Cyber Love Story of the Week – Dabney and Vic

After 15 years of marriage, Dabney was ready to start dating again. She created a profile on Match.com and went on just five lunch dates.

When she first spoke to Vic, the two had instant phone chemistry. Vic had his list of questions that he asked all prospective dates. Dabney passed the test with flying colors.

When the two finally met in person, they were both delighted that the phone chemistry matched their feelings in-real-life. Vic went to hold Dabney’s hand and she pulled back in surprise. Vic asked Dabney, “Did you feel that?” Dabney tells us, “It was electric.”

Dabney and Vic were fortunate to have felt a spiritual and soulful connection on their first date. Five years later, during a vacation in the Florida Keys, Vic proposed to Dabney. Dabney, of course said “Yes!”

Congratulations to Dabney and Vic, who prove that you can have a second chance at love while looking for love online.

Do you have an online dating story to share?

Julie Spira is an online dating, netiquette and cyber-relations expert. Visit CyberDatingExpert.com for dating advice and where you can sign up for the Weekly Flirt. Like us at Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert and follow @JulieSpira on Twitter.

Cyber Love Story of the Week – Jamie and Howie

Who says you can’t fall in love online during Valentine’s season? Meet Jamie and Howie, who met on JDate.

Jamie joined the Jewish singles online dating site upon a New Year as one of her dating resolutions. Shortly thereafter, she started chatting with Howie, who had never been married.  Howie and his dog Spot had been on-and-off JDate for 12 years.  His profile said, “Love me, love my pet.”

The two met in-real-life just two weeks before Valentine’s Day. Jamie said Howie put her through a rigorous test and she passed with flying colors.

Both having a passion for travel, they went on several cruises together. After a romantic trip to Hawaii, Howie proposed and the two became engaged. Together, they built their dream home and just celebrated their four-year anniversary. Jamie is the founder of LA Girl Secrets.

Congratulations to Jamie and Howie on finding love just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Do you have an online dating story to share?

Julie Spira is a leading online dating expert and the author of the bestseller, The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online. Visit CyberDatingExpert.com for dating advice and to share your online dating stories. Follow Julie on twitter @JulieSpira and like her at Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert

Peril of the Week – The Shark in the Dating Pool

I received an email on Facebook from a former radio colleague of mine telling me that he was getting divorced at 60. He was petrified about dating after being married for 25 years.  He bought my book, The Perils of Cyber-Dating and joined a boomer online dating site.

Within a week, he submitted his first story for The Peril of the Week.

“I was just putting my toe in the dating water when I met a woman who had already gone off the deep end. “Rita” had a profile that reflected that she was smart, sassy, and had movie star looks. She messaged me about getting together for a glass of wine, and I said to myself “self, why not?” First bad sign for someone like me looking for honesty and trust in a relationship – she arrived looking much older than her picture, which was a glamour shot taken 15 years ago. The years had not been that kind to Rita, with a big weight gain and much sadder eyes.

By her 3rd glass of wine, Rita was getting very loud and in full party mode. By her 5th, she was talking about how great a lover she was, in graphic detail. After her 6th glass, I was able to pry her away from the bar and out to her car. Rita proceeded to pounce, with aggressive kisses and that extra hand women always complain about men having that seems to go right for the privates. I decided I really didn’t want my privates to go public with this woman.

I guess I have matured a little bit since the hormone raging days where I would have hit on her in a second (and probably lasted that long, too). I followed Rita home to make sure she was able to drive OK, and took off, telling her I just wasn’t ready to get intimate with anyone again. I don’t mean to make light of anyone with a drinking problem, but I have decided that coffee dates are better first dates than wine dates. Coffee opens your eyes to what she’s like, while drinking clouds your feelings and potentially your judgment. Note to self: Self, if you are not ready to swim, don’t dive into the deep end of the dating pool.”

The Peril of the Week was contributed by Suddenly Single at 60. Photo credit: Fotolia.

Do you have a dating disaster story to share?

