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June 30, 2008

Yeah, you're a couple.

I took Boyfriend shopping with me Saturday; I wanted to buy a pair of shoes that I originally passed on, but have been obsessed with ever since. I also tried on some clothes elsewhere (we were already there!), and as I came out of the dressing room, Boyfriend, was smiling.

"I heard the funniest thing," he said.
"What?"
"A guy was sitting next to me in the man chair, and his wife comes out to ask him about something. He was frowning, and said, 'Why do you mistreat me? I'm hungry and you said we'd eat an hour ago.' I told him, that's why you eat first."
I agreed. It makes it easier for everyone involved when you start with a full belly.

Boyfriend pointed them out when we got in the checkout line. They seemed to be a pretty happy couple. And then ... I looked down. Homegirl had a scary amount of hair on her legs. Like Chewbacca hairy.

Now, I am not one to judge -- my legs are in dire need of maintenance, too -- but I couldn't help but laugh. Right there were two signs that you're in a well-established relationship, both were types of honesty: verbal (I'm hungry, stop dragging me around to stores) and visual (You know my legs get hairy, live with it).

Which brings me to this week's Friday Five:

Continue reading "Yeah, you're a couple." »

Posted by Maryann James at 11:03 AM | | Comments (11)
                    

June 27, 2008

Give me the hookup Friday Five

OK, folks, this week's list of places to bag a cutie was hard. With limited knowledge and help, I stumped my brain on this one. However, I've put together a list of places, purposely flawed, so that you guys can correct me. (How's that for reverse psychology? :-D)

Without further ado, here are five places to get your non-committal groove on in Baltimore:

Continue reading "Give me the hookup Friday Five" »

Posted by Maryann James at 3:43 PM | | Comments (3)
                    

June 24, 2008

Hottie clarification

Yesterday, I asked where you could find a hottie in Baltimore. To which BaltAmour reader Don replied:
So just normal looking guys are not suitable for impromptu make out sessions? And what is the criteria for being a "hottie"?
Let me clarify: When we went out Saturday, there was a dearth of men. So much so that we saw the same group of women (sour-faced, at that) at Ixia and at Brewer's. (Perhaps they were on the same man-search as us.) Most of the men were attached. And if they weren't, they were simply not their style.

So. The criteria for a hottie? Obviously unattached. Uncreepy. Clean clothes. One man's attractive is another man's oogly, so I'm not gonna get into specifics. AAAND, I'm not just asking for places where you can find an eligible man for a girl to make out with, I'm also asking for places where guys can find eligible girls, where guys can find eligible guys and where girls can find jumpable girls. (And I'm not talking about Power Plant Live at last call.*)

So help me out! Give me your ideas and I will post the best five on Friday.


(Photo by jimreilly at stock.xchng)


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* You know what I'm talking about. That annoying tendency for certain folks to be willing to love ANYONE once they've gone past their drinking limit.

Posted by Maryann James at 11:30 AM | | Comments (7)
                    

June 23, 2008

Where are all the hotties?

I hosted a bit of a girls' night out Saturday, a going-away party for one of my friends, who is moving out of the country. The original plan was to get all purty, go out somewhere with fancy drinks and have a good time. Little did I know that there was an added plan: Find men for my eligible lady friends to meet and make out with.

(They're all recently single and/or moving to places where the chances of romantic dalliances are slim. And, oh yeah -- none of them live in Baltimore. What better reasons to find a cutie to canoodle with?)

We went to Ixia, which was a bust -- I suspect partly because the nitro bar was closed, partly because people are out of town for the summer and partly because all the men that hang out there were partying at Grand Central for Pride -- and then we went to Brewer's Art, which has panned out in the past for a few friends, but also yielded no results. I felt disappointed for my city.

So, in an effort to avoid this situation next time, this week's Friday Five is the best places in the city to hook up with someone. I'm not talking about meeting someone to spend the next six months to a lifetime with, I'm talking about places to meet a hottie for a casual kiss or fifty. Bars, lounges, movie theaters, restaurants, bowling alleys, there are no limits. I'll post my favorite suggestions on Friday.

