We’ve all had them – a really bad date. My worst was with a guy who lied about working in a restaurant to save money for MIT (in reality he was a high school dropout and set to be a waiter for life) and took me to a crack house (so he could pick up some drugs) where I observed a very large, very stoned man devour a bucket of fried chicken. I can laugh about it now, but at the time it was horrifying.Have I Got a Guy for You is an anthology of short essays by women who were set up on bad blind dates by their well meaning mothers. The mismatches range in seriousness from the benign (a thirty year old being set up with a kindly grandfather) to the annoying (a date with a guy who complains of a sore throat and insists on writing his side of the conversation) to the truly dangerous (date speeds carelessly up a mountain after being denied a kiss).
These are perfect in small doses but tend to get repetitive if you read too many in one go. A big theme seems to be agreeing to go out with a guy because he is supposedly rich and expecting an expensive lobster dinner but then finding out the guy is a cheapskate and only buys deep dish pizza or greasy diner food. Most of the men are terminally clueless, dress inappropriately, have extremely bad breath or all of the above.
I think my favorite story was the one where the Indian mother signed her daughter up for an Indian online dating service and her date gave her a pop quiz on exactly what she wanted out of marriage with him as well as telling her exactly what he expected from her if she became his wife. Priceless!
Have I Got a Guy for You is out in paperback.
So tell me, what was your worst dating experience?
Hmm.. I never went on a blind date. But, my weirdest date? Wait, I don't think I have one.. This one guy sticks out in my mind who kept telling me how much money he (parents) had. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I never went on a blind date either...the guy I mention was working at the same restaurant as my roommate's crush and we helped them close up so she could hang out with him. He was charming then, so that's why I agreed on a date, not knowing he was hiding a very dark side!
ReplyDeleteThat does sound like a fun concept.I guess my worst date was when a guy overdid it on our first date - he brought me flowers, had the DJ dedicate a song to me, had arranged for me to keep the centerpiece at the restaurant, etc. It was all rather creepy.
ReplyDeleteOh wow...that is creepy. I hope the centerpiece was at least worth keeping?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds hilarious :) It seems like the kind of book where you read one or two stories at night before you go to bed for a good laugh.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, at the tender age of almost-18, I have ummm zilch in the dating experience department. So, looking on the bright side...I don't have any worst experiences!
Wow ... your worst date is hard to top! Mine has always been a tossup between the guy who invited me to dinner and a movie (a $1 movie and mcdonalds) and the guy who I hung out with for half the day and then he had to go to a "meeting" and he said he would come back and pick me up for a party that night with all of our friends. Never heard from him again.
ReplyDeleteI don't know it I'd be able to agree on a blind date, but I'd totally speed date.
ReplyDelete=)
TruBlu
I once went on a blind date where we were stopped by the police on the way home (the tail-light was out on the car) and he got arrested because he was wanted in three states. For ARSON!
ReplyDeleteI no longer accept blind dates.
Amber - I start getting disasterous date experience until I was 18. Don't worry, it will come, ha!
ReplyDeleteKristin - Maybe it was a meeting with the mob?
TruBlu - The concept of speed dating is interesting, but I guess I'll never try it.
bookoholic - Ok. You win. I don't see anyone topping that!
ReplyDeleteWow. That sounds like one heck of a bad date. At the time, I was probably dating the guy eating the fried chicken. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never been on a blind date lol. Every date I've ever gone on I knew the guy beforehand- thank goodness!
ReplyDeleteAmy - On second thought, I think I DID see you there too ;)
ReplyDeleteLadytink - From what I hear, you aren't missing much!