Quarter for Her Thoughts
Q: Can you tell us about the singles scene in Calgary, Alberta?
I'm not going to lie, Calgary is a city where you live to work. It's very conservative here and the social scene (not just the singles scene) is lacking in creativity compared to other places. There's a lot of ego in this city as well and people are not openly friendly, which makes it really difficult to mingle when you're single. Someone from Toronto once told me that no one in Calgary ever walks down the street smiling. I think because of that, online dating has become the method of choice... but even then, we're not a big city so the pickings are slim. I often think I'd have better luck dating somewhere else.
Q: You are currently running a worst dating story contest. Can you tell our readers about the promotion and how they can send in their stories?
The Worst Dating Story Contest was a fun idea I came up with after a string of really bad first dates. I never imagined it would take off like it did, but I think that people like reading them because they can relate. The submission deadline for the contest has passed, but I'll still accept stories and post them on my blog sporatically just for fun. They can be emailed to
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.
Q: Any secrets to getting to the heart of a Canadian man or woman?
Love your hockey and love your beer! In all seriousness though, Canadians aren't so different from Americans. When it comes down to it, we all want the same things.
Q: Best Solo Escape?
Home Sense! Nothing makes me feel better than a little home decor shopping, ooh la la.
Q: Biggest accomplishment you achieved on your own?
Obtaining and advancing my career was by far my biggest accomplishment. I can honestly say that I did it 100% on my own. I had no help from friends or family, no one to look to for guidance and no role models. I am where I am, because of me.
Q: The best place to meet new people?
The blackjack table! I have yet to put my money down at a table and not make a new friend. I only gamble on occasion so when I go it's fairly obvious I don't know what I'm doing, but there's always someone there willing to chat. Why not sit beside the cute guy and ask him for some tips?
Q: Most Inspiring Book, Movie or Person?
You don't know her, but she was amazing, my Grandma. Full of life and love and energy, always ready to wrap her arms around me and squeeze. She was one of a kind.
Q: Funniest. Craziest, Worst Date Ever?
Oh wow, I've had a couple doozies which I've written about on my blog. The first was a date with a guy I call TYFNTMIB. He slammed a beer and was drunk in the first five minutes, called the waitress stupid, told me about all the times he'd been fired, informed me that his ex ran off and he stole their dogs to punish her, and threw the bill at me before laughing it off and announcing to the entire restaurant he was going to pay. I couldn't get out of there fast enough! The second was more recent. My date wouldn't even get out of his car to meet me at the door, he farted in the first 5 minutes, instead of picking a restaurant he just drove around aimlessly asking me strange questions, and then he got an "emergency call" from his room mate and said he had to take me home. On the way home, he reached over and grabbed my breast, then gloated at his ability to make me uncomfortable. Back at my place, I practically jumped out of the car and ran away. He had the nerve to text me asking why I didn't give him a goodnight kiss, and if I wanted to make out. What a jerk.
Q: Favorite Local Restaurant or Bar to go to Solo?
There's a fantastic Irish pub called Seanachie in Signall Hill and I love to go there for dinner and a drink before a movie.
Q: Have You Ever Been a Victim of Singlism?
Absolutely, just this past week I got into a minor spat with the head of our Social Club at work. All of the events state that employees can only purchase tickets for themselves and their "immediate family." This includes your spouse and children only, and excludes parents or siblings. That means that as a single girl with no dependants, unless I want to go alone I am excluded from making use of the Social Club which I pay into every month. That is no fairer than discrimination based on sex or race.
Q: Words to live by?
“Your freedom is not a penance. It’s a reward for all the time you gave up your freedom to take care of others. It is for this reason that you sometimes have had to be reminded not to collapse into a scene that erodes your liberty.” -Michael Lutin
Q: What do you love most about being single?
I love that I have no one to impress. If I want to wear the sweat pants with the holes in the bum all weekend then I can, and there's no one to tell me I look like a slob. Oh, and the bed, I love being able to stretch out from corner to corner!
Q: Got any tips, advice, funny or inspiring stories?
On my blog, Quarter For Her Thoughts, I like to refer to a person's self worth as their "inner rock star". I think that singles, women especially, need to find their inner rock star and let her make some noise! Far too often we feel as though we aren't good enough if we don't have a significant other, but we're all rock stars on our own, having a spouse isn't what makes us. We need to take an active role in changing the way society views singledom, by voicing our opinions and not letting them bring us down emotionally.
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