1000 web dates an in-the-trenches view of dating and relationships today

6Jul/084

Moping

I haven't posted anything of late because there isn't anything to tell. I'm moping, miserable, and heartbroken, even if I was more delusional than anything to have thought that My Great Romance ended up being not much more than a notch on Behinder's ever-widening belt.

But as Goblin said to me the other day, Behinder is partially delusional too. He purposely led me on and deceived me, so really, its time to accept Behinder chose a sex doll over substance -- and move on.

29Jun/083

Heartbroken

I hate using the word heartbroken, because it reminds me of some sort of emo-filled teen angst song. But right now, that's about how I feel.

Behinder has finally come clean with me. He's sorry for leading me on and acting seductively, he says because of his "emotional idiocy", he didn't think what it would do to me. But yes, he's been dating STD Nurse for eight months now, and he has no intention of changing that anytime soon.

So he not only purposefully hid this tidbit from me, but he went out of his way to tell me he was only casually dating instead of the "not casual" relationship he's having. She's even visited him here (they live three hours apart), and, lucky me, he decided to tell me that she "wears him out" when she visits. Tactless, yes, but I was blown away that he'd tolerate once-a-month sex, considering he's ended relationships in the past because he didn't get once-a-day sex.

Interestingly, he also shared that if they were not dating, its possible he'd pursue something with me again. Because there isn't any of sort incompatibility between us; just his own dumbass mistakes.

Supposedly he's telling STD Nurse his transgressions with me - namely, not telling her he was with me when he started fooling around with her, as well as his repeated attempts to get me to masturbate, because he "loved" getting me to that place so often. Also supposedly, STD Nurse doesn't care, because its "not physical".

Is anyone else buying the bullshit? I'm sure as hell not.

So I told Behinder today that he'd pulled one too many stunts with me. He leveraged both our relationship and our friendship so he could date this woman, a deceitful, manipulative "sweet" girl. I said I hoped the charade was all worth it, because he'd utterly humiliated me. He didn't deserve my love or friendship, even though he had both, unconditionally.

If anyone has some good 'purge-the-ex' ideas, I'm all ears. I've run into Behinder now twice in two days, and it sucks. Hugely. Although it might be fun to run into him when he's with the STD Nurse... I can think of a lot of things I'd love to tell her.

26Jun/080

The Plot Thickens

Behinder finally admitted to me yesterday that he's been dating the woman I've dubbed the STD Nurse: the nurse-in-training he unceremoniously left me for, who in turn gave him a (luckily) innocuous STD.

I started the conversation with eight points I wanted to make:

  • I feel ashamed and foolish because of how you chose to interact with me.
  • You took the easy way out with this entire situation, the whole time (and continue to), and I am very angry with you for that.
  • I find this cycle of "sweet" yet manipulative/deceitful women to be abhorrent, and I am furious with you for continuing to make excuses for these women's behaviors.
  • You completely disregarded me as a supposed good friend.
  • We've been having intimate conversations/interactions, which, although not technically cheating are COMPLETELY inappropriate between two people where one is dating someone else.
  • Because of the last point, I'm now the kind of woman I never wanted to be - again - because of your poor judgment. I may not seem to be the most moral of women, but I do have a strict moral code that I refuse to break. I may not like STD Nurse's actions or behavior, but I would have NEVER encouraged or initiated anything had I known.
  • I feel you've placed higher value (based on your actions) for a relative stranger rather than one of your supposed closest friends, and being that you've said several times you'd never be friends with STD Nurse if you weren't having sex with her, this devalues our interactions.
  • Your excuse that "she was always around" when you were visiting your friends as an excuse to continue dating STD Nurse is ridiculous, and sounds like something more appropriate coming from a 14-year-old.

So he counters with, "you keep going back to it, yet you still never answer my question, which is , If you hadn't forgiven me for it, why still talk to me?" and I answered, yelling, "Because you told me to wait." (He did. Specifically, he'd assured me things would get better in a couple of months, and that I was worth the wait. A couple of hours later, he was bopping the STD Nurse).

And then I explain my definition of love, which is essentially to see the nasty in someone, and STILL care about them. I said that I realized I did, realized my errors, knew damn well that I was fucked up at the time, and was being patient, working on my own stuff. He counters with, "that is love to me too," to which I reply, "aha, so that's why you're running to poor STD Nurse's maligned side." He said nothing.

