Message received from recent match I will call Outdoor Guy. OG and I just reached the "open communication" phase, and I'd responded to a brief email he sent about his outdoor activities and the hope of one day owning a boat. Let me mention that I'm not overly optimistic about the sitch already, because I state very clearly in my profile that I'm not an "Outdoor Girl," yet OG has persisted with outdoor questions. I wrote back trying to shift the convo to other topics of interest. I don't mean to make fun, but I'm a bit mystified about what to say after receiving this back:

"As long as I have plenty of appointments I don't have to worry about the results and my job is very enjoyable. My job is all sales, marketing and customer service.

I would like to own a boat one day but am in no rush. It is very beneficial to know people who live on the lake and have boats.

Would you like to get together, what is your phone number?"

So. My sister says she just learned about the "direct close" technique in one of her sales training classes, and it looks like OG is testing that out here. Yet, he didn't wait for the positive cues that are usually recommended when you give that a shot. Instead, it's more or less the I-don't-need-a-boat-'cause-I-can-mooch-off-others-wanna-go-out? technique.

Hit reply. Ummmmmm. No? I'm open to suggestions here, peeps.

I'm reading Kyle Smith's Love Monkey at the moment. Chris recommended the book to me as a male version of Bridget Jones, and it really is, only even more heartbreakingly real in terms of the roller coaster of pursuing a doomed relationship, and funnier in some ways. There are so many clever, self-deprecating, humorous lines mixed in there that I end up giggling lots to myself on the bus, which means I fit right in.