendations coming, you all seem to be just spectators in this adventure and I need you to start playing a more active roll! FIND ME MORE DATES! :)

Happy dating!

Date 24- TOO MUCH TO SOON

Date 24- Too deep too fast

Now we have had "to much too fast" and we have had "just to fast" but "TOO DEEP TOO FAST" is a new one for me. I have never been almost brought to tears on a date in my life, but I guess there is a first time for everything. Let me explain:

This is a new bachelor who I have had to reschedule our date three times due to scheduling conflicts, illness etc. Needless to say there was a lot of build up to this date and I honestly was not in the mode to be "dating" on this particular evening but I sucked it up and put on my big girl pants and went out. I met him at an old standby restaurant, Chili's! I used to LOVE this place but as I have graduated from OCU I feel as if I have also graduated from Chili's. It just doesn't do it for me anymore.

So after the initial chit chat of any first date about general topics, I decided to just jump right in and ask a very easy opening question that could take the conversation anywhere. I said,"so what's your story?" Now this bachelor didn't hesitate to provide me with a detailed description of his attributes mirroring his profile online. Normally this is not the expected answer to this questions. I was more aiming for info like: job, family, hobbies, friends, etc. I should of known then that this was just the beginning of the deep conversation we were about to embark on.

From here I got to relive my mother's battle with breast cancer as he shared the tragic story of his mothers death from the same disease along with a philosophical discussion regarding Catholicism in relation to my moral believes. Sounds like a bit much for Chili's right....

I will admit it was a very interesting conversation but not something I am looking for on a first date. First dates are meant to see if there is a potential connection to potentially move to the next layer of a person...not to go straight to the core and expose everything.

Lesson Learned: Too deep too fast is a turn off for most people if the connection isn't naturally there. In this case, it wasn't. I hate to say all of the stuff like he was a really nice guy but not for me stuff but in this case it is very true.

Date 25 recap will follow....one more date to 26!

Date 22 and 23

I need to apologize! I have gotten very behind on the blog b/c my neighbor put a password on their internet...boo! So yesterday I bit the bullet and got my own.

Date 22: Date 22 came with a bit of pressure b/c it was the bachelor's birthday! I left the evenings plans up to him and he decided to invite me over to watch some football! As many of you know, I am totally the type of girl who loves that kind of date so I was totally game. The only real variable in this was the birthday component. I decided that my best play would be to show up with Sara Sara Cupcakes to celebrate. There were a huge hit, but we had to run out and buy milk to go wit them. This guy has been moving slow and steady but he did pick up the pace at bit with this date, if you get the picture. (nothing crazy...lol).

Date 23: This is the first out of town date. I have debated whether to count it but feel like it had all the components of a date and deserves a mention on the blog. Details will be very limited on this on though..just forewarning you all.

I had the opportunity to meet a gentlemen while I was traveling for work and made a quick connection. We hung out throughout the week and got to know each other pretty well. The official date is going to be counted on the last night when we went out for drinks together and enjoyed some live jazz.

Sorry for the lack of details but this one will remain unspoken about, at least on the blog.

ALMOST HALF WAY THERE!! :)

Date 21......low key evening

Date #21-

Date 21 was a repeat date with the same slow but steady dater from earlier dates. From my experience with this bachelor on previous dates, I could tell he would be slow to make any sort of move and the atmosphere had to be just right or he would chicken out.

So, I took it upon myself to propose a low pressure date of dinner and an on-demand movie at his apartment. (would of offered mine up but you all know i am a disaster and can't keep the damn thing clean). I was actually suppose to meet him at his house at 7pm but I woke up from an evening nap at 6:30 so confused at where I was, where I had to be and what day it was. It took me a few minutes to reorientate myself and get focuses on my date.

I met him at his apartment and we went straight for Chinese food! Honestly, I had been craving it for weeks so I was totally excited about it. Dinner conversations was great as usual and we planned to head back to his immaculately clean apartment to watch a movie.

As i mentioned in a previous blog, this kid is a slow but steady dater and this date proved no different. It took 45 minutes into the movie for him to even attempt to hold my hand. I laugh at this but at the same time love how genuine the entire process has been with this guy. After the completion of the movie, I waited around 20-30 minutes to give him time to get up the courage to kiss me, but he didn't. So, I threw in the towel and put my shoes on and headed out the front door. I turned around to give him a good bye hug....this has become normal for us, and he held on longer than previous hug encounters and gave me a good night kiss that was truly innocent and sweet. Nothing huge but enough to show we were making progress.

Ok...so as many of you know this bachelor is still very unaware of this 52 in 52 dating adventure and I am not sure I can break it to him this late in the game. So many of you feel that I need to tell the guy but I have decided to keep this secret and not share. My reasons:

1) because i don't want to tell him

2) other bachelors saw the 52 in 52 as a green light for fast paced dating, this guy is moving at his own speed and I don't want to interrupt that now

3) he has never asked a question that would allow me to bring it up naturally.....so i haven't

4) its makes it more real if he doesn't know

I realize these are not the best reasons, but i am gonna go with them!

Potential for two dates this weekend, so stay tuned!

DAte 19 and 20

Date 19 and 20.....

#19- Can you say...TO MUCH TO EARLY

Date #19 was a guy I met on one of the online dating sites I joined. His original message seemed harmless so I started to communicate with him through email and instant messaging. We traded commonalities (which through this process I have found you have with EVERYONE at some level). Now, not to my knowledge but this bachelor was sizing me up and was very vocal about his feelings. I believe before we even met in person, he sent me a message saying that I was perfect and he was beginning to plan MORE THAN JUST THE FIRST DATE! Now although this was a sign of crazy, I let it go and continued to plan our date. Honestly, by the time the date came I felt like I was going to let this guy down because he had gotten caught up with the idea that I was a goddess or something.

During the date, he talked the entire time. Now, I have been looking for a man who will steer the conversation but holy cow....can I talk? At about the 3 hour mark I interrupted Date #19 with the following statement: "Over the course of the night, 70% of our conversation has been centered around your job. Do you have a balance problem in your life?" Now...you can be the judge if this was rude or not, but honestly he responded with "YES..and I am glad you called me on it". Even when I am rude, this guy thinks I am fantastic! I could of spit on the table and he would of thought it was endearing.

It makes me laugh that all this guy could talk about how much he wants to get to know me and I think he asked me 3 total questions throughout the night. For those of you that know me, my job is pretty interesting and a conversation starter. Apparently NOT with this bachelor.