He then said that STD Nurse knew he flirts with me, and thinks its harmless. I explained that what we'd been doing was well beyond flirting, and he bloody well knows it. He agreed.

Then he tells me he obviously can't change my mind, to which I am puzzled. I ask, "I didn't realize changing my mind was the goal. What does that mean?" Him: "Well, you are pretty effectively negating everything I say. Which still doesn't account for the fact that I think differently than you do, and so events played out the way I thought they could best be done. I never claimed they were the right and true way, but the best I could do, with my inexperience dealing with emotional issues."

And THEN we get to the good stuff.

Him: And I don't want to hurt anyone. Which is why I thought it was over, that I hurt you too much to go back. it was something I couldn't bear. It was welcome to again interact with you, but I would never let myself go any farther.

Me: well duh, you are with someone else

Him: talking about right after the shit, but yes it carries to the present. I guess I am thanking you for allowing me back in your life, at least a little.

Me: But I still don't understand. What couldn't you bear?

Him: being with you with the fuck up I've been

Me: what, and I had no say in the matter?

Him: Over how I feel? No. But I didn't know you would be embarrassed, but I did detect some hostility there, so I let it lie. It didn't change our interactions.

Me: Had I known, it would have. I would have NEVER shared what I had.

Him: but I would have still, obviously

Me: would have, obviously.. but dammit, that's really not fair. Its not like you share that with your other friends. Its a level of intimacy usually shared between partners, and yet you're too guilty to go there, so you're essentially getting the best of both worlds. Its not fair to the person you are with, and its not fair to me.

Him: ...

Me: but its all moot, I guess. you obviously love this woman, and I'm obviously shit out of luck. so....

Him: and once again I must leave you to sleep, on that excellent note.

Me: That was excellent?

Him: that was sarcasm

*****
I'm so confused its not funny anymore.

18Jun/080

Emotionally Distant Men

Alright. I've dated my fair share. Behinder is probably the worst of the bunch, although he was the opposite when I first met him. *sigh* Anyone getting tired of my moping about this guy yet?

So anyway... when I was looking for reprint permission for the quote from yesterday about men not wanting what they have (Just What I Needed To Hear), I found another Q&A from Christian Carter about emotionally distant men.

Hm. I don't think I gave this guy enough credit the first time around. Here's the Q&A, also in its entirety; I'll comment further in another post later on today when I have a chance.



How To Communicate With
“Emotionally Distant” Men

I realized something important this week
about how men think and act.

It's that men who pay attention and think
about the feelings they have, why they
have them, what they mean and how to talk
about them are RARE.

And it's even more unique and special
for a man to pay attention to his feelings
in relationships with women and to be able
to talk openly about them.

So like everyone else, I like to think
that I'm special.

But am I really different than other men?

Ok, I'm hoggin the newsletter for myself,
my ego is getting carried away...

Here's what I want to talk to you about-

Why can't men talk about their feelings?

It's like they're helpless morons when
it comes to knowing and sharing how they
feel with you.

And why do men react so weird when you
want to talk about things like issues,
emotions, relationships, commitment, marriage?

The answer is pretty fascinating but has
more than one simple dimension to it.

Let me ask you...

Have you ever asked a man how he feels
about you or your situation and then he
starts acting all freaked out?

He turns into a deer in headlights.

Or even worse, he starts getting angry
and frustrated and turns the conversation
back on you with unrelated problems or issues.

Well, you've run into the BRICK WALL guys
have with relationship communication.

And guess what?

It's YOUR fault!

Yep, I'm not letting you shift the
blame to someone else for what matters
in your life.

As some of my more enlightened friends
like to say:

“Don't go to victim”

If you know someone can't communicate
a certain way, it's up to you to find a
better way.

Then once you can reach them you can
help them improve.

As the saying goes,

“Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice and shame on me.”

So are you continuing to bang your head
against the brick wall?

Shame on you!

Lots of women do - all their lives over
and over in relationships until they've
become convinced that men are idiots and
you can't ever make things work.

Quit it for cryin' out loud!

There's a better way, but you'll never
figure things out just trying what makes
sense to YOU.

Don't be RIDICULOUS!

