I met D at a party. I was there with Ryan Paugh and a few bloggers from the Brazen Careerist network, and because it was SXSW and it was all parties all the time, I was pretty partied out. But the party was for Kirtsy, and I love the women who run Kirtsy, so I went.
Also, Holly Hoffman wanted to meet Guy Kawasaki. And really, it's not like I’m his best friend, but because I know him, I could say to Holly, "Oh, I'll introduce you." And I did that. And Holly was thank-you-thank-you, even though Guy is so nice that you can just walk up to him and introduce yourself and he'll be nice. To everyone.
And I'm standing there with a bunch of 25 year olds, because I'm always hanging out with 25 year olds because that's basically my job—I work with them and my business is for them. But I was not with THE 25 year old because the night before, I woke up to him peeing on the carpet in my hotel room.
When I asked what he was doing, he said, “Oh, sorry” and then he went back to bed. So I woke him up. And yelled at him.
He said he was drunk. He went back to sleep. I woke him up. I said, “I told you you had to go down on me and you didn't. You asked a woman out after she wrote a whole blog post about oral sex and you don't even do oral sex.
I’m pissed.”
He says, "I was too tired.”
“Too tired for ten times? We've had sex ten times.”
The night deteriorated and I told him to leave the next morning, by 8am.
He says, “Can you wake me at 7:30?”
And I say, “No, I'm not your mother.”
So at the party, that night, I was surrounded by 25 year olds, but not that 25 year old, and you can imagine that I was really happy when someone my own age came up to me.
But I really couldn't tell why he was coming up to me. I have said before that I think I have Asperger Syndrome, and I think it's full blown when it comes to dating. So I have to be direct. So when this guy who is clearly in my age bracket comes up to me and says, "Hi, I like your blog," I ask, "Are you trying to date me?"
I know this is not normal. But I had been to a million parties and I had had a glass of wine, and I just wanted to sort people quickly.
He thought for a minute and then he said, “Yes."
Great, right? He showed me that he can cope with my weirdness and still come out okay. So we hung out talked for a while, and then I realized my phone was dead. And the night was early and I needed to text people and so I wanted to go back to my hotel room to get my charger.
The guy said he'd walk there with me.
I tell Ryan Paugh because I think maybe I’m missing something.
Ryan says, “He thinks you're having sex with him.”
“What?”
“Yeah. You can't take a guy to your hotel room and not have sex.”
“Oh. Wait. But I told him I need my charger.”
“No.”
“Okay. Okay.”
So I tell the guy, “No.” Then I walk him over to his friends, who are at the same party, and I tell them our date is over: “I'm getting my charger and he can't come with me because I don't want to have sex with him.”
His friends laugh.
I think this is a good sign.
So the next night we have a date. It is very low pressure because he is from a state that is far away and does not have a direct flight from Madison. And he is not a gazillionaire, so he is not going to buy a house for us to share in Chicago when we meet at O’Hare. So: No future.
I tell him, "Be careful of that wet spot on the floor." And then we have a one-night stand. At least I think it is going to be a one-night stand. But then in bed, I can tell that he’s not thinking one-night stand because he does sweet things that guys never do to me, like stroke my hair. I do that with my kids.
And then things deteriorate quickly. Well, for three weeks, things are good. I like him and I call him. And I see him again. Then things get bad because he twitters about me. And I think, I do not want the world to know I’m dating him because maybe I don’t want to be dating him.
And he tells me I’m out of my mind that I’m worried about who is twittering about me. He says something, which I will summarize as: Get a life.
So I am not with him. Because you can’t be with someone who thinks you’re out of your mind. And I’m not with the 25 year old, who, by the way, is also twittering about me, in an odd sort of way.
So I’m thinking the lesson here is that if work and sex are mixing then it’s a sign the dating isn’t working. But really, there must be a ton of people who think sex and work overlap because, look, my blog has 33,000 subscribers.
So maybe the lesson is I shouldn’t date people I meet through my blog. But then I think, who have I met not through my blog in the last two years? And maybe the answer is no one.









I'm a 50year old Jewish man that has been married and divorced (no kids), and I love hyper nuts intelligent gals like you. I would not have it any other way. But..
While I think that your 'strategy' in blogging things like this personal information is a very honest and marketable channel developmental media thing, I am concerned that maybe there is something self-destructive in all this. I'm not telling you what you do.
You are obviously way more successful than I am; I have ground out my career are a product strategist. I made good money, didn't save jack with the two divorces and a failed startup, etc.
I wish I could find one like you out here – we could be crazy with each other, and that nervous, trembling energy and creativity would be the boot in the ass I need to revive those 300K+ contracts that used to be my token of success in the early '00s.
Keep it up, baby, but hold some back for the good men who will really appreciate you and not use you for web20 fodder.
Posted by Alan Wilensky on 04/24/2009 at 06:41am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Why shouldn't work and sex mix? Off the top of my head, I think there's a UK statistic of 1 in 4 people having had a relationship at one time with someone they met at work. I don't see why blogging as work would be any different from office work. And fall-out from relationships that go sour is bad wherever it is – whether a nasty atmosphere in the office, or weird twittering.
Posted by Clare on 04/24/2009 at 06:48am | permalink | Reply to this comment
If I ever have occasion to go to an emergency room, I always ask the doctor, "is there anyone having sex in the broom closet right NOW!, Hmmm?"
Posted by Alan Wilensky on 04/24/2009 at 06:58am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I find your candor remarkable. While there is merit in speaking our minds – the way you do it – without tinting it with false views and opinions is new to me. Love the way you write.
Posted by Rahul on 04/24/2009 at 07:10am | permalink | Reply to this comment
P:
I'm a huge fan of yours – even when I don't agree with you. But when I read posts like this, I worry for you. And I know I don't have a great perspective on dating after age 22 (I'm still married to my college sweetheart and I'm 38), but please take care. I feel a kinship with you, because I also am a sassy bitch with a sensitive heart (which I believe you are, too). And women like us aren't always as tough as we may seem.
Posted by GenerationXpert on 04/24/2009 at 07:23am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Must agree with GenerationXpert on the kinship, sassy bitch aspect and tender heart. There myself. We aren't always as tough as we look. And yet, we never give up…do we?
Posted by FutureEsq on 04/30/2009 at 01:45pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Penelope, GenerationXpert, and FutureEsq,
You are my inspiration.
Posted by Amy on 2009-05-06 01:47:37 | (Comments wont nest below this level)
well I think Alan is worth a look see …. bet he does not pee on the carpet – that's a deal breaker for me …. laziness personified ….
husband one and two were both found in work environments – where else does a working girl find them …. at school drop off .. I think not.
be safe Ms P – le xoxox
Posted by le on 04/24/2009 at 07:41am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Does it work? I think it can, is it a good idea, probably not. You need your space from your partner to keep the relationship health. If you see them at work, then you see them at home, you probably have the same friends, just not the best idea. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. I would avoid it if possible.
Posted by Cody Dream-Life-Coaching on 04/24/2009 at 07:48am | permalink | Reply to this comment
For what it's worth, I read your blog for the work stuff. But I'm probably in the minority.
Posted by Hope on 04/24/2009 at 07:54am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I actually think sex is a workplace issue. And if you want to have a real discussion about work and life in this day and age, you need to include sex.
