My favorite items are the notepads for all situations.  I own the ALL OUT OF Pad where you check off food and household supplies during the week so you’re not doing the shopping list dance five minutes before going out the door to the supermarket.

But the coolest thing are the awesome products for folks in relationships. Here are a few of my favorites for singles and couples:

• Sweet Nothings Pad (to leave a love note for your partner)
• Romance Pros/Cons Pad (great for people with too many romantic options, or who need to decide whether it’s time to dump someone!)
• Things You Must Do To Make Me Happy Pad (I got one of these for free – gotta use it soon! Good for daters or couples.)

There are many more, but you can go check ‘em out yourself.

You Can Win a Freebie!

The folks at KnockKnock.biz are donating a Pickups & Come-Ons for All Occasions book to a lucky reader of Geek’s Dream Girl.

This 112 page book contains over 485 different pickup lines for every possible scenario.  Whether you want to laugh at them or use them is your choice!  Retail value of the book is $7.95.

Leave a comment on this post to enter to win. That’s it. Easy-peasy.

A winner will be drawn at random next Wednesday, 12/9/09 and the book will be shipped to them directly from KnockKnock.  Good luck!

Any advice on starting/escalating something via Twitter? Lots of back and forth but not DMs and we’re in different states. Never thought about it as a possibility, but something feels clicky.

- Tweet, Tweet Love or Keyboard Error?

Dear Tweet Love,

Sounds like you’ve been having a lot of fun in the Twitterverse!  Good for you!

So what should you do about this love interest?

From your description, it seems that you have a good rapport via Twitter thus far.  If you’re bantering back and forth all day, it’s a pretty good sign that the other party likes you.

Now… that could just mean that they like you as a conversation partner.  There are plenty of people of the opposite sex that I chat with all day that I would never consider dating.

If you’re really interested in this person as a romantic possibility, I’d start out by sending a couple DMs and see if they respond.   If things seem to be going smoothly, drop in your IM handle(s) and mention that it would be nice to chat without the 140 character limit.  See if they take the bait.

Beyond that, keep on developing your friendship with this person.  Since a great romantic relationship has a foundation in a great friendship, you’ll end up with a great friend whether things pan out or not.

How convenient!

Guys, I’d like to give you a real life example of how NOT to flirt with a woman.  Here we go, an actual example of…

YOU FAIL:

Flirting With Strangers

I pull into my apartment complex and drive back towards my building and my usual parking spot only to find that a giant 18 wheeler moving truck is blocking the way.  I stop, peer around and realize that there’s furniture all strewn around the ground next to the truck, so I wasn’t going to be able to go around it.

Oh well.

I park in the spot nearest me, figuring it won’t hurt me to walk 100 extra feet.  I shut off the car, collect up my things, and start walking towards the building.  Passing by the truck, this conversation happens with the moving man sitting in the passenger seat.  (Said man was in his 50′s, tattooed, and unkempt.  I am in my 20s, dressed business casual.)

Man:   Sorry we’re blocking your way!

Me:    No biggie.  I can walk.

Man:  You sure you don’t want to smack us?

Me:   I’m sure.

Man:  You can smack us if you want.

Me:   I’m all good, thanks.

The man explains how the people who hired them live “up there” (pointing to the third floor on the other side of the building), but their assigned garage was over here.  Isn’t that crazy?  Either way, they’re sorry to be blocking the way.

Me:   Yeah, it’s okay.  When I moved up with my Penske, I blocked that exit there when I moved in.  (points to exit)

Man:  You should have hired experts like us!

Me:   I can’t afford experts like you.  I’m a teacher.  Seeya… (walking away)

Man:  I would have helped you.  Then I would take you to Red Lobster.  And a nice back massage…

WHY FAIL?

Creeptastic!!  Seriously.

#1 – Too old.

#2 – You’re on the clock, buddy.

#3 – You don’t tell total strangers that you want to give them a back massage.

Blarg.  I feel like I should go take a shower to wash the yuck off me.

BORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING.

There are so many other things you can do for a first date other than dinner and a movie. Why ask her the same question that every other guy has asked when you could do something different that sets you apart from them?

