Dating Dummies

The dating game is over! Okay, maybe not over but at least this phase of it is coming to a close. The two blokes I've been seeing have failed a crucial test. They both told me they wanted to see me this past weekend but neither even attempted to contact me. I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I contact them? I'll tell you. It was I who contacted both of them initially and set up two consequent dates with both of them. I had to make all the arrangements both times for both guys. I'm not looking to be anyone's booking agent. I'm looking for dudes who want to see me as much as I want to see them. I'm not writing them off completly but they'll have to reach out to me if they want to see me again. In the meantime, I'll reach out to some new potentials. I wonder if Rupert Everett is available?

A bit of this and a bit of that

The dating game continues with no lasting results just yet. Although, I've been on more dates in the last six weeks than I have in the last six years. It's clearly not a ritual I care much for. I hate all the awkwardness of getting to know someone. And, as most of us know, you can't ever really know someone entirely. Alright, I'm sure some of you disagree with that but I believe everyone has any number of things they choose not to tell anyone else, or things that they'd confide to a friend but withhold from a lover. Face it, the LTR has many more complications involved that just aren't impacted by friendships. I'm no psychologist, though I've seen my share of them, and I'm sure there are contradictions to everything I'm stating here, but this is my blog and the way I see it. Basically, I just want someone to stand out from the mix so I can focus on him and forget the others. Is that too much to ask?

In other news, I've been buying old TV series on DVD. Recently, I purchased the old 60's series The Prisoner and the early 70's series Space 1999. If anything, I've found that they both intrigue me more today than they did when I was a child. All I could really remember about The Prisoner was the "white ball" that herded up escapees. However, it was a way more political and avant-garde show for its time that explored ideas of big brother-dom, censorship, civil rights, and identity. Also, this past weekend I picked up the mid 1990's series American Gothic. This was created by Shawn Cassidy who has recently brought Surface. I remember hearing about it when it originally aired but I believe that was a period when I didn't own a TV. For those who haven't seen it or don't recall, it's set in S. Carolina (Jennie?) and basically tells a creepy good vs. evil tale. I'm simplifying hugely here and am unable to elaborate in the way it deserves. This is why I don't write reviews. Next I plan to get UFO, the first Gerry Anderson's series featuring real people. He also did the original Thunderbirds and Fireball XL5, both of which had puppets for characters.

Bachelor Number 3 ...

The Dating Game. Well, so far things are happening at a steady pace and I've met three attractive and interesting men. They all have good jobs, good looks, and enough commonalities that we would make a good match. Of course, I've only seen each one time. This Saturday, I'll have my second date with Bachelor Number 1. He's in pharmaceutical sales and loves the arts. I think we're going gallery hopping and then for a bit of lunch. Bachelor Number 2 has been let go. He was very interesting, a former actor turned pilates instructor and studying chiropractic medicine but I think he's too busy to really be involved in a budding relationship. And then there's Bachelor Number 3. He's a film and commercial editor. Successful, attractive, and very likeable. He was actually introduced to me through a friend at work. Actually, my friend Jacque told me about him but wouldn't introduce me. She had this fear about being a matchmaker. So I had to be proactive and introduce myself. So far, so good. Our first meeting went well. Will it be Bachelor Number 1 or Bachelor Number 3? Stayed tuned.

"Dating Again!"

It's true. I can hardly believe it. I guess all my excuses for not are completly used up. For the longest time, I blamed it on my education but the better part of a decade later and two degrees, I guess that excuse is over and done with. It's not to say I haven't shopped around at all in that time but I definitely made it a low priority. I'm still unsure it's risen that much in my priority list. I've never felt like I needed anyone else to complete me. I don't believe in there being another half (as Hedwig sang) or a soul mate. I believe that humans are communal and do need to be near others like us but the idea of anything long term is really a man-made construct. Anyway, enough philosophy. I recently decided to try Match.com and see what happens. I posted a profile and some pix. I wrote a decent intro and tried not to exaggerate. I highlighted my interest and attempted to capture my most compatible mate. Although, when it's all said and done, I honestly don't know who my most compatible would be. I don't think I want someone too much like me. I'm an artist (passionate, opinionated, politically active, and prone to depression. HA!) at heart. It's not an easy package to "match" up. I think I need someone who is more stable than I am both financially and emotionally. I'm doing well now but as any artist knows, we have our good times and not so good. So, I've gotten some responses to my profile/ad (that's what it feels like ... an ad ... man for sale) and yesterday went on my first date. It went fine. We met for coffee and it expanded into lunch. Although, afterward I was concerned I had food stuck in my teeth. This guy is artistically minded but works in sales and marketing (stable). We'll see. I'm also talking with a pilates instructor who is studying chiropractic medicine. Sounds interesting, right? Only, he's a bit shorter than I am. Not sure how I feel about that. HA! We'll see.

The Art of Magic

The art of creating something out of nothing is an act of magic. It’s not only something born out of joy and love, but also out of our hurts and sorrows. And while it may not be a cure for the emotions that can assail us, it does allow us to step past the barrage of helpless sensation into other, less numbing, perspectives where it’s possible to find a breathing space, and perhaps even some emotional balance.

