Outdoor Man

We are adding a new label of "fourth date" and I am not switching to boyfriend/girlfriend talk yet. It's good news!!! I am experimenting, and so far I like this pace. I find that I only have two modes: off and on. With Outdoor Man, I have to learn something in between, and it's very difficult.

After the surprise he texted me the next day to ask me out. I am a little reserved but I want to explore this more. We went on a nice off-trail hike in the dessert. I am pinpointing what about him that annoys me: the way he talks. He is not articulate. He will start sentences with "yeah" and drag his point on with "things like that". He will snicker for no apparent reasons: something funny is going through his head. I guess I am annoyed by all these because I do the exact same thing. Of course, these annoyances, compared to what Dr. TGIASE had, are insignificant, and definitely worth putting up with for an otherwise good man. See I am learning what are important and what aren't.

We didn't try to get in bed this time. I was worried to be disappointed again. I guess he's worried, too. In a sense he has lots of good qualities I enjoy: he likes the outside and knows his stuff; he likes to drive and has a car that can get us to places; he has a good career; he makes good money; he's good looking and tall; he and I have similar values; his actions seem to follow his words so far; most importantly, he's not in a huge transition in life. Things that may be deal-breakers: cat allergy (although claimed to be okay with non-drowsy medicine); has a pet that's not compatible with cats; and the issue in the bedroom.

We will wait and see. Will there be a fifth date?

What I learned: a new trail!