One out of four people dates someone from work. And, as a CEO, I can tell you that it's way higher for CEOs, because we spend such an inordinate amount of time at work.
So most people have had to navigate the intersection of sex and work, and I am pretty sure that most people don't get a lot of guidence.
When I was writing at Yahoo Finance they did a study that they could not figure out how to get published, so I'm happy to publish the data now, exclusively in my blog comments section, that the majority of people who cheat on their spouse do it when they are out of town. Which, for most people, means business trip.
So writing about going to a work conference and hooking up with someone is a work issue. And how is anyone going to learn to navigate stuff like this if no one is writing about it?
Maybe you don't like how I wrote about it. Maybe you would not handle yourself the way I did. But at least I'm writing about stuff that no one writes about. At least we're talking about something we don't normally talk about; that seems fun and useful.
A side note: A lot of my data about workplace dating comes from at book called Office Mate, by Helaine Olen. The book is about the realities of workplace hookups, and Barnes & Noble wouldn't carry the book because it was too racy a topic. When we censor discussion about an issue that all single people face at work, nobody benefits.
–Penelope
Posted by Penelope Trunk on 04/24/2009 at 10:57am | permalink | Reply to this comment
After reading this post, having read all of your posts, I think if I ever met you in real life, it would be too hard to look you in the eyes without giggling.
Posted by W Church on 04/24/2009 at 08:16am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Penelope, please tell me (and I promise this is a real question and I am not trolling):
I know the rollercoaster wild-ride that your life is taking makes you feel alive, but does it make you happy?
What's the point of it all?
Posted by Anonymous on 04/24/2009 at 08:45am | permalink | Reply to this comment
P.,
We tell 25-year-olds to watch what they post on the internet because of what future employers might think.
You might own a business, but you need VC. And TBH, a VC guy is no different than an employer to you — you want his money. And there's no way in hell I'm taking a woman who blogs about her sex/dating life in her *professional* blog seriously.
Posted by anonymous on 04/24/2009 at 08:55am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Yes, I have to say, I also worry about you. It's great that you can ask someone "are you trying to date me?", imho. I'm of the same Asperger school of dating (my husband and I started up 14 years ago as a one night stand). The new guy (what's his name) sounded on the level. But then you second-guessed yourself by getting in an argument about this twittering. Of all people, honestly, you have no right to say that :) you're the worst for protecting people's privacy. This new guy, also, sounds quite nice. He is right with the "get a life" comment.
I think you lost your inner compass somewhere. This manifests itself in self-destructive behaviour. I personally don't want this to happen. Please try to center yourself somehow. Like, a rigurous regime of 1.5 hrs yoga every day and 1 hr running, without fail, for three months. I don't know. Something that will help you distance yourself from all the little voices.
Twitter is evil, by the way. Do you need it? Isn't blogging enough?
Posted by ioana on 04/24/2009 at 09:02am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Just a quick thought as I'm typing on my best friend's (best man for him … twice) keyboard here in PA. Give someone who wants to date you your blog URL and have them read it. Then give them a true/false, multiple choice, and essay test. Evaluate, screen, and use as part of the decision to go from there. That way no 'snap' decisions are made. As I said just a thought.
Posted by Mark W. on 04/24/2009 at 09:08am | permalink | Reply to this comment
wow, unbelievable. do you know your own value system anymore or what you stand for (web 2.0 ethics/integrity)? I am noot referring to the sex talk, but after naming Matt, Glenda, and hated Dave…isn't this statement below totally hypocritical? where are D's twitter posts and the other guy's twitter post hyperlinks in your blog? oh, that's right,… you were honoring your own desire for privacy in these instances.
"Then things get bad because he twitters about me. And I think, I do not want the world to know I’m dating him because maybe I don’t want to be dating him."
Posted by ysl on 04/24/2009 at 09:30am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I agree with anon. This post is raunchy and hardly the information I need to know if I'm interested in your business advice. Couple this with the Dellifiled post and I have to say that I've lost all respect for you.
You are not grounded, and that can be a destructive and dangerous thing to your reputation and your over-all quality of life. Throwing out the number of subscribers you have in conjunction with revealing your sexual escapades raises a serious red flag regarding your self-esteem and self-confidence.
If you are looking for attention, you got it, but I wonder if it's really the kind of attention to be proud of.
Posted by Lee on 04/24/2009 at 09:30am | permalink | Reply to this comment
The first time I've met Suzana we where working at the same advertising agency.
She was cute, strange looking cute.
And married.
And pregnant.
Then I went for another company, and 4 years passed by, till I changed job again.
Guess who was there, not pregnant, not married anymore?
Exactly.
The problem was, I was living with a 17 years younger girl at the time.
So after one year or so, I changed jobs again.
And again.
And my relashionship endend.
And eventually we ended up working for the same company. For the 3rd time.
I was 41 and single this time, she was 36 and after a couple of months we began dating.
The dating turned into a proposal and we are about to live together, maybe by the end of this month, if the painting/carpenter/punbling guys feels like it.
Anyway, the work part never got in the way of the relationship, but the subject was never a taboo as well.
We can talk about it if we feel like, but the main thing is that we feel right with each other.
And you know how I call it? Its not merit, its not wisdom, its not sense of timing.
Its pure and simple luck.
We where two people that fit together and by chance where at the same place and time.
Penelope, your the best
Eduardo
From São Paulo, Brazil
Posted by Eduardo Di Lascio on 04/24/2009 at 09:32am | permalink | Reply to this comment
"Get a Life" is mean.
But a longer version where someone is calling you out on your flaws could be coming from a good friend who has your best interests at heart.
Dating works best when you are friends, too.
Of course, D also could have been dating you for the Internet notoreity, in which case, good riddance.
Either way, I'm with the folks who are worried about you right now.
Posted by biting tongue on 04/24/2009 at 09:49am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Okay, this just confused me. Do you want me to do you or not?
Posted by Danny on 04/24/2009 at 10:05am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Not to make light of your break-up (or whatever), but I'm fairly amused by the fact that a) 25yo could have been better in bed simply by doing his homework and b) that homework involves reading his date's blog. Personally, I think more women should blog about what makes them tick bedroom-wise – that just sounds like a win-win situation to me. It'd be like having an instruction manual.
Posted by Ian on 04/24/2009 at 10:12am | permalink | Reply to this comment
You know, I've also had a boyfriend pee drunkenly on the carpet. MY carpet. I kicked him out so fast… I didn't even wait until the morning. That was the end of THAT relationship. It was a relationship that went about a year longer than it should have. And peeing on the carpet, as minute as it may seem in the grand scheme of things, was the straw that broke the camel's back! Thankfully.
I understand you're trying to figure things out with this post, and that's great! I love writing about difficult things to help make sense of it all. Getting it all into a succinct writing sample with an attempted central purpose can help so much. I should do it more often.
Though I was wondering if I smelled a double-standard. You will tweet about your boyfriends, but have problems when they tweet about you? You need a boyfriend who doesn't use Twitter! Problem solved!
Posted by Amanda on 04/24/2009 at 10:27am | permalink | Reply to this comment
PEEING ON THE CARPET IS NOT EXCUSABLE! I don't know what you ladies are talking about… ew…
Posted by Amy on 05/06/2009 at 02:07am | permalink | Reply to this comment
So, you can blog about people but they can't say anything about you? It doesn't work that way at all. Sorry.
