A Great Boyfriend

Can you believe that dating can be more tiring than bike riding? How is is possible that going out for dinner or drinks can be more exhausting than hauling yourself and a bike up a mountain? That doesn't sound logical but somehow, it's true. I guess it's because I didn't just go on a couple of dates but a whopping fifty dates.

In order to recover, I could have taken a day to do nothing. Really, do nothing. But instead, I took a day off to gallivant around the mountains on my bike. And it was absolutely fantastic. I couldn't have had a dreamier day. No man's company could have compared to the feeling of the sun peeking through the clouds and the warm air hitting my face as I barreled down technical single track trails.

You see, the bicycle is a great boyfriend. I can ride him as much as I want and he never talks back. A real live boyfriend would be fantastic in the long run, but my Trek will do in the meantime.

So, yes, I took a day off and spent it outside and I feel like a whole new person. I am refreshed and energized. I am happy and relaxed. But most of all, I am more prepared than ever for anything to be thrown my way and to continue conquering life in the city as a single lady.

A Dirty Story to Finish Off With

As you know, I took Easy on a date last night for the final date of 50 Dates in 50 Days. We had a great time and to switch things up a bit, Easy did the blog writing, picked the nickname and of course, chose the title. Enjoy:

There is something surprisingly nice about having a woman pick you up for a date; especially when that someone is a dating expert like my date yesterday who will be known as Dirty Girl. Now get your mind out of the gutter, it’s not what you think. After all, she did call me Easy!

Dirty Girl picked me up and whisked me away on a day full of all of her “favourite things.” It began with a bite to eat at her favourite lunch spot and then proceeded to another one of her favourite places that "begins with S and ends in S" ... it had tarbuck in the middle. This girl loves Starbucks as this was the first of two times we visited Starbucks... in two different cities. Well, I don't know if Canmore is technically a city or not, but that's where she took us to next. But not before announcing that we would be having a double date, and going mountain biking with one of her best friends and her date of choice.

Picture this... a beautiful girl with long blond hair, sweaty, covered in mud, stoked to be hanging out with you in the mountains on a mountain bike, rides up with a big smile on her face, and gives you a big hug. For a man who loves mountains and mountain biking as much as I do, this is about as good as it gets. :) There is something so irresistible to me, about how Dirty Girl (yes I named her that because of the mud, stop thinking anything different now) can get dirty and sweaty and love it, and then hours later look stunning in a cocktail dress at a social event. Having both of those worlds in one... HOT!

After biking, we met up with some of her most treasured friends, a Canmore couple who she loves dearly. When you are getting to know someone, it's always interesting to meet the people who are most important in their life. Dirty Girl has some amazing people in her life and I felt honoured that she would share them with me.

Upon arriving home to Calgary, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up ingredients to make a wonderful dinner together. This was a really nice way to finish off our day together. Working on something where both people contribute is such a good exercise for people to engage in when getting to know each other. You get to see how the other party works and communicates. Well, I would have, except my date was preoccupied with sending emails with photos to Breakfast Television for her interview the next morning. So I was stuck with the arm share of dinner preparation!

All in all, it was a really good date. Do I think I will see this Dirty Girl again...time will tell. But I think so :)

Thanks for the votes!
Easy

And That's That, For Now Anyway

Day: 50
Dates Remaining: 0

Wow. What an adventure. 50 days full of ups and downs. Full of laughs and tears. Full of excitement and exhaustion. But more than anything, full of dates. 50 Dates in 50 Days to be precise; not that I was counting. :)

And tonight, for the final date, I took Easy out on a date. As I mentioned before, he is going to write about this date and e-mail it to me tomorrow so I'll post it here then. I don't want to ruin it for him so I'm not going to spill any details right now.

But what I can say is that this has definitely been a life altering experience. I have met so many wonderful people and had some amazing experiences. So to my 50 dates, thank you for taking me to some great places and teaching me life lessons but also for putting yourselves out there, most of you knowing that you will be written about. That takes courage and for that, I am grateful.

To my readers, I am so happy that you have found this entertaining. Thank you for your ongoing feedback and support. Without you, this would not have been possible.

