Scouting out guys at the grocery store.

more choice at the liquor store in any case.

Whenever I see a reasonably attractive man around my age anywhere, I look at his left hand. The more presentable ones are always married.

i wear mine on my right hand -- just to keep the gals on their toes

Walking across the brick desert of City Hall Plaza yesterday, I noticed a very attractive man with grey hair. Grrrr! He was prematurely grey! I'm getting a little tired of seeing dishy grey haired guys who are still in their 30s! Real eye candy though they be.

There might be snow on the roof, but fire down below!

Re: Scouting out guys at the grocery store.


1. Age (-ish)-35
2. Gender (in case we don't already know)-Male
3. married/single/coupled-Single
4. Typical grocery list- AND
5. Typical method of collecting groceries- Roughly in this order:

Any and all breakfast cereals with raisins (except that low-fat crap)
Multi-grain bread
Crackers
Bath supplies
Any and all crap that catches my eye (God forbid its on sale; I'll buy a lot, whether I'll ever use it or not).
Bottled "Dannon" water by the cart-load
CHEESE, CHEESE and more CHEESE
Blueberry Yogurt
International Delight coffee creamer (French Vanilla or Vanilla-Hazelnut mix)
Milk
Eggs (brown free range)
Jimmy Dean Hot sausage
Thick cut, lean bacon (oxymoron?)
Deli lunch meat
Occasionally I'll stock up on steak (to sit in my freezer until its time to throw it away).
Frozen pre-formed hash-browns
Frozen Pizza-
Frozen, microwaveable Swedish Meatballs- (2.5 minutes-stir, 1.33 minutes-stir and eat (repeat once)) Love it!



Now that I've got a hefty load of crap in my cart; I'm ready to scope out the produce department (I always shop at the store most frequented by pretty ladies :wink: ).
Caesar Salad kits (Romaine, croutons and dressing in one package). Ask the most knowledgeable looking (preferably fat and old) lady (near a young pretty one whom I'm ignoring completely) "do you think this is a good one " while holding out a bad cantaloupe or something. Appreciatively listen to my tutor on how to choose the right one (while covertly checking if I've been "noticed"). Now; it is time to hit on the pretty girl (whether I've been "noticed" or not :wink: ). Conspicuously peer into her cart load of healthy looking stuff and say something like; "you're not going to eat that are you? That stuff'll kill ya" Patiently wait for her to deride me for the crap that's in my cart… Share a laugh and then ask offhandedly; "do you like Japanese? (Of course she does) "Have you been to YOKO?" (The best Japanese food in town; but few know about it)… (better than 50/50 close ratio. :wink: )… When asked over dinner "how many times have you used that routine?" I answer "countless thousands" and refuse to comment further.

As for "picking up guys"; I haven't tried… but I'll bet my universal line would work (don't exploit this fellas): "HOLA!" (good and loud). If they look at me like I'm a kook, I lean in, and, in a conspiratorial manner whisper "that means Hello in Spanish". If that doesn't break the ice, move on. (normally a better than 50/50 except if used on Latin ladies… then it's 80/20. :wink: )

Any real food (meat, fish, procuce)(Wine too); I buy at Carmine's Gourmet Food Store (food to be used within 24 hours). One meal a week, tops. Since I can't really cook , I eat out or have meals delivered more often than not. I do make a mean breakfast though! :wink:

Also: Women who invite me for a "real meal" have a better than 50/50 chance of me accepting.

Dinner time! :wink:

I think O'Bill's the guy I keep meeting!

wow, OBill has it alllll planned out!

Bill, for picking up guys, you might want to try "HOLA! I'M COMPLETELY GAY!" Men are the direct type, as I'm sure you know. Either that, or "Hmm, I don't know what I'm doing with this cantaloupe when I could have picked a nice ripe banana."

I used to try to pick up ladies at the pharmacy as I picked up my assorted creams. No luck.

"Hey, I see you're taking deworming pills too!"

L, almost OL.

Wow, speaking of gay.

Which reminds me. What does a gay horse eat?

Haaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Wilbur, come in the room.

I haven't tried picking up any guys because, frankly, I haven't seen any to pick up. The town where I live is a big zero in that dept although I do occasionally shop at the Trader Joe's in Newton (which ought to be much better) and Arlington.