Ok..here is the part that I felt VERY GUILTY. We were walking Bricktown in the rain and he kept talking about how perfect I was and how i fit everything that he was looking for..blah blah blah. Then he said..." i just keep wondering, what are you not telling me." Now, when he said this all i could think about was this blog and the 52 in 52 dating adventure that he has unknowingly become a part of. GUILT! But apparently not enough for me to come clean....

Lesson Learned: When the guy is in love with you before he meets you in person, that is an issue! RED FLAG ALERT!

Date #20- SLOW and STEADY

Date #20 is a repeater....he is actually the only guy to reach the forth date mark with me. We went to the fried food center of OKC. The Oklahoma STATE FAIR! I have never attended the OK State Fair so this was a new experience for me. Date #20 was a veteran and knew exactly where to find the fried cheese, fried oreos and root beer stand. Now, I ordered a frozen banana on a stick covered in chocolate and peanut butter. Although DELICIOUS, a bit awkward to eat on a date as one would imagine. This could of taken the date to the gutter but we both tried to keep it clean. (as much as possible when you eat a banana on a stick).

After dining the games ensued. A challenge was made and the goal was to win a stuffed animal. The loser had to carry the stuffed animal and bring it home. Now...of course..I schooled him at the state fair games. I can say...I WON THE STATE FAIR. Now, DAte #20 is an architect and was hesitant to ride the rides because of the fact that they are taken apart and put together together on a weekly basis. Although a valid point, I still called him out for being lame and convinced him to go on at least the bumper cars.

We had a great time and progress was made dating process, so I am hopeful to see this guy again. Although he is a slow moving...he is steady and I am learning to appreciate it.

Lesson Learned: Don't eat anything on a stick on a date and enjoy the journey, no need to rush everything.

Ok......we will be taking a week off for work. So keep come back and visit in October!

The Good, the Bad Date 17 and 18 RECAP

First off, I need to apologize for how long it has taken me to post about my dates last week. I am getting bad about posted about these dates and I know you are all so interested...so i promise to get better. lol

Date 18 Recap: THE BAD

This date might qualify as the worst 45 minutes of my life! That being said, this date is very difficult to describe. I am giving the online dating thing a try, and this date demonstrated to me why some people should not be allowed to use the internet.

I could recap all of the details of why this fella was miserable company but I won't. To paint the picture, if was as if i was interviewing a 12 year old boy for a class project. The conversation was rough from start to finish. After 45 minutes, i decided to just rip of the band-aid and end the misery for both of us. I believe is said the following:

"it was nice to meet you but i don't feel like we are in the same place. good luck with school and everything you are working on but I think i am going to go ahead and go. have a good night"

I feel terrible but i think it was better for everyone for me not to get this kids hopes up that this would go some where. Honesty is the best policy.

Date 19 Recap: Was this really a date??

First off, this bachelor was well aware of the 52 in 52 dating adventure but i am pretty sure doesn't want to have anything to do with it. (or at least he doesn't want to be blogged about). I will say it was different than any of my other dates b/c not only did the bachelor already know about the 52 in 52 but he already knew me.

Date #19 asked me to go with him to see Jerry Seinfeld at the Civic Center, I will say right now, this was the best date activity to date!

The environment was pretty electric because everyone in attendance was ready to laugh!

And we all know how bad my laugh can be...but i held it together.

Something new...running into people i know while i am on a 52 in 52 date. This has now happened a few times and it is funny to see if people i know will come up and

say hello. Now at this point, most of the bachelors have known about this dating adventure but currently many of the bachelors do not. So this could prove to blow up in my face if

someone says something at a moment they shouldn't. Oh well, I guess i will deal with that one when the time comes.

DAte #18 still will swear that the evening didn't count as a date but it totally did. Out of respect for this shy dater,we will leave out the rest of the date details. But...it was a date! :)

Two more this week both from online dating sites, sooooo they could be interesting....keep reading!

Date 16 Wrap Up

Date #16 is proving for me to be hard to describe. A few words that come to mind:

-easy

-relaxing

-laid back

-comfortable

-fun

-intelligent

Date #16 and I have gone out three times and it has been full of great conversation every time. He is so respectful of me and allows me to take the lead on just about everything. Although that is flattering and the way a women should be treated, sometimes a girl wants to be led. I have figured out that I am such a go getter when it comes to everything else in my life that I may be looking for someone else to take the reigns when it comes to dating.

Now in regards to Date #16, if he asked me out again I would be more than happy to go. Has he attempted to make any kind of physical connection at this point. No. I am not sure if this goes along with the respectful thing or not. I realize that I can rush into some of these things, so this slowed down pace might be good for me.

Who knows! What will happen! I have one of the 10 wedding of 2009 this weekend ( the reason I started this whole thing) so maybe i can find Date #17.

because

Keep reading..you know i am going to keep dating!

DAte 16 Predate Interview

This pre-date interview is brought to you by my favorite Canadian!

1) Who referred date # 16 to you? he is a repeat!

2 Have you done any background check on date #16? (facebook, myspace, twitter etc.) Actually, there has been little of this type of research conducted on this fella. I must be slacking

3) Does date #16 have any nicknames that you know of? like a nickname i have given him, or one that his friends use? Nothing I know of but I have referred to him as "the architect"

4) Are you running out of options for date activities in OKC? not yet, but I am a bit sick of Bricktown. Glad i am headed to western for tonight's date!

5) What is your worst pet peeve when it comes to dating? honestly, It feels like I am always leading the conversation. Either I talk to much or boys don't like to talk. I bet it is a bit of both...lol

6) Say you are at dinner and the check comes, who is reaching for it? I play this one by year. Most of the time I see where the waiter choses to set it. They normally set it with the bachelor. So...i just wait it out. I have paid a few times and offered numerous times. But no matter what..it always seems awkward!

7) If the date goes well, how long do you wait before scheduling a re-date? no written rule here. this is not a reality show and I have never read "THE RULES"

8) If you went on a “date” with a gay male would that still count towards the total 52? sadly no, one of the requirements was that he be straight.

9) If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? "well played MJ!"

Ok folks, heading for my favorite pizza tonight on WEstern! Wish me luck with a 3 peat. This is the third guy to 3 peat but nobody has made it to the fourth!

Date 15- Feeling a bit guilty

Alright friends! I went to lunch with Date 15 on Friday at Grand House! Honestly, I enjoyed myself more on this date than I thought I would. I could really see that Date 15 felt more comfortable and wasn't nervous this time around. It makes such a difference!

I have asked quite a few people over the past couple days if they think I need to come clean with Date 15. Everyone has a varied opinion but until I feel like it could get serious with this fella, I don't think I will tell him. No need to open that pandora's box at this point!