I feel like I'm writing this like something is ending. But really, this is only the beginning. The 50 days may be over, but the stories have only begun. I have so many lessons and experiences and other funny stories that I have not yet shared. So I plan to keep writing about my dating antics on here. But I am also going to put together the "not quite fit for the blog" feelings and stories from the past 50 days for my book, 50 Dates in 50 Days - Uncut.

And I keep getting asked, "Have you met The One?"

What is The One anyway? Does he really exist? Is there such a thing? Is he actually out there? Whatever The One is and whoever he is, I can't say that I have found him. I'm not sure what will unfold over the next little while but I will keep you in the loop about that as well. So even though my 50 Dates in 50 Days are over, the dating continues and so does the blogging. So stay tuned for the ongoing saga of life as a single woman in Calgary. Good night!

'Twas The Night Before the Last Date...

...and all through my house,
Clothes are scattered everywhere,
Good thing there is no mouse.

The dishes are a mess,
I can't find my Visa Card,
Did you really ever think
That dating could be this hard?

Well maybe it's not hard,
That could be the wrong word,
But certainly very exciting,
And a little absurd.

But as crazy as it has been,
And yes, it has been wild,
This is one of the best things I've done,
Ever since I was a child.

Now hopefully you are laughing,
At my attempt to be poetic,
Because after 36km of mountain biking,
I'm certainly not very energetic.

So here we are:

Day: 49
Dates Remaining: 1

I can hardly believe it. First of all, it's hard to find words that rhyme. In fact, I might look into buying a rhyming dictionary. But until then, I'm going to stick to non-rhyming paragraphs and dates.

But, not too many more dates, at least not for the 50 Dates in 50 Days. That's right, tomorrow is the final date. The last one. The 50 of 50. Unreal.

The poll spoke and it looks like I'm going to be taking Easy on a date tomorrow. I'd love to tell you what I have planned but I'm going to leave the story telling of this date to Easy. I talked to him just now and he agreed to write the blog entry for tomorrow night. Apparently I'm even going to get a nick name!

But, onto the feelings. To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm feeling. I think it's a combination of confusion, happiness and satisfaction. I'm also feeling a bit lost, scared, proud, unsure and maybe a happy mess over all.

You see, I'd say that this is a huge accomplishment, wouldn't you? Not only did I go on a ton of dates, but there has also been an exceptional following for which I am extremely grateful. I have also met so many wonderful people that I would never have met had I not undertaken such a feat. Obviously, in so many ways, this has been life altering.

Am I happy it's over? Sad? Relieved? Again, I'm not sure. But what I can tell you is that I'm ecstatic that I did this and I have no regrets. Well, maybe I regret not being able to share more of the feelings and details of this experience with you but that is what is going to be in the book: 50 Dates in 50 Days - Uncut.

So now I'm off to bed,
Oh what a delight,
Happy dating to all,
And to all a good night.

Just Talk

Day: 48
Dates Remaining: 1

I met my date last night for drinks after work and we had a great time chatting. In fact, the conversation was absolutely non-stop so it would only be appropriate to call this date Talk. And did Talk ever like to talk. Good thing I enjoy talking as well or I may not have gotten a word in.

We talked about everything; goals, plans, Calgary, hobbies, passions, athletics, etc. The date actually went by so fast because we had a ton of stuff to talk about which was great. There is nothing worse than awkward silences and forced conversation, which definitely was not the case with Talk.

This is kind of ironic because we had so much to talk about last night but I don't have too much to talk about right here and now. I'm sure you don't want a replay of our chats so I'll just leave it at that. We had a nice time, we drank martinis and we talked.

But what I would like to talk about is the fact that it is the end of May and it's snowing. It's one in the afternoon and I still haven't gotten out of bed. It's actually quite fantastic and I think I needed this time to relax and stay warm but enough is enough. I'm going to get my lazy butt in gear and accomplish something today. I also have to digest the fact that there is only one date left.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around it and how fast this experience has gone by. It's wild. Out of control really. I'm also working on some ideas for this final date that I'm planning for Monday. It's quite fun to be on the other side of things and planning an outing; I can't wait!

He's a Pro Golfer in a Blue Plaid Shirt

Day: 46
Dates Remaining: 2

How would you feel if your Mom or Step Mom wrote to a dating blogger to send you on a date? Would you think it's funny? Would you be mad? Would you feel embarrassed and not want to go?

