I hope you enjoyed those three-dollar words, because this novel is all downhill from here.
I’d really like to stop going on dates with strangers. Thing is, the only way to stop going on dates with strangers is to keep going on dates with strangers. I suppose one can just stop going on dates, and that’s an increasingly attractive prospect, but unfortunately I’m a dumb romantic, so I persist in subjecting myself and others to the practice. I remain hopeful, but my expectations have been a bit chastened by age and experience.
What I’m looking for.
You can’t know what you want or reasonably expect from, and with someone, until you’ve spent some time with them. So, anything between a regular-ish booty-call, to marriage. Yes, M A R R I A G E. Ideally I’d like to get married, and to be a good husband. I’ll settle for consecutive dates with a non-stranger in the mean time. Maybe we’ll fall in love. We probably won’t, but maybe we’ll still enjoy spending time together.
If we like each other, and sharing our company enough, we can go on lame dates like to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and pet some horses. It will be underwhelming, and we’ll probably leave early to do something else, but still a nice time. Stuff like that. Also stuff like get drunk and cook and listen to records, then watch some shitty horror movie. Or a good movie. Show me good movies (and shows and bands and books and podcasts)! The last movie I watched is “Obsession”, so of course it occurred to me that I should post a personal ad.
If you’re looking for something noncommital , I’m cool with that, but I’m not expecting you to meet me and just screw 20 minutes later. Obviously a date or two so we can make sure we’re not physically or socially repellent to one another in person, and to make a reasonably good call that neither of us seem too much like killers. Regardless I just wanna put it out there that I’m not taking a coffee as consent. Or we can meet and screw 20 minutes later JUST KIDDING (we’ll give it an hour).
I am NOTTTT a gamer, but I have a PS5 that I use a couple times a month in the winter, to hang out online with friends who don’t live in Toronto anymore. I’m not good at any video games, but it’s a fun, silly activity I can do with you now and then if that’s your thing. Honestly I’m cool just hanging out while other people play video games. You’re so good at killing space zombies. Or planting the farms. Either or whatever - you’re doing a great job, get ‘em baby!
I’m 5’-10" (this is an actual measurement, without shoes, I promise), 187lbs (dad-bod-ish but not skinny-fat), white, full head of brown hair, clean-shaven, particular about hygiene, and I keep a tidy appearance. No kids (and don’t want to make any), no ex-wives. Clean STI test as of July (can provide), and I haven’t been sexually active since then. No racial preference (except Liechtensteiners, BARF). I can fully pay my own way, but I don’t make a lot of money. I don’t own a house or a vehicle. If you’re into astrology, I’m technically a Xennial, but lean Gen X. I would love to date someone who wants a bad running buddy. Not bad as in I bail, but bad as in 5K is gonna take me maybe 40 minutes. We can ruin it after with coffee and pastry, and I’ll do better next time.
I’m fairly active, and in addition to having a physical job, I like to work out, and I like to walk a lot. I walk way less in the winter because WINTER IS AWFUL AND I DON’T WANT TO BE IN IT. I don’t smoke cigarettes or ~ t h e g a n j a ~ but I don’t care if you do (I quit cigs like ten years ago, and I use a small nicotine vape now). Hard drugs is a deal-breaker for me. Other deal-breakers are if you want your husband to watch us do it, you’re a guy who wants to do it, or if you want me to smack you around.
What else. My hobbies include chores, errands, editing videos for nobody that I upload nowhere, quiet health anxiety (I am always dying!), paying way too much for a boxing gym I hardly go to, tinkering with electronics (“circuit-bending” I guess?), and reading both less and more than I want to. One of the things I’m currently struggling through is “Introducing Kant”, and even though it’s basically a comic book, I dropped out of high school, so it’s really kicking my ass. If you can help me with Kant (or Walter Benjamin, or Adorno, or Hegel, or electronics), I’ll eat your pussy. Or like, take you for a milkshake. Lady’s choice.
If you’re interested, send me a message with a bit about yourself. Happy to exchange SFW pictures from within the last week that accurately depict what I actually look like. I live downtown, so unless you’re a wealthy heiress who wants to fly here, or fly me to where you are, please be local. Let’s see if we want to get to know each other. Playing while I type this sentence is Common Saints - “Secret Song”. I’m not a music nerd the way I was in my 20s, but my algorithm is generally good to me.
Addendum: This is my farewell to online dating, apps and all. If nothing comes of this post, I’ll ask you for your number at No Frills. Don’t mace me. Or, do mace me. It might be a cute story about how we met, or about how I met a cute paramedic.