It is funny how this guy has progressed in the dating hierarchy. Coffee first, then lunch and now has asked me for dinner.

We will just have to see how dinner goes this week.....keep reading1

Date 15- Lunch date today

Lunch date scheduled today with #15. Stay tuned for details....

Date 14- B/c he didn't know

As I mentioned before I left for Date 14, this bachelor is not aware of the 52 in 52 campaign. Now many of you have expressed your concern with me not sharing this fact with him on the first date. Quote from Allison.. "but when you fall in love with this one and he finds out on facebook that you lied to him, what will happen then.." My answer to this, add it to the movie plot that you are all undoubtedly mentally writing about my dates but I will cross that bridge when I get there!

Now, this was the first date of all of them that was not aware of the dating campaign. As I was walking to Bricktown before the date, I realized that this guy is actually interested in finding a girlfriend instead of just seeing what this 52 in 52 is all about. This is the first time I have been nervous on ANY of my dates. Honestly, I think the 52 in 52 has been a crutch for me on my dates. An easy ice breaker and helps take off the pressure. I could tell he was nervous. This was new for me b/c I don't think any of the previous dates have been terribly nervous.

We sat and chatted for almost a few hours. It was very easy conversation and I could tell as we kept talking that we were both letting more of our personality show through. I sense we are both pretty sarcastic people, but you never know how a stranger will respond to your sarcastic commentary, so I try to turn it on low for first dates. Conversation remained on pretty generic topics about jobs, friends, family, football, etc. I think Date 14 was feeling me out to see if he wanted to move onto the next step in dating...lunch! And he does.....Date 15 is lunch.

I wish I could really articulate for all of you the difference from this date from the others. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to go on dates with a few more bachelors who are unaware and get a better sense of the differences in the dynamic of the date. So..do you part and set me up!!! :)

Keep reading...we are officially in the 2nd quarter and need to keep the momentum going in halftime!

Date #14- 1/4 of the way there

Can you all believe that I am a fourth of the way through this dating journey already! So many people thought i\I wouldn't make it past week 3! It has truly been an emotional rollacoaster so far but totally worth it. 

Today, we are going out with Date 14. We are meeting for coffee. First off, I hate coffee but whatever. I think the coffee date is so safe. It has the potential to lead into a longer date or it can be cut off after one cup. Everyone knows thats why you set them up. So..we will see if this date is more than a one cupper! HA! 

Stay tuned for post date blog! This boy is unaware of the 52 in 52, so I am excited to not have to explain it again on a date! 

Unlucky 13.....

Well, I apologize for how long it has taken me to post about Date #13. 

Honestly, I should of expected this to happen sometime throughout the year but how ironic on unlucky  Date #13.  I got stood up! Plans were made and Date #13  didn't show! This is a dating experience that everyone should expect and now I can check it off the list. 

who knows if there was a miscommunication, or if DAte #13 just didn't want to come, but mark it off to life experiences for me !

Lets hope that 14 brings back some good luck! 

Date #12...Lesson learned

Over the weekend I took a road trip back to Wichita and went on Date #12 which we will refer to as a non-date because apparently the word date brings pressure with it.  This was a repeat dater....which I think thats where to pressure comes from not the word date. But I went with it. 

Date #12 (more commonly known as Date #3) went the low key route for our date and invited me over for pizza and a movie.  It was actually nice to lay low for an evening and enjoy each others company.  I even had a chance to give Guitar Hero a try....this is what I will now refer to as the guys version of Dance Dance Revolution. At least I kicked his ass the first time at DDR!. 

As I continue on this dating journey, I have found myself learning quite a few life lessons as we move along and I thought it might be time to start sharing them with all of you. Some are very funny and others are really things that will help me figure out this dating thing, but tonight the focus will be more on the serious side.  

    Lesson #1: Expectation-communication=frustration 

    Explanation:  With any first date comes a flood of ideas or expectations of where it will or       could lead to.  In the context of the 52 in 52, I am finding out that men and women's expectations of a "date" are very different.   Honestly, my expectations are more in line with a guys in this process than one would expect from me.  Shouldn't be a problem unless  I actually find myself liking one of them.  I found that I have already set myself up to fail because the expectations I set from the beginning are now not in line with my feelings. This is where COMMUNICATION is key.  With this process, I have to learn to communicate my feelings,  unlike the average girl who just gives off hints (that she is interested) that she expects boys to pick up on. Here is the FRUSTRATION: My "hints" go against the expectations that I have already set, hence the need for me to COMMUNICATE. 

I have never been that strong of a communicator in the boys department, so this lesson is a tough one for me to put into practice. But hey, I still have 40 dates to go! 

New dater scheduled for for Thursday! Look forward to the pre-date interview this week! 

Date 11- 3peat

After going to dinner with a close friend who is an avid reader of the blog, I have been told i must be 100% honest about my dates and not hide any from you all. So....Date #11 occurred last night! you guessed it, it was the same bachelor from the past two dates. You could now call him a three-peat! 

The person who helped set up the initial date hosts a local comedy show here in OKC at the Speak Easy. So we based our date around attending. Now i did this knowingly that my friends were likely to show up for the show to scout out the date. (and of course..you know they did). 

We started the night with a great dinner at Pepperoni Grill. I only name the restaurant this time b/c it is based in Penn Square Mall which will play into my stories later.  First off, Date #11 informed me early on that he was a same side of the booth kind of guy. Now, although I can see the appeal of this seating arrangement I have always made fun of those that actually commit to it in public. So, when the hostess sat us down at a corner booth, I will admit I have a small moment of panic that he would slide in right next to me.  Silly, i know but at the same time i am not sure it i am ready for a same side kinda meal at this point in my dating adventure!  (for the record, I sat on my own side alone :))

Our booth also offered a great view of the mall entrance which provided numerous topics for conversation. Who knew how many teenagers walk the mall with their boyfriends on a Monday night. I must of missed that step in the dating hierarchy.  Not to worry, Date #11 and I decided to head back to our teenage years and take a lap around the mall before we headed to the comedy show.  Still had a hard time seeing the appeal, but now I can check that off the list. 

You can learn a lot about a person when you see what they think is funny. A guess a great place is at a comedy show. You can always tell what my reactions are because my laugh is so distinctive. ( a girl i meet twice said she recognized my laugh over the rest of the crowds...not surprising to those of you who know me).  I was intrigued at my dates reaction to some of the hot topics because I know our political beliefs are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Its nice to see we could both laugh at ourselves. :)

The date followed the same path at the first one and we decided to head back to Sonic for another sweet treat! (He has found the way to my heart....hahaha!) There are currently no plans for another date but am hopeful! 