Julie Spira is a leading online dating expert and the author of the bestseller, The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online. Visit CyberDatingExpert.com for dating advice and share your online dating stories. Follow Julie on twitter @JulieSpira and like her at Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert

Peril of the Week – Tacos for Two

Dating in your 30s and 40s often means dating men with kids and vice versa. The exact time to introduce your children to your new boyfriend or girlfriend is still up for debate. What’s absolutely not appropriate is bringing your child along when meeting a potential suitor for the first time.

In this Peril of the Week story, a woman agreed to go on a dinner date with a man she met online. When she arrived, the woman was shocked that her date had brought his six-year-old daughter, whom he had never mentioned nor made any indication of having a child on his profile, with him on their first date. Apparently, it was his weekend to have her. Why he didn’t reschedule, or, better yet, hire a babysitter, she never found out. But the girl proved to be a royal pain in the behind.

While deciding what to order, his daughter wanted to get a burrito, but her dad reminded her that she didn’t like the burrito last time and suggested she get the fish tacos instead. Well that didn’t go over smoothly. The little girl threw a whiny fit until she got what she wanted and ordered the burrito. Of course, when the burrito came it wasn’t what she wanted. Instead, she wanted her father’s date’s tacos. Wanting to eat the tacos instead of the burrito, she assumes she must have given her date some sort of look because the man yelled, “Just give her the damn tacos!”

At a complete loss of what to do, the woman felt like she had to give his daughter her tacos. Since she was really looking forward to the fish tacos, she placed a second order and sat there watching her date and his daughter chow down without her (which is just so rude in it of itself). By the time her tacos arrived, they were both done eating and the daughter was ready to go.

Finally, when the check came, her date asked for the second order of tacos to be on a separate bill, paid his portion and left her sitting there to finish her meal alone along with the check. Thankfully, the waiter seemed to understand her predicament and told her that her tacos were on the house.

Do you have a dating disaster story to share? The Peril of the Week was contributed by Big Red Flags.

Julie Spira is a leading online dating expert and the author of the bestseller, The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online. Visit CyberDatingExpert.com for dating advice and to share your online dating stories. Follow Julie on twitter @JulieSpira and like her at Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert

Cyber Love Story of the Week – Jesse and Curtis

On the one-year anniversary of the online dating site Cupidtino, where Apple enthusiasts, find each other, we’re happy to share one of their success stories, Jesse and Curtis.

Jesse, a woman from Northern California had initially emailed Curtis when he was in Palm Springs, CA. She noticed he was in the military and asked him what there was to do in Palm Springs in her initial email. After a few weeks, Jesse gave Curtis her personal email address so they could communicate off the site. He asked for her phone number and began communicating with her regularly.

Their first date was at a Starbucks, where they met in the middle with their MacBooks in tow. They continued their date for the weekend wine tasting, visiting Hearst Castle, and their love affair began.

After eight months from when they first started communicating, including the time when Curtis was stationed in Japan, he was discharged and moved to Silicon Valley to be with his sweetheart.

Congratulations to Jesse and Curtis, our Cyber Love Story of the Week, who kept their love of Apple at the top of the list while looking for love online and didn’t let distance get in the way. And of course, congratulations to Cupidtino on celebrating their one-year anniversary as an Internet dating site.

Do you have an online dating story to share?

Read More Cyber Love Stories>>>

Cyber Love Story of the Week – Valerie and Adam

“After being burned big time by my last relationship in 2007, I had officially given up dating,” said Valerie. She added, “My friends had been imploring me for years to try online dating, but I just couldn’t get past the stigma of it and was extremely concerned about the safety factor.”

Valerie thought the idea of a ton of strangers perusing her pictures and personal details would freak her out.  Finally she joined OkCupid, and as an attractive female was immediately inundated by e-mails.  She wasn’t interested in any of them until she received her first e-mail from Adam.

Adam had been home on a Saturday evening looking at some of the newest profiles on OkCupid, a weekly ritual for him. He believed in emailing a woman right away before she became swamped with emails and possibly gave up on online dating.

“Then I spotted this beautiful brunette with the handle ‘fleursetbonbons’. Ah, flowers and candy… so traditional for a woman, isn’t it?” thought Adam. Then when he read Valerie’s profile, he knew she was the type of person he was looking for. “Her profile said a lot about her personality and style and wasn’t just another, I love sushi and long walks on the beach type of diatribe,” Adam added. He didn’t expect Valerie to write back.