Posted by KateNonymous on 04/24/2009 at 10:35am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Funny. In that shake head kind of way. I too was worried when I read this. I'm a 52 year old woman. I don't have a cognitive reason for my worry. The post just set off maternal instinct – something not right here. You may have gotten yourself too deep into this all open all the time thing. I have nothing but good wishes for you.
Posted by LPC on 04/24/2009 at 10:35am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Agree with those who say there is something self-destructive about this. Whether the sex is intertwined with work or not, posting private, intimate moments online will probably scare many a potential love interest away. Am also a little aspbergers and neurotic and so I sort of "get it", but maybe it's the publicity and not the working relationship that can make things exceptionally complicated.
Liked the post from Eduardo, because there is something beautiful in the simplicity of how he describes it. I think that love really is just what he said- two people who happened to be in the same place at the same time and it turns out they fit really well together. It can happen anywhere, including work, where you spend so much time with the same people. I think it's ok to mix love and work, but you have to be really careful-if it doesn't work out the break up is a lot messier than if it was someone you never have to see again.
Posted by Anne on 04/24/2009 at 11:06am | permalink | Reply to this comment
If you know who you are in the world, it doesn't matter who blogs about you. Or Twitters about you.
You said that.
I think you know what this all means. You need to give advice to yourself like you're a friend or a reader, not like you're you. That will clarify things.
Why does it matter if they Twittered about you when you're doing the same? I think it doesn't matter if they Tweeted. It matters what they said. That has nothing to do with them and everything to do with how you feel about whatever they said.
The 25 year old sounds like a 25 year old. I didn't even date 25 year olds when I was 20. But I hope he was hot and fun while it lasted.
Any guy who won't go down on you needs to be kicked out of bed pronto, which I'm glad you did. That's so damn lame. Come on! You are totally settling if this keeps coming up.
D, I don't know enough to say. But you can be with someone who is out of their mind. All the good people are. It's just about having compassion.
It's okay if you only meet men because of your blog but I think you need to be okay with them being enamored with you rather than you wanting some of their starpower to rub off on you.
Posted by Joselle on 04/24/2009 at 11:10am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I love your writing. I really do.
And I get that work and sex often intersect, and that you like to write about that. That's fine.
But when you tell us how many times you had sex with the guy and whether or not he went down on you…well, that's not the intersection of work and sex. That's just attention-seeking drama. That's for lesser writers.
Plus, aren't you limiting your dating pool a bit by narrowing it down to guys who are willing to have these sorts of details shared with your 33K subscribers?
Posted by Kerry on 04/24/2009 at 11:14am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I'm always surprised with the "this blog sucks, I'm taking my ball and going home" and "what the hell is she thinking" comments.
P's blog has always been a hyper-intimate introspective. She has a high profile, hectic life. She understands sex and relationships are a huge part of being happy. She understands being happy is a huge part of being successful. So those two get blended together in the very real, and often messy way it does for all of us.
P isn't crazy, she's just honest. Since most of us don't have the balls to be that honest, perhaps we can lose a bit of the judgment and hand-wringing?
Posted by Mike on 04/24/2009 at 11:27am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Mike,
"High-profile" is in the eye of the beholder. P has always had an inflated sense of self-importance – it shows in almost every post she makes. What about her life qualifies for "high-profile" – the fact that she is a blogger? Big deal.
Posted by Jim on 04/24/2009 at 11:30am | permalink | Reply to this comment
She is the Founder of the largest social networking site for Gen Y professionals in the world. She is a regular columnist in many newspapers. She consults regularly with She has spoken at numerous events on cross-generational management, one which I personally attended resulted in a deluge of people trying to meet her, get books signed, etc. afterwords.
Is she Ashton Kutcher? No. But in the web's world of micro-celebrity, she's entrenched in this vertical.
Enough hate.
Posted by Mike on 2009-04-24 12:53:50 | (Comments wont nest below this level)
Mike,
ROFL – you are right about the "micro" part of the celebrity. I hope you were being tougue-in-cheek about this….
Posted by Jim on 2009-04-24 15:12:39 | (Comments wont nest below this level)
"But really, there must be a ton of people who think sex and work overlap because, look, my blog has 33,000 subscribers."
Just because I read your blog regularly doesn't mean that I'm completely likeminded with you. Honestly, I read your stuff because half of it (the career stuff) is intriguing and useful, and the other half I liken to passing a car wreck on the freeway — it's tragic and awful sometimes, but I can't help but look. (And your writing in and of itself is fun to read.) But this all makes for a successful and well-frequented blog.
Here's a thought — could you just be content with the 'sex' part, which you seem to be getting plenty of, instead of worrying about having a relationship? I mean, you have your kids, so you don't have to worry about the whole "getting married, having kids" part, and you're incredibly independent anyway, so why not just be happy 'playing the field'? In that case, your work seems to pair you up with plenty of interesting men who are obviously interested in you. So could it be that work and sex mix, but not necessarily work and finding a long-term stable relationship?
Posted by Chicken on 04/24/2009 at 11:40am | permalink | Reply to this comment
By now even you must realize that blogging the intimate details of your relationships dooms them. Every time. And not because the guy is uptight, but because your gabbing proves a basic lack of respect for the relationship. Which is fine if you actually prefer a life of superficial flings with floor pee-ers.
Posted by Jake on 04/24/2009 at 11:43am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I don't eat where I shit. Simple as that.
While it's easy for me to say that, given that I'm married and that I work in a traditional office, so any social interaction is done outside of those walls. Now, if I were self-employed, those lines get blurred.
Posted by Norcross on 04/24/2009 at 11:59am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I was single for 10 years in between marriages and I am somewhat of an "expert" on this subject. These kinds of situations have nothing to do with dating and everything to do with power, control, self-esteem, boredom, frustration and anger. They also tend to escalate – from sex with a co-worker to a fling with a married man, to picking up a stranger, to having hot monkey sex with a stranger under the same roof with your sleeping children. Nope. It has absolutely nothing to do with "dating". These types of impulsive and thrilling yet dangerous situations are all around us if you look for them, regardless of how much money you have, your looks, brains or how much you weigh. Random hookups and casual sex with people you know have absolutely zero chance of developing into a meaningful emotional relationship seem good at the time but are always regretted later. If you make the decision to love yourself first, the right person will show up in your life. Hold out for the right guy P. He's out there. Let's just pray he never reads your blog.
Posted by Been there - done that on 04/24/2009 at 12:02pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
But, you _are_ out of your mind.
Posted by Jacob Tweed on 04/24/2009 at 12:16pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
1. I love Ryan Paugh! But I don't think he was right in giving you that advice.
“Yeah. You can't take a guy to your hotel room and not have sex.” WHAT?! No! Yes you can!
If you tell a guy that you want to go back to your hotel room to get a charger, then he should get that. He might expect sex, but he can't be counting on it. If he is and he voices that, then he is probably under the age of 25 and you should drop him right then and there. Not mature.
So I think you could have gone back to your hotel room with that guy the first night, gotten your charger and gotten out of there without any problem.
2. Maybe I'm selfish, but I want you to continue writing about this stuff, because someone has to! And it is so refreshing to read it. It would be sad if you stopped. Then I would just have to listen to my own thoughts in my head…
3. So please continue, just as long as this is not destructive to your life.
Posted by Anonymous on 04/24/2009 at 01:41pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Age doesn't mean anything when being asked to a room. 5 years ago, I was asked by a then 59-year-old to his room. Sex was the issue. 5 years later — still strong. And very mature — I am only 3 years younger.