(Photo by caz777 at stock.xchng)

Posted by Maryann James at 10:58 AM | | Comments (2)
                    

June 20, 2008

Romantic staycations Friday Five

Fun in Havre de Grace. Head up to Havre de Grace, take a tour on the skipjack Martha Lewis, check out the Maritime Museum, catch the views at the Concord Point Lighthouse and try some tasty sweets at Bomboy's Chocolates.

Tourist in your own city. Stay in Baltimore and do all the things that you usually reserve for the tourists. Take the duck tour. Walk the Inner Harbor. Take a water taxi to Fells Point and have tea at the Admiral Fell Inn. Go to the many musuems, from the usuals, such as AVAM or the BMA or something different, such as the Museum of Industry or the Blacks in Wax museum. (Good looking out, Mather!)

History tour. Walk around historic Annapolis, wander the gardens at the William Paca House or take a trolley tour of the city. End the day with dinner at the shi-shi four-star Treaty of Paris hotel. 

Scenes by the seaside. Avoid the crowds and the boardwalk at Ocean City and head to Assateague Island. Catch a glimpse of the island's wild ponies, walk and sun on the beaches, go clamming and camp out at the national park.

Glamour in the district. Head to the National Zoo, walk the National Mall, catch a performance at the Kennedy Center, do shopping and dining in Georgetown (Mie N Yu has a pretty romantic vibe) or go hang out at a lounge downtown. The FDR memorial, with its handmade waterfalls, has a nice romantic view at night.

(Photo of horses at Assateague Island by Michael Sullivan)

Posted by Maryann James at 1:37 PM | | Comments (6)
                    

June 16, 2008

Romantic staycations

I'm on vacation this week*, but it's a bit of staycation. No island getaways, no Vegas adventures (that's for the end of the summer). Just hanging out, absorbing the local culture. I'm so cool, I've doing staycations before they became trendy: I know where to go to eat, I know the cool museums, I know the places to avoid. However, there's one bit I'm rusty on, which has provided inspiration for this week's Friday Five.

What are some romantic getaways for staycation?

Michelle Deal-Zimmerman has listed five vacation spots within 50 miles of Baltimore, which is a good start (and a hint that you're not limited to JUST Baltimore, though city ideas get bonus points). But what do you think? What are good romantic day-trips, activities, locations that are closeby and don't put too much stress on your pocket?


(Photo of Annapolis by rlm at stock.xchng)
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* Vacation = no Meet Me Monday this week.

Posted by Maryann James at 10:59 AM | | Comments (4)
                    

June 13, 2008

I drive a Dodge Stratus Friday Five

Apparently it's tough times for reader participation.

I tried, I really did, but I guess either
(a) Most of y'all are straight-forward goodie two-shoes that always solve conflicts with your boo in the best manner OR
(b) Y'all are just to ashamed to fess up to them.

But it's OK! I understand, trade secrets and all. If you share your secret move, your S.O. (or future S.O.) may read it and render it utterly useless in your next disagreement.

And, I had some volunteers for some crafty, sometimes funny, ideas. Here's five strategies to get the advantage in your next argument:


Continue reading "I drive a Dodge Stratus Friday Five" »

Posted by Maryann James at 12:38 PM | | Comments (0)
                    

June 9, 2008

Give me your best shot

What's the best way to win an argument with someone you're dating? What's your fighting strategy?

This question came up while reading a post by Mimi over at Sexagenarian and the City, who writes a fairly in-depth blow-by-blow on a fight with her beau. I got pulled into it because it really showed the back-and-forth: we're OK, oh wait, no we're not, let me pick a fight over something silly, OK, we're really fine now kinda fights that I really abhor. Like with most things that are unpleasant, I just want to get it over with. Let's hash it out, admit we're wrong and fast-forward to the making up.

But it doesn't quite work that way a lot of the time. I wrote a column back in September about winning fights, and in the process, I found a not-so-upstanding strategy for winning a fight on Lifehacker:


Continue reading "Give me your best shot" »

Posted by Maryann James at 10:37 AM | | Comments (3)
                    

June 6, 2008

Make me over Friday Five

Most movies, even the hardest of the hardcore action movies, have some romance in it. Movies, like life, are not as interesting without a little bit of love. More often than not, films fall short of real life. Everything is neatly tied up at the end and the couple rides off in the sunset. However, sometimes, you can find that one scene that rings true, that makes you think, "That'd be cool if that happened to me."