Valerie loved the fact that Adam was the first guy she’d seen on the site with the long haired, rock & roll, chiseled features look that she really went for. When she clicked on his pictures, she saw he also had an incredible smile, and was 6’4” tall, which she loved.

“I honestly wasn’t too impressed by his profile…he seemed a little too interested in beer and sports for my taste…but I decided to take a chance anyway based on the cuteness of his pics,” said Valerie. Valerie liked Adam because he was all about being real and there were no games involved.

Adam recalled, “I decided to email her and tell her as much, figuring all along I’ll never hear back.”  To his surprise she did respond and they started communicating a lot. On their first date, they went to brunch and he brought her a dozen roses.

Adam and Valerie shared that they have a magnetic attraction to each other that grows every single day. “He’s caring, attentive, and kind to me. I miss him when we’re apart no matter how long we’ve spent together, and I love being in love with him, said Valerie”

“I would never have expected to meet someone that I could fall in love with online, so I encourage anyone who’s hesitant to take the chance…you really just can’t know unless you try,” Valerie added.

Even though the two currently live approximately 30 miles apart, they regularly see each other about 3-4 days per week and are already considering moving in together.

Congratulations to Valerie and Adam, our Cyber Love Story of the Week who wouldn’t let distance get in the way of love.

Do you have an online dating story to share?

Read More Cyber Love Stories>>>

Cyber Love Story of the Week – Kristina and Tom

Kristina was on Match.com for about four weeks when she met Tom.

“I had been messaging with a few other guys and met only one other in person. When I received Tom’s first message I just had to respond,” said Kristina.

Tom’s message read something like this:

“Hi, I am looking for a good looking girl who doesn’t talk, has lots of ex-boyfriend drama and only eats salad at dinner. From your picture I see you are good looking and noticed you are a Mets fan, which is a bonus. Let me know if you are interested. If not, good luck in life and stuff. –TOM”

“When I clicked onto his profile his main quote said, “Three Words: NO BACK HAIR.” I have a weakness for cute, funny guys and he had me at that. Then I went on to read his absolutely ridiculous bio which was all made up, but very well written! I was laughing so hard and messaged him back right away,” added Kristina.

Their relationship worked right from the beginning and instantly clicked. The two were engaged nine months from their first date. Tom’s proposal was perfect and sentimental.

“The beach had always played an important role in my family’s life from the time my parents met at Jones Beach in the 1976,” said Kristina.

She added, “My father passed away on July 25, 1996. The year following his death, we held a memorial service for him at the beach where he would fish every weekend.  On July 25, 2009, my mom, stepdad, my brother, his girlfriend, Tom and I went to the same beach where my dad fished so we can share the moment with them.”

Little did she know, but Tom had a marriage proposal all planned out and the moment her mom said, “let me get a picture of you two,” that was his cue to get on one knee. Tom began his proposal with, “I know you wanted your family to be here for this moment and I wanted to make sure your dad was a part of it as well.” He then continued to say, “so, do you want to do this?”

Kristina and Tom will be getting married on July 22, 2011—the exact date her parents would have been celebrating their 33^rd wedding anniversary.

Congratulations to Kristina and Tom, our Cyber Love Story of the Week couple who found love online on Match.com

Do you have an online dating story to share?

Read More Cyber Love Stories>>>

Peril of the Week – A Sneeze Isn’t Just a Sneeze

A woman wrote in to tell her story of how she met her online date at an upscale lounge in Midtown Manhattan.

It was a cold winter evening in the city,  the kind that makes your nose run.  The two met outside and walked into a very nice establishment, where they sat down and got all settled in.

After some small talk, suddenly her date reached for some napkins and began to blow his nose at the table. When he was done blowing his nose he took his used tissues and just threw them on the floor.

He then turned to his date, as if what he had just done was totally normal and asked, “Would you like anything to drink?”

All she could think was…CHECK PLEASE!!!! Needless to say she never saw him again.

Do you have an online dating story to share? Do you think she should have walked out of the restaurant?

Share your dating disaster stories for the Peril of the Week.