Posted by Ann on 04/25/2009 at 01:24am | permalink | Reply to this comment
P — I feel guilty that I am filled with such frissions of delight at reading the evidence of your spiral downwards. Is it an atavistic response to perceived hubris? Or maybe rooted in envy and self-loathing? While your writing displays technical mastery, your advice is more often than not execrable. I don't know why I am as enthralled by your blog as I am appalled by it; but I keep coming back. Either you are a virtuoso of fictive psychodrama, or you're giving us a true confession of your life. If the latter, then your recent behavior has become self-destructive, as many of the other commenters have noted. Rather than blame Asperger's for your relationship issues, you might be better served asking your doctor is you're bipolar. Full blown manic episodes are often accompanied by the sort of sexual acting out that you describe. Please take care of yourself.
Posted by Maus on 04/24/2009 at 01:41pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
This is the last straw for me. If I want Carrie Bradshaw I will watch SATC.
Posted by at my wit's end on 04/24/2009 at 01:56pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I don't think you have asperger’s syndrome since you are really good at communicating and you like parties. I think you have narcissistic personality disorder. A lot of extremely successful people in business and politics are narcissists. Our culture is one that rewards “its all about me” behavior so it could be considered an asset instead of a liability.
Posted by Leslie on 04/24/2009 at 02:27pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
The older people reading this feel pretty uncomfortable—PT, thanks for providing another lesson to this 25-year-old on how a Boomer might react to the Gen Y facts of life.
(As some one dating his coworker) I readily admit that I, and most humans with a pulse, think about sex…everyday…a lot!
I don't think forward-thinking decision makers should set up flip-&-fuck cots in their corner offices, or plant "love-cocoon snuggies" under desks. But, sometimes reality requires you to pack your brief case with a change of clothes. Use your best judgment.
Office life sucks every once in awhile. Why shut yourself off from instinctual thoughts? (Of course, any IT department worth its cookies can take measures to prevent porn possibilities). There's real excitement in blurring productive working relationships with flirtatious ones. And an excited employee is a better employee, right?
In my opinion the most important message to take from this, to the author whom I have strong respect for: now that your sex life is a little more public, I hope you're strict to take precautions and have safe sex—one can only imagine the kind of scenarios and weirdos that your posts open you up to (it’s happened already, right?). And I hope you’ll balance a post like this by promoting safe sex (in some subtle way) to your younger readers and college audiences.
Posted by Jackaroo on 04/24/2009 at 02:29pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I don't get all this analysing. If it was a man writing about his sexual adventures, would there be so much talk about being a narcissist or having a personality disorder, or being some sort of train wreck? Would people be so worried if a man was dating women younger than 25? Please tell me if I'm missing something here, but if you go out and buy a book (print run probably greater than 33,000) where the author talks frankly about sex, you don't get that worked up about it. But if it's a woman on a blog, all of a sudden she's on the verge of a breakdown for sharing her personal life.
Posted by Clare on 04/24/2009 at 02:42pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
It doesn't matter what sex she is. If a man OR a woman was writing about how many times their partner went down on them on their BUSINESS blog, it's unprofessional. And honestly? Kind of gross.
Posted by Lisa on 04/24/2009 at 05:27pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Its good to know your as crazy as every female Ive ever known. Thanks for the honesty.
Posted by mark torres on 04/24/2009 at 02:52pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I actually don't think this post has to do at all with work and dating. It has to do with one-night stands, and whether or not to be public about those one-night stands (or any relationship you have with anyone, really).
Is it embarrassing for him to be tweeting about you, really, when now you're blogging about it? And you're so open about the rest of your personal life in this more-or-less "professional" network?
I struggle every day with the personal/professional balance. We all do. This whole network talks about it. But, bottom line – I think your lessons are misleading. It's not about mixing work and sex, and not about meeting people through your blog (you met him in real life, didn't you? :))
Thanks for sharing though – sincerely, a girl who thinks about dating wayyyy too much.
Posted by Emma (Heart) on 04/24/2009 at 02:52pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I love your writing, but posts like this made me so glad I didn't blog for a year after my divorce.
There's a name for what you're going through: Crazy Time.
Posted by Amanda on 04/24/2009 at 03:10pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Don't you have friends you can talk about this stuff with? When you write in such a HUGE forum about what is happening in your personal life (assuming it is all true), I think you like the attention it generates. I think you are a better writer than that.
Posted by Helen on 04/24/2009 at 03:50pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
so someone told me to read your blog because it sometimes reminded them of me…. now I know why! Love it!
Posted by Carrie on 04/24/2009 at 04:25pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
You have children; they're your first priority. This silliness about men and one-night stands and boys who pee on the carpet suggest to me that your custody could be at risk. Does your ex-husband read this blog? Does your judge who settled custody arrangements?
I too think there's narcissistic personality disorder occurring here, and it needs attention. My son has Aspergers; YOU DON'T.
Posted by have career and children on 04/24/2009 at 05:22pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Take love (in whatever form) where you find it. Do what seems right to you. Dating can be a disaster whether it is related to work or not. Who ever said don't mix dating and friends? Or dating and church? Disasters happened there too. There are no guarantees.
Posted by Denise Tourelle on 04/24/2009 at 06:52pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I don't think you're narcissistic. I do see how lines get blurred between work and dating considering the world you live in. It is more like a display of curiosity about how people will react to your life.
Thats all it is people, her life.
Posted by cara on 04/24/2009 at 07:27pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
"This blog is about career advice. And about me." – Did people miss the "about me" part? Pen is putting her life out there for us to read about. It's easy to get caught up in self-righteousness and forget about our own ups and downs.
Tone down the shaming, people.
Posted by Kandeezie on 04/24/2009 at 08:53pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
*blink*
*cough* We haven't met yet.
Posted by Ari Herzog on 04/24/2009 at 11:17pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I just want to say that I love reading your blogs, love your honesty. I wish you had time to blog more.
Posted by Carol Saha on 04/24/2009 at 11:53pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I think I have almost read every single one of your posts by now.
Long time reader, first time commenter….
You are exactly right P when you say no one is writing about this stuff.
That is why you must keep writing about whatever it is you feel you need to write about. Whether the readers agree with it or not, it presents us with something to think about.
To those people that say Penelope should just write about business, simple answer – stop reading if it offends you so much.
Posted by Gerty on 04/25/2009 at 01:09am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I love reading Penelope's stuff too. Always have. I don't find it offensive. I see the value of being open about work/dating/ etc. For me this is just an emotional response on my part. For some reason this last post flicked a switch. The switch of, oh wait, she might be in some emotional trouble. That's all. I dearly hope I am wrong, even though I don't know the woman personally, since I would hate to lose the value of her voice.
Posted by LPC on 04/25/2009 at 11:50am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Dear Penelope,
I hope your blog is theraputic for you, and I appreciate your honesty. You may be doing a lot of people a favor by letting them see the reality of dating through your experiences. I think one thing thats happenning here is you are reinforcing the age old truth, don't sleep with people unless you know them really well and are in a committed relationship with them.
I know this sounds like something your mother would say and I learned the same way you did, by trial and error (I had no mother to teach me).
