Dynamic opposites

This report covers an account with the subject referred to here as H., opened by a message of mine, held for 1 first date at a brewery in Gilbert, and closed by a message of hers the following afternoon. The date ran 147 minutes. The cost was $71.67, paid in full by me.

The date was held on Tuesday, October 27, the day G.’s account closed. This form is filed for the day H.’s did.

Summary of charges

• Duration: 147 minutes, 6:55 pm to 9:22 pm
• Venue: 1, named by me
• Travel, mine: 60 minutes, round trip
• Travel, H.’s: 60 minutes, round trip
• Questions asked by me: 6
• Questions asked by H.: 9
• Phone checks by H.: 4
• Phone checks by me: 0
• Out-of-pocket costs: $71.67
• Offers by H. to pay: 0
• Amount contributed by H.: $0.00
• Amount requested of H.: $0.00
• Follow-up: none

Cost per hour in person: $29.25. This arc: $71.67 across 1 date. All subjects: $4,011.48 across 3,977 minutes in person.

Before the date

H. and I are both members of a singles group on Facebook. I posted a selfie in a thread there. She reacted to it with an emoji. There is no subscription line on this form, because the group is free.

On Friday, October 23, I read the reaction as an invitation and wrote to her:

“Hi H, I hope taking your like on my selfie comment as an invite to introduce myself isn’t too forward. But you and your dog are adorable, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t say: “Hey, I’m Specimen 00 and my dog’s [name]. Can I interest you in a bar patio that allows dogs?” Or we can save the dog intro until after we sniff each other out (only the dog pun intended).”

She replied that I had read her reaction correctly, and that she was looking forward to more puns. [paraphrase]

We wrote to each other every day until the date, about 30 messages in 5 days. I named the venue, OHSO Brewery. Neither dog attended.

Minute 0: arrival

I arrived at 6:48 pm, 12 minutes early. She arrived at 6:55, 5 minutes early and 7 minutes after me.

When she sat down she said she was on call for work. [paraphrase] She ordered a mocktail, and explained that she is allergic to nearly everything. [paraphrase]

Disclaimers issued: 1, at minute 0.

Minutes 0 to 147: the phone

Over the evening she checked her phone or her watch 4 times. I checked mine 0 times.

The file recorded 11 phone checks in the 3,830 minutes before this date. This date recorded 4 in 147. Each of the 4 was covered by the disclaimer at minute 0, and nothing she checked called her away.

Disclaimers acted on: 1.

Minutes 0 to 147: the itinerary

She told me about her travel for work.

We compared how each of us travels. She likes to stop and see the sights along the way. I prefer to arrive with as few stops as possible. On vacation she prefers planned activities filling each day. I prefer no plans, a beach and some sun. [paraphrase]

She said she was accident prone, meaning in a car. I said I had not had an accident in many years. [paraphrase]

By the end of the evening we had agreed that we were dynamic opposites. [paraphrase] Neither of us objected to the finding. Positions disclosed: 2 and 2, all of them on the same 2 subjects, and none of them in agreement.

Too many plans

I said that too many plans stress me out.

This is the 29th form in a file that records every evening since April to the minute, with the travel time each way, the questions asked by each party, the phone checks by each party, a receipt for each figure and a word for how each figure was arrived at. It records arrival at 6:48 pm, which is 12 minutes ahead of a plan.

The arrangement I described to H. as stressful on a vacation is the one I apply to every evening I am not on vacation. The difference is that hers are planned in advance and mine are audited afterward.

Minute 147: the parking lot

We parted with a hug.

On the drive home she texted to warn me about speeding and the local police. [paraphrase] I thanked her when I got home.

The traffic advisory was issued by the party who had described herself as accident prone, to the party who prefers to arrive with minimal stops. Both positions had been on file for about 2 hours by then.

Nine and six

Questions asked: 6 by me, 9 by her.

Twenty encounters on this site had recorded a question count before this one. This is the twenty-first, and the seventh to come out uneven. It is the fourth in which the subject’s figure is the larger one, after C.’s 15 on September 5 and F.’s 13 and 15.

The following afternoon, 12:48 pm

On Wednesday, October 28, at 12:48 pm, 15 hours and 26 minutes after parting, she wrote:

“Hey Specimen 00, I’ve given it some thought, and while I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you, I don’t feel the romantic connection I’m looking for. I appreciate the time we spent together and genuinely wish you all the best moving forward!”

At 12:50 pm I replied:

“No worries, thank you, H. Best to you too.”

Forty-two words, then 9. My reply time was 2 minutes, the shortest on this form and the last figure in the arc.

Rationalizations recorded: 0. There was nothing to explain to myself. The evening had already filed its own conclusion, and both parties had signed it.

Findings

Proposed the date: mine, in the first message. Chose the venue: mine. Both columns are mine, and the split fails.

Arrival: 12 minutes early, mine. 5 minutes early, hers.

Questions: 6 and 9.

Phone checks: 0 and 4. All 4 were covered by a disclaimer issued at minute 0.

Travel: 60 and 60, round trip. Inside the 40% band.

Positions disclosed: 2 and 2, opposite on both.

Offers by H. to pay: 0. Contributed by H.: $0.00. Requested of H.: $0.00, as it has been for all 8 subjects.

Disclaimers issued: 1. Acted on: 1. Rationalizations recorded: 0.

Arc length, first message to last: 5 days.

Costs

• OHSO Brewery: $71.67
• Total: $71.67

Cost per hour in person: $29.25, against $60.52 across everything this ledger has recorded, this date included. It is the third least expensive first date on file, after B.’s $32.00 and E.’s $46.57.

Running position, this arc: 1 of 1 dates held, $71.67 out of pocket, 147 minutes in person, 120 minutes of road between the 2 of us.

Running position, all subjects: $4,011.48 out of pocket, 3,977 minutes in person.

Status

The follow-up field reads none. H. closed the account at 12:48 pm on October 28, and I acknowledged it at 12:50 pm. Neither party owes a message.

No account is open.

The account is closed. Recoverable: $0.00.