Well, if you haven't guessed, I received an e-mail a while back from my date's Step Mom saying that the two of us would be a good match. She wanted to see if I would go on a date with her Step Son. "Of course I will," I replied, as I thought this was the sweetest thing ever.

And I sure am glad that tonight's date also thought it was a fine idea since he picked me up and impressed me right away. You see, he didn't just wait in the car in the street the way most people do. Despite the fact that it was absolutely pouring rain, he stood outside and waited for me by the door. Good thing for heavy duty rain coats!

He then walked me to his car and opened the door to let me in before driving us to a Golf dome. This guy just has to be known as Pro Golfer because that's what he must have been in a previous life. He told me that he had only golfed once but that was hard to believe since he was a better golfer than all of the pro-looking people in that dome. My inability to even hit the ball really put me to shame. I'll definitely have to work on my swing!

It was obvious that Pro Golfer was a bit nervous at first since he asked non-stop questions and avoided any silences like the plague. But as we continued to chat over a putting contest, I could tell that Pro Golfer was getting more comfortable with me.

This good looking man decked out in a blue plaid shirt then took me to one of my favourite restaurants where, I kid you not, we ate enough food to feed four normal people. It was fabulous. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to move again and someone may need to rescue me with a crane but the fantastic meal was well worth this pain of being full.

The evening was extremely enjoyable. Pro Golfer taught me a thing or two about golf and life and I have to say it was rather cute when he told me about how his Step Mom helped him to iron his shirt before the date. It was also funny that he was up in arms before the date since he had spilled something on that shirt and had to sort out how to clean it. For whatever reason, I found this sweet. Maybe it was because he was so big and manly that it was hard to imagine him fussing around about a shirt before leaving the house. There is something exciting and romantic about a date scrambling to get ready, looking in the mirror and feeling nervous and excited about the outing.

This great evening leaves me here with only two dates left. I have been asked endlessly; “Are you sad or relieved that it’s over?” I have to say that it’s a mix of both of those emotions. I will expand more on these feelings later but in the meantime, don’t forget to post your vote for the final date coming up this Monday!

The Mystery Continues

Day: 45
Dates Remaining: 3

I can't believe it; it's down to the final three dates. It's unreal how fast time flies!

Speaking of time flying, this evening flew by since Mystery (See "What a Mystery" post) took me on a little adventure for our second date.

He did not tell me too much about the plan except that I should wear comfortable pants and shoes. He also told me that he would have to pick me up as soon as possible because this was going to be a long date. But that was it, I didn't have any more details about where we were going or what we would be doing.

Nonetheless, we got into his truck this afternoon and began driving west. I had a sneaking suspicion that we were going to go out to the mountains to do some sort of hike but I had no idea exactly where we would end up.

As we drove past a few hiking spots, my curiosity was growing. Where was he taking me? We ended up at a nice area about two hours west of the city where I had been before but it was Mystery's first time doing this little hike.

We got out of the truck and Mystery pulled two backpacks out of the backseat. The contents of the bags, he said, were to remain a mystery. Of course!

I carried one and he took the other as we made out way up past two lovely waterfalls. We had a great time enjoying the views and the good company.

We then found a nice spot to stop where Mystery was ready to divulge the secret contents of the bags. It was a pleasure and a relief that he had brought a delicious picnic. You see, I was so hungry that if there had not been any food at this point, my ability to return to the truck would have been questionable!

Mystery proceeded to lay down a picnic blanket on which he scattered a collection of tasty sandwiches, salads and Mimosa's. It was a delicious meal complete with great conversation and the serene atmosphere of the Rocky Mountains.

We enjoyed our quick walk back to the truck and we made our way back towards the city but of course, not without stopping for dessert in Banff. What a treat! Overall, this was a great date. I have to say that the 50 Dates in 50 Days has really demonstrated guy's ability to put together an organized and romantic plan for a date. Ladies, don't give up hope!

Oh, and as I mentioned in the previous post, there is a vote for who I am going to take out on the final date on Monday. (See the right side of this page). That's right, I'm going to plan something and treat someone to a nice evening. Maybe they'll even write about the night and give me a nickname? Wouldn't that be fun!