(here's where I get all up in your face!)

Planning and approaching issues in your
life just by what “makes sense” is not only
naive, it's honestly pretty stupid.

That's why people go to school, they go
to college, they study and read, they go
through job training and THEN they go out
and make a go of it.

So how much thinking, planning, reading
and learning have you done around the things
that effect your relationships and your love
life?

Maybe you picked up the latest best-seller
by some publishers daughter on something dumb
like how swans mate and are monogamous and you
and your guy can be beautiful and happy like
swans in love too...

Hey, not a bad idea. Maybe I'll write a
book about that.

Not!

Seriously though...

Are you banging your head against the wall?

Or are you looking to learn?

Here something fascinating to learn...

Men have a “SECRET BUTTON” you can push
that will make communicating with them almost
effortless.

And if you learn what it is and how to use
it you'll be able to get at what he really
thinks and feels... and teach him how to talk
to and understand you.

So let me take you through a situation
I guarantee you've either been in before or
you'll be in with a man...

HELLO!

That means pay attention because this is
one of those “universal situations” that can
mean priceless knowledge for you.

Let's say your talking with a man you're
interested in and you want to take things to
“the next level” but you don't know how.

And you've been waiting on him to talk to
you or express his interest or love for a while.

But he hasn't done that, and you get a little
disappointed and frustrated with things.

You've tried being patient and talking
with your friends but you've got to know how
he feels and you need things to move forward.

So what do you do?

Well, most women build up everything they're
thinking inside until they have to let it out
in one big emotional release.

And guess what men see when this happens?

No, they don't see how much you care or love
them and how amazing it is that you want to be
with them.

Somehow instead of seeing the good and the
positive intentions you have, they see intense
negative emotions that they can't understand.

And men get scared of emotions that are
really intense or that they don't understand.

Most of all, they just aren't used to them.

So when you share your feelings and want to
know his feelings for you, he freaks out.

He either becomes the “deer-in-headlights” guy
or the “angry-frustrated-scared” guy.

Most women do what makes sense in this
situation - they push and encourage the man
to talk, to get in touch with his feelings
and to share HER feelings.

But men don't see it as positive encouragement.

They see it as you being “over-emotional”
and pushy about the issue.

(Yeah, I know... Men are freakish emotional creatures!)

When you resist or react negatively in any
conversation, everything becomes more difficult.

And the WORST mistakes you can make here with
a man I call the 4 Deadly Sins:

- Assuming - that he knows what you want or expect
- Begging - for him to “give you” what you want
- Convincing - trying to make him feel the way you do
- Bullying - bullying him into your way of thinking or
feeling.

You will never have any long term success with
a man if you keep doing these.

You'll be beating yourself against the “BRICK
WALL”.

So what's the “SECRET BUTTON”?

Well, remember that there's a catch to all
improvements in your life, right?

So the same goes for this button thing.

You’ve got to make it happen by changing
YOUR communication first in order to push his
communication button.

It’s up to you to get a man’s fears and defenses
out of the way so you can get to the bottom of things.

And getting past the masks men can wear with
women out of fear is the essence of “pushing the button”.

Here's the 5 basic steps I've recognized that you
can use to push his “secret button”. And I'll give you
some examples to give you a general idea of what these
are as best I can in a short newsletter:

Step 1) The Primer

This is a the “starter” for the conversation that will
build an entirely positive context - and it might seem
like something you could skip, but it's actually the
most important step. It might be something like starting
off talking with positive comments about the time you've
been spending together and some of the great times you've
had. The idea is ALL about setting the right context so
a guy becomes positive, comfortable and opens up.

Step 2) Casual Introduction

This is the first step into “where things are going”.
Instead of springing “the talk” on him, keep talking
about positives, the good things, the things you want
to continue that are WORKING. If you don't have too
many of these things, think harder. You're interested
in a future with this guy for some reason, right? But
don't just compliment him. Make sure it's about BOTH
of you, and how you are together, not just about him.

Step 3) Applying With Positive Strokes

So now you're tuning into each other a bit in the
conversation and sharing thoughts about the good
things you have together.

Then tell him, “Hey, you know what's great? I bet you
and I see things differently, which is OK, but I love
spending time with you and we have such a great time
together”.

