Jackie Logan

I always love to answer common questions I’ve seen materialize around the veg* blog world.

The most pertinent question on veg* dating sites is, of course, the one of matching diets.

As in: Should a vegan date a vegetarian, and vice versa?

There’s alot of gray area in this.

First, as a vegan, it depends how non-grossed out you are by having dairy in the house (and seeing him munch down on it, claiming that he “just can’t get away from cheese”).  I, personally, would only deal with this if my significant other had pledged to work toward veganism.

Here, then, is the other gray area: Look for a man who WANTS to go vegan if having dairy around is going to be a problem for you. This is a great measure of his commitment to other things in life.  Even if this is a gradual process, once pledged it can be a powerful salve to a once-hesitant bond.

One more tip: Make sure your vegetarian guy is tolerant of your diet choices, and vice versa.

If a guy starts criticizing your ‘extreme’ views, forget it–with that ”I’m always right’ attitude, it’s only

going to be next to impossible to change it. Similarly, if you think berating his use of dairy will lead him down the path of vegan enlightenment (warning signs of such behavior include waving your copy of Skinny Bitch in his face), then we need to talk.

How you deal with your mate’s diet is up to you.  If you can’t respect each other’s food choices, well…

there are plenty of other (vegan) fish in the sea.  (Maybe even ones that will actually read and respect

Skinny Bitch.  In the meantime Rory and Kim need some vegan guy friends to pen the masculine version).

photo credit: law_keven

I’m a woman of adventure.

I thrive on traveling to new locales pulsing with activity, meeting cultured people and learning new activities and pastimes.

In short, I like my life–and my men–fast-paced. This also includes the medium of communication, mind you.

Recently several guys who cite themselves as ‘adventurous’, love to travel, etc. haven’t exactly been falling into the ‘fast-paced’ email category.

These are men who claim that they’re in search of an ambitious equal, someone to accompanythem on their faraway quests.

So, if said ambitious equal contacts you with obvious interest..?

Ah, here again we arrive at the fickle nature of men. As women, we must remember that men

DO NOT use logic when concocting their ‘perfect girl’ descriptions. They are extremely idealistic, and what makes sense in their head one day (or someplace else, which doesn’t require any sense) utterly transforms the next. So, I have a really hard time believing these guys who have pictures of their buff, tanned selves on faraway beaches, or scuba-diving, mountain climbing, you name it. If you’re that adventurous outdoors, you’d better have that same gusto when shooting your next hot date an email. Just a consideration.

By this logic, clearly I’d have better luck with an agoraphobic homebody.

photo credit: normalityrelief

GreenFriends.com

A Perfect Vegan World

Some women think that once they’re online, that swarm of electrons somehow makes men behave, well, normally. Suddenly, these women fantasize, the men of their dreams will come waltzing into their lives, having good manners, the ability to listen, and, of course, their libido in check.

This is one bubble that in all seriousness I’m actually sad to burst.

No matter where you are looking, men DON’T listen, they WILL be rude, and they WILL be pigs. That said, I shouldn’t have been surprised when a few elderly fellows had apparently taken some time out their [raquetball games/bingo tourneys] to contact me on Green Singles. These 50-60 year-old gentlemen had apparently missed, or had just completely disregarded, the slightly important age requirement on my profile: max of 30.

(Guys, you know, typically take a decade to get their college-induced ya-yas out).

30 is supposed to be the age at which all men settle down, start thinking seriously, and ultimately get over themselves.

Now, this bubble I have no problem bursting.

30 for me guarantees oodles more maturity than a 20-something (my age). However, newsflash for all you ladies in la-la-land: men may mellow out some at 30, but don’t expect them to suddenly relinquish their beloved typical-male behavior. And especially not through the smokescreen of cyberspace.

Ah, how we yearn for a perfect world of perfect men….one where maturity reigns supreme…and the elderly aren’t senile.

At least, not completely. I’m not setting my standards too high there, am I?

photo credit: FarAndFurther.com

Mr. Yoga Instructor maintains that he’s had training in Bikram yoga, which is a form of ‘hot’ yoga (I know what you’re thinking.  But sadly, you’re wrong).  Basically this is like yoga in a sauna.  The theory is that because the body sweats more, it rids itself of toxins more quickly and effectively.  He’s also a surfer. I’ll admit it–this is some stuff I’ll never do. I don’t do well in heat, and…not really well in water, either.  However, the men I’ve seen that are into these ‘extreme’ (or ‘high-risk’ to avoid buzzwords) pastimes  inevitably assume that their ‘perfect’ girl will possess the same pastimes as well.

Ladies: Does it matter if your guy likes the same activities or not?

As women, we always want to provide the best for our guy.  This means accommodating said guy.  From what I understand here, these men think they don’t have to accommodate anyone that doesn’t match their personal preference 98-100%.

We’ll see just how ‘extreme’ they turn out to be when a perfectly good woman decides she wants out of the kitchen.

I’ve found myself exhilarated at the prospects of two great, lovely guys willing to talk.  Both in British Columbia, one is a yoga instructor and the other a floor installer (although supposedly this pays well).

The diversity of professions in my browsings begs the personal question: How much should a girl care about how a guy earns his dollars?

I’ll admit it, I’m not a fan of doctors or lawyers; unlike some wives, I do actually want to see my husband from time to time. That said, I’ve always been a sucker for health-involved positions: nutritionist, yoga instructor, veg* chef.  Really I could care less about WHAT a guy does, given he earns a decent living, than WHY he does it.

Passion over fashion, ladies.

Isn’t that why we’re vegan in the first place?

photo credit: nickolette22

As I demurely surf through hundreds of potential Mr. Vegans, I have to wonder exactly why it is that men and repeated correspondence cannot coexist.

I’ve signed up as a Gold Member on VeggieConnection.com, which means I’m able to contact anyone on the site for free–steal;) but what baffles me (actually, what shouldn’t surprise me in the least) is why most of the men I’ve contacted so far have failed to return my extensive efforts.  Which offers the answer to a musing that has lurked since the advent of Internet dating sites: these sites HAVE to charge since they can’t guarantee that people will or will not respond.

Regardless of the return, money has to be made off of those of us who are unlucky in real life.

Virtual reality may not prove so lucky, either.