#FirstDate #FirstDates #FirstDatesIRL #Dating #Kilkenny #JohnsStreet #Langtons #Ireland #LEGO

PROLOGUE

New year – new me. I downloaded a new dating app – Hinge. While I am optimistic that Hinge will provide better matches, it like almost every other dating app is owned by the same parent corporation – Match Group. Match Group owns Tinder, Match.com, Meetic, OkCupid, Hinge, PlentyOfFish, Ship, and OurTime. They own over 45 global dating companies. So, thinking that changing apps is going to change your chances of a good match is kidding yourself. Real change comes from within – or some shit like that.

Since I had already started writing 50 First Dates at 50 by the time this date occurred, I took more mental notes of what happened during the date. So, I might write more now then I did previously. Also, my outlook on dating had changed significantly. I was now burdened with knowing that I had futilely dated that many women with nothing to show for it. Due to that, I was going to try to be more myself (thus the Pope hat and casual clothes in my LEGO pic). I hoped that would come off as more relaxed and not as desperate. The proof will be in the pudding.

NOW ON WITH THE DATE

First Date #55 was with an Irish woman living in Kilkenny. We matched on (you guessed it!) Hinge. One interesting thing about the interface on Hinge is that you can comment on a specific aspect of somebody’s profile. They can have a sexy picture, and you can reply to it with your corniest pick up line. They also have better writing prompts than most of the other apps IMHO. FirstDate55 wrote that she wanted to see more of Ireland. That isn’t something that most Irish are interesting in doing from my experience. So, I responded with “As an American, I’d like to see more of Ireland too.” That got the conversation going.

We promptly arranged to meet at Langtons at 5:30 on a Wednesday Night. Langtons is a 4-star hotel with a good restaurant and bar, entertainment area and a fantastic reputation. I sat up in the front bar area where they serve drinks and food. In walked a very lovely woman albeit looking a little frazzled and nervous. I can’t remember being really nervous on a date, sure it’s exciting to meet somebody new, but I’ve been on so many, that there’s maybe one or two butterflies in my stomach. This woman looked like she had swallowed a kaleidoscope of butterflies! At this point, the waiter came over, and I ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. This seemed to throw her for another loop as she expected to meet for caffeinated beverages. She asked for a glass of wine too. When he returned with the drinks, I asked for the dinner menu. Once again, she was a bit discombobulated as that wasn’t on the planned itinerary. She ended up ordering the vegan option, and now it was my turn to be caught off guard. Was this going to be an issue for me? Can omnivores and vegans live in harmony? I tried to seem calm and mentioned how great I was by doing Meatless Mondays. She didn’t seem that impressed. 😱

Despite the rocky start, we got back on track once food arrived. That and the wine seemed to calm her nerves. I noticed that she chewed and swallowed like a normal human, so I guess what they say about vegans isn’t true. I offered to pay for the meal with the implication that she could get the next one. She said that she’d prefer to split the bill. Ouch. I checked my internal Magic 8-Ball to see how I thought it was going, and they replied, “Cannot predict now.” She had parked out back, so I walked with her to the car. She offered to give me a lift back to my house…

(First Date – 19 January, 2022)