Why risk your health, dignity, spirit and professional reputation by allowing some one to use your body as a rubber doll an pee on your carpet? You wouldn't know they were going to behave like this unless you spent time getting to know them. Even after getting into a committed relationship, you are still at risk (ie Spitzer, McGreevy, Huffington and all the others who drop the bomb on their spouse). Why not narrow down the odds of getting involved with someone inappropriate and spend the time vetting them and learning about who they really are?
Think of your own daughter and what you want for her then apply that to yourself.
I think you are an interesting, smart person who has a lot to offer in a love relationship. Why squander it on every guy that crosses your path? Your high risk behaviour is not healthy for you personally or professionally.
Love yourself and don't give in to your lonliness and neediness. Get a grip and abstain from letting people 'do their business' on you then pee on your carpet.
Love,
Virginia
Posted by virginia on 04/25/2009 at 11:54am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Honestly, I would say that the way you write has forced me to become oddly attracted to you, and I have no problem saying that because that is clearly the reason why you're choosing to write about this stuff. A woman talking about one-night stands, just so happens to be, something probably every single guy in the world has fantasized about in one way at least a million times in their lifetime.
I always find it funny when women are almost wholly unaware of how much power they really possess; it's so clear why men had to suppress minorities throughout the ages to keep our power levels high. We're all completely powerless against our penises. Mostly. Not at all the time. But most of the time.
So yeah, I would totally ask you out. You ask for it. Sorry, but it's true. ;)
—Jdub
P.S. I do like reading about how you're a savvy career woman and all, but the mix of the personal stuff in with the career stuff is really what I enjoy reading about. And I'm not a weirdo.
Posted by Justin on 04/25/2009 at 01:00pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Justin,
You said: "I always find it funny when women are almost wholly unaware of how much power they really possess; it's so clear why men had to suppress minorities throughout the ages to keep our power levels high."
Don't you mean "it's so clear why white/European men had to suppress minorities"?
Posted by Lynne on 04/25/2009 at 09:35pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Why white/European men?
Did you ever look at how the Chinese treated the "barbarians of the four winds" (Miao, Manchu, Mongols, Tibetans, Taiwanese, etc.) in the old days? How about the way the Tutsis treated the Hutus? Or the way Muslims treated (and still treat) the "Koufar" minorities in Muslim-majority countries? Did you know the Arab word for "Negro" (abd') is the same as their word for "slave"?
It's very politically correct to blame white males for everything, but it's a lie.
Posted by Jim C. on 2009-04-26 09:18:48 | (Comments wont nest below this level)
Dear P.,
I agree with many of the comments here. Your blog, which I subscribed to for professional advice, seems to have become a forum for you to vent about your personal life, and not in a constructive or informative way. I really do not think details about your 25-year-old boy-toy peeing in the hotel room while drunk, or turning down an opportunity to fulfill your oral sex needs, has any relevance to the issue of work intersecting with dating that you are pretending to address.
Also, claiming that you have a medical syndrome to "explain" your issues of social awkwardness is an insult to people who actually have Asperger’s and the people who love them. NOT very professional, Miss P.
You are clearly suffering emotionally and professionally from your divorce, which, granted, is an extremely difficult life event.
Please get some professional therapy and stop displaying the "train wreck" on your blog. Please do also continue to write honestly about issues, with less tawdry details and more common sense.
Posted by Miss Joyful on 04/25/2009 at 01:35pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I hate comments that start with the phrase, 'as a single mother…' but in this case, it is appropriate for me to express that phrase, because I get it.
When you're a single mother, working professional and blogger, and you're trying to hold it all together AND find someone who understands you on the level that you want them to – be it sexually, intellectually, emotionally, or all three – sometimes blogging about the experience is the best thing to do. I commend you on your ability to be shamelessly candid, and for standing up for yourself after you have done so.
The people who worry about you have never been in your shoes.
Posted by Sari on 04/25/2009 at 03:04pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I've been in her shoes, so please don't assert that since we are of the same ilk that I would have the need to sleep with 2 men withing a time period of 72 hours to keep my life together.
I hardly consider a one night stand to be the standard for finding someone who understands me on all the levels you indicated. Men and women who engage in that kind of behavior are not looking for a deep relationship – they're using it for instant gratification and in this case, material for the next blog roll.
PT would you not be embarrassed if your parents or children read your soft porno? Imagine how they would feel knowing that you don't care about protecting them from the consequences of your public porno.
Oh, and I find it very hard to believe that you had sex with the guy ten times in one night when he was so drunk he pissed on the carpet. Alcohol and erections aren't exactly good bed fellows. I doubt he could even get it up once. That's probably why you were so demanding about him going down on you.
I think you exaggerated or possibly made the whole thing up to increase your traffic and bask in the praise of your shallow, pathetic minions for the validation you so desperately crave.
Posted by Lee on 04/26/2009 at 08:52am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Wow, I read these posts all about sex and sure they are interesting and I enjoy reading them…like a romance novel. Is this stuff real or do you make it up? If it's real, wow you are one slutty mom.
Posted by John Demp on 04/25/2009 at 04:30pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Wow… You're quite amazing :) I mean, all this seems such a mess sometimes :D
Well, not dating someone only because you've met by the blog is quite a strange debate… There is shit and gold everywhere. And someone reading your posts, if you're true there, should at least know you a bit. Which can be a good beginning.
Dating and work(place), this is another stuff… This can lead to some shitty situations. And you'll probably have to deal with the stuff each day, quite face to face… But this can be great too. Depends really on how you and your date can taste the present, be responsible, drive your own life… A quite huge risk if you live for your job in fact :|
I wish you luck and strength in your mess ! Enjoy :D
some PS:
- Peeing on the carpet ? oO
- If ten times is in the same night, maybe peeing on the carpet is not the important point.(joke)
But ok, tongue play is still missing..
Posted by fanf on 04/25/2009 at 05:55pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
For those that may be unaware, one of Penelope's sons has Asperger's, I think she would probably know more about the condition and its symptoms than most people.
Posted by Gerty on 04/25/2009 at 06:14pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Sorry P. It was a cringe. Pure and simple. And not in a "you made me think deep thoughts" kind of way. More of a "ick how pathetic" kind of way. Love your blog and read it for years. I really think about this from a mother's point of view. What does a mother of 2 of any business behaving in such a way as to endanger her own mental health and thus the ability of her to take care of her kids. Get off the train till you kids grow up. You are just not single anymore; you are a mother. People need and depend upon you.
Posted by rebecca on 04/25/2009 at 09:31pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I love your confidence in posting this experience. I, myself, am very discreet about my office/work dating experiences as I commit to denials after denials when co-workers and friends asked about so and so….
This is the first of many blogs that I will read at your site. I'm a blogger myself and will refer to your posts in the future.
Posted by Mr. Chow on 04/25/2009 at 10:23pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Penelope, what would happen if you became maddeningly aloof and hard-to-get? Would your appeal not appreciate?
What would happen if you left the truly intimate moments, like touching one another's hair, between you and your kids? And don't expect those things from strangers–by their very definition, strangers are incapable of honest intimacy.
I'm just saying: shuffle the deck and try some new, and perhaps opposite strategies, to make yourself satisfied. Not because you "should," but because finding the balance between work and sex (or relationship)is a trial and error thing, and you are perfectly willing to do trial and error in the hopes of stumbling upon more insights . . .
CAK
Posted by CAK on 04/26/2009 at 08:41am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Men are men, despite their color — and sexual preference. They all have the dominance gene.