Now....I have gotten quote a few questions from all of you about if i actually begin to "fall" for one of these boys.  Honestly, I am not sure what I will do if that happens but as my dad says..we will cross that bridge when we get there. I am still on the hunt to go on 52 dates and am looking forward to continuing the journey! Wherever it takes me.....who knows! 

Stayed tuned...plans for a date for the weekend may be in the works 

Date #10 Follow Up

So, I provided few date details regarding Date #10. So I thought I would try to catch you all up. For all you avid readers, you know that Date #10 was a repeat dater from the previous week. 

To preface this date, I was suppose to be ready by 6pm for him to pick me up but my boss wanted to meet about some pressing issues at 5:15 so i got pulled into that. I pushed the date back to 6:30 and thought that would do it, but of course i didn't leave the office till 6:22..so i was in full panic mode when i hit my front door. My neighbor came down to chat and ended up helping me buckle my shoes and take the tags off of my clothes. I was brushing my teeth, hair and putting on make-up all at the same time. BUT..i was ready by 6:32! Still in panic mode but I was good to roll. 

Date #9/10 took the short tour of my apartment. Glad I came home over lunch to clean it instead of waiting till after work. I would of been totally embarrassed! My parents always said my sloppy habits would come back to bite me. And I guess they are right.....! Date #10 didn't seem to mind and gave me a nice kiss for all my troubles! (Now all of you have been asking for more juicy details...so there you go!).  We headed to dinner up in Edmond at Bravo!. Now, this was the first date out of all 10 that i have left the Bricktown area. Crazy how when you live down here you never see a reason to leave. 

Dinner went by quickly but was fantastic! Apparently it wad date night at Bravo! because I think we spotted at least three or four couples that appeared to be on first dates. I am not going to lie. I love people watching, especially first dates.  Now that I have been a series of them, they are getting easier to spot.  Keep your eyes peeled for them....! 

After dinner, we headed back to Date #10's house in Edmond. Now, I know I have not mentioned much about Date #10 but in order to preface this story you should all know that he is in law enforcement.  Date #10 is a good shot and owns quite a few firearms. I was not mentally prepared to see them just around the house! I have never really been exposed to guns before so it was very new to me. I guess I can now add that to the list of new experiences to come out of this dating adventure. HA! 

We hung out at the house and watched the classic John Travolta movie Urban Cowboy. More of the juicy details for you all, I didn't pay much attention to the movie. Sorry Travolta....

I honestly can't believe I am already 10 week into this adventure....what a ride so far. Can't wait to see what is ahead of me! 

Date #10- TONIGHT

Date #10 is tonight.  No predate interview this week....if you are interested in playing the role of the interviewer....email your questions! 

Either you have it or you don't...

So as most of you know from the pre-date interview, I had two dates this weekend. A doubleheader, if i can use that baseball term again in this post. 

Date #8- We meet for a late night movie at Harkins in Bricktown. It was great to see him again and we had a chance to play some arcade games before the movie. (I swear every boys is a pro at any game that involves shooting a gun).  I had a nice time and loved the movie The Ugly Truth. I will admit that watching a movie about dating while you are on a date is quite akward. There were numerous comments i could tell we both laughed at based on that fact that they applied to our situation. Date #8 is a total gentleman and walked to me all the way back to my door step.  It was a nice date....

Date #9- This was a complete blind date. I had no idea what the guy was gonna look like when I  walked into the restaurant.  I was pleasantly surprised :)  We had a great dinner in Bricktown full of wonderful conversation and laughter.  We headed over to the Redhawks game and had seats right behind the visitor's dug out. It was like we were on the field we were so close. The entire time we were both paranoid about getting hit by a foul ball. (It would be my luck that I would get hit....but we made it through). Honestly, I know the Redhawks lost but we talked throughout the entire game that we really didn't pay attention.  We hit it off and couldn't stop cracking jokes and laughing.  I always thought baseball games went on forever but on this evening i would of been happy to sit through extra innings. 

After the date we walked back to his car for him to drive me back to my house. He asked if I would be willing to extend the date a bit and go get a drink. Of course I said yes and we headed straight to SONIC for a "drink". (You know how much i LOVE Sonic so I was totally down with it). After we finished our treats from Sonic, Date #9 drove me back to my house and was super sweet at the end of the date. You always wonder how the date is going to end..if he going to kiss me or not, if he says he is going to call you or not....there is a lot going through a girls head.  He was cute enough to ask if he could give me a good night kiss...which made my night. Gotta love when guys just come out and say it! 

As I continue on this dating adventure I am really beginning to learn that either you have it or you don't. It=CHEMISTRY. Although you can think someone is fantastic and truly interesting sometimes you just can't force chemistry to be there.  I have found myself wanting to give a few of the bachelors a second chance because I think the world of them, but the ugly truth is starting to appear to me. You really know on the first date if it is there. 

So.....saying that Date #9 will also be Date #10 this week.  

Double Header This Weekend...it is baseball season

Alright friends, we have had a change in plans: 

Date #8 is now set for Friday (This is a repeat with Date #6). So another 2nd date opportunity which is exciting. Plans detailed in pre-date interview below

Date #9 is set for Saturday! This is a NEW bachelor to the dating adventure and we are excited to get to know him. Date details also covered in the pre-date interview

This weeks Double Header pre-date interview is brought to you by Holly...the upstairs neighbor and recommender of dates #1 and #2. 

Q. How did you meet Date 8/9?

Answer: 

Date 8 is a repeat dater from Date #6.  Date#9 was recommended to me by a friend's boyfriend. He pulled through with a candidate after meeting me for the first time! Props to him for being on the ball with the date set up. 

Date #9: Have not meet him as of yet...total blind date for this one! have not even seen a picture but i trust my friends to set me up with great people. 

Q. How did he ask? Text, Facebook, email, call?

Answer: 

Date #8- We communicated through both text, facebook and phone call. Now that I have been on a date with him it was just general conversation

Date #9- Total phone call! :) 

 

What is the plan for your date? 

Date #8- Late night movie at Harkins! And hopefully some arcade games before. I have been craving some air hockey in my life lately. 

Date #9- We spend some time debating on an actvity for this date! Since i am a sports fan, Date #9 suggested we go to the Redhawks game. Not sure of plans outside of the game just yet but a night at the ballpark is always a good time. (even if i don't LOVE baseball). 

