I was interested in Tony from the first time I read his profile. He was a runner, recent Ph. D. grad, and into hiking and travel, but the real attraction was that he said he was originally from Chicago, but had some Yinzer mixed in.
Plus, his pictures were great! He looked, if not super hot, at least very nerdy cute.
For those of you who don't know, Yinzer is a slang term for people from Pittsburgh because they say "Yinz" all the time. As in "Yinz going to the Steelers' Game?" or "Yinz coming over for a Yuengling later?"
*Yeah* for a little more nerdy-Yinzer in my Cali life!
Given my love for the city with three rivers I had high hopes for this part-Yinzer date.
We agreed to meet at a bar in my neighborhood around 9:00. As I walked down the steps to the bar, there standing at the bottom was a very awkward young man wearing the most unflattering pair of jeans I have seen on anyone not going to a costume party since 1994. It was the stone-washed, bagging at the top, tapered leg male version of the Mom jeans.
It.
Was.
Not Good.
At least we were in a dark bar where few people would see this wardrobe malfunction.
BUT, never being one to judge a book by its cover, I put on my best smile and said "Hi! Are you Tony?" After all, he could be really nice, funny, and have lots of amazing stories from all his recent traveling (he had just come back from San Francisco, Switzerland, Amsterdam, and Pittsburgh).
And then he started cackling. Like one of the hyenas from the Lion King.
And then his eyes got the crazy stare.
Hmmmm... okay... Maybe he is just nervous. He does have a Ph. D. in some computer-sciency thing. He probably doesn't date alot.
He managed to compose himself after a couple of deep breaths and said, yes in fact, he was Tony.
We managed to make our way inside without anyone fainting from lack of oxygen.
Since the place was pretty quite we just grabbed seats at the bar and ordered two beers.
Then things got more awkward.
"So how was all your traveling? Where all were you again?"
"Oh, I was in San Francisco and Pittsburgh for weddings." He said unleashing the hyenas again.
What is so funny about weddings? Did something funny happen at these weddings? If so, awesome! Tell me about it. I love to laugh.
And if would fill this awkward silence.
Alright. Drink a couple sips of beer.
Yeah!
Now this awkward silence has gone on even longer!
"That can be alot of fun!" I said searching for conversation. "I love Pittsburgh! I haven't been back since I moved and I miss it!"
"Yeah, its a great city. It wasn't what I expected at all when I moved there." He said staring at me unblinkingly.
He has not blinked in a really long time. Aren't his eyes drying out?
"Yeah, me neither. I never anticipated loving it as much as I did. I tell people out here how awesome it is and they don't believe me." I gushed.
"Yeah. I can see that." Tony replied, still without blinking and incorporating the hyena laugh.
This time I was mildly worried he was going to laugh himself off the bar stool.
And then more silence.
Grrrrrrrrreat.
"So what were you doing in Europe?" I asked.
"Part fun, part work. I was presenting a paper at a conference and then planned a few side trips too."
"That's great. What was your paper on?" I ask thinking surely this will get him chatting. All Ph.D.s I know can't shut up about what they are researching or working on. This should give us lots to talk about, as I do ask loads of questions.
"Well I do research on blabbity blah blah blah." Tony said
I won't bore you with the actual details, in an effort to keep you conscious, and keep me from getting angry hate mail from Tony.
Or his mother, who might actually be able to get him to talk about this subject.
"Oh really? What does the research indicate?"
"That blabbity blah, blah, blah, blah...happens."
Really? A 7 word answer? Come on!
"That is interesting. What are the key indicators and things that you look for?" I asked.
Come on buddy! I'm only halfway through my beer! Give me something to work with...
"Blah. Blabbity. Blah." He said as he attempted to keep the hyenas from escaping for what seemed like the 210th time that evening.
Three words? Really? How is that possible?
And that is basically how the rest of the evening went. Me, pulling teeth trying to make conversation, until the roommate I don't have got into a car-wreck and I had to go help her.
Plus, his pictures were great! He looked, if not super hot, at least very nerdy cute.
For those of you who don't know, Yinzer is a slang term for people from Pittsburgh because they say "Yinz" all the time. As in "Yinz going to the Steelers' Game?" or "Yinz coming over for a Yuengling later?"
*Yeah* for a little more nerdy-Yinzer in my Cali life!
Given my love for the city with three rivers I had high hopes for this part-Yinzer date.
We agreed to meet at a bar in my neighborhood around 9:00. As I walked down the steps to the bar, there standing at the bottom was a very awkward young man wearing the most unflattering pair of jeans I have seen on anyone not going to a costume party since 1994. It was the stone-washed, bagging at the top, tapered leg male version of the Mom jeans.
It.
Was.
Not Good.
At least we were in a dark bar where few people would see this wardrobe malfunction.
BUT, never being one to judge a book by its cover, I put on my best smile and said "Hi! Are you Tony?" After all, he could be really nice, funny, and have lots of amazing stories from all his recent traveling (he had just come back from San Francisco, Switzerland, Amsterdam, and Pittsburgh).
And then he started cackling. Like one of the hyenas from the Lion King.
And then his eyes got the crazy stare.
Hmmmm... okay... Maybe he is just nervous. He does have a Ph. D. in some computer-sciency thing. He probably doesn't date alot.
He managed to compose himself after a couple of deep breaths and said, yes in fact, he was Tony.
We managed to make our way inside without anyone fainting from lack of oxygen.
Since the place was pretty quite we just grabbed seats at the bar and ordered two beers.
Then things got more awkward.
"So how was all your traveling? Where all were you again?"
"Oh, I was in San Francisco and Pittsburgh for weddings." He said unleashing the hyenas again.
What is so funny about weddings? Did something funny happen at these weddings? If so, awesome! Tell me about it. I love to laugh.
And if would fill this awkward silence.
Alright. Drink a couple sips of beer.
Yeah!
Now this awkward silence has gone on even longer!
"That can be alot of fun!" I said searching for conversation. "I love Pittsburgh! I haven't been back since I moved and I miss it!"
"Yeah, its a great city. It wasn't what I expected at all when I moved there." He said staring at me unblinkingly.
He has not blinked in a really long time. Aren't his eyes drying out?
"Yeah, me neither. I never anticipated loving it as much as I did. I tell people out here how awesome it is and they don't believe me." I gushed.
"Yeah. I can see that." Tony replied, still without blinking and incorporating the hyena laugh.
This time I was mildly worried he was going to laugh himself off the bar stool.
And then more silence.
Grrrrrrrrreat.
"So what were you doing in Europe?" I asked.
"Part fun, part work. I was presenting a paper at a conference and then planned a few side trips too."
"That's great. What was your paper on?" I ask thinking surely this will get him chatting. All Ph.D.s I know can't shut up about what they are researching or working on. This should give us lots to talk about, as I do ask loads of questions.
"Well I do research on blabbity blah blah blah." Tony said
I won't bore you with the actual details, in an effort to keep you conscious, and keep me from getting angry hate mail from Tony.
Or his mother, who might actually be able to get him to talk about this subject.
"Oh really? What does the research indicate?"
"That blabbity blah, blah, blah, blah...happens."
Really? A 7 word answer? Come on!
"That is interesting. What are the key indicators and things that you look for?" I asked.
Come on buddy! I'm only halfway through my beer! Give me something to work with...
"Blah. Blabbity. Blah." He said as he attempted to keep the hyenas from escaping for what seemed like the 210th time that evening.
Three words? Really? How is that possible?
And that is basically how the rest of the evening went. Me, pulling teeth trying to make conversation, until the roommate I don't have got into a car-wreck and I had to go help her.
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