The Whiteboard

Dates, dramatic friends, and oh so many side characters - we've installed a whiteboard to keep track. It's like a Rom-Com, and the cast never stops expanding. On any given week, one must check the board, erase or add content, or leave a blank space for this week's changes. This brings us to Melody, a fun-loving woman with beauty and brains, so as you can imagine, it's easy for her to add men to the board. In fact, she gets so many dates that the rest of the group needs a war room to keep the plot straight. If you're on vacation for over a week and return, the confusion is real and you're 10 steps behind.

Melody explains the process of trying to find Mr. Right as a numbers game: buckle your seatbelt.

Gathering inspiration from How to Not Die Alone, Later Daters, Date like a Queen, and all the other modern-day mentors offering all the dating advice you can stomach, Melody shares her takeaways at our happy hour get-togethers, leading to spicy and fun convos. One thing we can't deny, the effort and method has clearly paid off for Melody, as the dates are numerous.

High standards for fitness, intelligence and of course, a specific age range are all criteria that so far, no mere mortal has come close to achieving. New date on the board. Erase. Next. Repeat.

Did every parent in the 70's name their sons David, Michael, or James? We stopped asking for names. Now we just spin a wheel. Joe...is this Joe the banker, Joe the firefighter, or Joe who was rejected last year and is now back for another shot? Joe isn't the only returning character adding himself to the mix of new dates. In fact, a year later ALL the old flames are circling back for another chance with Melody. As you can see, it becomes very complicated to keep everything straight. The whiteboard should have pictures.

This numbers game has also resulted in the creation of (drumroll please) - the Repeat Offenders' Club! Just go to Isabellas on a Friday night. It's like playing dodgeball for some of us. Firefighter Joe has exchanged contact info (and more) with several of the gang of seven and sheepishly plays it off when everyone is present. He's still hoping for that memorable ride home or invite to the next stop. Although from the grandstands, it would be much more entertaining to see him buy all the gals a drink and own his Repeat Offenders title.

Thankfully, we can laugh about it while they squirm a little. Relax, gentleman, we have a sense of humor and are doing our due diligence in the emotionally barren landscape of Scottsdale.

So, is it a numbers game, is it luck, destiny, or just dedication to the craft? Who knows, but in a city of eligible men, it should be easier to find Mr. Right. Hopefully, Melody can narrow the search down to men with different names, and we can retire the need for the Whiteboard.