 

Q. The one thing Date 8/9 should know about you before the date? (Hopefully he’s reading the blog!)

Answer: 

Date #8- I think i figured most of those things out on the first date...but i do tend to laugh pretty loud in movies. (my friends from high school will attest to this habit...) I sometimes even pre-laugh before funny moments...ha! 

Date #9- It is hard to narrow it down just to one thing....for those of you that actually know me, any suggestions on this one! 

Q. Have you had any bad reactions from people when you tell them about the 52 in 52

Answer: Of course I have. It has been really interesting to see how everyone looks at the idea. Some people LOVE the idea and are totally on board. Others take time to warm up to it but find themselves asking about it or even reading this blog. There are a few negative nellies out there. They are entitled to their opinion and I respect that but I am trying to keep this a POSITIVE thing, so have chosen to not let any of that bother me.  Can't please everyone...not every guy has the balls to be one of the 52.  I get that...

Q.Thus far, what is the most important thing you have learned from this process?

Answer: Ohh honestly....a great deal. It may deserve an entire post to itself to truly answer this question. 

Keep reading..the dating continues 

DAte #8 Date Set..need ideas

Hey everyone! Date #8 has been set for this Saturday!  Talked with the lucky bachelor tonight and we are going to brainstorm some date ideas for this weekend! If any of you know of cool OKC activities this week...send me your ideas! Would love to spice it up at bit....

Stay tuned for the pre-date interview! 

25th Birthday!

This week marks another great landmark in my life...I am turning 25 on Saturday! A QUARTER CENTURY! So, now I can rent a car for cheaper and my car insurance goes down. GOODIE! Big celebration planned for this weekend, so if you want more information on that  just message me or shoot me an email at 

fifitytwoinfiftytwo@gmail.com

This week also marks the 7th week of my dating adventure. As many of you know i have been out with 6 different bachelors(1 repeat) in 7 weeks and am already in the plans for date #8 and #9! Thanks to all of you that have suggested potential bachelors..keep the suggestions coming! I still have 44 more dates to go...wow! 

I am having an absolute BLAST with this and already learned a great deal about myself and dating. Can't wait to see what else is coming my direction over the next few months. 

Keep reading! 

Date #7 Repeat Date Update

As I revealed in the pre-date interview, Week #7 was a repeat dater!  This was the first 2nd date of the bunch and I was excited about the opportunity to hang out with him again. This date was back in my home state of Kansas, so I let Date #3 do all of the planning. (I planned our date here in OKC). Date #3 would not reveal his plans for the upcoming date which I will admit I had a hard time with. I am normally the girl with a plan, so it was difficult for me to be out of the loop. 

Now, I bring up the planning portion of the date, because Date #3/7 plans all blew up in our face. I felt so bad for him because we just seemed to have bad luck everywhere we went.  None of this bothered me but I could tell he was getting frustrated that the movie was sold out, the restaurant was packed and the driving range was closed. But hey..what can you do by just go along with it. So we made the best of it and changed our plans. I know he had some wonderful surprises planned for me but he ran out of time to pull them all off and I forced him to ruin the surprise and tell me anyway! :) There is always next time for a rooftop dinner... 

Date #3 had a rough day at work and couldn't seem to shake the headache. He was a trooper though and never gave up on the date even though he wasn't running at 100%. The poor thing even took a cat nap during the movie....:)

I think the most interesting part of this date was really that fact that this was the 2nd date, which vastly differs from the first.  A first date is really kinda easy. You have so many topics to cover and most of the time you are just having surface level conversations. When you get to the second date you really have to take what you learned about the person and see if you can fit the puzzle pieces together to see if the two of you fit and have more than just a few common interests.  Honestly, I would think that most women would agree that Date #2 is the most difficult and telling.

That being said, I am hopeful to go on more 2nd dates throughout this process that I originally intended as these seem to be more in-depth.  Maybe there is a Date #3 in the future..we will just have to wait and see. 

Date #7: Repeat dater revealed

True or False

1. You've been on a date with Date #7. TRUE..he was date #3

2. Are you breaking your parents only rule on this date? well this is not a true/false questions but technically yes, but it is the second date so I don’t feel it should always apply

3. You will wear pants on this date. True..that is the plan

4. The events that will take place on this date are a surprise. True

 

Multiple Choice

1. On this date you will:

A) go see a movie and finally eat popcorn

B) go to a romantic dinner, discuss your future, and possibly throw out some baby names

C) have a picnic in a public place (i.e. a park)

D) open the door, get on the floor, everybody walk the dinosaur

E) all of the above

F) none of the above

G) some combination of the above

Answer: G: some combination of the above! but I doubt I will eat popcorn at the movies.  But the dinosaur walk in always a stand by option.

 

2. On this date you will:

A) wear a cute dress

B) wear flats

C) wear a cute dress with flats

D) wear pajamas

E) all of the above

F) none of the above

Answer: B: I will most likely wear flats since I am not sure what the plan is and with it being a surprise, I doubt a dress is the best plan.

 

Short answer essay:

Q. Please explain, in detail, how it is that you ended up on a second date with this man.

A. To be honest, I have hung out with Date #3 a few times since the initial date, but neither were official dates for that week. We had a great time on the first date and since I was already headed back to Kansas, (date #3 lives in KS) I thought it would be fun to go out again. So….repeat dater has been revealed.

Check the blog for more post Date #7/3 details!

 

Date #6- Wine and Dine

Honestly, Date #6 was the first date of the bunch that I really didn't know much about the guy before the date. Most of the time I can do some Facebook stalking or the person who set us up will give me some leads but this date I really walked into blind. So....here is how it went down! 

I arrived to The Mantel right at 8pm and was greeted by Date #6 not with a handshake or a hug but with a fresh glass of white wine.  Now for those of you that know my alcohol preferences, wine is not my thing at all but I was impressed none the less and sipped on the glass all throughout the night. 

After a few minutes of reviewing the menu, I noticed they served duck.  Now you don't see this everyday and I have always been interested in what this tasted like. I know I have tried it before, but after reading the description. I was intrigued. Now, don't think I was silly enough to order it. (I don't want to get stuck with some gross duck).  I mentioned my interest to date #6 and he asked why I don't just order it myself.  I said I would rather try it off someone elses plate instead of having to be stuck ordering it. Now, I did not mean to infer that I wanted HIM to order it but when the waiter asked guess what Date #6 was having for dinner. DUCK! :)  

Anyone that knows me knows that I spend every fall Saturday engulfed in college football, especially the University of Kansas.  It turns out that Date #6 played college football and has a respect for KU's head coach Mark Mangino! 

