Matchless Monday

The energy level of sunny summer (yes, sunny summer!) Mondays is inversely proportional to the relaxation of the preceding weekend ... as if the world feels compelled to atone for the relative slothfulness from whence it came.

Today the air was full of busy. While biking to work, cars sprawled willy-nilly in intersections, waiting for cranes and delivery trucks and pedestrians (most definitely not at intersections). Copley Square -- tour bus central, dispensing gangs taking pictures of my office tower. Starbucks -- another uncharacteristically long wait among the suited-folk for the iced black-eye.

Funny. OKC was a world of busy today too.

Funny, out of a dozen (yes, 12) IM chat requests and inbox messages, there was no one circumstance that made any practical or logical sense.

Lead-off Batter: 27, goofy smile, from San Fran, here visiting relatives:

"Your profile makes you seem like a really witty and funny person. I would love to buy you an espresso-charged coffee and talk to me more about Pixar movies or running. I also play hockey and rock climb, so my hands are very strong and they also happen to be disproportionately large - perfect for giving massages if you are so inclined. As far as cure for cynicism is concerned - ice cream always works for me."

We exchanged a bit. I suggested he keep flattering me as he did, that I never turn down a coffee hour and I am indeed attracted to men with powerful hands.

Alas, he wrote back this evening -- noting that he flies back to the other coast tomorrow. I replied to ask if he does lunches. But I now believe I am part of his blanket effort to get laid before leaving town. Strike 1.

Batter 2: 38, Somerville, first man to reference my profile reference to David Foster Wallace.

IM'd to ask how my reading of Infinite Jest was coming along. We moved into discussing the literature of Jonathan Franzen, then our evidently shared love of community gardening. This went on for some 10 minutes.

So I clicked onto his profile for a closer look at his photos ... he is indeed handsome and well-travelled and frank ... and to discover that he is in a polyamorous relationship ... and that anyone he dates would need to also get along with his wife and his serious girlfriend.

At that point I suggested that the water for my pasta was boiling and I needed to run. Strike 2.

Batter 3: 27, from Worcester, no photo.

Sometimes I follow a chat just to see where it goes. This one is 100-percent genuine.

Worcesterite: hey gorgeous
W: wassup
Karin: cooking dinner.
K: wassup you?
W: nothin much
W: got bk frm wk
W: i love women of ur age
W: thts how caught da attn
W: ;)
K: thanks for that.
W: do u like younger guys?
K: depends on the younger guy
W: are you in to nsa?* *( no-strings attached )

Insert 3-minute pause.

W: here?
K: Sorry
W: its ok
W: you dint ans my question
K: I am sometimes but actually not right now.
W: i m not in a hurry
W: ;)

Insert 10-minute pause.

W: here babes?

Strike 3.

Hmmm. However, redemption today came in the form of additional communication with the gentleman who made my Friday by thanking me for "making him laugh." Turns out, from his pictures he also just sent, he is long, dark and handsome and works nearby and is 30 and knows how to spell. Turns out he also runs 8:30-minute miles and we're going to attempt 3 or 4 of them together Wednesday afternoon.

A running date!

To fully finish abusing the baseball metaphor ... so nice to at least get on base after all this swinging away.

Update: Tuesday, 12:19 p.m. From the department of That Was Too Easy and Good To Be True: Wednesday run suspended due to partner's late conference call with the other coast. Rescheduling nebulous, as he says, "next week is much freer, so maybe we can figure it out by then." I will hold my breath .... but only a little. So, I use the next week to improve my pace as to further impress him if the run ever happens ... and if it doesn't, I'm just a faster runner. Oy.