~Charles de Lint
from Granny Weather

We all deserve to be Absolutely Fabulous!

I'm tired of leading a less than satisfactory life. I feel relatively good about my accomplishments but I'm so tired of living in the midwest and I can't seem to find a way out. I can't seem to save enough money to move, nor can I find a job in any other city myself. Nor have I won the lottery, though lots of loosers win it every day. Well, I'm not a looser but I could still use the dough. Recently, I've tired sending my resume out to a search firm that may be able to help. Although, after I uploaded it to their site, it no longer seemed as impressive to me as it is on paper. Of course, I've often flirted with the idea of just chucking everything, or trying to sell some stuff (furniture), and then just go but I'm concerned that I won't be able to pull it off. However, I did do it once before when I came to Chicago. Why couldn't I do it again? Perhaps I'll have a martini, smoke a bowl, and stew on it.

Is it 2006 Already?

Man, the holidays seem to fly by! I can't believe we're already into the new year and more of the same old shit. It seems like I have less to say this year than last or keeping this page up is beginning to wear on me. It's only because my friend Charlotte keeps hers up that I even put in a nominal effort. Although, I was very good about writing something every week last year. I guess that's what has changed for me in '06. I'm busier.

Work is what it is but I'm fairly pleased with the extra money I'm making as a F/T employee. It's so nice not to have to stress as much at the end of the month when bills are due and to watch in total dismay as my bank account hovers near bankruptcy. Thinking about bills reminds me that I totally hate Sallie Mae and would not recommend them to anyone as a student loan provider. They have dicked me around so much that I'm considering suing, if I can come up with an actual case. It's too depressing to go into all the details of their debauchery but let's just say their customer service department has been outsourced to India and those nice Indians haven't a clue how to be helpful. All I know is, I have to get this thing paid off as soon as I can, if not before.

Okay, here's something good that happened recently. I had a fantastic new year's eve and day. I spent it with my friend Tamara and we decided to see a double feature. It wasn't a real double feature, we just decided to go see two films with dinner in between. We saw The Squid and the Whale and The White Countess. I thought both were very good but I had some sleepy issues in the latter. I think it was from the martini I had at dinner. If you haven't seen these flicks, basically the former is about a family going through a divorce. It's pretty dark and disturbing but all the performances are quite good, especially the two boys. The latter is the last Merchant/Ivory production and is set in 1930s Shanghai. Natasha Richardson and Ralph Fiennes find love in war-torn China. If the story doesn't grab ya, the cinematography will.

After the flicks, Tamara and I returned to her place and proceeded to consume a bottle of wine each. We talked endlessly and watched Before Sunset. The following day, we drank endless amounts of water (go figure), went out for brunch with friends, and kept up our lively conversation way into the evening. I've never talked so much continuously. In fact, I don't think I spoke to anyone the following day.

It's truely sad, but I can't wait for Invasion to start back up and finish out their first season. What's gonna happen when people start to realize they're no longer human? How will the conflict change between the hold-out humans and the growing contingent of aliens? Does this sound like Invasion ... of the Body Snatchers? Hm.

Hope everyone out there is A OK.

Thanks for reading this aimless jabber!

Tune in for more in a few weeks.

Where in the World is Michael Staples?

I'm still here. However, since going F/T at work I've completly forgotten to update this page. My new job is almost as crappy as my P/T gig but with much more responsibility. There's life for ya. True, I finally have some health insurance again after not having anything since 2002. Hard to believe? It's true and not nearly as terrifying as I once thought it would be, though a bit inconvenient when you have to cart yourself in the early twilight hours to the free clinic or Cook County for services. No more of that.

So, in my new position, I'm an actual Acquisitions Editor. Whoo-Hoo! What's that? Oh, well, it basically means I worked my ass off for our crappy editors trying to "acquire" whatever and whomever they think is needed to pull any number of books together. I was doing this before but now I have to do budgets and schedules and all the other boring minutiae that comes with managing projects. Why am not a Project Manager like all those wanna-be "Trumps" on the Apprentice? Couldn't say but I like my title better.

Lately, I've been working on a book for making your own Living Will. Kind of morbid, I know, but necessary too. The gods know we don't all want to be tube fed or resuscitated a million times. I'm okay to go should I be in such a state. Anyway, I'm going to spend alittle time haunting all my friends and traveling. Speaking of haunting, I'm also working on our 2006 edition of Halloween Fun. Yes, well, this is one of the odd things about publishing an annual magazine on Halloween. You have to start long before the holiday. We actually just wrapped a book on Easter crafts. It's like the fashion industry, a season ahead.

Aside from work, I've been working out fairly often. Unfortunately, it hasn't done much to my physical appearance but I do feel pretty good. I've also joined a volleyball league through my club and have been playing the sport for almost 5 months. I'm almost at the point where my teammates don't scowl every time the ball comes my way. Just wait, next season I'll be really great.

Anyone seen Jarhead? What about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? Both great and recommended. However, skip Brokeback Mountain. Sorry friends but it's nothing like it claims to be. I was very disappointed in Ang. He did a better job on The Wedding Banquet.

Gods, look at the time! I gotta go! More later.

Happy Holidays!!