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!! :)  Ok ok..he may not be a Kansas fan, but I can forgive anyone who admits how good Mangino is. Even if he is a Sooner Fan! boo

Date #6 is working on getting in dental school which lead us into a conversation about teeth. Now thanks to my brother who hit my in the face with a baseball bat at age three, I have always had some interesting dental issues. I never thought I was self-conscious about this until it came up on the date and then i found myself trying to talk with my mouth closed doing the closed mouth smile. How silly am I! Can you imagine me trying to eat without showing my teeth! :) 

Date #6 is a very intellectual person. He was full of interesting conversation and dry humor. Even with his love for fruit roll ups...(sorry, I had to throw that in there) he has some very interesting ideas and thoughts.  Date #6 thinks before he speaks..while I just jump right into conversation and figure out where I am headed halfway through my thought. I had to get used to the pause in conversation before he would respond to my questions. I am so used to filling the silence, it was a great chance for me to learn to wade through the silence to get to the substance of the conversation. 

The topic of past relationships came up. Now I don't mind one bit listening to anyone discuss their past experiences when it comes to relationships but i realized on this date that I really don't have much to share in this department when it comes to true serious relationships. Everything is such a "story" with me. Lets hope that after this 52 in 52 that I can change this pattern. 

Overall, I had a great time with Date #6.  The food, conversation and atmosphere  were all top notch.  

No plans for Date #7 as of yet....but as usual I will keep you all posted. 

Date #6 Pre- Date Interview

Week 6 .Brought to you by Sheana

Q. Who set you up? Mary Jo- Gary- a friends husband

Q. What do you know about the guy? Mary Jo- That he works in a dentist office...thats all I got on this one.

Q. Where are you going on your date?Mary Jo- Dinner at The Mantel...not Mickey Mantels....I would be the one to go to the wrong restaurant

Q.  If the conversation goes south, what is your backup topic? Mary Jo- 4th of July plans, Michael Jackson- that is a great save these days.

Q. Is week 6 recently single? Mary Jo-I am not aware, but will find out tonight

Q. What is your opinion on sex before marriage? Just kidding. That's not a real question. I'm just trying to make sure that you're paying attention.- Mary Jo- wow....thanks Sheana! 
 
Q. Describe at least two outfit choices for the date... in complete detail. Mary Jo- Ohhh...most likely jeans for all outfit choices and whatever is clean. I will admit I have worn the same outfit on quite a few of the dates so far.

Q. If the date goes well, will you invite him to hang out on the 4th?- Mary Jo-if I had plans I would be more than happy to invite him but as of now..i got nothing! 

Date is scheduled for this evening! Look for a recap tomorrow.....

Repeat Dater Update: ohh and yes, I will be sharing more about the repeat dater at a later date. I promise

Date #5- Salute your Shorts!

I will get to why this blog is titled salute our shorts....it is not a sexual reference, so no need to make that joke to yourself just yet! 

The date actually started at Sara Sara cupcake, where we picked up cupcakes to go! Date #5 was worried that we wouldn't make it before they closed the doors on cupcake heaven. So, you all are wondering what kind of cupcake we each ordered: 

Mary Jo- Peach Cobbler

Date #5- Lemon Poppy Seed 

And I really do think that Date #5 could be described as "lemon poppy seed".  He was unique and quirky in his own way. I could go on with the metaphor..but it could get fruity. Ok..back to the date details...

We headed next door to Iquana Lounge for margaritas and dinner. I always order the same thing at the Iquana...and I LOVE IT! So I was a happy camper when it came to dinner. We had good conversation ranging from the standard job/work/career discussion all the way to my inability to discuss  or even hear about shots, needles and blood. (Date #5 started some story about shots in his eye..and i had to draw the line right there or i would of passed out at the dinner table). 

Date #5 was very witty and intelligent. He has a funky sense of humor paired with the smarts of an engineer which makes for an interesting unexpected combination. I was continuously surprised Date #5 and his interests and hobbies. Unexpected. 

Unexpected. Here is an example. At the end of the date, he asked me "Do you like Nickelodeon?" My first thought was, "Yeah, when I was 7".  This is where the classic Nickelodeon comedy "Salute Your Shorts" made it into conversation. It appears the Date #5 collects random TV shows and has every episode of this classic Nick show on tape. So we went back to his downtown apartment and watched an episode and enjoyed our cupcakes. FLASHBACK to to 1991!  

So to sum it up, the night was full of witty conversation and good laughs.  The only caveat to this date was the fact that it was recommended by a guy i have previously dated. Always an interesting subject to discuss on a first date.  I will give it to date #5 because he was able to hold off and not ask me about it till the tail end of the evening. I had a great time and hope Date #5 enjoyed the evening. 

No specific date set for Week 6, so if you have any suggestions: SEND THEM MY WAY! 

ALERT.....we may have a repeat dater on our hands. So keep reading for updates on this particular bachelor! 

Return of the Pre-date interview

Date # 5! (This week’s questions are brought to you by Sheana, MJ’s best friend from college who lives in LA. Sheana can’t find MJ any dates in OKC, so this is her contribution.) 

Q. How did you get set up with this date?  Mary Jo-Random.......a friend from last summer suggested we go out. 

Q. Do you still get nervous before the dates? Mary Jo- Not as much as I used to before the 52 in 52. I still do get nervous when I am getting ready, I think all girls do.
 
Q.  How much information do you know about him that you haven’t read on Facebook? Mary Jo- I know he liked funky t-shirts, so I am interested to see what he shows up in tonight
 
Q.  Who decided eating cupcakes would be a good first date? Mary Jo- He did..but i do like cupcakes
 
Q. What kind of cupcake are you? Mary Jo- Can’t remember the name.
 
Q.  What kind of cupcake do you think he is going to get? Mary Jo- I see him as a chocolate guy

Q. Are you going to dinner first or straight for cupcakes? Mary Jo-Cupcakes first, but I believe we are just picking them up and then heading next door for dinner

Q.  No matter how well this date goes, where will you be in the beginning of February 2010? Mary Jo- Watching the Olympic with my best friend SHEANA! 

Stay tuned for a post date update tomorrow! 

DAte #4- A family affair

So Date #4 occurred on Saturday evening. (I apologize for the late posting.....). 

Now this date was a bit differnt because not only was it a blind date with an eligible bachelor, it was also a double date with his sister and her husband.  Talk about pressure! Try going on a date with three other people. 

The happy family picked me up and we headed to the Olive Garden (the best salad and breadsticks in town I may add). Now the thing about going out with a family is they have tons of inside jokes and common experiences, so sometimes I felt like I missed a memo when they would get talking, but they ALL did a great job trying to include me.  I know my family can be the worst at this..so i understood. 

