's Preparations

wore them to last Friday. Oh well, he'll
ALLISON KAPLAN
wear them anyway.
Special to The Jewish News
Tonight's date is with a young
woman
whose mother is friends with
ob is what you might call an
his
mom.
Rob recently instituted a poli-
efficient dater. He'd rather
cy
against
blind dates, but in this case,
meet a girl on a weeknight
he
was
able
to check out the woman in
than "waste" the weekend.
person first, dropping by the
When possible, he avoids tak-
Rob adj usts the store where she works. His
ing a woman to dinner on the
in-shower mirror introductory line: "Hey, I have
first date. He prefers to go for
he uses to shave your phone number in my
a drink or play pool — activi-
pocket."
— its much
ties that, he says, are "cheaper,
Very slick, Rob thinks.
dent,
more
ejfi
more comfortable and casual."
About 25 minutes before he is
r
on
the
and
easie
Besides, going out for
due to meet this woman, Rob
ski n!
drinks usually occurs later in
begins his routine. He knows
the evening, giving Rob time
that most girls probably think guys
for a pre-date nap.
don't do much to get ready for a date.
Rob, who is 27, gets home shortly
And in many cases, they right. As
before 6 p.m., grabs some unidentifiable
West Bloomfield native Eric Lullove
leftovers from the fridge and plops him-
tells, "I have no special routine. Just try
self on the couch to watch "The Simp-
to look presentable and brush your
sons." He's not nervous about this semi-
teeth."
blind date, but he is concerned that the
In Rob's opinion, "Women would be
jeans he wants to wear tonight — the
amazed how much guys can do in a
ones that look really good with his
short amount of time. They might think
boots — are still smoky from the bar he

6/19
1998

106

his hair, which involves applying a gen-
what I do would take 45 minutes. But
erous amount of Aveda Elixir and push-
actually, I have it down to under 25."
ing his naturally curly locks forward —
On your mark, get set, and into the
just
a little.
shower goes Rob, for the four-minute,
The
jeans (only faintly smoky now)
pre-date rinse. (Note: no shaving on
come
last.
Very important, says Rob, is
weeknights, but for the rare weekend
making sure his boxers are sitting prop-
date, he does his shaving in the shower.
erly before zipping up.
"It's faster, and better for the skin," Rob
Finally, there's a debate over the
explains.)
black
belt and black watch or brown
After the shower, he sits on his towel
belt
and
brown watch. Black wins. Rob
for a little while. Just to chill out. While
tops
himself
off with a double spray of
sitting, he uses Q-tips to clean — get
Egoiste
cologne,
and he's good to go.
this — both ears at the same time!
Ah
ha
—
one
last step: the pocket
Next comes the lotion, which Rob
essentials.
Right
front,
mints. Left front,
rubs generously on his shoulders, arms
Blistex
("soft
lips
are
a
priority.")
Back
and face. Then a clash of deodorant.
right,
wallet.
Keys
in
hand,
he
heads
for
Now, Rob is ready for the critical
the
door.
decision. He's got five or six first-date
He's barely going to make it on time,
shirts. These are shirts he "really likes."
but
that's nothing new "I'm always run('
But ever the realist, weather comes
ning late," Rob says. The good news?
before looks. "I don't want to shvitz," he
He's not the least bit apprehensive
explains.
about his impending date.
There's supposed to be a breeze
"I'm in a hurry," he says, sprinting
tonight, so Rob settles on his very
out
to his car. "I don't have time to
favorite gray and blue striped Perry Ellis
think."
v-neck. He puts on the shirt, then does

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