Again, you’re getting into a conversation about
relationships that will eventually turn to your situation,
but you’re doing it in a way that doesn’t trigger any
resistance or fear from the man - and this is what
you’re aiming for.

Step 4) Non-situational Honesty

Step 5) Active Listening

Step 4 and 5 are a bit more complex so I'll save them
for another time.

But steps 1, 2 and 3 are a lot to work with and
get you thinking.

If you follow these it will blow a man away

AND even better... it will create massive ATTRACTION!

Yeah, imagine that.

By talking about serious relationship “stuff” you
won't scare a guy off.

No, you'll actually make his attraction for you
STRONGER.

How?

Well, men secretly wish that they had women that
they felt completely open and comfortable with to share
their feelings, thoughts and desires on subjects they
usually have a hard time with.

It feels REALLY good to talk about things,
especially if they've been bottled up!

I bet you've felt that too.

When you push the button for a man, he experiences
a kind of open and honest communication “release”.

And the more intense the topic or issue is, the
more amazing and “freeing” the experience is.

For men, there's nothing tougher and more foreign
than getting really in touch with their emotions
and sharing them with someone.

When you're then one to do this, men almost can’t
believe it.

They instantly see you as someone unique, rare,
and “cool”.

And when you can talk about tough issues in a
way that makes them easy and fun and you have the
right amount or “detachment” from the outcome, it
makes men EXTREMELY attracted to you.

So what exactly are these 5 detailed steps to push
a man's communication button?

I talk about each step in detail, exactly what to do,
and the common mistakes to avoid in my eBook: “Catch Him And Keep Him”

You can check out all the details here:

Thanks for reading and best of luck in life and love.

Your Friend,

Christian Carter




©Copyright 2008, Catch Him Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright materials used by permission.
“Catch Him And Keep Him” and “Christian Carter”
are trademarks of Catch Him Inc.

18Jun/080

Contextually…

So I had two people ask me to email them or post here the Christian Carter/Date.com newsletter clip I spoke of yesterday. Fair enough. I checked with Carter's folks, and they have no issue with me reprinting it, so here it is in its entirety.

Yes, I'll readily admit this is a much longer post than what I'd normally put up in this blog. Ok, I'm impatient too. But it helped me to clarify a few things I'd conveniently wiped from my memory to avoid the truth, as well as gave me some more questions to think about in relation to the Behinder's recent admission (And You Say Women Are Confusing?)




Q&A: How Do I Get Him Back?

This time I'm sharing a great question from a reader.

It's a question I get all the time from women that points out a common misunderstanding women have about men.

Reader:

Dear Christian,

I'm sorry but I need to ask you a question. I need advice and help. Me and my ex have been together off and on many times, recently we just broke up and now he's dating someone else. (he doesn't know what he wants). But I know he still has very big feelings for me and I want advice and help on getting him back. Even though he's dating someone right now, he still has feelings for me, and I need help on getting him back with me and not with her.

Please help!

Sincerely,
Needy and Hopeless

My Answer:

Thanks for writing, your email has about 147 great things here.

Let's look at a few of them...

The first important issue is that you're ignoring all the important signs your ex is giving you.

Men send a ton of silent “signals” that are out there waiting for women to tune into and pick up on.

And to learn from.

Some of these signals that men send are indirect and unintentional - but others men know they're sending out.

Please don't be naive.

Wake up!

Realize what's going on here.

If he's dating someone else, you've got to start moving on.

That's a direct and intentional signal.

He doesn't share your feelings of wanting to get back together in a committed relationship with you.

If you challenge this idea, you need to recognize something important...

That he's not in the right place in his life to share what you want with him.

What you really need for yourself is to find a healthy way to take some of the focus off of him and put it back on you and your life.

This doesn't mean you have to go out and date right now, but you need to take your mind off him.

I know it's hard to do this when you still have intense feelings for him.

But the simple truth is that you're setting yourself up for ALL KINDS of pain and disappointment...

Yeah, I've seen couples get back together like this - but the odds are things don't look good for this old relationship.

The more you can distance yourself from your ex whose dating another woman, the happier you'll be.

Trust me.

And I know doing this is tough, but you've got to do it if you're going to find your way to a new and improved situation - with or without him.

Here's something else critical going on for you...

You're making a lot of assumptions about HIS feelings when you say “he has very strong feelings for me.”

