Oh how I wish I never heard that phrase again from the single gals/guys I know and love. With the pressure to be thin, fit, attractive, and younger than our years, as well as pretending to be mentally balanced, how can society additionally heap on us retreads (some more than others) the need to have a date every weekend? How can we keep up that unrealistic and exhausting pace? We have kids, jobs and obligations—not to mention life’s baggage (anything from carry-on to steamer trunk). It just makes me frustrated that we still have the pressure to have an instant significant other when I know all too well that it is better to be alone than to be with the wrong person. Even on a Saturday night! It is okay to be alone and enjoy our own company during the time it takes to meet that special person. It’s not like you have a choice—it will happen when it will happen no matter how proactive you are.

Be open, be careful, be happy, be patient and above all else enjoy “Mr./Ms. Right Now” until “Mr./Ms. Right” comes along.

It’s an election year and there are many important issues to consider — the economy, the war in Iraq, the oil crisis…You still have several months to decide which candidate you’re going to support.  In the meantime, consider this issue:

Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez vs. Cynthia “C-Rod” Rodriguez

Was the greatest player ever to grace the diamond pinch-hitting with Madonna?
Did C-Rod “Fly Away” with Lenny Kravitz?
Whose team are you on?

Who Gets The Coffin? A-Rod (28.0%, 41 Votes) C-Rod (72.0%, 108 Votes) Total Voters: 149  Loading ...

Cast your vote! Every vote counts!  We’ll send a Wedding Ring Coffin to the spouse with the most votes.

UPDATE: Maybe Alex Rodriguez will get a World Series Ring, but he’s not getting a Wedding Ring Coffin.  The WRC was awarded to Cynthia Rodriguez.  Thanks to all who have participated.

It’s always exciting for us when the Wedding Ring Coffin shows up somewhere.  One customer happened to come across this podcast with the Wedding Ring Coffin as the focal point.

11 Central Ave is a sketch comedy show on Chicago Public Radio.

A very wise woman I know offered me some dating advice which I think is worth sharing. “Alana” spent most of her 20’s and 30’s doing A LOT of dating before getting married at age 38. The first decade or so was filled with lots of disappointment and heartache and she almost gave up. Instead, she decided that she needed a more systematic approach to dating. The first thing she did was to sit down and write out a list of her rules for dating. I know, we’ve all heard of and/or read “The Rules” but those rules don’t work for everyone. You need to figure out what rules apply to you, what things are non-negotiable for you in a relationship. They can be about physical attributes, personality traits, dating etiquette and anything else that really matters to you.

We all have a list in our heads, but the act of actually writing that list out somehow makes it feel more official. The list also helps when we let our emotions cloud our judgment. We’ve all had those occasions when we’re feeling vulnerable and let something slide even though we know it isn’t acceptable. Referring to your written list reminds you of what you really want and expect in a relationship.

The second thing Alana did was stick to her list, no exceptions! One of Alana’s rules was that if a man told her he’d call on say, Tuesday but then didn’t call until Friday, she was done. That happened with one guy she dated a few times. When he finally called, she told him she wasn’t interested in dating him anymore, that he was unreliable and inconsiderate. He didn’t get it and continued to call her for an entire year, but she wouldn’t budge. Her feeling was that everyone is on their best behavior at the beginning of a relationship, so if this was the best he could do after only a few dates, how inconsiderate would he be after a few months. Now, maybe that sounds crazy to you but it doesn’t matter. It was Alana’s rule and she stuck to it.

So take some time to think about your rules, commit them to memory as well as paper, and you just might end up with that commitment you’re looking for.

Yesterday was Labor Day and like thousands of other people, I spent the day at the beach.  The weather was beautiful and it was totally relaxing. I love just hanging out under my umbrella, reading, and watching all the activity.  One person who caught my eye was a man who was walking along the beach with a metal detector. You’ve seen those guys, trolling the beach, hunting for treasure. As I watched him I couldn’t help but laugh at an analogy that came to mind. Looking for that new special somebody is a lot like hunting for treasure on the beach.  First of all, there’s an awful lot of ground to cover.  Along the way, it’s likely that you’ll come upon something that looks like it might be valuable, but on closer inspection, it appears to be worthless. The hunt requires a lot of patience and perseverance as well as some luck.  There’s no guarantee that you’ll ever find that treasure but think how exciting it will be if you do!

For the rest of the afternoon, I thought about the idea of hunting for treasure. Once I got home, I searched online for information about beach hunting and came upon some interesting articles and websites which only served to support my analogy.  The website www.gometaldetecting.com offers some beach hunting tips that can definitely be applied to dating. For instance, they say there’s a lot more competition out there, so instead of going to the most popular beaches, try a less popular one. This might not be a bad idea in the hunt for love. How many thousands of people are you competing with on those huge internet dating sites?  Perhaps a less popular site with less competition would yield better results; or spending time at a smaller, quieter restaurant or bar rather than one of those meat markets.

Another beach hunting tip offered is, “Stop running around trying to cover the whole beach like there in no tomorrow. Slow down!”  The same can be said for dating. Put yourself out there but don’t be frantic about it; it can be perceived as desperation.

On the other hand, “Watch your coil height, are you one of those that keep it off the ground about a foot? Are you afraid to scratch it? Hmm, maybe that’s why you’re not finding much.”  Same with dating—you have to be in the game and take some chances.

So, don’t be discouraged if your hunt turns up lots of trash. Keep at it and eventually you just may find that buried treasure.