At last, you say! You are totally right, and I apologize. It's been a long time since I promised to return to the highly popular "Ask Suzy" Q & A. You should know that it takes awhile to gather quality material; I pride myself on digging deep to find just the right questions for you. And I never make these questions up. My imagination is neither that wild nor creative.
Now I'm ready. Off we go!
Dear Suzy:
As a Boomer woman, I know that the dating pool is small. A puddle, actually. So when I met a man who seemed to have potential, I was thrilled. There were a couple of red flags, but nothing I couldn't endure. However, one thing that continues to grate on my nerves is his inability to choose decent gifts. This guy is not poor, believe me. But...for my birthday? How about a pair or green glass earrings in a cheesy yellow metal setting? Like I'm supposed to pretend they are emeralds? I opened the little jewelry-sized box with huge anticipation and immediately wanted to bawl. He knows I like nice things. But...he got them at a casino gift shop with his gambling points! What's your take?
Gifty Girlfriend
Dear GG:
Wow! "Ask Suzy" is off to a running start! I hardly know where to begin. Before you even got to the real question, I was still stuck on the word "endure." C'mon, let's stop right there. This is not about how much he spends on presents. If you were head-over-heels, you might find his goofy, cheap-ass gifts charming. Maybe not totally charming. No one should be able to get away with that crap. But, for sure, you wouldn't be writing me. He's not for you. Period. Go buy your own earrings and get on with your life.
Dear Suzy:
I think I really blew my chances with the woman of my dreams, and I desperately need your help. I have loved this girl since high school--I still have a hall pass with her name on it. We met again by chance and started to date. Magical! We traveled, had fun, and the sex was great. At some point, we even talked about moving in together. But...yes, there is a "but"...she wanted a two-bedroom place so we could have guests. And more closet space. And a dining area for dinner parties. I couldn't--and still can't--see why one bedroom is not sufficient. I don't especially enjoy guests or entertaining. Long story short, she left me. Advice?
High School Honey
Dear Honey:
Frame the pass. That's all you will ever get. You blew it, Bucko.
Dear Suzy:
I've been doing the online dating thing. I haven't found Mr. Right, but some interesting characters have come my way. Last week I met "Archie" for coffee. Archie quickly let me know he had just moved out of the basement of his ex-wife's house, where he has lived for the past 15 years. Why, I asked? Because he didn't want to be far from his daughter. "I wanted to keep things normal." Normal?? But wait, there's more. He felt guilty about the divorce, so he paid the mortgage and utilities for all those years. Finally, he felt his daughter was old enough for him to leave and get his own place. And start to date. But wait, there's more. He was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and was hoping to find a partner who would be able to help him manage the pills and diet. I could not get out of there fast enough! Actually, I am not looking for advice here--just wanted to share a funny online dating story.
Match-dot-Mary
Dear MdM:
Thanks for the laugh! Waaaay TMI for a first date--but good for you to get all this info within the space of one latte. I can't help but wonder what his ex-wife did, with his lurking in the basement. Pretend he wasn't there? When she dated, how did she explain their living situation? ("My ex-husband lives in the basement, but don't let that stop you...") As for the diabetes, don't even start me. See my recent Blix. Remember when I did my online dating series? There are some nice, but strange, men out there. Soldier on--and don't settle!
I learned from my own experience, you can't make this stuff up.
That's it for today, steadfast readers. Who else has a relationship question? Send it along to [email protected].
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