•

Landau, if you get a date out of it,
"it's icing on the cake. It's better
than being a couch potato, right?"
On that point i'm not so sure.
But she's right about choosing
an event based on a topic you find
interesting. Meat market: no way.
Intellectually enticing event: OK
Example: Earlier this month,
Federation's Young Adult Divi-
sion sponsored a Monday night
• /- event (Feb. 3) with Rabbi Steven
Well of Young Israel of Oak Park.
The topic was "Jewish Life from
A to Z: Love, Relationships and
Marriage."
At the Jan. 28 bar nite (which
I attended strictly for work rea-
sons ...), all the other people who
had been coerced into going to the
bar admitted they couldn't wait
f or the Feb. 3 program. Federa-
/-" tion officials said the turnout was
outstanding.
There's another reason that I
shy away from some singles
events: i'm not so sure I want to
get married in the very near fu-
ture.
Sure, it's a strong,.long-term
goal of mine; rd even call it a pri-
ority. (Emphasis on long-term.)
L But today?
•
I suppose it takes a date to lead
to another date, to eventually lead
to marriage (I'm skipping a few
steps in between; stay with me).
But I'm not too keen on the idea
of wearing a sandwich board with
the proclamation: MARRY ME,
AND SOON! Or being perceived
as such.
I don't know why this image at-
• taches itself in my mind to the
• term "singles event." I don't even
think it's accurate. So what's go-
ing on here?
Bottom line: We all want to ap-
pear laid-back, cool, unconcerned
when it comes to love. And per-
haps some people truly are. But
deep down, we all want to meet
the love of our lives, or at least
know that it's going to happen.
We just don't want to admit
/-it.

❑

Don't
Eat
That!

On those
first few dates,
be careful
what you put
in your mouth
it just might
stay there.

E

ver been caught on a date with a big wedge
of spinach between your two front teeth? If
you have, you'll agree that it's not the best
ice breaker. If you haven't, you don't want

to be.
Take some pointers from The Jewish News
staff: The following are foods to avoid on a first,
second or third date (after that, it
shouldn't matter anymore). Better yet,
why not just meet for coffee?

Chinese food — Unless you use
a fork and knife. Julie Edgar says
chopsticks are a surefire way to
drop food on the table, in your
lap, who knows where.

Spaghetti — There's just no
delicate way of eating it. (Julie
Edgar)

Any kind of pasta with a red
tomato sauce — What if it
splatters on your new white shirt?
(Jill Davidson
Sklar)

Oysters —
"Big globs of
- mucus," ac-

cording to Jill Davidson Sklar.

Cobb Salad — "It's hard to be dainty," says
Megan Swoyer.

Hamburgers with the name "Su-
per" or any food that you
pick up — That special sauce
will get you every time, and
you certainly don't want to
spill the contents all over
the place. Avoid corn on
the cob, ribs, fried chicken.
(Megan Swoyer)

Mexican food. (anony-
mous)

Any food that has lit-
tle particles that will
undoubtedly get caught
in your teeth, never to
come loose. — Broccoli,
spinach, poppy or sesame seeds,
or nuts that have a flaky coating which can be-
come forever wedged between your teeth. (Jill
Davidson Sklar)

Garlic or onions — Unless your date's also eat-
ing them. ❑