Posted by Ann on 04/26/2009 at 09:27am | permalink | Reply to this comment
A compilation of my favorite lines from both the article and the comments:
"So when this guy who is clearly in my age bracket comes up to me and says, "Hi, I like your blog," I ask, "Are you trying to date me?"" – That's not Asperger's. That's something completely different. And honestly, a lot more scary.
"Then things get bad because he twitters about me. And I think, I do not want the world to know I’m dating him because maybe I don’t want to be dating him." – `Immediately after making this statement, Royal realized it was true.'
"But really, there must be a ton of people who think sex and work overlap because, look, my blog has 33,000 subscribers." – I don't.. Uhh.. Wait, wat? That could have worked perfectly, without the "33,000" bit, no?
"I'm a 50year old Jewish man that has been married and divorced (no kids), and I love hyper nuts intelligent gals like you." – Is it just me, or does this sound like he's a 50 year old man who enjoys women in spiky heels who grinds them into his nuts?
"I am concerned that maybe there is something self-destructive in all this. I'm not telling you what you do." – That's awesome, how you tell her what she does, then follow it up with, `I'm not telling you what you do.'.
"I have ground out my career are a product strategist." – I SWEAR to god, what I said above must've been subconsciously taken from this.
"I wish I could find one like you out here – we could be crazy with each other, and that nervous, trembling energy and creativity would be the boot in the ass I need to revive" – Ohhhhhh. Christ. Really. This just gets worse and worse.
"Why shouldn't work and sex mix?" – Because then it becomes a conflict of interest when you start schtupping your supervisor, no?
"If I ever have occasion to go to an emergency room, I always ask the doctor, "is there anyone having sex in" – Maybe it's just me, but whenever *I* have occasion to go to the ER, my thoughts are usually elsewhere. Namely things like, a.) Jesus, I hope they can reattach that finger or b.) Jesus, I hope they can reattach my friend's finger. Sometimes it's c.) Where's that nurse with the morphine, my frickin' finger hurts.
"I find your candor remarkable." – I find your bootlicking.. Well, remarkable, really.
"because I also am a sassy bitch with a sensitive heart (which I believe you are, too)" – Nothing like making up an excuse for poor and/or narcissistic emotional behavior towards other people and wrapping it up in a cloak with the qualifying phrase, `sensitive heart'. See, reading this comment, you could also describe me as a `sassy bitch, with a sensitive heart'.
"husband one and two were both found in work environments – where else does a working girl find them" – With a little luck, a `working girl' won't find them `on the job'. :)
"After reading this post, having read all of your posts, I think if I ever met you in real life, it would be too hard to look you in the eyes without giggling." – Seriously man, imagine that happening.. In real life, and think about it carefully. Do you REALLY want to be `that guy'? The giggling guy?
"I know the rollercoaster wild-ride that your life is taking makes you feel alive, but does it make you happy?" – Aww, come on. EVERYBODY loves roller coasters. That's `roller coaster' by the way.
"And there's no way in hell I'm taking a woman who blogs about her sex/dating life in her *professional* blog seriously." – That guy, he just took his damn toys.. and he LEFT. That's what he did. Check it out. There he goes, leaving. With all his toys.
"Twitter is evil, by the way." – DON'T TOUCH IT MUM! DON'T TOUCH IT, IT'S EEEEEEVILLLLLL!
"Then give them a true/false, multiple choice, and essay test. Evaluate, screen, and use as part of the decision to go from there." – My god, I want to be your girlfriend. Seriously, you remind me of Hermes from Futurama. Do you make EVERYONE fill out a form like that?
"I agree with anon. This post is raunchy" – I.. Uhhh. What, like `Debbie Does Dallas' raunchy? What are you talking about?
"You are not grounded, and that can be a destructive and dangerous thing to your reputation and your over-all quality of life. Throwing out the number of subscribers you have in conjunction with revealing your sexual escapades raises a serious red flag regarding your self-esteem and self-confidence." – Hey pot? I got someone for you to meet over here. His name is `Kettle'.
"She was cute, strange looking cute. And married. And pregnant. Then I went for another company" – I think that you can pretty much stop right there, because not only does the dysfunction shine like the northern lights in your response, but it also oddly reads like a, `Dear penthouse, this never happens to me but..'
"Of course, D also could have been dating you for the Internet notoreity, in which case, good riddance." – Ummmmmmm. didn't Penelope just post about that, and how it's OK to, `grow their brand' or something? (I've got mental images of the Jolly Green Giant going on right now. I have absolutely no idea why. Maybe I'm jonesin' for green beans or something.)
"Okay, this just confused me. Do you want me to do you or not?" – Hi. 1976 called, and it wants both it's pickup line and Camaro back.
"Personally, I think more women should blog about what makes them tick bedroom-wise – that just sounds like a win-win situation to me. It'd be like having an instruction manual." – Ladies and gentlemen, I present the laziest man in history. One who wishes no intimacy at all, and the answers to life's questions to be dropped off, on a silver platter in front of him. Ian, dude. Half the fun in getting to know your significant other is LEARNING what turns them on. I would imagine that sex with you is a hurried, guilt-ridden and scary thing. WAIT! You can use a FORM!
"You know, I've also had a boyfriend pee drunkenly on the carpet. MY carpet." – I'm really glad that you indicated your severe indignation by specifying IN CAPS that it was SPECIFICALLY YOUR carpet. Those darned carpet-pissers.
"It was a relationship that went about a year longer than it should have. And peeing on the carpet, as minute as it may seem" – It's all about the carpet pissers, isn't it? I'm wondering, did that rug really tie the room together?
"Funny. In that shake head kind of way." – Yeah. To me, this is about as unfunny in that shake-baby kind of way.
"I too was worried when I read this." – I too, was worried while reading your comment.
"I don't have a cognitive reason for my worry." – I actually disagree, wholeheartedly. That or I do not think that word means, what you think it means.
"You may have gotten yourself too deep into this all open all the time thing." – She's in too deep, capt! She'll never make it out! (LPC, has it occurred to you that our favorite author is doing a St. Vitus Dance of self-destruction, and broadcasting it all `Christine Chubbuck' style, due to some sort of insecurity, or other mental deficiency?
"I have nothing but good wishes for you." – No you don't. You've got a guilt-trip, wrapped up in `mother knows best' message for her. Just like a tasty, tasty bacon piece wrapped `round a scallop. A delicious scallop of dysfunction, that is.
"posting private, intimate moments online will probably scare many a potential love interest away." – Yes. `Probably'. Good word, there.
"Am also a little aspbergers and neurotic and so I sort of "get it"…" – Ahh. The lesser-known, `Asp-bergers'. It's when snakes are unable to communicate and relate to other snakes on a social level. Also, your post reeks of self-doubt with all the `sort of' and `probably'. I think you're mistaking snake syndrome for something else. Hiss.
"I think that love really is just what he said- two people who happened to be in the same place at the same time and it turns out they fit really well together." – OMG. You and that dude up there that was all like, "I require a pre-made instruction manual for all women I have sexual encounters with" need to get all hitched and have babies and stuff, ASAP.
"But I hope he was hot and fun while it lasted." – But he wasn't. Because he was one of those carpet-pissers.
"That's just attention-seeking drama. That's for lesser writers." – Oh, I totally call shenanigans on you. It's what ALL writers do. Lesser and.. Moorer. (Wait.. Hold on, there's something wrong with that sentence.)