Do the math.

You know he's dating someone else.

By thinking about how you believe he FEELS inside is only keeping you stuck on him and your beliefs about the good person he can be and how great things COULD be together.

Let me put it another way-

What are his actions and behaviors saying?

If you listen to the signals your ex is sending you, you'll see that his “feelings” he shares are just his way of holding onto you for his own comfort and benefit.

Why wouldn't he want to keep you around if he's “unavailable” to really commit - because being with the other woman and still being connected to you keeps him from being fully involved in any real situation with either of you.

He's already dating another woman.

That should give you a clear idea of where his mind is at (not focused on getting back with you) and what his “feelings” TRULY are.

Here's what I want you to do first and foremost...

Think about making some decisions for YOURSELF.

Right now it sounds like your waiting for him to make all the decisions.

Think about what YOU WANT to be happy, and remember all the things your ex has done and said to let you
know he's not committed to sharing his love with you.

If you give him and yourself some space, a funny thing might happen you won't expect...

Your ex-boyfriend won't have the comfort of two women who both want his affection.

He won't know that you're still there waiting for him - and this will trigger thoughts and actions in him that will ultimately help resolve your situation.

Until then...

For your own well-being, it's important you let him know he can't keep sharing his intimate feelings with you while he's dating another woman.

HERE'S A RULE YOU NEED TO REMEMEBER:

****
Never allow men who have “someone else” in their life to keep sharing and expressing their feelings for you.
****


It's wrong on several levels... for you most of all.

When a man can have the affection of two women, and he's in a place where he's emotionally non-committed to either, odds are he will try to keep this situation going for as long as possible!

Not all men would do this, but men who are “unavailable”, as it sounds your ex is, can continue multiple intimate situations at once.

You don't want to date a man that's in this place in his life... and I know because I've been this guy in my past!

NO AMOUNT of talking, experience or reasoning with him can get him to feel the way you want him to feel.

You can't change a man's emotional depth and where he's at in his life.

“Getting him back” is a bad idea.

Rarely does this give you what you think you want.

It's a losing battle, and you're going to end up being hurt or upset again as you undoubtedly keep moving farther and farther away from what YOU ideally want and closer and closer to whatever strange and unhealthy situation he's creating.

If you feel like you HAVE to see this through, then be careful. You're going against the odds.

Don't be “that girl”.

And I promise that you'll ruin your chances if you think you can “convince” him to come back to you
through shows of affection, appeals to his desires or other “gifts” to bribe him.

I've watched this EXACT thing unfold so many times.

IT DOESN'T WORK!

Instead, you should think about the times you've broken up and the times you've seen that he wasn't personally ready for a relationship.

Those things are as real as the strong feelings and emotions you feel that keeps you coming back.

Use the issues and challenges you had together as a guide or a reminder of what's keeping you two apart now.

And once you start doing this, I think you're going to be strangely surprised at what starts to happen for you...

Once your guy notices that he doesn't have you waiting around for him like a puppy dog to figure it out, while he's off doing god knows what with other women, there's going to be a big change in his attitude and behavior.

It doesn't make “sense”, but that's how it WORKS.

****
THE CRITICAL SKILLS OF UNDERSTANDING MEN'S SIGNALS AND IDENTIFYING GOOD MEN FROM “UNAVAILABLE TOADS”...
****

You've got to learn to understand and identify “EMOTIONALLY UNAVAILABLE” men.

If a man doesn't know what he wants, he generally doesn't want what he's got.

This may sound harsh, but it's the truth of the situation. And even when it isn't completely true, it's a good rule to go by.

A good man who is the right person and wants to be with you will find his own way to his “Emotional Truth”.

If his truth is that he wants to be with you, or not be with you, you have to respect that.

But I see women do it all the time.

The guy will be sending all kinds of subtle (or even direct) signs that he's not “available” or interested in something “serious”, but the woman ignores them and just pays attention to the fact that he likes being with her when they're together.

In other words, she substitutes the physical connection, or even the occasional emotional connection, for the real relationship she wants to be in.

WRONG!

Men have a different “love equation” from women:

A strong connection does NOT necessarily equal any interest in a relationship.

That's why it's CRITICAL that women learn to read the signals that a man sends about where he's at.

