This article begins with a disclaimer.

Some of you have written in and referred to me as the "Carrie Bradshaw of Las Vegas". This is simply not so. Ms. Bradshaw and I are very different, for example, Carrie Bradshaw had skinny legs and a lot of sex. I....well, I’m just not Carrie Bradshaw, and while I see no reason to discuss it further, I do appreciate the compliment.

Another letter I received was from a woman who is prepared to start dating again, but doesn’t know where to meet prospects. Nightclubs? On-line? Grocery Stores? The Gym? My first impulse was to pooh-pooh the nightclub idea right away, but I paused. Haven’t I found myself in a club with friends from time to time? Could not a dateable person, like me, find himself there too?

Armed with this new thought, some cute jeans, a sexy (not whorey) top and my friend "Melanie", I headed toward the Strip.

I have neither the time, nor phalangical dexterity to recount all of or outings, but I will do my best to sum them up. In a nutshell, the illusive Mr. Wonderful had apparently left prior to our arrival. My feeling regarding the swanky hotel nightclubs is this: If you are dying to meet a guy, or girl, from California, Australia, Chicago, New York or Georgia, run, do not walk, to the nearest nightclub. If you are sitting at home wondering what an STD could add to your life, sprint, condom free, to the nearest like venue. Las Vegas nightclubs are generally loaded with a lot of tourists (surprise!!). I’m not saying it’s impossible to meet a great person there, but it’s best to go clubbing when you’re looking for fun, a one night stand or an ego boost - unless you feel that Denny Terio or the Roxbury guys are your soulmate.

As for the where do I start looking question? I think we’ve all wondered that from time to time. Here are a few suggestions:

Let your friends know you're serious about dating. The people who know us often have a good idea of people we'd like - plus, they've usually told their friends your good points, so they like you already. Watch out for the qualifiers!! Friends are big on the qualifiers, "Oh Todd is great, sure he drinks a bit, but I think the right woman..." or "Tammy can be a bit possessive, but if she were made to feel secure..." Thank you, but no thank you. We are looking to keep, not resell, No Fixer Uppers!!

Go out and do the things you like doing. This helps fulfill you, and allows you to meet people with similar interests.

Don’t be afraid to go out alone. We’re generally more approachable when not in a swarm of our friends. I’m not saying take yourself to dinner and sit Ted-Bundy-like in the corner, but grabbing a cup of coffee or strolling through a museum (yes, we have museums, philistine) on your own is a great way to meet new people. Think about it, if you don’t enjoy your own company, why should anyone else?

Before I go, I suppose I need to address on-line dating. I have to confess I have always been leery of searching for a mate via a photo and clever blurb. I have heard so many different opinions, but part of me feels, for the sake of research, I should bite the bullet...Maybe I’ll ask Melanie to take one for the team. Regardless, I would love to hear your thoughts on internet dating, it might help me decide, or give excellent fodder to next months article.

If you have a story, or question, shoot me an e-mail at askpietra@earthlink.net - I’m happy to pretend to know more than I do, if it helps you in any way. Until next month...

Happy Hunting!!

Pietra

P.S. For those of you who might have missed it, "Melanie" would like you to know that I'm not using her real name. Apparently my valuable research should be handled incognito. Perhaps I’ll be "Brenda" in my next article and put a black stripe across my eyes.