Loving the Love from DC!

Eight at Eight is almost 10 years old. For many years I often heard, "You're in some great cities but what about DC?" In 2008 I finally decided to conquer the vibrant social scene in the District of Columbia by expanding our services.

The DC Chapter is our youngest, but it is well on its way to being our strongest. Eight at Eight strategically expanded to cities that are the hub of their region. The "best and brightest" are attracted to these hubs and then become our valued clients. Typical singles are working long hours, new to the city, and have trouble meeting like minded friends. voila - Eight at Eight to the rescue!

There are two fabulous blogs in DC that have recently "outed" Eight at Eight. Check out the fantastic coverage and thanks for spreading the word!

DC Concierge

We Love DC

Dear Valued Gentlemen Clients,
I want to send you a personal note to update you on the exciting developments with One on One Matchmaking. The new business that launched last spring has blossomed into a full-blown Matchmaking Enterprise!

I search on behalf of male clients who receive my undivided attention. I use my personal contacts as well as my 8at8 client base to find them the right ONE. Additionally we have monthly Wing-Woman outings where we scout for women together! It is a blast and I'm grateful that these gentlemen trust me to match you with appropriate ladies.

The good news is that they are seeing results! Just last night one of my bachelors went on a second date to a concert and another bachelor got some kissin' as he and his first date waited at the valet.

The excitement continues. If you or someone you know is looking to hire the BEST matchmaker, please contact me. Lets talk - I need to hear what you're looking for!

Sincerely,
Sarah Kathryn Smith

For more information, visit One-on-One Matchmaking

Happy Client Update

"For better or worse, I'm not single. Through 8at8 I've met a woman who has captured my imagination. I'd like to honor her as well as my own feelings by dating her exclusively. Thank you for your invitation and for doing a good job with 8at8."

How to Enjoy the 4th of July

Fireworks? Bah humbug! I love the 4th of July--cookouts, cocktails, patriotism, etc. However, I am convinced that fireworks are overrated! Think back to the last time you went to a fireworks show and be completely honest: was it worth the hassle?

You're sitting by the pool or lounging on the patio, having a great time. Then you prematurely end your fun in order to "get a good spot" for the fireworks. Get a good spot?!? You can see fireworks from MILES away! Yet, almost without fail, we cue up like kids in the soup line in a Dickens novel. And then we wait. Crying kids. Port-o-potties. Hairy men in tank tops. Old men with the socks pulled up to their knees. Horrid shirts with eagles and American flag prints. Drunk frat guys. Homeless people who, inexplicably, have sparklers. Nowhere to park. Your flip-flopped feet have been stepped on six times.

All of that annoyance, and then here comes the show! You've got to admit that 85% of a fireworks display is lackluster. We wait and wait to waste 20 minutes watching the puny munitions before the smashing finale. I want 20 minutes of finale. I want a finale the length of Grateful Dead song. I want the equivalent of War & Peace in screaming rockets.

The fireworks aftermath is the worst part! The heat and the stickiness of sweaty bodies is amplified by the sulfery smell of gun powder and the haze of gray smoke. (It does, however, mask the smell of that bum with the sparkler.) All of those people who trickled in to get that phantom spot that is somehow better than the others all depart at exactly the same moment, as no one wishes to linger in the fumes. Gridlock traffic, sardine-like conditions on the trains. Drunk frat boy just vomitted. Kids, now hungry and ears-a-ringing from the spectacle, ratchet up their screams. Nightmare.

And have you ever noticed how everyone claims to have the "largest" fireworks display? Could we get the Pew Center to quantify this and put these falsities to rest? Here in Atlanta, the Lenox Mall show calls itself the "largest in the Southeast." Meanwhile, downtown, Centinniel Park dubs its diplay "Atlanta's biggest." How in the Hell is that possible?

Despite my cynicism, I've found the solution. The best, most enjoyable fireworks session I've ever experienced was on the roof on an apartment building. Me, a plastic beach chair, and a cold beer. No crowds, no port-o-lets, no stench, no parking. The point is, you don't have to go to the heart of the maelstrom; again, fireworks can be seen from miles away! Plus, from your high perch on a clear night, you can watch multiple shows simultaneosly. Maybe then we finally figure out which show is the biggest. Happy 4th, everyone!