The thing that made me laugh about this blind date was that their friends and family were weary of ME being a crazy psycho who stabs them all to death. Now..when you think about it, I was the one at the disadvantage here. They had the 3:1 advantage across the board, so I was not a threat to them, even if I wanted to be. Now they were Sooner fans...soooo things could of gotten out of hand if they would of pushed a few of my buttons! (HAHA) 

Now after dinner we headed to the new Warren Theatre here in OKC. Now for those of you Wichita natives reading the blog, we all know and love the Warren so it felt just like home to me. But these new comers from Oklahoma were much more impressed by the theatre in general. We decided to see The Hangover, even though i had already seen it. It was still funny the second time and I even picked up on some of the details! 

Now this entire family was from Guthrie, Oklahoma. The only thing I know about Guthrie is that I drive right by the exit on I-35 on my way back to Kansas and it was the original capital of the state of Oklahoma.  They all had a great sense of pride for their hometown and loved everything about. I guess you could all say, that I am not a small town girl...so it was fun to hear about their life in Guthrie! I did catch myself humming the Donny and Marie song.."I'm a little big country, I'm a little bit rock and roll." HA! 

All and all, I will say that I doubt I got on a triple blind date again but it was a great chance to meet some interesting people.  With everyone there, it was hard to get to know much about any one single person but I hope they got to know me a bit and had an enjoyable time. 

Well...Date #5 is set for Tuesday...so keep reading. 

Date 3- Hole in ONE...or two!

You all know the miniature golf game on the PRICE IS RIGHT!!  Hole in one.......or two!  Lets just say, I always needed the "or two" when it came to my putting skills. But, lets not get ahead of ourselves. Back to the beginning..

Due to Date #3's lack of knowledge of the OKC metro, I actually picked him up at his doorstep! I felt like the boy doing the date planning and driving but we all know how much i like to plan, so I was happy about it. We proceeded to good 'ole Celebration Station for a rousing game of miniature golf. I should of known I was doomed to loss from the start because after not even a minute I let go of the score card and it blew away into the water bumper car pool. I should have known that was God's way of saying that we should not keep score because I was bound to lose.  Needless to say, Date #3 got a hole in one, and I kept getting robbed by the miniature golf gods. I played all 18 holes, but Date #3 lost his ball on Hole 17...so actually he forfeited the game and i am the winner ! (i always find a way to win).  

Speaking of winning, Date #3 was a good sport and humored me by playing DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION with me! Now those of you that know me, I LOVE this game and totally kicked Date #3's ass on total points! But giving him so credit he did keep up with me! 

Next we headed to Bricktown to get some dinner.  We had a GREAT dinner at the new sports bar in Bricktown with TV's everywhere! They even had HDTV in the bathrooms. (date #3 thought this was GREAT! ) From here we went next door to the Bricktown Brewery to have some local ales but when i got carded, i realized my wallet was MIA!  Now most of you that know me, would know I would flip out and start to panic to find it, but i attempted to remain calm and pray that it was in my car. After Date #3 attempted to call Celebration Station in search of my wallet, we walked back to my car, only to find it sitting on the floor boards.  Funny side note, on our way back to the car we walked next to a couple where both the male and female had the exact same hairdo! Honestly, I am confident that i would not be able to date anyone with my exact hair style, so sorry to all you  potential suitors with shoulder length layered hair! You are now excluded from eligibility! 

So, from the car we decided to head back to Bricktown to Bolero! We had a great time here just chatting and drinking! (My favorite bartender was not working, so i was a bit disappointed in my drink. No Blueberry yummy tonight). The date was moving onto Hour 4, when I decided to drive my date back home and call it a night. For those of you that are wondering, this is the longest date to as of yet! So now the bar has been set....

I dropped of Date #3 at his house and was excited to watch a bit of SportsCenter on his TV. (i still don't have cable in my apartment).  If only there were real sports on instead of just baseball...haha! I had a great time on our date and I hope to see #3 again! 

But don't forget...Date #4 is set for Saturday night! Plans looks to be dinner and a movie at the Warren Theatre! 

So stay tuned for more info on Date #4. 

Lets try two dates this week...

Alright everyone....It looks like i have both Date #3 and Date #4 scheduled for this week! 

Date #3- Thursday-Miniature golf challenge! (i need to practice my putting skills) 

Date #4- Saturday- This is actually a double date..not sure on the details but looks to be very interesting! 

More specifics to come as the week progresses! If anyone has any GREAT FIRST DATE ideas...send them my way! I am already struggling to think of fun and creative ideas

Date #2-Bowling was a Bust

Well everyone, tour guide barbie didn't do so well planning ahead for this date. Did i think to call ahead and check the availability of lanes for the night? Of COURSE NOT! Who thinks Red Pin would be all booked up on a Tuesday night. So....no bowling occurred but don't you worry my friends! The date was still ON! (even though i had to leave my Santa Clause socks in my purse for the night). 

Once we figured out that the bowling was a no go, we decided to go ahead and stick it out at the bar to have some drinks and dinner.  Now, for those of you that read the pre-date interview, i mentioned that Date #2 was a Memphis fan...and could be considered a bit bitter.(who wouldn't be after that lost in the championship game to my beloved Jayhawks).  I tried my best to steer clear of the subject, but you all know me. Who can resist making a few jabs here and there about a missed free throw or two or three??? How do you really lose a lead of 9 in just 2:09! Sorry..getting off topic here. 

Interesting dilemma i never foresaw....Date #2 had the same first name as my brother.  I have never really run into this one before, so it was hard for me to not think of my big bro at random moments throughout the date. Honestly, they both had quite a personality few traits in common so i would of made the connection no matter what Date #2's name was. I love my brother..so date #2 should consider this a good thing. 

This date required me to draw on my college sports knowledge but i was lost when it came to baseball. Date #2 played in college, so had me beat in regards to this sport. That has never really been a "ball" sport that I have really cared to watch. Although I respect that it is America's past time, I don't have to like it. Which i don't...sorry to all you baseball fans! 

Throughout this process, I will have the chance to learn about the interworking of the "FIRST DATE" (i am going on 52 of them for gosh sakes).   

First lesson learned: when a guy brings up his ex-girlfriend of only two weeks..he is not over it. No matter how much he says he doesn't care.  Date #2 just went through a hard breakup, and this subject came up within the first 20 minutes of conversation. Now i am all for taking about the past, but it was obvious feeling were still hurt. I hope Date #2 had a nice time out last night and i could be a good distraction for him. I know i enjoyed it. 

