Makeup and Big Words

((Okay, y'all--count all the big words!))

So for the two of you who read this and aren't on my clandestine double secret-squirrel running list, here is a recap of a conversation I had with someone (not on said list) who has known me for over three years. I'm not even exactly sure how we got on the topic of guys, but when we do, it usually turns to the fact that I can't seem to find one that is acceptable. Or that finds me acceptable ;)

First she tells me that I should wear a little more makeup, because a lot of guys aren't into the "natural" look I've got going on. Now, I've never been a big makeup girl. A little mascara and lip gloss, and some concealer to attempt to cover up the dark circles and random zit. I don't see the need to trowel on a layer of goo to go to the grocery store. There is no reason I can think of for me to look like a Vegas showgirl every day, especially in the oppressive humidity that is prevalent here in Florida, where it will just melt off within an hour anyway.

The second, and more dubious, piece of advice I got from this fount of wisdom (who has the moral turpitude of an alley cat, but I digress...) was that I should basically dumb down. Her quote was, "If you use big words around guys like you do around us, you're probably intimidating them." **Blink** (My immediate response to her was, "Well, you could probably expand your own vocabulary if you read a book once in a while." Because I'm a bitch that way :-D)

Allow me to defend myself here: I do not walk around talking like Ms. Merriam-Webster 2008. But I read a lot, and I pick stuff up. I have a pretty good vocabulary. But I'm being told not to use it around a person I potentially could be spending the majority of my time with, because it might threaten him. And then I wondered to myself, "Who the hell is this girl dating that she thinks this is helpful??" because it was just so...stupid.

As far as the dumbing-down thing goes, I think my friend Lisa said it best: "If you dumb down, you get dumb guys. No thanks." AMEN, sister! I've already dated (and married) dumb. At some point, you want to actually have a conversation. But maybe that's just me.

Yet another reason to keep my moratorium on boys in place.

Pointless Rant

What is it with guys who seem to want to go out with me, but get scared off because of the whole marathon/triathlon thing? This has been the case for the last THREE potential guys (one of them turned out to be a douche, so no great loss there, but I digress....) The first one was thrilled that I had finished my marathon because then I could spend all my free time with him. Until he found out about the next two marathons in rapid succession I had coming up. I kept thinking, Dude--I've been doing this for 7 years; you've been around for 7 MINUTES. It's insane to think I'm going to give it up for you! I didn't hear much from him after that; just an IM every now and again to say hey when he sees me online. The Douche flat out told me I was wasting my time and money, that it was a pointless endeavor. All right then. Buh bye. And I don't think the most recent guy knows WHAT to make of me.

To be fair, it's probably at least partially my own fault. I don't just run a marathon once in a while; I run several a year, as well as a lot of shorter-distance races. I just got into the tri thing this year, but I'm already committed to an Olympic distance race next year, and I'm 95% talked into a half iron distance for next year as well. So I'm most likely a bit obsessive. It's well-documented that I shouldn't be around "normal" people, what with all my talk of PRs, split times, and bodily fluid expression methods (i.e., snot rockets.) One poor guy at work asked me how my tri went, and after I finished the story about puking on the run, I think he learned his lesson about talking races with me. (Disclaimer: this is not *all* I am capable of talking about; it just seems to come up a lot :) )

So either I'm a hopeless case or I'm just hanging out with the wrong people :)