Dating Don't #137: Craig's List

If we've said it once, we've said it a hundred times: when it comes to dating services, there is no such thing as a free lunch. You can brave the bar scene and be set up with friends of friends for free, but membership fees are, believe it or not, a good thing. Need proof? Browse through the personals on Craig's List.

You might think: "Hmm, it's free. There are tons of nice people out there. What's the harm in looking?" Let's dispel this myth in short order, shall we? He are some of the highlight's from today's Atlanta listings:

• "I've always entertained this fantasy of meeting a stranger and making love all day [...] Please be sane, attractive, D&D free, with a good imagination, and you should like cheap Chinese food and red wine :)"


• "Are you the kind of lady that has the personality needed to enjoy earning $150.00 and up giving a middle aged man a spanking?"


• "In town for a few days would like to meet a girl lactating thats interested in letting me breastfeed from her. We can talk about compensating you for your time."

Okay, so men have cornered the market on creepy, right? The oddball women are all over CL, too.

• "Can you be my Daddy?"
  
• "I do have a lazy eye if you have a problem with that then move on."


• "I have a special fascination with religious play and ageplay.

The old saying holds true--different strokes for different folks. That being said, you have to wade through hundreds of these to find the legitimate people on Craig's List. Then, when you've found someone promising, you're likely to be directed to a porn site or some scam. This is why Eight at Eight has been in business for ten years. You deal with real, carbon-based, oxygen-breathing people. You can sense the sparks if there are any. You can't hide behind photoshopped pictures and you can't spout your fantasies out as if you were writing out your grocery list. Eight at Eight is for smart, successful people who can afford the option to allow someone to weed out the, er, more unusual singles out there. Perhaps, though, there is a market out there for a B&D/S&M dating service? Dominate at Eight, anyone?

Inside the Odd Minds of Men

While flipping channels the other night, I came across a movie that I've seen a couple of times and found it to be farily amusing. The movie is High Fidelity, the John Cusack comedy from 2000 about an unlucky-in-love pushing-40 record store clerk in Chicago. I gave it a longer look this time because Justin, our communications guy, assures me it is one of the more accurate depictions of the male psyche ever captured on film (at least as it pertains to dating and relationships).

I must say, I think he's on to something. (For those of you who haven't seen it, stop reading now). Here are some of the nuggets of reality that one can find in the movie.

1) When Cusack's girlfriend leaves him to move in with another man, one of his first questions is if the sex is better with the new guy or him. Cusack's heart is broken, but his ego may have suffered the most damage.

2) When his lovelorn angst begins to overwhelm him, our hero seeks out a new conquest, a hipster bar singer (Lisa Bonet, as in Cosby Show Lisa Bonet!). Cusack has a great time with her, even spends the night, but the moment he bolts for the door, he immediately turns his attention back to the girlfriend who burned him. Guys, it seems, aren't always thinking about sex. Sex is a distraction!

3) Cusack is lying in bed, having sweat-filled nightmares about his ex and her new lover. In his brain, she is like a porn star with an insatiable sexual appetite. She was driven into the arms of another man because he couldn't meet her requirements as a partner. Now, it is pretty clear throughout the rest of the movie that his ex is a pretty normal woman who, up until the start of the film, had accepted Cusack for who he was. It seems unlikely that after years together she would cut and leave on sex alone. But, in the male mind, its perfectly reasonable!

So High Fidelity is a pretty accurate summation of that part of the male internal monologue we so rarely get to hear. It is a funny film, even touching in some instances, but what really stands out in my mind is how the male protagonist is a wounded, scared little boy when it comes to love. He's frightened and unsure of himself and absolutely dependent on his girlfriend for reassurance and comfort. Maybe some of us ladies should take a few notes and realize the male psyche is more fragile than we might think.

Fly on the wall for a Blind Date

Blind dates are awkward enough, but can you imagine having a photographer follow you and your running commentary printed for thousands to see? The Washington Post publishes their always funny Date Lab, where they set up singles for dates and then allow them to come clean about their evening out to the reading public. Think: the Blind Date tv show without the fake breasts and hot tubs).

The results, in this case, were not so great. Sample quote: "you guys sucks at matchmaking." Guess the Post should just leave it to the pros, huh?