What would it be like if I didn’t live in DC anymore? If I wasn’t constantly surrounded by politics and media, and inundated with information…what if I didn’t look at publications such as the Washington Post and Washingtonian anymore…what if I simply didn’t care that there was a Congressman dining next to me or that I got into the hottest club because I had connections?

No more Georgetown, no more Adams Morgan, no more monuments and museums and memorials. No more traffic, no more beltway, no more commute. No more Thai, Italian, Ethiopian, and Mexican food right next to each other. No more metro (not that I ever do that anyway heh).

According to the Washington Post, DC is not the hotspot for singles (no surprises there), so would things really be better elsewhere? Would less politics and prose lead to more romance and relationships?

I would miss DC sure, it’s such a part of my life now and what I’ve learned to know. But, do I love it? I’m not sure…

I had a great weekend and it’s still not over!

Here are a few pics from my birthday party at Play on Friday night…more stories to come later!

Some very fun bloggers also came out to say hello before heading to VK’s super hot VIP party! Thanks for stopping by Kassy, Velvet, and I-66!

My friend J and I before becoming obliterated

My friends M & L trying to spice things up…

My friend M and I takin a break by the DJ booth. (Isn’t her hat cute?)

Me & one of my fave DJs…thanks for hookin me up! (Asian glow in effect)

Me at the end of the night…pretty wasted…

An article about other important numbers….

(The Washington Post gets it right…)

For This D.C. Woman, Nine-Tenths of a Man Is Not Good Enough

Sunday, September 24, 2006
– Kelli McTaggart

The U.S. government has confirmed what we single women in Washington have known for some time — there are no single men in the District. Or, more precisely, not enough single men in the District.

According to the Census Bureau’s recently released 2005 American Community Survey, the District has the lowest — read, worst — ratio of single men to single women in the nation. For every 100 single women in Washington, there are only 93.4 men. That’s just over nine-tenths of a man for every woman. Now, if you’ve been single for as long as I have in this town, nine-tenths of a man is starting to sound pretty good. But not as good as Nevada (120.2 men per 100 women), North Dakota (120.1) and Alaska (118.9).

Now, I realize it’s not statistically fair to compare the District, a mere city, to those big states. But imagine — 1.2 men for every woman. I wonder if that .2 of a man does laundry.

One might think that this news would depress me. On the contrary, I feel vindicated. The next time one of my married friends (and all of my friends are married) asks me why I have not met someone yet, I have an answer based on cold, hard numbers: I am fabulous, but I am a victim of demographics.

I can now rebut the theories that I must be too picky, too wrapped up in work, too busy watching HGTV to meet my future husband. Until they start busing men in from North Dakota, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. (For the record, I lived in Fargo for a year, and, without revealing too much information, I can vouch for the Census Bureau’s numbers).

Actually, based on my hands-on scientific research in the Washington area (going on blind dates since the halcyon days of the Clinton administration’s first term), the numbers may be worse.

The Census Bureau did not account for gay men. Doing so — considering the number of times my single girlfriends and I have been set up on a date only to find out later the guy is gay — probably would bring the figure down to, say, .73 men for every woman (my single sister believes it’s more like .5), making our situation even tougher.

I know how hard it is because I’ve tried it all: blind dates, group dates, speed dates. Young/old; short/tall; liberal/conservative; Yankees fans/Red Sox fans. I’ve been to Spices so many times for the casual sushi dinner date that I’m beginning to think it’s my own “Groundhog Day.” I tried an online date but ended that when it became apparent that the guy searched my property records to find out where I lived. I even went out on a blind date with a guy from the suburbs, but he showed up for our date hung over after drinking all day at an amusement park. But then again, I am picky.

Finally, a word of advice to straight, single men. Please, stop with the “errand” dates. This is a date where the woman shows up in a pretty dress and fresh lip gloss, and the man has essentially penciled her in while he’s running errands.

I have seen two men go grocery shopping while on the way home from a date with me. One date apparently just could not wait to buy his milk, cream and cookies. Nothing says romance like a trip to Whole Foods.

Yes, the census figures have given me new hope. Whereas I used to think I was not trying hard enough or had become bitter, cynical and exacting, I now know the truth: It’s not me, it’s demography. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go work on my blackjack skills. Nevada, here I come!

Saturday night I headed out to Love (formerly Dream) for the VIP opening of Heaven, which was basically the rooftop/4th floor that has been redone with a dome and some cool VIP sections.

My friend S and me
(Playing with the sepia tones on my computer picture editor)

My friend was DJing there so he hooked me up with free passes and such, so that was cool. He played some hot tracks and I had a great time dancing. It was definitely nice on the top floor, it was not overcrowded and since most of the people there were friends with connections, it was a good scene (read: attractive and not shady/scary). There were even girls dancing on tabletops in lingerie…can’t beat that right? Hah.

I even ran into one of my pledge sisters, who I had not seen in probably 3 years. We were really good friends the first couple years of college, but kind of lost touch later on. It was crazy to see her there!

A couple pics from back in the day

A picture of us from this weekend
–Wow I look different! And not in a good way

Now, I haven’t been to Love in a long time, probably not since summer 2004. I used to go there a lot in college, and when I was there Saturday I felt like everyone there was really young. I guess it was just my memories coming back. It was a fun place to go, but I wouldn’t go there all the time…mostly because it’s so far out there and there is nothing around it - if you go there for the night you’re stuck there. Plus, I think most of my friends would have been freaked out about having to go through metal detectors and getting the pat down for weapons. Love is cool if you’re in the mood for a big club atmosphere (as one friend put it, it’s like an amusement park). If you haven’t been there lately, check it out…it’s all new management and promoters, so it’s a little different than before.

So my friend was walking down the street this past weekend, and it was a bit chilly, so she was wearing some layers.

Two guys were walking behind her, and one of them commented, “you can’t possibly be cold.”

So, she turned and was friendly to them and said something nicely defending her dress.

The guys responded, “but how can you be cold when you’re so hot?”

She kept walking.

Wow.

Seriously. That is one of the worst lines I’ve ever heard.

Lines can be good if they are something new, or something that is cute. For example, this is completely cheesy, but it might get a laugh and therefore a conversation:

“How much does a penguin weigh?”
“I don’t know…”
“Enough to break the ice.”

I heard that on the radio one morning, I thought that, delivered right - it could be a good line.

All in all, pick up lines can be a necessary evil. Most of the time they are cheesy or too bold (does whistling or saying crude things to someone count as a “pick up line”?)

Girls - what are the best and worst pick up attempts you’ve heard? What made them work or not work for you?
Guys - what are your tired and true lines? Does it mean you do or don’t have good game if you can use a line properly? Should you need to have a line to get an in, or not?