The date ended well. A challenge of another bowling match was extended so we will see if Date #2 is willing to get schooled at the bowling alley!  

UPDATE: Date #3 has to postpone due to work, but NO WORRIES...we got two dates already on the books for next week! 

Happy dating! 

THANK YOU TRACI!

I'm sure you have already noticed, but in case you haven't.... WE got a facelift!  Although I always said I would never go farther than a little Botox, I gave in, and I think we are all happy with the results.  

Thank you Traci Hayes for the new 52in52 graphic.  You are the best!

Date #2: Pre-date Interview

In preparation for Mary Jo's second date, I asked her a few questions...

1.  Who was the date referral from?  Holly, #2 for Holly in the referral department

2.  What are the current details of the date?  Who suggested these events? Bowling at Red Pin..my idea.  He's not from around here and wasn't sure what to do...

3.  Have you been practicing bowling?  Finger workouts?  Lunges?  I have been mentally practicing....some practice footwork in the office on the way to the copier   4.  Do you have nice socks to wear?  The only clean socks I have at the moment are Santa clause...we we may roll with some Christmas cheer
5.  Will you let him win if you happen to have a super A+ bowling day?  Hell no.....a Jayhawk never lets a Memphis fan win! (he is a Memphis fan and a sore loser from the 2008 national championship game)   
6.  How are you feeling as you think about the date?  I am not the best bowler, but besides that I am excited about this one. From what communications we have had, he seems to be a fun, laid-back guy!
7.  Does the suitor know that you are doing 52in52?  Yes..he is aware of the 52 in 52. 
8.  Since you don't like beer, what are you planning on drinking during the date?  Mojito! They have great ones! 
9.  Have you stalked this particular suitor online yet?  If no, can I stalk him for you?  I have not done much stalking honestly....and even if I said no, Allison, you would still stalk him on your own. You are so talented in that area.  (FYI, I am not an online stalker...)

Dates 2 and 3 set for this week

We have a busy week ahead of us in regards to dates! Both #2 and #3 are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday of this week.  Now I have already gotten questions about the logistics of going on more than one date in a week, and I wanted to clarify....it is 52 dates TOTAL. The aim is to just get to at least one date a week but there are no rules to doubling up a week! I am trying to stock up while the kettle is hot.....! :) 

Another shout out to Holly and one to Allison for this weeks bachelors set up. 

Details of both dates are still TBD.  I don't know much about either of the bachelors this week, so this will really be a blind date.  Week #2 has not even lived in OKC a month, so I may have to play tour guide barbie.  (i take after my dad a bit in this tour guide department).  

Funny story about Week #3 already. Earlier this week, i got a text message out of the blue that read...

"is this the 52 in 52 Mary Jo" 

and of course i responded with

"YES. This is her. Is this a potential week 3 date"  

and the date was set! It is just that easy fellas. All you have to do is ask.

Pre date interview for both dates to be posted soon, so stay tuned !

1 down 51 to go

Before we get into the first date details, i wanted to clear up a few things that people have asked regarding the purpose of the blog.  Many young men have been worried that this blog would just turn into a boy bashing blog. For those of you that know me well, know if anything this would be more of a Mary Jo embarrassing moments blog than anything else.  It is not my goal to humiliate anyone besides myself with this social experiment..so no worries fellas! (No names will be used..so you are all safe to date me!)

Ok..now onto the date details.....

Honestly, i was running late due to a phone conversation with my boss (the brains behind this dating campaign) when i looked up an realized i was going to be late on the first date. What a way to start...if that is not enough, I was a wink and smile away from being pulled over for wreck less driving. (there is a funky intersection downtown that i never know who has the right away and apparently I like to turn out in front of moving cop cars).  OK never mind that, back to the matter at hand, THE DATE! 

I was nervous walking in that I would have to wonder the restaurant with that "I am not sure who I am looking for face"but to my pleasure "Week #1" (this is the proposed nickname for the guy) was waiting right by the front door. We sat in the bar and have a great deal of laughs with the bartender. Apparently my lack of love for beer did not go over well with the bartender and he was determined to find a beer i liked.  With the hundreds of options, we were bound to find at least one. (i only like the beer that tasted like a raspberry wine cooler..go figure). 

Conversation was great and lighthearted as "week #1" was interested in my motives and plan for the 52 in 52 campaign. Once we got past the logistics and reasoning behind the whole thing, the date was off and running! 

I could not of asked for a better way to start 52 in 52. The conversation was intelligent and very personable. "Week #1" even felt comfortable enough  to call me MJ, which is something that I notice but others may not. We talked about sports, oklahoma city hot topics, greek life, food, high school nerd activities we both participated in, and much much more. "Week #1" is a lawyer, so you may expect a very analytical in-personable guy, but we was quite the opposite.  I had a wonderful time getting to know him and even learning more about the "Sooners". (blah) 

So....this date gets a THUMBS UP! Sadly I know all 52 will not go this well, so stay tuned...

  

 

Date #1: Pre-date Interview

Mary Jo has a date tonight, Tuesday, June 2. As the unbiased and non-fictional narrator, I will be performing a pre-date interview before each of Mary Jo's future dates.  I also, on occasion will make comments about Mary Jo's answers. These pertinent comments will be featured in parentheses.

Q: Who was the date referral from?  

Mary Jo: Holly

Q: What are the current details of the date?  

Mary Jo: McNellie's for dinner and a drink or two... (www.mcnelliesokc.com)

Q: Flats or Heels?  

Mary Jo: Flats.

Follow-Up Q: Any particular reason?  

Mary Jo: McNellie's isn't as much of a "heel-y" place, and then I was wearing a dressy top, so I wanted to even it out with some flats...

Q: How are you feeling as you think about the date? Nervous? Excited? Like you have the flu?  

Mary Jo: Work was really busy, so I really haven't been thinking about it. However, when I get off of work and relax, I think I will get excited for it.

Q: Does the suitor know that you are doing 52in52? 

Mary Jo: Yes and he was really excited to be #1

Q: Have you talked to the suitor on the phone?  

Mary Jo: No, only facebook messaging... (allison insert: beware future suitors... we will facebook stalk you!)

Q: How are you planning on recognizing the suitor at the meeting place? Or is he picking you up?  

Mary Jo: There is no plan for this... I am pretty sure that he will recognize me in the jayhawk costume. just kidding.

Q: What did you eat for breakfast?  

Mary Jo: nothing.  

Q: Are you missing any TV shows tonight to go on the date?  

Mary Jo: Actually, I picked Tuesday due to the lack of good TV. (ha, I should have known!)