Swimming in a Sea of Singles

It's 2:30am, and I can't sleep. It happens on occasion, usually because I haven't: run, practiced yoga or written, all part of my sanity routine. As I navigate the net at this hour, I start with the running to do list in my head: ordering snowboarding gear (that I find on sale!), finalizing plans for NY in March, checking travel dates for Denver or Tahoe, emailing friends, updating my Facebook page (and stalking), looking at a map of Europe totally perplexed about what I will do between the Paris and London legs of my trip in April.... and I find that I am not particularly privy to writing about anything specific today.Then, I recall a conversation from just a few hours ago, "Andi, you and your friends are the type of women that have the smallest dating pool to choose from. It’s as if you are standing in the hot tub while all the other senseless girls are buoying in an Olympic sized pool." His point was that our dating pool was much smaller to select from and an entirely different temperature all together. Damn.

What an idea, the hot tub, so small. I don't know if this was the burning thought on hand or because I just so happened to browse thru Today's Chicago Woman; 50 Singles issue, only to feel like I had just wasted another minute of my life scouring for decent looking single men, (aside from the networking article featuring P.O.S.H events, pg. 34) OR that ALL my singleton friends (boy and girl) should be featured in this issue, but whatever the case I couldn’t shake the comment. I am fully aware that I have selectively and purposely chosen to make my dating pool small. All of my close friends know about "the 15", that being a 15 item checklist I look at, on or about someone before I will even contemplate hand gesture or conversation. Yes, it’s a bitch quality, but I am about efficiency and time management at this age- I know what I want and what I don't. I go shopping for specific things, not to browse the sale rack or returned items table. The same tenacity goes with men. If it doesn't fit, I don't buy it. If I simply have to have it, I consult my tailor. If I buy it and don't wear it in a week, I know I don't like it and never will, and then I'm off to return it.

One of the things I refuse to look past is a man’s style (Affliction T-shirts and jerseys are not style). Do you check the stitching on expensive shirts and coats before purchase? A minor detail, but a total reflection in the quality of work (thanks Dad). If not, you should because sometimes the details in the fabric are just as important as what's underneath. This is a high conflict topic with me and my ladies. Some women a) don't care, b) are okay with helping field ideas, c) like picking out outfits or d) have high aversion to men in bad clothes. I know, I know, it is a terrible area to be picky about. But per my zodiac sign, I am very vain in nature and therefore, I do care about what I put on my body and so should the man I choose to be seen with. My friend BAB says I'm going to end up old and alone, and he could be right but if I like salty and crunchy don't make me eat sweet...right? If I am to look for someone equally cool, they must have style. I certainly appreciate anyone's sense of it, as long as it's a reflection of them, style can be quirky just so long as you rock whatcha got.

Everyone has their own lens in which they see prospective mates, and for me, if you are a male over 29, in cargo shorts and Jesus sandals I won't even stop when grazing over you (bad shoes are a deal breaker, yep I said it). I bring this up because it can be a trivial trait in finding a date for me or for anyone, not to mention we haven't even made it to item 3 on "the 15". Poor guy could be dressed bad or drinking a "light beer" and I'm already re-adjusting the lens to focus on something else. Is there anyone else out there who has a list of "must haves" and "not so important items"? I'd love to hear what they are? Viola, it's 6:15, so I'm off to yoga.