Because he's surely not going to just lay it all out there for you.

I promise.

If he does, write me an email, tell me all about it, and give me his mailing address so I can send him his prize.

When a guy isn't interested in a relationship, and he's doing something like seeing other women, here's
what most women start doing that makes things go from bad to worse...

They start trying to “fix” things, and “fix” the guy.

And then comes the “convincing” behavior, trying to convince the man that they are the right one for him, and that because they have such a great connection, a loving “relationship” is the only right way to go.

I know, it sounds bizarre.

Why would a man have a great woman and a great connection with her that felt amazing when they were together, and not want a relationship?

I'll get to that later...

The thing I'm worried about here for you is that in trying to get your guy back, you're making these mistakes that are like “man-repellent”.

So I'll say it again.

You can't convince a man to want to be with you.

I don't know the specifics surrounding your off-and-on with the ex, but it speaks volumes.

Especially when it's combined with him not “knowing what he wants”.

This is CLASSIC man-speak for “I'm not emotionally available and I'm not ready for a real relationship”.

When he can't get in touch with his feelings and isn't open to exploring them, it's a text-book case of unavailability.

I don't mean that he can't share feelings or some level of intimacy with you...

In fact, I'm sure he still likes to connect with you when things are easy-going and he's not feeling “pressure” around you.

But your ex sharing his feelings with you can easily confuse you into thinking that he is potentially the right guy and ready for a long term relationship.

I'm sure you've seen this since you've been back and forth with him. But when a guy is unavailable, he has a fear of getting deeper into a relationship that he knows he's not ready for.

In his own way he's tried to tell you this several times.

Here's what he's saying:

Yes, I have “feelings” for you.

And no... that doesn't mean I want to be in a relationship with you and be faithful.

Take some time to think about the past with your ex, and then compare that to what will honestly make YOU happy, and what kind of relationship you want in your future.

If you're honest about it with yourself, I don't think he'll fit well into that based on his actions and behavior.

Put more value on his actions, not his words.

Get back to the things that you enjoy, the places you like to go and avoid places or things you used to do or see with your ex.

Spend some time with your friends and give yourself the space you deserve.

The less you talk about your ex and this situation for now, the better off you'll be.

And I think you'll be amazed at the results.

First, I think you'll just plain old feel better.

But even better than that, you'll be breaking the old connection that you had with your “x”.

And as counterintuitive as it sounds, breaking out of your old connection is actually the thing that's going to change the situation for you the most and help get you the results you want.

Right now, your convincing him and your wanting him back, even when he's with another woman, is making you come off in all kinds of ways that men just don't respond well to.

I know it seems like the best idea to keep trying to stay in touch with him and keep the connection alive.

But the truth is that you're just keeping this same old situation alive by pumping your time and attention into it.

If instead, you step back and stop chasing him or trying to convince him you're the right woman, you'll have an opportunity to do something that can honestly be ATTRACTIVE to him-

You first leave a space that he'll not recognize and not understand, which will first get him thinking about you and then wondering why you aren't acting the way you used to.

Men love “new” things and curiosities.

Plus, you'll also be able to give him the space he's tried asking you for in his retarded emotionally unavailable “man-speak”.

Something funny happens when a man gets the space he asked for-

If you do it in the right way, he's forced to deal with himself and his own feelings to figure out that all the things he is worried about, afraid of, fearful of “committing to”, etc.

And being by himself, he'll see that these things are really just in his own mind - and not bad things about YOU.

In other words - he won't keep taking all the old “stuff” from the past that wasn't working and keep identifying it with YOU.

But you've to go know the way to “re-wire” the connection once you've broken the old one.

And if you can do this, I guarantee he'll come calling wondering about you.

In my ebook, “Catch Him And Keep Him”, I spell out specific ways to communicate with men that will help you build that new connection.

There are several psychological and behavioral “keys” that will help to open a man up.

And just as important, they will make him feel that electric spark of ATTRACTION with you again.

I'm talking about the kind of attraction that gets a guy feeling, at a deep level, that he wants to
be with you right now AND far into the future.

This goes for the “unavailable” guys too that seem to keep withdrawing and don't communicate much about their feelings or what they want.

These guys are the toughest ones.

If there's just ONE PIECE OF ADVICE that holds more power for women than any other when it comes to men, it's this concept of only dating emotionally available men.

