Take On Dating Series - Part One - The Hangout

I feel the urge to put a disclaimer on the the next several posts. Why? Because what will eventually flow through my mind and fingers could end up being total BS. And I'm not like most girls...so if you end up getting a few ideas from this particular blog, fair warning - things might go very wrong. You might get a curling iron flung at your head, you might not get laid (though if the former happens, there's a good possibly that you actually DID...just because, you know, think about where she keeps her curling iron)...

Dating. I don't even like typing the word. But I guess it's pretty much inevitable if you want to have any sort of kickass social life. I've decided to post a few random points about dating and "hanging out", perhaps a few anecdotes (though, after much thought and temptation, most dates will remain anonymous). This isn't going to be a step-by-step process, so if you're looking for that, you should check out sites like ehow.com because everything you read there totally works.

Today, I'll just ramble on about "hanging out" because believe or not, this will nfluence my thoughts about you more than going out on a date (which I'll talk about separately during the next few days). In fact, a lot of the time, I'd rather "hang out" than actually "go out". I've realized, however, both are important and I'll let you in on why within the next couple posts.

Point One --

1. Know that there is a difference between "hanging out" and "dating". If you're a creative individual, you could even combine the two for awesome success and I will provide an example of that coming up. If you call me and ask me if I want to "hang out", this is what you should do and expect from me in return.

• Specify what your plans are. Are we hanging out to watch a game? Play games? Videogames? Movies? Going through your DVR (ladies, you can learn so much about a man this way). These are all awesome, but I need to know that if you're asking me over to watch the game, I don't have to come up with an excuse to why I can't see you just because I want to stay home and watch the game myself. Or if we're doing anything outside, I need to know what kind of shoes to wear, if I need a coat, jeans, or clothes that I can get torn up and trashed. I'm up for anything, I just like to be prepared. That will make your life easier too...
• "Hanging out" means I'll also expect to see your friends. And I'll pretend not to notice any winks or really weird hand gestures you guys give each other for support. Or something.
• If we're just "hanging out" at your house, you can expect me to show up in sweatpants and a ball cap. If we're still just "hanging out" anywhere else, I'll be in jeans. Cap depending...
• Videogames. This might just piss off most girls, but I think they're awesome and totally a fun way to get to know each other - playing the right game of course (as in the majority of it should be multiplayer). I don't mind watching you show off your skills for awhile, but remember that I'm there too and would like a chance to attempt to kick your ass (and I say "attempt" because do you realize how good some guys are at gaming? Like I stand NO chance and afterwards, I just want to sell all my gaming systems on Ebay and pick up Olympic bird watching). Here's what you want to avoid, however - I went and "hung out" with this particular guy ONCE (notice, the accented ONCE). Watching him play Guitar Hero was cool for the first three hours, but then I wanted to play...and at the fifth hour mark, when I decided to ask him point blank, he looked at me like he had NO idea who I was and I had to reintroduce myself. Seriously, guys, I could have taken off my shirt and pretended to have a spontaneous orgasm and he wouldn't have looked up. So yeah, be passionate about your gaming systems, that's way cool...but when you invite me over, remember I'm there every so often and put up with my less superior skills. Offer me food and something to drink...because I know I risk being there ALL night. And no, not because of that.
• This is where being creative comes in. If you invite me over for dinner, then I'll probably put in a little more effort in making myself look "presentable". This can be REALLY fun! A nice dinner, followed by a movie, a walk, a game of cards, even Wii Boxing (I'm really competitive so anything that involves a me vs. you scenario is totally "in" with me). One time he even had an old canvas and finger paints ready to go after an awesome dinner. It was creative, it was fun, and we didn't have to go anywhere.
• Don't question me if I don't want to go in your hot tub.