"I'm always surprised with the "this blog sucks, I'm taking my ball and going home" and "what the hell is she thinking" comments." – Indeed. How dare someone question what you consider to be gospel and verse. How DARE someone display an opinion contrary to what you believe in. Hey, check it out. You can see RUSSIA from your backyard.
"P's blog has always been a hyper-intimate introspective." – Uhhhh. You're missing the rest of that sentence, and also.. It just plain don't make sense, yo.
"P isn't crazy, she's just honest. Since most of us don't have the balls to be that honest, perhaps we can lose a bit of the judgment and hand-wringing?" – You see, as screwed up as you sound, I actually agree with you, (with caveats.) P IS nuts. Really. But she posts what makes her LOOK nuts, and I `get it' if I imagine that she is a performance art piece like Laurie Anderson or something. Also, aren't YOU being kind of judgmental yourself?
"She is the Founder of the largest social networking site for Gen Y professionals in the world." – Since you're using such loose terms, both I AND Mark Zuckerberg would beg to differ with you. Also, nice job capitalizing "founder".
"She consults regularly with She has spoken at" – Hold up.. Missing something there. See? This is why we can't have nice things. That, or maybe you're referring to some sort of female deity.
"I don't eat where I shit. Simple as that." – That's.. Uhh.. Awesome, man. Really. I am very.. very… proud of you.
"While it's easy for me to say that, given that I'm married and that I work in a traditional office," – So, uhh. What, like, you shit in your office? Where you work?
"and I am somewhat of an "expert" on this subject." – I love people like you. Experts.
"to having hot monkey sex with a stranger" – I not only love people like you, but I love expert people like you who use the term, `hot monkey sex'. I, personally would love to become an expert in `hot monkey sex', but unfortunately seeing as how monkeys are sorta inclined to pulling the faces off of people these days..
"regardless of how much money you have, your looks, brains or how much you weigh." – I was following this, until I got past the `looks' part and screeched full-stop into the, `how much you weigh'. A bit obviously transparent, eh?
"But, you _are_ out of your mind." – The only one line I completely agree with.
"I love Ryan Paugh! But I don't think he was right" – You know, I love Darth Vader, but I don't think he was right to let Gov Tarkin blow up Alderan.
"So I think you could have gone back to your hotel room with that guy the first night, gotten your charger.." – And gotten YOUR FREAK ON! (Or maybe just blown up Alderan.)
"Maybe I'm selfish, but" – DING! Correct. No need to finish the remainder of your sentence.
"I feel guilty that I am filled with such frissions of delight at reading the evidence of your spiral downwards." – Goodness gracious! You sorta came FLYING out of the gate with that first sentence, what with `frissons' and all that. Also, you misspelled `frissons'. Just an FYI.
"Is it an atavistic response to perceived hubris?" – Ok, now you're just using 25-cent words for no other purpose than using 25-cent words. You're becoming `that guy', the dork-with-a-thesaurus dude.
"This is the last straw for me. If I want Carrie Bradshaw" – But she's not even Carrie Bradshaw. At least Carrie could write. And had great taste in shoes.
"I don't think you have asperger’s syndrome since you are really good at communicating and you like parties." – Without a doubt, this is my favorite sentence in the whole thing. I can tell you, that Leslie is exactly right. That's word-for-word how it's written in the DSM-IV diagnostic guide. `Should patient profess an uncanny love of parties, disregard diagnosis.'
"it's unprofessional. And honestly? Kind of gross" – Yeah, let's keep sex behind closed doors, in the dark and by god, let's all write manuals, for chrissake.
"Its good to know your as crazy as every female Ive ever known." – Hey now! She's not the one pissing on carpets here. Also, PLEASE LEARN HOW TO USE `your/you're', etc. I swear, when people do that, it just makes my heart give an atavistic hubris response. FRISSONS! ASP-BERGERS!
"I actually don't think this post has to do at all with work and dating." – I agree. I think it's nothing but drama for drama's sake.
"so someone told me to read your blog because it sometimes reminded them of me. now I know why! Love it!" – A quick translation, "I am making a post, about myself! That nobody understands! But me! This is all about ME! ME, ME! Me, me? ME!"
"Take love (in whatever form) where you find it. Do what seems right to you." – But, you gotta like.. Watch out for that brown acid, man!
"Honestly, I would say that the way you write has forced me to become oddly attracted to you," – And this is where the crazies start to come out. Actually, no. The `I'm so attracted to you' crazies started coming out wayyyyyy above this comment.
"And I'm not a weirdo." – My second-favorite sentence in this. Dude, the rule of thumb goes that when people feel compelled to say, "I'm not a weirdo", uhhh.. Well, generally, they are.
"I think she would probably know more about the condition and its symptoms than most people." – I know a guy who has cancer. As a result, I like to go around and diagnose people with cancer. I know more about cancer than most people, so I can tell if I have cancer. Or you. Hey, by the way. You have cancer.
Ok. You don't have cancer.
Posted by jafo on 04/26/2009 at 01:24pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
>>"I have nothing but good wishes for you." – No you don't. You've got a guilt-trip, wrapped up in `mother knows best' message for her. Just like a tasty, tasty bacon piece wrapped `round a scallop. A delicious scallop of dysfunction, that is.
Seriously, dude, you are hilarious. "Scallop of dysfunction" is my new favorite metaphor.
Posted by Maus on 04/27/2009 at 12:04pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I'm not sure this will make sense in an obvious, direct way, but I think the lesson is, 'Don't try to make people you are dating do things." People's actions are information. If you get involved in the process, you throw it off balance in a way that makes nice people uncomfortable, and controlling people way too comfortable.
The young guy always talked past you, and tried to make you do things you didn't necessarily want to do, right from the start. Then you tried to make him do things too because it seemed to make sense that you would get a turn. Then he pushed back, because that's the game. And eventually you end up arguing about the oral sex you're not getting in a hotel room with a pee spot on the floor.
The nicer guy just accepted you, and worked around it. It sounds a lot nicer. But then you tried to get him to do something for you, and he basically said that was uncomfortable, and he didn't play the game with you.
This probably doesn't make sense, but I don't necessarily have the words to explain the interaction that I'm recognizing.
Posted by Liz on 04/26/2009 at 06:56pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Anyway, it has nothing to do with work. It's the interaction, not the way you met them, that makes the difference.
Posted by Liz on 04/26/2009 at 06:56pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
jafo, you're a genius.
Posted by lance stratton on 04/26/2009 at 08:09pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Let's all be realistic. We came for the career advise but we stay for the for the smut. Fun for me, but I wouldn't invest in it.
As captivating as a car crash. Between Dellifield and the oral sex freak out, I'm officially with the "worried" crowd.
Penelope, get focused. Just like taking an extended time out to live out on your parent's couch can bring clarity, so can a time out from relationships. Get a good vibrator. Be alone for a while.
Posted by Grace on 04/26/2009 at 09:10pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Penelope,
Any chance you could put some video (you know, the amateur soft core kind) with the written verse? I'd luv it and think of how many eyeballs would come to the site.
Posted by Mickey Van Roo on 04/26/2009 at 09:23pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I'm a person married to an Aspie, and mother of another Aspie.
I found this post kind of sweet. Aspies are great.
You go, girl.
Posted by Nancy on 04/27/2009 at 07:29am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I have been reading this blog for a while now but this just made me log into my news feeds and manually click 'delete'.