In my ebook, I also talk about how to identify good men from the “unavailable” ones.

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And if think you're already got an unavailable guy on your hands, and you're wondering what you can do after all the frustrating disappointments that have gone on...

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Thanks for reading and best of luck in life and love.

Your Friend,

Christian Carter




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Copyright materials used by permission.
“Catch Him And Keep Him” and “Christian Carter”
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16Jun/080

Its Not You. It’s Me.

I've noticed a theme in the past couple of years in my dating life. I meet someone, its intense and lovely, and things are humming along nicely for a month or two. Then I'm suddenly sideswiped by The Talk: he's met someone else and its already in full swing. When I ask what happened between us, I'm given a similar answer by each: something is missing. I don't know what it is. Sorry I hurt you. You deserve better.

Sometimes these betrayals have stung longer than they should have, but most I just look back at with gratitude. Meaning: I'm very thankful that I found out early on what kind of men they were. And frankly, of the men who intimated something was missing, only one touched my heart.

But this theme makes me wonder. Is saying, "It's not you, it's me?" just a cop-out now? Does it really mean diddly squat? Is it just the easy way out? Or is there sort of dating deal breaker I'm sporting that only becomes readily apparent around the six week mark? One that is so elusive and/or fear-inducing, that it instills an immediate cease and desist.

20May/080

My Tarot Card Love Forecast

Once in a while I like to read my own tarot cards. I picked up a deck a number of years ago, and when I feel the urge, I sit down and do a reading. Last night I read my cards for the first time in months.

I used a new four-card spread that I've never used before, found in a tarot card reading book. Its basic intent is to read the situation, obstacle, action recommended and outcome of a specific situation. I thought it would be interesting to do a reading about the guy I'm still in love with (according to my friends). What the hell, right?

I should add that every single piece of advice I've been given on the subject - both from friends and random blog commenters - has been to be direct with the guy. Let him know how I feel. Take the reigns and stop living in wait. Which I know is what I need to do, but I'm a gutless coward about these kinds of things. Whatever happened to men pursuing? Well with this guy, I've always known I'd have to be the pursuer. It's just the way he's wired.

So I wasn't shocked when my first card (situation) told me that I either needed to, or was meditating about a problem. I wasn't acting, I was thinking, and it was the right course of action. Take some time to rest and relax, contemplate and meditate. Spend some time alone and don't make any decisions.

Yup, that's pretty much what I've been doing.

My next card (obstacle) told me - literally - to stop worrying, and that everything was great. I have a bright future ahead of me. Think positively.

I was a bit stunned after that card.

The next card (action required) blew me away. I'll just quote exactly what is written on the card. "Be bold. Unleash your adventurous side! Take risks and be daring."

I ended the reading (outcome) with a card that said by following the tarot card's guidance, I would be unleashing my inner goddess.

If that isn't a smack in the arse, I don't know what is.

The Behinder (so named by a friend because he lives behind me) and I have tentative plans this weekend to watch a movie at my place.

16May/080

Still In Love With Him

Earlier today, a friend of mine commented, "Oooooh. You're still IN LOVE with him! Now I get it..."

I was mortified.

Ten minutes later, after making myself seem like even more the fool by trying to explain that I'd never quite fallen in love with him in the first place... I gave up.

Yes. I still have feelings for the guy. Yes. I'd love to date him again/for real. Yes, our first date was my favorite date of all time. Yes, I blog about the dude (what seems like constantly). But no, I'm not obsessed with him, and no, I'm not still in love with him.

I'd like to say I am. It would probably make things a bit easier, and my friends might be a bit more understanding. But I only knew the guy a couple of weeks before we had to part ways initially, and although we've kept in touch and now live eerily close to one another, I'm pretty sure I've screwed up any chance in hell that we'll ever date again.

So I'm trying to date other people - or at the very least MEET other people. It's not going as well as I'd hoped, and I'm finding this town a bit more challenging with its number of eligible bachelors. As in, there aren't a lot. Statistically. I haven't given up. Yet.

But I should be able to mention the gent's name without my friends catcalling silly little songs, right? (A and B, sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G...) Right? Or am I just too damn sensitive for my own good?

