After over a week of “online dating” without actually going on dates, I decide to give the in-person thing a shot. Several of the guys I’ve been conversing with have asked me out—and dozens of guys to whom I have no intention of responding —have asked me out. But I’m eventually won over by “Johnny” when he, in our online chatter, calls Taboo (my favorite board game of all time) the “thinking man/woman’s Cranium.”

In previous chatter about our favorite hangout spots, I’ve mentioned that Toro—a super hip, always packed Spanish tapas spot—is my favorite restaurant in America. So when he suggests it for our meet-up, I’m thrilled. We plan to get there at 8 on a Thursday night, which is prime time for Toro. Due to my 7 p.m. drinks date with friends, I arrive 10 minutes late with two glasses of wine under my belt, walk in, scan the scene and catch sight of Johnny. He’s hard to miss. At 6-foot-five he’s just like his profile said and looks like his online pics, which is a huge relief.

Keep reading "Rachel: A Dating First " »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at 9:05 AM | Permalink

As a single girl I’m not supposed to admit this, but I secretly love weddings. Free cake? Fancy dresses? Frisky grandpas? Yes, please!

Despite all my cynicism, I still harbor the hope that one day my friends and family will gather for a celebration of my own sacred union. Or a celebration of my hoping for the best while trying to hide a baby bump under my bouquet.

Keep reading "Carrie: Weddings - The Single Girl's Survival Guide" »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at April 22, 2008 1:49 PM | Permalink

Sometimes it just can’t be helped. No matter how hard a guy tries to be good to his girl, there always seems to be something for her to fault him on. Even when he’s trying to do something good, there are always times when it backfires, usually right in his face.

Let’s flash back a few years to a younger, simpler me. My girlfriend and I had been together for a few months and, looking back, all the warning signs of trouble were there; if I had the deal breakers in place then, this relationship would never have even started, but I was young and in love and no one could tell me any differently.

Keep reading "Josh: Deal Breaker #3 " »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at 1:33 PM | Permalink

It's 7:30 on a Thursday night, and I'm tearing through my closet like a woman possessed. It's important that I look hot, but not like I'm trying. More like it just happened—magically. My goal? To look like the kind of girl your ex-boyfriend can't keep his hands off of.

I got an invite to meet The Graduate and his crew at a bar—not exactly a reason for fashion angst. But he just called again and dropped the kind of bomb that only super-dramatic girls with a death wish/love for bar fights like to hear: "I think my ex-girlfriend is going to be there."

And the freaking out commenced. Would she be hot? Would she cry? Would she splash her cocktail in my face? Would she and The Graduate lock eyes and fall madly in love once again?

Keep reading "Elizabeth- Madame Ex" »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at April 21, 2008 10:19 AM | Permalink

QUESTION: Why are some guys really sweet when they’re alone with the girl who they like but then are jerks when they’re with their friends?
- Roxanne

Bachelor #1 - Men have a problem blowing ladies off in front of their friends. Don't ask why. Figure out what you're going to do about it.

The first step is to remain calm. If you panic, you will only create more problems. The best way to resolve the problem is to look at the situation with a clear head.

Keep reading "Ask the Guys: Question #3" »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at April 18, 2008 2:26 PM | Permalink

Comedian Chris Rock went around the country letting black women have it, sharing our dating "secret” with the world. It was early April and I was sitting in the 2000-seater Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California--feeling nice and springy when Rock marched onto stage promising to expose why black woman are less likely to marry than white women.

Keep reading "Malena: Why Are Black Women So Single?" »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at 10:27 AM | Permalink

As previously mentioned, we have recently embarked upon wedding season 2K8 - i.e. lots of drinking, flowers, introspection, unions of two bodies, drinking and cake. And when you grew up and went to college in Missouri, but currently live in California, this also means a lot of traveling. Alone. With free drink tickets.

I think we all smell a story coming along here...

Keep reading "No Love For Katie" »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at April 17, 2008 12:28 PM | Permalink

Bad dates are a fact of life. Clichéd, mundane and, typically, predictable, bad dates sneak up on everyone with the stealth of a flu virus and the benevolence of a spring breeze. That combination, the sneakiness and seeming innocence of the whole affair makes bad dates even more frustrating. Take my recent date with “Carrie” for example.

I met Carrie on a bike ride. We both seemed able to put up with each other, so we exchanged digits and arranged to meet up for dinner the next week. Everything on paper, so to speak, was set up for a full success. However, the old saying, “The best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry,” soon proved all too true.

Keep reading "Brian: When Bad Dates Happen to Good People" »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at 10:38 AM | Permalink

I met Roller Derby Girl at my regular Corpus Christi spot, with my fellow bachelor, Drew. She was sitting alone in the booth next to ours. We started talking and I found out that her sister and a friend had just gone to the bathroom.

Overprotective girlfriends can be just as big of an obstacle as a boyfriend, so I had to act fast. She told me her name and that she used to bartend at a different bar and was now a member of the local roller derby team. She was a cute girl with a bit of a tomboyish side to her, and looked too small for roller derby.

Keep reading "Mike: Slow Signs or Go Signs?" »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at April 16, 2008 9:43 AM | Permalink

I’m walking the sleepy streets of Boston, rushing to get a cab when this beautiful German Shepherd bounds toward me. I stop to give him some love when I hear this German accent call from half a block away.

"Did he frighten you?"

And I say, "No! I love this dog-- I wish I could have a dog; I've been thinking about how much I wish I could have a big/strong/handsome dog all day."

Keep reading "Rachel: The Bad German" »

Posted by The Tyra Banks Show at 7:02 AM | Permalink