That's what this week's Friday Five is about. The romantic scenes you'd love to come true:

Continue reading "Make me over Friday Five" »

Posted by Maryann James at 12:39 PM | | Comments (1)
                    

June 2, 2008

Make me a movie

My friend M gave me the idea for this week's Friday Five. There are some movies that are classics. We've talked about the most romantic movie scenes before, but here's twist.

If you could re-create any romantic movie scene, which would it be?

I would like to have my own version of the New Year's Eve scene in When Harry Met Sally. Something about someone knowing all my good and bad parts and loving every bit of it is so ... ahh. And Boyfriend loves to pull out the line from The Cooler now that he knows that's one of my favorite scenes.

But what about you? The piano scene in Pretty Woman? The end of An Officer and a Gentleman? The Han Solo "I know" scene in Star Wars? (I'm giving the evil eye to whoever is nodding to that last one.)

Give me your best, and I will post on Friday.

(Photo courtesy of Everett Collection, via ew.com)

Posted by Maryann James at 4:07 PM | | Comments (8)
                    

May 30, 2008

Smalltimore pros and cons

I grew up in a small small town. In fact, it's unfair to even qualify it as a city -- it's a county. With 6,000 people, everybody knows everybody. And, in a place where my grandfather's grandparents lived, it's likely that you're related to most of them. We used to joke that you had to check out the family of someone before you asked them out -- you could be related.

I treasure my rural upbringing, but I hightailed it out of there as soon as I could, for the bright lights of ... Baltimore. (With a few stops in between.) And, funnily enough, it seems that the small-town situations are hard to escape. I still see the same people, and though the town's a lot bigger than my hometown, everybody still knows everybody. Or at least knows somebody who knows somebody else.

That can be good or bad for romantic encounters. So, here are my five good and bad things about Smalltimore:

Continue reading "Smalltimore pros and cons" »

Posted by Maryann James at 1:36 PM | | Comments (2)
                    

May 27, 2008

Little big city

I met winning BaltAmour commenter CS yesterday, so she could receive her Sheryl Crow tickets in a timely fashion.

I immediately liked her because one, she was as wee as me and she showed fabulous taste in glasses (cute green frames). We chatted for a little bit, in which we discussed dating in Smalltimore. I was reeling a bit from my weekend Smalltimore experience (I got hit on in a Hampden grocery store by the same borderline creepy late-40s man who has hit on me at least once -- perhaps twice -- before), so I perhaps was a little down on the city's small scene.

However, CS dropped a bit of knowledge that kinda brightened my outlook:

Continue reading "Little big city" »

Posted by Maryann James at 1:08 PM | | Comments (4)
                    

May 23, 2008

It's not me, it's you Friday Five

When it comes to deal-breakers, there are the bits that are super-particular to personality.

As y'all know, I can't STAND loud chewing. You get the glare if you slurp, sip, chomp or smack. If you don't get the hint, it's possible that could be be a deal-breaker for me.

But that's just me. There are other deal-breakers that are more universal. Though the behavior is specific to the person, the reason behind the goodbye is relatable to almost everyone: You just don't listen. You can't compromise. You obviously have issues with right and wrong.

But who wants the broad lesson? Here are the gritty details:

 

Continue reading "It's not me, it's you Friday Five" »

Posted by Maryann James at 10:05 AM | | Comments (3)
                    

May 22, 2008

Deal-breaker stories


It's the last full day to get your stories in. I'll be judging them late tonight, so I'll give you until midnight to get them in.

The winner will get my last prize of the weeek, a pair of tickets to a concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

There's some pretty good ones already in the pile ... feel free to add to them. :)



(Photo by clsawyer at stock.xchng)

Posted by Maryann James at 3:28 PM | | Comments (0)
                    

May 19, 2008

Hopelessly devoted to leaving you


A friend of mine sent me a gem of a Web site on Friday: Reasons why I dumped you.

It appears to be a pretty new blog (there are only entries for May) and completely based on, well, readers' stories of why they dumped someone.

Some of the highlights:


Continue reading "Hopelessly devoted to leaving you" »

Posted by Maryann James at 11:45 AM | | Comments (12)
                    

May 16, 2008

Five bad dates: A lesson


You have to go through a few bad apples to find the good ones. Some of us more than others. But that's what friends are for -- to be your emergency caller when you're in the middle of a date with a penny-pinching, nose-picking, obnoxious son-of-a date from hell.