I went to a free concert at Sanders Theatre which is part of Harvard. During intermission, a man ran up to me and said, "Do you like to go to concerts? I'm always looking for friends to go to concerts and the ballet with. How about it?"

I said that I would have to know more about him than that he liked concerts to even agree to meet him at a concert and sit next to him. He then said that he virtually raised his two daughters alone as his wife died 12 years ago.

We talked a bit more and he gave me his card. He has the same name as the first man I dated after my divorce, who I also met at Harvard when he really worked hard to attract my attention in the grad student cafeteria. The first man with the same name was from Montreal -- the name is wholly French and spelled in an unusual way even within the context of French linguistics. I read the name a second time and I was so astonished that I rubbed the card with my finger. Aware that I was taking a very long time, I told him I used to date a man with the same name.

Despite the fact that he had been married, he set off my gaydar.

My daughter denied having anything to do with what seemed like an elaborate practical joke and said that he's probably just lonely. Well, so am I but even without the gaydar, his approach was too eager.

Plainoldme, I've seen a lot of men fall victim to being over-eager; and consequently turn off what little opportunities they do have to end their cycle of loneliness. If you are lonely, too, I would encourage you to try to look past that fault as it is only a pre-req type indicator and likely tells you nothing of who he is when he isn't lonely. Just a thought.

Edit= spelling correction

Re: Scouting out guys at the grocery store.
1. Age (-ish)

32

2. Gender (in case we don't already know)

Heh

3. married/single/coupled

Single

4. Typical grocery list

Oh boy ... errr ... lemme get this roughly in the order I walk past em in the store ...

- Special sale item, sometimes (not often something I like)
- Bottle of fresh fruit juice (orange or orange/banana), one a day
- Fresh pasta (good and easy to make), sometimes pizza (the fresh fridge kind if I feel energetic enough to deck it out with extra stuff myself, otherwise the deepfreeze kind)
- Pesto often, tapenade sometimes
- Choice of mushrooms, paprika, tomatoes ("tasty toms" if they have 'em, all the other ones are crap, except for the small Roma's), onions/garlic .. whichever of those I'm out of.
- Plus, often, avocado (if I can find a soft one) and occasionally, aubergine, zucchini, field lettuce ... sometimes I buy fresh herbs but I usually have to throw 'em away again.
- Butter, creme fraiche, if I'm out of it. Yoghurt - "farmers yoghurt" that comes in a bucket, I actually go especially to the other supermarket for that.
- Italian toast (forget its name), if I'm out of it. Goes with special cheeses, but those I dont usually buy at the supermarket.
- Chicken, often. Sometimes beef. Preference for easy-to-prepare stuff.
- Sometimes, like, red curry paste, creamed coconut, some other asian extras for make-something-good-but-quick-yourself
- Dark bread that you have to "bake off" in your oven
- Emmenthaler cheese, sometimes Leerdammer or goats cheese or Grana Padano (for over the pasta)
- Coke (sometimes)
- Cookies (always)
- Crunchy cruesli, only the Euroshopper brand, its the best, and happens to be the cheapest
- "Beschuit", chocolate sprinkles, jam, whichever I'm out of.
- lightbulb (they always break down', paper tissues, TP, whatever I´m out of

Yeh, I think thats about it, usually. <looks up> Damn - thats a LOT. I dont usually have that much, though.

5. Typical method of collecting groceries

Hesitant, haphazard, carelessly - throwing things in my basket then suddenly slowing down not knowing what next - and mostly ending up taking the "usual" stuff

Quickly succumbing to the temptation of buying something extra cause it looks good. Often having to think on the spot how this and that could make dinner together (I dont do shopping lists, by rule).

(Actually, many days I dont do dinner, either, really - tho I like making elaborate sandwiches. Hence the preference for getting a lot of small, good things that will combine into something nice or even healthy to eat even if I'm not gonna go take the time to cook)

6. Typical time/day to go to the grocery store.

Ten minutes before closing time (8 PM) ... after work, anyway. If I make it in time.

If I dont make it in time it sucks, cause I dont usually buy "ahead" .. its all on a per-day basis.

what else should we know?

As if this isnt enough! ;-)

I have no shame ... wonder what I'll think if I reread this in five years' time ...

Wow, grocery stores that actually close. Almost unheard of in the states anymore, at least in populous areas.