THIS is online dating??

by Argyle21

My very first online dating experience was back in 2000. I had to drive into Philly after a huge snowstorm, and I was very nervous since it was my first ever online date. She was cute and thin and youthful looking, and I was praying I wouldn't make a fool of myself.

I didn't know my way around Philly at all, so I decided to use the restaurant's valet parking. The charge was $15 which you had to prepay, and when I reached for my wallet, I found that I left it at home. So I had to talk the valet into taking my car and letting me pay on my way out. I had no idea where I was going to get the cash, but I was late for the date and couldn't worry about it.

I walked into the bar, and had my date not been the only one in there, I would never have recognized her- the single photo she had in her profile must have been 15 years old and 20 pounds ago. Cute and youthful? Maybe 15 years ago before she developed an addiction to Tastycakes. Thin, not so much...she had this double chin that waggled when she talked. But I was there, so I had to go through with the date. She was also very boring and angry at life, so I suffered all the way through dinner. But I had to act interested because I knew I'd eventually have to ask her to pay for dinner. I amused myself during her monotonous conversation by watching her waggling double chin- it was quite mesmerizing. So when dinner was finally over and the check came, I had to fess up and tell her I left my wallet at home and asked her to pay for dinner. And if that weren't embarrassing enough, as we left the restaurant I had to bum another $15 off of her to pay the valet and get my car back. Needless to say, there was not a second date. However I did send her a check to cover both dinner and parking- I didn't want that on my conscience.

My online dating experience over the ensuing years was much more positive, and I made many lasting friendships, including the woman who became my best friend. Since my family is spread across the Eastern seaboard, her family became my surrogate family, and I have a warm friendly place to spend holidays when I can't get back home. And she was a constant source of support during my other online dating misadventures.

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