Kent/Kurt & Date 2...

Kent/Kurt "expressed an interest" in me sometime in mid to late September. I was really, really busy then with work and was preoccupied with FF, but what the heck. Practice, right? So I responded back in the affirmative, even though he lived somewhere in Oklahoma. Kent/Kurt's stats: 37, 5'10" (if I wear my big girl shoes, he'll look like Tom Cruise and I'll look like Nicole Kidman), blond hair and hazel eyes, CPA & Financial Advisor from Woodward, OK (wherever the heck that is, I think, although from his photo on his profile I think it must be somewhere close to OU since he's wearing an OU t-shirt and pushing a stroller).

Ok, I must stop here. Let's talk profile photos, shall we? Obviously I'm no Internet dating wiz (as you can obviously tell), but I have a pretty good grasp of marketing...and really that's what Internet dating is - it's direct marketing. And if you're selling something - in this case yourself - it would behoove you to pick photos that show you in your best light...show your best features. So, FF's pasty law photo and K/K's pic of him wearing a tshirt and pushing a baby stroller aren't exactly the best choices, would you not say. Hence why I used the artfully cropped pic sans Sleeping Beauty tiara...


Anyway, his profile wasn't bad...seems like a nice guy but doesn't really list his likes/dislikes. Oh, and he doesn't drink and is a Southern Baptist. Now, my MaMaw was a Southern Baptist and didn't drink, but I wouldn't want to marry her. Plus, the book, movie or concert he enjoyed was Keith Urban. Hmmm...teetotaling-country-music-loving-non-reading-Okie. Not sure about that. I talked with a friend of mine and told her that K/K was interested in going out, but that "he's not my type." "What's your type?" she quipped. Hmmm...pause, good question. "I dunno." To which she responded, "Emotionally immature alcoholics?" Good point. Let's go against type this time!

We start emailing while I was in Atlanta for the conference. He came to Dallas that weekend for the TX/OU game, had been busy as well with tax extensions. I'm sorry, I just have to say I haven't met many accountant types that were fun and interesting, so at this point I'm not very hopeful.

Subsequent emails I asked him to tell me a little bit about him. His response: "I don't know what all to tell you about my life, so I'll try and you can ask me anything that you would like." Is there a button for an eyeroll on my laptop?

We don't really have a lot of conversations until right around the time FF came down with the Great Strep Pandemic of 2008 when K/K says he's coming down for a conference at the Gaylord from the 5th-9th...did I want to meet on Wednesday or Thursday night?

Alright, fine, he'll be here anyway, why not. Since he was coming from out of town, I got to pick the restaurant (again)...only requirement from him was no sushi. So, I picked Tex-Mex and an easy to get at place for him - Esparza's in Grapevine.

After my lunch date with FF I went into the office of the association I had been assisting. Man, did I get the once over there! "Your hair looks so beautiful...why don't you wear it down more often!" "Your eyes just pop with makeup on...you should really wear it more!" "You look so nice with your high heels on!" Man, I must look like a slob most of the time! No wonder I have to find a date on the Internet.

I go to Makena's soccer practice and then drop her off at the "play place" (ie group babysitting place...pay $7.50/hr, they get dinner, snacks, all kinds of fun play stuff. I was thinking I'd have more fun with her than on the date...) and get to Grapevine and Esparza's early.

I wait on the front porch of the restaurant, and instantly recognize Kent/Kurt as he walks up and it appears that he recognizes me (not a hard bet...I'm the only one waiting there, but a plus considering FF not recognizing me at lunch). I stand, we greet one another and shake hands, and then comes "The Tic".

I say it's a "tic", it's really not I guess. After we speak and we're standing in front of one another, silent, K/K starts nodding his head up and down and nervous giggling. And doesn't stop until there is more conversation.

Okay, I think, let's get inside as quickly as possible and sit down so this guy can hopefully get comfortable. We go in, the hostess seats us...thankfully K/K is a gentleman and allows me to go in front of him because if I would have seen the head bobbing while following him I may have called for all forces to retreat and throw in the white flag on this date.

The waiter takes our drink order (while I really wanted a margarita, I ordered water), chips and hot sauce appear and we're left alone. Then, the nodding and giggling begins again. Oh, good night nurse! Please don't tell me he's going to do this all night! If so, I may just have to stick this steak knife in my head.

So, I start asking him questions...if he talks, he can't giggle and doesn't nod his head...keep him talking! "Tell me more about yourself...tell me about your son...how's the conference?" Pretty soon, I start to feel like I'm interviewing K/K for a job..."where do you envision yourself five years from now?" So, I quiet down. Nodding/giggling. Sigh.

When I ask him what he does when he's not busy with his business he tells me, "well, I'm never not really busy..." Great, so you nod your head and have no interests outside of work.

What I found amazing was how incredibly successful this guy is...he owns his own accounting firm and has for the past 10 years...1400 clients, 8 full time employees. Dang! And he's 37? PLUS, I find out he's been approached by one of his former clients, an oil and gas conglomorate, to be their CFO over this group of 5 or 6 companies. IF he can sell his firm. Holy crap! Other than having to live in a podunk town (it's in NW OK...they just got a stoplight about 10 years ago), maybe I could envision a fut...(nod/giggle)...no, no future here. Self inflicted steak knife in skull would be inevitable if I did.

So, at this point, keep him talking as much as possible and graciously leave as soon as I can. An hour and a half later, dinner is long done, we're both now nodding at one another (I feel like a bobble head doll), and I tell him I have to pick up Makena and get her to bed. We walk to the street...I'm parked down the street, he's parked up the street, and I tell him good night and retreat to the nod free zone of my car. I send him an email that night thanking him for dinner and good luck on his potential job...he sends me one back saying it was nice getting to know me better and good luck on building my business. A week later he closes out the match citing "Physical distance is too far." Yup, and it always would be, K/K.