Dinner is all fine and good, but let’s explore some of your other options, shall we?

In alphabetical order (because it’s fun!):

Arcade: Found a gamer girl? She won’t come to your apartment on the first date to challenge you to a game of DDR, but how about meeting at the local arcade? Bonus points if you can find a time to do it when the minors are still in school.

Bookstore: For me, bookstores are great for extending a good coffee shop date. You can learn a lot about a person by the areas of Barnes & Noble they gravitate towards. (For my geek boy, it’s straight to the RPG area – did you know that it’s really hard to find gaming stores in Detroit? Sad but true! You gotta buy your minis at Barnes & Noble or Borders!) Wander the aisles together, talk about books you’ve both read, recommend books to each other… offer to loan her your copy next time you see her…. hint, hint.

Coffee Shop: Coffee shops are great for a few reasons. For starters, it’s a short date. If you’re not sure about her or you feel she’s not sure about you, it’s a very small time commitment and gives you enough time to scope each other out and then bail with no guilt if it’s not going well. The other great reason? Even with the crazy prices at Starbucks, it’s still a cheap date.

Crash A Wedding: Seriously. This is a fun Springtime date, but has to happen mostly by accident. Scope out the outdoor areas in your city where couples get married. Pretty lakes, rose gardens, golf courses, the beach, wherever. Dress semi-fancy (think khakis and a button-down). On a first date, girls will usually dress nicer than jeans anyway. Take her out for a walk in the park, through the public gardens, or on the golf course, where you can happen upon a wedding and stop and watch. Secretly, even if we don’t admit it, we’re all keeping a mental wedding planning list.I don’t recommend actually CRASHING the wedding unless you both have the skills and the guts – and hey, if you do, you’re a great pair!

Dollar Store Challenge: This is a post date fun activity. You each have $5. Tell her to buy 5 things that describe who she is. You do the same. Meet up outside and share your treasures and learn about each other (and your senses of humor!).

Flea Market: These places are totally fun. My geek boy and I went to an indoor flea market and laughed at all the ugly clothes, greasy food, and (scary!) the abundance of tattoo establishments. Some of them cost a few bucks to get in, but the entertainment value is high!

Goodwill/Salvation Army Clothing Challenge: You have $10 each and have to find an outfit suitable for a night out. Pick your own clothes – trust me, you don’t want to start a first date with… “So… what are you? Size 14?”

Mini-Golf: I love mini-golf (even tho I am awful at it). Sadly, as an adult with adult-like responsibilities and with no children in my life, I rarely get to go. So if someone said, “Hey, on Friday, let me take you out for a round of mini-golf. Whoever loses has to buy the ice cream!” I would be all over that!! Again, fun, short time commitment, cheap!

Open Mike: Find a coffee shop or other establishment that has an open mike night. As a Music and Creative Writing double major, these are exquisitely painful, but hilarious. My college bf and I used to go every Thursday. The best poem was one that a guy wrote for his wife… it began… “To my black, black, black, black QUEEN….”

Quiz Night: Lots of restaurants and bars have quiz nights. Some have organized games, others just have the controller at your table and you can choose to play against other tables. This is a blast and requires you to work together to win. Teamwork activities are great for building a relationship. Besides, if you pick a weird team name and are winning, the other tables will be saying, “Hey, which table is d20dorks?!?!?”

See Local Talent: Music, theater, dance, art…. check your local artsy newspaper and find something that seems interesting to both of you. Or better yet, let her introduce you to her favorite bit of local flavor! (This will make her feel both secure and valued!)

Volunteer: There are great non-profits in every city that organize volunteer activities, many of which are one day commitments. Why not take your date to landscape the yard of a low-income elementary school? You can get dirty, help the community, and get to know each other. Oh, and did I mention it costs you NOTHING?

Zoo: Nothing says “first date bonding opportunity” like watching monkeys get it on. Okay, maybe other things do. Maybe.

Happy dating, geek friends.

Looking for ideas in YOUR hometown? Check out Great Dates in 50 States!

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