Read More Peril of the Week Stories

Photo credit: iStock

Cyber Love Story of the Week – Rosalie and Jeff

After failing to find Mr. Right during her 6-month dating spree on Match.com, Rosalie decided to give online dating one last shot.

When Rosalie received an email from Jeff, who advertised in his online dating profile that “It’s nice to know a cop,” she immediately thought the worst and assumed that police officers beat their wives. Three days later, she agreed to meet Jeff for a drink which started their courtship. After their first date, they began to see each other every other weekend.

Jeff won brownie points after buying Rosalie’s daughter her first designer purse. The following year, Rosalie and Jeff became engaged. The two just celebrated their 6th year anniversary. Together they enjoy quiet evenings at home with their four pint-size dogs.

The happy family can be viewed above, along with Rosalie’s daughter Erika at her recent graduation.

Congratulations to Rosalie and Jeff who prove you shouldn’t make assumptions before putting that date on the calendar.

Peril of the Week – Must Love Bears

Contributed by Nancy Brook

After breaking up with my latest boyfriend four years ago, I decided the best way to stop moping about him was to start dating new men. Internet dating provided the perfect opportunity to start finding someone new.

I had dated online before, and I always had plenty of winks and emails. The problem was I didn’t want to date many of these men. I longed for the whole package—someone near my age, smart, accomplished, handsome, athletic and fun.

When I met Dirk, he seemed perfect. He was cute, smart, funny, easy to talk to and very interested in me. The night before I met Dirk, I had a date with a handsome chiropractor, but I couldn’t keep my attention on him. (Maybe it was the dark glasses he wore throughout our dinner.)

I cut the evening short with the doctor and rose at the crack of dawn the next day to meet Dirk at West Yellowstone, which was a four-hour drive for me. We talked on our cell phones the whole way over. I couldn’t wait to meet him in person! But when I saw him, I was very surprised. He was short, barrel-chested, thick-necked and much less attractive than he appeared on his online photo.  I tried to get over the shallow stuff as I did like him on the phone.

“Hi!” he said enthusiastically, and gave me a big hug with his stubby arms. I smiled and hugged him back. We stopped by the grocery store for a picnic lunch of sandwiches and wine and then drove into the park where we ate by a creek, lying on a picnic blanket. After our lunch, he reached over and kissed me.

It was the most horrible kiss I could have imagined. It was a kiss that didn’t end – kind of like a vacuum hose sucking my lips. I wanted to run as far away from Dirk as possible, but I knew that would hurt his feelings. Besides, if I took off, I’d have to run miles since Dirk had driven us into the park and my car was back at the grocery store. Instead, I suggested we see the sites around Yellowstone.

Dirk talked about our future. I could move in with him and help him with his bear hunting business. (Never mind that I despise sport hunting.) There was no need for me to work. He made enough money for both of us. I heard pop Christian music playing in the background as a big grin spread across his face as he fanaticized about our life together.

“I’m ready to go back,” I said.

“Already?” he said.

“Yeah – it’s going to be a long drive back to Billings, and I want to get started.”

A scowl creased his forehead, his mouth turned down around the corner and he didn’t say a word. I stayed on my side of the truck, avoiding any additional contact with him.

When we arrived back at West Yellowstone, I wanted to leap out of his truck and spring to my car. I kept my cool. I opened the door, grabbed my camera bag and smiled at Dirk.

“It was nice to meet you,” I said.

“I get the feeling that I’m never going to see you again,” he said.

“Well, one never knows what the future has in store,” I answered.

I gave him a quick hug and power walked to my vehicle. I got into the car, started it and peeled out, waving as I left. I was free at last.

Lesson learned: It’s better to mope at home about an old boyfriend than be trapped in a pickup with a new crazy bear man.

The Peril of the Week was contributed by Nancy Brook, author of the upcoming book,  Cycling, Wine, and Men: A Midlife Tour de France.

From the Cyber-Dating Expert: It’s not a good idea to go anywhere with a man in his car or truck on a first date. It’s a recipe for a dating disaster.

Let us know if you have a story to contribute for our Peril of the Week.

Read More Peril of the Week Stories

Next Page »