Match.com stats:

Total profile views: 2077 (69 since day 54)

New received emails: unsolicited, solicited

New winks: 1

Optimism level: It’s not over yet.

Due to some travelling, I’ve fallen seriously behind on both this blog and my Match searches. I’ve noticed that I receive a lot more page views, and consequently more emails, when I spend extended periods logged on to Match. I’m guessing this is a result of people utilizing the “online now” option or perhaps long sessions cause my profile to appear in more searches. Either way, I should probably log myself on to Match for an hour or two each day, even if I don’t do any searching. It probably can’t hurt, right?

In my last blog, I mentioned how the best relationship I ever had was with a guy I would have rejected immediately in the context of Match. It just occurred to me that at this point in my life, that would be a good thing. Even though he was a great boyfriend to have eight years ago, he wasn’t someone I was meant to be with long term. And all the reasons we weren’t meant to be together would have been apparent in a simple Match profile. I’m not sure if it’s worth pursuing a relationship that might be fun for a few months or a year at the expense of finding one that could be longer lasting.

EMAIL #1: This guy looked fairly attractive in his email photo. The body read:

May something wondrous ignite your soul and arouse your senses daily. Wishing you well with your search. If you so desire you have my undivided attention

I liked his writing style and the positive message but it was a bit impersonal- it almost sounds like something out of a greeting card. I inspected his profile and found his face was even better looking than I first thought. Only one problem: he has long hair. That’s probably my least favorite physical attribute. I think I might actually prefer the porn ‘stache over long hair- THAT’S how much it repulses me. He has two kids, though he’s never been married. That’s a bit of a curiosity. One kid can be blamed on a condom mishap. But why the second one? I wonder if it was with the same woman and, if so, why didn’t they go the marriage route? I guess if he’s now searching for a woman on Match it was the right decision but it calls into question his ability to commit to a woman. Finally, his profile seemed overly Zen for me. Zen is good, but I think I’m too loud for someone who’s overly Zen. His whole profile sounded like his email and I kept picturing him sitting on a pile of pillows in a candlelit feng-shuied room that reeks of incense while Enya plays in the background. Moved to folder: Can’t date the author of “Zen And The Art Of Hair Products.”

EMAIL #2: At first glance, this was the most promising email I’ve received thus far. He appeared fairly attractive and his letter was friendly. He mentioned how much he liked my profile and that he’d found it before he ever joined Match. Then he said the words that always make me swoon: I am originally from Argentina. I love my South American boys and for some reason, the Argentinians have been my favorites. Honestly, this was the first email I’ve received that I was actually enthusiastic about. He, too, had better pictures on his profile, without the chick hair to ruin everything. Then the bullets came at me one after the other…divorced…lives half an hour away…Catholic… definitely wants two kids…two inches shorter than me. It was as if someone was out to get me and deliberately sent such an enticing letter for the absolutely wrong match. Moved to folder: Cupid is so damn cruel.