I really wish I hadn't screwed things up. Perhaps I'll blog about it... how royally I goofed... maybe someone will have a solution. Maybe I didn't goof up as badly as I'd thought, and he's thinking the same damn thing.

Jeezus! Listen to me. I sound like a 14-yr-old schoolgirl with a crush, not a 30-something woman who knows damn well there were genuine feelings on both sides - at one point.

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30Apr/086

Does He Like Me?

At one point in time, he did. It all started with My Favorite Date, and we even dated for a few short weeks before I had to leave town. It was magical and amazing when it happened, and I still kick myself for leaving when I did. More than a year later we reunited, but things had changed. Something was missing he said, even though he readily admits he was in the midst of falling for me when we first met.

At one point in time we lived across the country from each other, but several years have passed and now our homes lie mere meters from one another.

We've both dated since; he countless other women (my head swims a bit trying to keep track of each one), whereas I had one fellow who broke my heart once and for all after years of back-and-forth withdrawals, and one young gal whose relationship with me was exceptionally short lived. I was willing to end everything with everyone for him, whereas two of the women he dated he chose to pursue instead of dating me again.

He's since admitted to me that he can be stupid to verifiably ridiculous proportions, and that sometimes he thinks with the wrong head.

Strangely, none of that matters to me. I still get twitterpated when I see him. He came over for a visit tonight.

There is undeniable chemistry between us still, and conversations flow like good wine, varying from the mundane to the risque and back again. We are both currently single and dateless.

Although we shared nothing more than great conversation this evening, it felt very much like the time spent during our first few encounters. Was it a date? Does he like me? Again? More?

I feel silly and childish to admit: I'm afraid to ask.

22Mar/080

My Favorite Date, Part III

If you are showing up halfway through this story, here are parts one and two.

My friend and I invite my date to sit down, and he does - but not after going to grab some tea with me inside. I quickly find out we are both tea aficionados, and I talk his ear off about my favorite brews while he patiently listens. I find his face vaguely reminiscent of someone, but I can`t quite figure out who, so I continue to prattle on. I`m a talker at the best of times, but in this situation I was surprised anyone was able to get a word in edgewise. My date seems quite comfy with me doing the majority of the verbal work.

When we got back to the table where my friend was sitting, the gent who we'd watched run out just moments before had joined her. I asked him why he ran but he didn't have a coherent answer. Hm. As I raised my eyebrow at my friend, the three of us proceeded to try and suss out the gent. We quickly discovered he'd come to the meeting to exchange music from his iPod, yet he didn't own an iPod. He lived mere blocks away, and wanted us to come to his place to check out his music collection. Oh, no, wait - that's why he ran out of the coffee shop, because he forgot his iPod perhaps? we asked. Nope. He just laughed in response.

The more questions that were asked of iPod man, the stranger things got. After 45 minutes I still was too shocked at my date's attractiveness, and hadn't managed to even take a peek at him because of the way we were all sitting. Still, I wanted iPod man to go away, as his reverse discrimination and bizarre, ever-changing reasoning was really getting my goat. So, I thanked him for coming along. He got the hint and left.

After he was out of earshot, the three of us proceeded to share a long and hearty laugh, discussing the weirdness we'd all just been a part of. As that conversation became tiresome, my friend decided it was time for her to head back to her place. Since I was staying with her while stopping by on my way through town, we discussed my "curfew": midnight. As my friend bid us farewell with a wink and a nudge (how subtle) my 'date' and I made our way across the street to the bowling alley. I absolutely love bowling - even competed at a fairly high level as a kid - but I'd never gone on a bowling date. So off we went.

We had two lanes all to ourselves, while another group of rowdy folks played nearby. The lanes were dark, the music was deafening, and the lasers were on. That's right, it was laser bowling. Hard to make much of a conversation, other than to exclaim prowess or defeat. Needless to say, I creamed my date at the game, but not without increasing the tension between us. Good tension. Really, really good tension. The kind that makes you feel like your belly is being tickled with pop rocks every time you look at the other person. Like your bodies are magnets, draw to one another by forces beyond gravity. It was confusing, exhilarating, and absolutely delightful - and so was he.

But the date still wasn't over. Neither of us were willing to stop whatever magic was blossoming, so we decided to go for a walk to get some fresh air and get to know each other better.

More to come... soon.