10-27-02 @ 6:36 am EST

I'm bored. So here is another entry!

Firstly, I've gotten up through October done on the printouts...*sigh* And the ink level's gone down three notches. This printer prints nicely, but it's an ink hog. And the last time we tried to refill its cartridge with the refill kit, it kept drying and clogging and finally we had to throw it out. The OLD cartridges for the old printer never had problems when we refilled them...

I'm going to need a BIG binder.

And now, I am going to take a test at Emode! I haven't been there in ages. I signed up an account for me and for Damien (DON'T LAUGH!) last year...I just removed all my old tests--they were from June 2001. Ugh!

I think many of these are juvenile because they don't apply to avoidant people like myself, but oh well...I'll put an asterisk next to my choices. Let's see...

Are You a Great Date?

Do you charm your date from the start, or are you a dating disaster? Take this test to discover if you are a first date failure.

1. On a first date you generally wear:

A revealing, slinky dress.
What you wore to work that day.
*Skirt or pants with a nice top.
Jeans and a sweatshirt.

2. Your favorite meal on the menu has lots of garlic in it. What do you do?

*Order it -- there will be no smooching on the first date anyway
Order it -- your date will just have to deal with garlic breath
Sacrifice the meal for a pleasant good night kiss
Ask the waiter to "go light on the garlic"

3. Your cell phone rings during dinner ...

You pick it up and chat
*You pick it up and say you'll call back later
You ignore it

4. A moment arises in the conversation where a funny story about you and your ex would be perfect to tell. You ...

*Skip the story. You would NOT mention an ex under any circumstances on a first date.
Tell the story.
Tell the story and omit the boyfriend part.

5. Do you maintain eye contact while talking with your date?

Yes
Sometimes
*No

6. At the end of the night, your date will probably know:

*Your sense of humor, what you do, and your hobbies.
That you come from a dysfunctional family, you feel inadequate and you have some intestinal problems.
Absolutely nothing. You prefer to be the listener.
That you've won three softball trophies, your SAT scores, and your community service achievements.

7. Is it okay to hint at upcoming sexual activity to keep him interested during the date?

Definitely
It depends
*No way

8. How many drinks do you usually consume while on a date?

*None.
Usually one to relax.
Enough to catch a buzz while remaining composed.
Can't quite remember...

9. Is it appropriate to inquire about your date's financial status?

Definitely
*It depends
No way

10. Is it okay to have sex on the first date?

Definitely
It depends
*No way

11. Would you eat off of your date's plate?

Definitely
It depends
*No way

12. You've been single for a while and are extremely anxious to find a boyfriend. By the end of the night your date knows:

All about what kind of diamond you want
That you're lonely and desperately seeking your next victim
That you are, and have been, a happily independent woman
*Nothing on the topic — you would never disclose that kind of information on a first date

13. Have you ever had any form of birth control fall out of your purse while on a date?

Yes
*No

14. When your date comes to pick you up, he tells you that you look great. How do you respond?

*Ugh, no way — I'm bloated and totally broken out.
Thank you.
Really?
Glad you noticed.

15. Is it okay to grill your date about past intimate relationships?

Definitely
*It depends
No way

16. Does it strengthen your "bond" if you find a way to relate most of his stories to your own?

*Definitely
Sometimes
Never

17. If you're supposed to meet your date at a restaurant at 7:30pm, what time do you actually arrive?

By 7
At 7
*After 7

18. After a successful first date, he asks to see you again. You respond ...

You pick the night — I'm available!
Great — why don't you give me a call and we'll figure out a good time
*You do? Are you sure?

19. Your date is rambling on about pole vaulting, a sport you know nothing about — by choice. You:

*Give subtle cues to change the topic
Tell him that you have no interest in pole vaulting and change the topic
Enthusiastically tell him that you have been a pole vaulting fanatic for ages, then go home and learn about it


RESULTS

Etiquette

Although you are probably well-mannered on a first date, based on your responses, you could still afford to polish your etiquette a bit more. You might feel a little too comfortable on first dates, or possibly just too nervous to keep your cool. Being yourself and behaving in a considerate and respectful manner is a surefire way to reveal that you are a confident and classy woman.

Sexual

It appears that you are a confident woman and you do not feel the need to use your sexuality to get a man. You have probably found subtle ways to show your interest without acting too available, needy or desperate. Chances are that you do not regard sex as a way to manipulate your date into wanting to see you again. If, however, you choose to follow your sexual impulses, you probably do it for the right reasons -- not simply to please your date.

Content

You seem to have found the perfect balance between speaking and listening on a first date. You probably enjoy having a very natural give-and-take dialogue, and you are aware that there should be boundaries regarding how much is appropriate to reveal about yourself at such an early stage of a relationship. Chances are you do not try to please your date by always agreeing with him, and you probably don't take the spotlight off of him by always bringing the attention back to you. Continue to be yourself and you will soon find Mr. Right!

You've GOT to be kidding me!! Almost all of my reactions were based on fear, timidity, and nervousness. NOT on confidence. Confident in my sexuality so I don't have to use it to get what I want? Puh-leeze! I'm so UNCONFIDENT in it that I couldn't bear to bring it up! Who wants a pale, overweight, flabby, dumpy thing like me slinking around in tight dresses and flirting with them? BLAGH!

I would have to vote for DISASTROUS in all categories, contradicting much of what the results said. The pole-vaulting thing? I would be too shy to even change the subject, and would have to sit there and endure it. Birth control falling out of my purse? I wouldn't even be CARRYING birth control! And why the hell would I ever want to eat off of somebody else's plate? Yuck.

None of this even mentions the fact that I wouldn't even BE on a first, much less subsequent, date anyway. I'm 26 and have never had a boyfriend NOR gone on a date, for God's sake. I think by now I've taken the hint.

Well, that test just succeeded in getting me thoroughly miffed. So maybe I'd better quit now.

Tar...