Anyhoo, thank you for your crazy stories. And inspired by these dastardly dates, I have created a handy no-no list. I'll even print it out in a handy travel size and laminate it for you if you ask nicely.


Continue reading "Five bad dates: A lesson" »

Posted by Maryann James at 11:23 AM | | Comments (3)
                    

May 15, 2008

Don't be shy ...

The deadline is near ... don't forget to share your bad date experiences. Here's a bit of inspiration:

Continue reading "Don't be shy ..." »

Posted by Maryann James at 11:33 AM | | Comments (1)
                    

May 12, 2008

It was the worst of times, It was the worst of times

It seems I've been hearing a good amount of bad date stories lately, so I figured I'd spread the joy. This week, for Friday Five, I'd like to hear your best bad date stories.

I've only been on one truly bad date. Veteran readers of this blog already know this story. It was my freshman year of college, and it taught me a valuable lesson: Never go on a date with someone you met at the club.

I had exchanged numbers with this guy (Mistake #1), and after talking, agreed to go out on a date on Valentine's Day (Mistake #2.) After my roommate and my suite-mate spent hours fussing over my hair and my outfit, homeboy picks me up. Nearly an hour late. (Bad sign #1.) Then, he decides to drive us to Red Lobster (hardly original), only to see that the place is packed and the wait is long.

We ended up eating at Applebee's -- why did we have to drive to Maryland for chain restaurants? Surely there were plenty of great, original, uncrowded places in D.C. -- an unremarkable meal that I've probably ended up blocking out. Then, on the way home, I remarked on his Powerpuff Girls pillow in his back seat (Bad sign #562). I like the Powerpuff Girls, I said, Buttercup is my favorite. Things started to look promising as we talked about the show, but then he veered off onto a dark path.

Mr. Fabulous began to talk about the time when he dropped out of school and spent every day at home watching cartoons. And then he went on and on and on about how Dragonball Z changed his life and inspired him to get out of the house and go back to school. As the conversation wore on, I contemplated opening the passenger-side door and trying that tuck and roll thing out of his speeding car.

Anyhoo, I know you can do better than that. Give me your worst!

Posted by Maryann James at 11:29 AM | | Comments (8)
                    

May 9, 2008

Thanks, Mom!

I was talking about love, relationships, parents and their influence on the first two last night with co-workers. And as we talked meddlesome parents, I shared what my mother said to me a few years ago (I'm paraphrasing, but the spirit is true):

"I won't tell you who not to date. I'll let you make your own mistakes and I'll be there to pick up the pieces, if necessary."

The hands-off approach can be a little harsh, but in the grand scheme of things, I think it's the best approach. You have to push the bird out of the nest sometime. (And sometimes more than once.)

So, in that spirit or momular wisdom, here's the best five bits of mom-related love advice:

Continue reading "Thanks, Mom!" »

Posted by Maryann James at 12:30 PM | | Comments (0)
                    

May 6, 2008

This week's five

In honor of upcoming Mother's Day -- don't forget your gifts!! -- I figured I'd honor moms. What's the best (or worst) love advice mom (or mother figure) has given you?

For Smokey Robinson, it was "You better shop around." For me, the most memorable was, "Don't get married too young!" (My mother got married in college and was divorced by 32.)

How bout you? What's the smartest, funniest, craziest love advice your mother has ever given you?




(Photo by barunpatro at stock.xchng)

Posted by Maryann James at 10:36 AM | | Comments (9)
                    

May 2, 2008

Golden opportunity top five



In compiling this list, I couldn't help but think that I had come full circle. A little over a year ago, when I started this blog, my first topic was pick-ups.

What did we learn then? To meet people, it's best that, first, you don't think of it as, well, a pick-up. Secondly, be yourself. And thirdly, you can find opportunities for romance anywhere, as long as you're aware of the possibilities.

But what places will up the odds? What places in Baltimore are good spots to meet people? Finding sources for man-on-the-street interviews is a lot like finding sources for love, so a lot of these suggestions have been tested, in a way from yours truly.

So, from your brains and mine, here's a list of five:

 

Continue reading "Golden opportunity top five" »

Posted by Maryann James at 12:39 PM | | Comments (1)
                    

May 1, 2008

Don't forget!