Met Josh
June 20, 2010
Annabelle's

For the last 9 months I was having a blast with friends, enjoying my apartment and life in SF and also navigating the dating scene. Not a huge fan. I like dating someone, but finding the person to date is quite painful.

This particular Sunday I had accepted a movie date from a guy I'd had coffee with, but not much of a connection, he was nice, but there was nothing else. I wasn't really thrilled to go on the date, but I like movies... what can I say?
I had just bought my new camera so I headed downtown early to play around with it and take a few shots. Since I was dreading the movie date I had committed to I decided to grab a cocktail and Annabelle's was just around the corner from the movie theater. I was at the bar and nursing a martini while I perused my camera manual and then in typical fashion I began to chat with the bartenders. This guy sits down next to me and he seemed to know them so we were all chatting a bit. I'm not sure what was so fascinating about the conversation, but this guy and I went off on our own tangent for a few minutes and it was just really fun. It was the most fun I'd had in a very long time, but sadly I had to leave to go on my stupid movie date :( I felt silly since we'd only talked for a few minutes, but I figured if he wanted to hang out again it could be fun. I was in a hurry so I just gave the guy my card, felt impersonal and cheesy and I figured he probably wouldn't call. Couldn't have even told you what he looked like, but he had a nice smile and was wearing a hat. I wasn't even thinking about a "date" with him, I just new it was nice to laugh, have fun and easy conversation with someone and not feel like I was being interviewed.

About a week later I got an email from Josh, the guy :) We emailed just enough to find out we were both very busy most of the month of July, but that we still wanted to try to go out for drinks. We settled on Friday, July 23rd.

Josh's version (told by me so I might get some details wrong): He said it was a typical Sunday, he was in a bad mood from having worked and closed the bar Saturday night and opened the next day. He was about to walk right past Annabelle's and go to BART because he wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody. Then he changed his mind deciding he'd have one shot of Fernet and then go home. As he walked up to the bar he realized a girl was sitting next to his usual spot and he "wasn't going to sit by another pretty girl at a bar", he wasn't in the mood. Josh walked down to the end, but didn't find a better seat so he came back and sat next to the girl. Me of course :) He figured I was going on a date even though I never actually said I was, so although he also had a fun time talking to me, he was a little unsure about following up, even though I did give him my card.

Apparently it was my spazzy nature that lured him in. Who would've figured? :) Josh later told me that it was my physical rendition of my story of tripping and flailing into my bus seat and whacking a guy in the head with my purse that got him interested in me. I honestly didn't remember doing that and was a tiny bit mortified I did... but I guess I can't be too embarrassed since, well it's totally me and it worked!

First Date:
Got home from work on Friday to freshen up and then meet this guy Josh out for drinks and dinner. I was not in a first date mood, they are really exhausting. Cranky about it actually, just wanted to stay home. He texted me to meet him at B Bar at 7:00. Perking up... thinking "I like B Bar..." Allright, a little more motivated.
I'm at the bar early, thank goodness because I don't want to have to do the look around for the first date guy that I cannot remember what he looks like at all! I texted him I was wearing an orange jacket so he could have less problems finding me, in case he was in the same boat!
He arrived... Hello! CUTE :) I totally didn't realize when we met that he was so cute... and bald. Great eyes, Great smile and really works the bald thing. Tall and slim - just handsome! *sigh - yay me! First date already going much better than my cranky pants had imagined :) Then, within the first 5 minutes, I remembered why I wanted to see him again. We just talked like mad and couldn't stop, it was so much fun! We had to pull ourselves away to go to dinner. He took me to this really awesome place, Organic, where he suggested we start with Prosecco. (swooning) It took us forever to actually get to the menu because we couldn't stop talking! We had a delicious dinner, we shared everything, great wine, tons of fun conversation... it was the best first date ever. We talked and walked several blocks and I thought we were going to part ways at the BART station, it was getting close to midnight and I knew there was a last train to Oakland soon. He suggested one more drink at a bar on the corner. Ok I thought, he knows the train schedule better than I do and knows he needs to get across the bay. Josh said he just watched the clock, which was behind my head, go past the time for his last train, but he didn't care. He was enjoying our evening too much :) So at the end of our 6 and a half our date, he made me wear his coat while we waited for a cab for me. A week later we opted to meet earlier so wouldn't have to stay out so late to get a 6 hour date in... yeah, we met at 5:30 and managed an 8 hour date instead. ;)