**It takes a village to find me a date**

Well if you have been suffering through my postings over the past few months, you will know that I have tried Internet dating services. I am ready to pass judgment on the experience so climb aboard for the ride.

My first effort was to lurk on Match.com (which means I posted a profile but did not join). I used a nearby zipcode so my hometown wasn't listed. Probably a combination of privacy and humiliation drove that decision.

I have to tell you that the people who indicated interest in me, typically using the highly refined and sophisticated form of Match.com communication known as "winking," made me 1) really worried that I was a total loser and 2) really glad I didn't list my real hometown. I concluded it was a grand meat market and moved on to "higher end" dating services.

On the advice of several people, apparently well versed with the world of Internet dating, I explored eHarmony.com. I succumbed to the ad copy that beckoned, "Take the eHarmony Personality Profile and get instant, objective feedback on yourself and how you relate to others." Sounds harmless, could provide insight into my soul....

Damn thing took hours to fill out. But I got my personality profile and by all indications I am not too much of a freak.

Well, if I didn't wake up one morning and find in my email, two messages from eHarmony telling introducing me to Lou and Tim. Well, I went right on line and found me a two-months-for-the-price-of-one coupon and joined, because these guys were carefully selected, right? Much better than a meat market.

I spent two months with that service was sent a total of 7 names (from a database that included a major city!). Only one responded. And he was absolutely uninspiring. Never had anything of substance to say. I guess that profile didn't quite pick up on the fact that I would actually like to have an intelligent conversation with someone.

My membership ran out, but I still receive an occasional match. The last two have been intensely religious.

Missed the boat on that one too, eHarmony.

My Internet dating gurus convinced me that the numbers game with Match.com made it a better choice. So I went and actively looked for people. I have had better success, although the vast majority are not interested. No one interesting has approached me. So I contact complete strangers. Fascinating process. You get used to the rejection (this must be what happens to telephone solicitors). Most don't respond and it is interesting how one can become slightly grateful for those who at least take the time to email back and say they are not interested.

I have been in contact with one person. I saw his profile and realized he contained two qualities that caught my attention. We may meet next week. I am supposed to find a restaurant somewhere between here and his home, which is about 60 miles away. I rarely get out of my town so this is a daunting task (he asked that I not select a corporate restaurant - how cute and yet it completely eliminates the ENTIRE I-5 corridor). So I spent my lunch time at a media conference yesterday drilling those at the table (strangers for the most part) for restaurant recommendations. One guy even called his wife on his Blackberry seeking suggestions.

There was much merriment and joking at my expense at that table.

Once again, the future of my first blind date is in the hands of a "village."