Snapler

I'm sitting at dinner with a friend complaining about how I don't understand why this last relationship didn't work out when I could have sworn that I did everything right. After all, I did write the book on dating in Chicago. He bluntly responds, "Gena, it's really simple. Men are only as faithful as their options." I hate to say it, but he's right. It seems to be even more of a problem amongst online daters. You go out on a date with a guy/girl and adore them, but then come home and wonder if there is someone better out there; someone smarter, funnier, taller, and who chews with their mouth closed, for instance. You find yourself spending your weeknights trolling for dates and filling up your social calendar for weeks to come, and all the while trying to remember where each date is from, how many siblings they have and where they live in the city.

I met Jack Tripper (names have been changed to protect the not so innocent) about 8 months after moving to Chicago on Match.com. At first I didn't find him very attractive and not really my type. He is goofy and not in an endearing way, has crazy wild hair, and he once mentioned that he doesn't like board games that didn't make him think. I don't know about you guys, but when my friends and I have game day, we stick with fun games like Catchphrase and Pictionary. You know, the games where we can drink copious amounts of wine while playing and still be able to slur out a clue, or stumble around trying to act it out if our words fail us. I assume we are doomed from the start, but at the time I was in between jobs and hungry, so I take him up on his offer for dinner at a Thai place in my neighborhood. We meet at the restaurant and he is exactly what I expect him to be -- dry, boring and totally nerdy. Did I mention he is wearing a Hawaiian shirt? In January? Enough said.

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