Bad Dates.

So, as the 'Carrie Bradshaw', if you will, I go out on a lot of dates.  Some good.  Some really, really not.  A lot of my friends hear the noteworthy stories.  Like the guy who told me there was a woman who kept contacting him, offering to pay him to have sex with her.  I'm guessing he must have thought this made him look more appealing.

I know the single men probably have a list of grievances about things women do 'wrong' on dates.

I can tell you, confidently, that I was (at least) once 'the bad date'.

Long story short.  It was a first date.  He offered to take me out for tapas downtown, around 7:30ish (after work for him).  Well, I got off work at 5, so instead of going home, then coming all the way back downtown, I decided to grab a drink with some coworkers.  Well, my coworkers chose this Mexican restaurant with margaritas as big as one's head.  Well, $12 later, I'm sure going to get my money's worth.  Anyhow.  Then I move along to meet my date for dinner.

Well, at the restaurant, they're running a little behind, so my date suggests we grab some sangria at the bar.   At this point, I officially blame my mother for not warning me the risks of mixing alcohol on an empty stomach.

Well, then we sat down at our table and he ordered a pitcher of sangria (maybe I can blame him - he wanted a second drink?  for shame).  At this point, I thought I was doing ok, but then my words started to get away from me.  Or run together.  Or something.  I was glad it was a seated dinner because standing was challenging.  And the room began spinning.  Well, I kind of leaned back in my chair and let him lead the conversation.  I thought I'd be ok, quickly thereafter, I found myself dashing for the restroom, for the alcohol was doing what alcohol sometimes does.  I got back and played it off casually, however, I then did the exact same thing twice more in the next hour, so I think he was on to me.

Anyhow.  Is it bad form to get falling down drunk on a first date?  Do guys typically get offended by this?  Anyhow, my date and I ended up going out again, so he clearly wasn't too perturbed.   I always wondered if he noticed that I was drunk and was just too polite to call me out on it, or if it somehow possibly escaped him.

Has anyone else ever been the bad date?  Am I the bad date more often than I realize?  Your thoughts?

Another Pet Peeve

Tapas Restaurants.  The WHOLE concept of them.  

Maybe it's not that they exist.  Maybe it's that I know too many people who like them and want to go to them.  In fact, I think there's a conspiracy amongst men - EVERY man I've been asked out by over the past three years has suggested "tapas".  

Yes, it's true, I DON'T like sharing food.  (Insert comment about only children here.)  Actually, it's not that I don't like sharing food - it's more that when I go out to eat, I want to pick the specific meal that I want and enjoy THAT meal (not a teeny tiny part of it).  

At tapas, you kind of have to think of what everyone wants to eat, not just yourself.  I have obscure tastes (I like spicy food, which not everyone enjoys).  Also, I like to doctor my food.   At tapas restaurants, it seems like you have to pick something generic as opposed to what you really want so it's something everyone likes.  I kind of feel like this is like when one person wants the red couch and the other wants the blue couch, so they compromise with the green couch and no one is happy.  Also, if there's something really good, you can only take a little bit of it.  

I guess I don't understand everyone else's love of these style restaurants.  I guess I don't really like 'family style' restaurants, in general.  I just want to pick what I want and have that.   Am I alone in this?