You talk about being around people who are younger than you but by writing this you have shown yourself to have the mental capacity of a child.
I think you should seek intensive therapy and look into some of the medications out there, that is, if you are not already on a multitude of uppers and downers.
Good look with your life and I hope one day you realize what life is all about. Get out of your pathetic blog, turn off your cellphone and laptop and get a grip on reality b1tch!
Posted by Brazen Idiot on 04/27/2009 at 12:11pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Hi Penelope,
You ask whether you should date people you meet on from the blog. I think that's the wrong question. In my opinion the problem lies not with the medium you use to meet people, but rather in they type of guy who is likely to pursue you. Take the "charger" guy, for instance. There are only a few types of men who will respond positively to "Are you trying to date me?" right at the jump. Either they appreciate your quirkiness or there is something so weird about them that they are willing to put up with generally weird stuff from you. Don't get me wrong, I think you are delightful, but your behavior might cause your suitors to self-select to a pretty strange group, with a high percentage of "oh-okay-there's-a-very-good-reason-this-guy-is-single" people.
You are so good at self-awareness in your professional life. You have made small, necessary adjustments to your instinctual behaviors so that you can make a decent first impression on the types of people whose professional company you'd like (and you've encourages your readers to do the same). Then, you are totally yourself later and everyone already loves you. Perhaps you could try that with relationships. I'm not saying change who you are, just share a different side of yourself in the beginning.
Posted by Jennifer Lynn on 04/27/2009 at 12:28pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I've often wondered this myself, though there seems to be plenty of examples on either side of the argument. There's the people who met at work, fell in love, and got married. Then there's the people who met at work, dated, found out they hate eachother, and ended up with a really uncomfortable work place.
Also, maybe you just need to find better quality guys if the ones you end up with piss on your floor and you need to demand oral sex out of them.
Are there really people who refuse to go down anymore? I thought it was pretty much a standard part of foreplay now.
Posted by Wil Butler on 04/27/2009 at 12:36pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
No wonder your husband left you! Are you seriously that desperate that you'd sleep with a urinating adolescent you met on a blog?
There's women like you at our office and they repel men like giant dancing vagina's.
~Jeff
Posted by Jeff on 04/27/2009 at 01:29pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I've never seen a giant dancing vagina. That's very interesting.
They repel men, you say? All men, or just the assholes? Where can I get one of these?
Posted by Kerry on 04/27/2009 at 01:36pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
You're clearly a mess. I don't see things working out for you in the long run. Good luck though.
Posted by Jim Derk on 04/27/2009 at 01:57pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I think if you haven't met anyone not through your blog you should go out for drinks with girlfriends to a club.. or maybe join a dating service… or maybe go dancing or for a walk in the park..
Posted by Jessica on 04/27/2009 at 03:13pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Jafo – you made me laugh out loud – thanks!
What Penelope needs is a man – I mean seriously. She keeps dating people she doesn't really respect. I think it's actually a defensive mechanism – she thinks she's "dominating" the relationship. Think of all the posts about I have more money, I'm more successful, yada, yada, yada. Even the fixation with oral sex is a red flag. I enjoy it as much as the next girl, but come on. If you're using the equipment right, it doesn't hold a candle.
Posted by Sara on 04/27/2009 at 03:34pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
P's a mess. A hot Madison mess…
(and I mean that with affection)
Posted by Do You Hear Voices? on 04/27/2009 at 10:50pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
first of all: work and dating can mix; I met my husband on the cafeteria line (on-line!)
but then I wouldn't actually date him till that job ended (was a summer contract)
i found him because I wasn't looking; I was working on myself.
and then I spent all summer getting to know him (I said no to dates, but I suggested having lunch together instead; which we did every day that summer :)
I suggest you stop looking for men and for sex. work on yourself; realize what you need in a relationship.
spend time with your kids.
i know this advice isn't exciting; but then your latest excitement doesn't sound like much fun.
Posted by jrenee on 04/28/2009 at 08:50am | permalink | Reply to this comment
At first I thought…is this question serious? Of course it DOES NOT work to mix dating and work. However, the reality is that that is where most people spend most of their time. So, the true advice is this…if you are really interested in someone, and its reciprocal, go for it. But, if you just want a one night stand, hit the bars or somewhere similar!
Posted by Top on 04/28/2009 at 11:37pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
I don't even get how this post is about mixing work and dating, except in the most marginal sense.
Posted by andrea on 04/29/2009 at 10:48am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I'm can't even understand why you blog about a post on oral sex or personal sex escapade. This kind of post will only backfire. Good luck.
Posted by Poochie on 05/05/2009 at 12:38am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Dating is bad news at work! I know I met my wife in an office and it was weird going to work and meeting you other half but going off in different directions in the evenings.
If you had a row everybody in the office would know about it. The bosses said it was affecting our work, which just wasn't true. We both changed jobs and were married a year later. We have now been married for nearly 11 years and have a little daughter.
Tim
Posted by Tim Mitchell on 05/13/2009 at 11:14am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I stumbled across this blog.
Narcissistic, arrogant and repulsively self-absorbed.
The gentleman who told you to "get a life" gave good advice.
Good luck with your life, I hope you perhaps become more humble and down to earth and learn to treat human beings with less contempt.
Posted by Alfred on 05/19/2009 at 07:17pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Spare a thought for your children who will grow up and read the very public and graphic details of their mommy's promiscuous escapades.
Posted by Bob on 05/24/2009 at 12:24am | permalink | Reply to this comment
maybe the phrase you can't mix business with pleasure is true this time..
Posted by shuffle mp3 on 06/03/2009 at 12:28pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
It's hard to judge whether dating coworkers is a good idea. One can reason that if they were able to get the job in the first place (my job being so regulated it's scary), that they must be mature enough to handle a responsible relationship.
But if things go sour, as over 50% do, one needs to have an exit strategy. Think: Can I get another job quickly if I can't work here? Or is he/she in a totally different department that doesn't affect my work. Cause if it does, and you answer no to the first, and yes to the second, not the other way around, then don't proceed with the relationship.
Posted by Brett Staupe on 06/04/2009 at 10:49am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Good look with your life and I hope one day you realize what life is all about.
Posted by Nike Lebron VI on 06/10/2009 at 11:55am | permalink | Reply to this comment
Goddamn. I love this post. You're the female version of me. We had better not meet.
Posted by Lance on 07/30/2009 at 10:46am | permalink | Reply to this comment
I'm totally with someone who thinks I'm out of my mind. I kind of prefer it that way, because at least it's the truth.
Posted by Jody Reale on 09/01/2009 at 03:32pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
Ha, I was right. When I divorced I was determined to never date an American girl. Fortunately I live in chicago so I didn't have to. You have proved how right I was… you seem to treat sex as like an after dinner drink. And the farmer took you back? Americans!!!
Ya' I dated 4 women and not one was native american. Been with my latest 4 years now, I'm grateful I learned my lesson, no matter how late in life.
Posted by mark branham on 01/22/2010 at 12:44pm | permalink | Reply to this comment
P-
I love reading your personal stories on the blog!
You are honest and funny and real.
I will never understand why people read this and
then complain. So stupid.
I wish you would write another blog just about the personal stuff!
Cheers!
Posted by Michelle on 02/25/2010 at 05:16pm | permalink | Reply to this comment