Sanity is madness put to good use. – George Santayana
Companionship: Petfinder vs. OKCupid
29Dec2010 Author: Mother Jones, RNHello everyone. I’ve been getting a lot of email from my readers, and to those of you who have wondered what happened to me, I am not dead, thanks for asking. I haven’t posted anything in a long time because I’ve been really busy. I started writing for NursingLink, and I’ve been busy getting my life back in order. One thing on my to do list was to find a little companionship because I get lonely wandering around a big house all by myself. This led to a dilemma. I needed to decide what kind of companionship I wanted, and figure out the best way of finding it. 
After some soul searching, I decided to adopt a dog or find a boyfriend. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, which I listed in previous posts here and here. In the end, I decided to look for a dog because I wouldn’t have to pick its underwear up off the bedroom floor, and I could crate it when it was getting under my feet. I logged onto PetFinder.com and found a cute little Pekingese-Cocker Spaniel mix. I named him Woz, but quickly renamed him Lucifer after he bit my ankle, tore my pant leg, and tried to kill one of my cats. I sent the little evildoer packing. I toted his sorry doggy butt back to the rescue within three days of moving into my house.
Distraught, I had all but given up hope to finding companionship until one of my friends at work told me that she was looking for a friend online. She told me about many different dating sites and, after getting some advice from my tech savvy daughters, I decided to sign up on OKCupid. I took the leap of faith and posted a profile online. I got a lot of responses. The responses made me ask, “Why can’t I attract men like crazy, instead of attracting crazy men.” I got some strange responses, and one guy sent me a photo of his foot. I’m probably lucky that he didn’t send me a picture of another part of his anatomy. I’ve included some pictures that I found on OKCupid. Really Cupid? What were you thinking when you let these guys register on your website?
I’ve given up on finding companionship online for now, and I have decided to find a man the old fashion way. Who wants to go bar hopping tonight?
13 Responses to “Companionship: Petfinder vs. OKCupid”
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Disclaimer
There has been a lot of chatter in the blogosphere about medical bloggers and HIPAA regulations so let me make this very clear: I write composite stories about many different people that I've cared for over the years.
Tracy
December 29th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Hi! Great blog… I totally understand your dilemma. I’m on “OKCupid.com” as well, and have had ZERO luck in finding anybody. I have a rescue dog named Ruby Sweetheart that I found on “Petfinder.com”. She’s a Papillon Bichon Frise mix, and I must say that having her in my life has been a blessing. At this point in my life, I must say that I definitely prefer the company of Ruby to a man. I wish you “Good Luck” in your endeavors.
Sincerely, Tracy LPN
RehabRN
December 31st, 2010 at 2:52 pm
NR:
So sorry to hear about the pickings among men and dogs.
BTW if you want to find a nice pet, and like a particular breed (hopefully one that likes cats and is not crazy) see if there’s a local pure breed rescue group. Many of these dogs are fostered in actual homes and you can find out those cat-hating, furniture-jumping habits ahead of time. We got WildDog from one, and have never regretted it.
Re: men, although, I love computers, I just don’t buy the sales pitch until I can 1) meet someone in person at a public place a few times, then 2) see what their home looks like, announced and unannounced. This can give you a great indication of who they are. It also helps to have a little more data (i.e. where they work, etc.).
No matter your search methods, hope you can find someone to at least go out with once in a while for coffee if nothing else.
Hope your New Year is wonderful..no matter what and full of opportunities.
Cathy Lane RPh
December 31st, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Nice to hear from you!! Wishings for a Happy New Year; new adventures and new discussions.
(What about caring for plants? They only ask for water, fresh air, and sunlight… Generally not known for holding up their end of the discussion, nor any other bargain, for that matter. Let me tell you about the ragweed that refused to die… . )
Though ~joking aside, in my humble opinion; set aside a sense of urgency in finding ‘company’, and consider a new hobby like the ‘furniture aficionado’ interest.
Biffy1
December 31st, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Glad to hear you are doing well. A good man is hard to find, keep looking in places you enjoy being. That’s what I’ve heard. As for finding the right four footed lover Google pet rescue in your area. Lots of well run groups for pure breeds and the unpapered! You can search by size, breed and even age. The senior pets really appreciate you-just realize they won’t be along for all that long.
Have a healthy, happy, prosperous and adventure filled New Year.
Amanda
January 3rd, 2011 at 1:43 pm
I, too, tried the free online dating sites and was greatly disappointed. I suggest if you’re seriously looking for a companion (of the human variety), signing up with eHarmony.com. Yes, you have to pay. And, yes, there are still crazy men there, but I am very, very satisfied with their matchmaking skills. Good luck to you! Just treat it as an adventure.
Nana
January 5th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Couple of thoughts: part-time (commuter) roommate. I’ve had a series [all through craigslist.com]…people who work in my area and live too far away to go home every night. Mostly here M-Th nights. A little company, someone to do the ‘tall’ things, maybe eat together now and then. The perfect man: I don’t have to cook for him, do his laundry and/or talk to him — and he gives me money.
As for a pet: I adopted through my veterinarian. He knew the history of the dogs, since they’d been his patients. Very happy with the results there, too.
Ian
January 14th, 2011 at 9:49 pm
i love okcupid… its a cool dating site..
tammy swofford
January 19th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Great to have you back and with the usual great sense of humor!
It could be worse. I received a picture of a man AND his dog with a request for speed dating…. and I am not even looking!
Tammy
InthestripesLPN
January 27th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
I just found out about your blog! Absolutely LOVE it!! So, I’d been on match.com for a while and was also attracting crazy men. I work at the county jail and unfortunately ran into a few men I had dated when they were booked in…one a sex predator (thankfully, my vibe with him was shoddy, so I sent him packing after that first cup of coffee!!) one happened to get booked in at the same time as HIS WIFE!!! for domestic violence…him unfortunately, I was a little hooked on. Made me rethink dating altogether…until I met my current boyfriend. Thoughtful, caring, came with pets and for Christmas got me my own…has no criminal record (I checked haha!), no psycho knife-wielding wives, and very minimal baggage. And he came when I quit looking…guess “they” were right all along
Hopefully, what you are (quit) looking for will come along soon, good luck to ya!!
John
February 4th, 2011 at 7:19 am
Hi Ratched, Glads to hear that everything is fine with you. Best of luck for your new dog. I hope you’ll update your blog soon
ADVANCE Newsmagazines
February 14th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Hi Nurse Ratched,
Sorry to hear the dog or the boyfriend didn’t work out. Nana’s comment above about adopting through a veterinarian is a great idea. Hopefully you’ll find a friendlier domestic companion!
We miss your posts and look forward to hearing from you again!
ChuckinMI
February 16th, 2011 at 10:41 am
I’ve been on Okcupid since 2006. It’s not perfect but it’s better than meeting random people in a bar.
DutchgirlRN
March 20th, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Glad to hear that you are ok and sorry to hear about the boyfriend and the dog. I agree about adopting a dog who needs a home. That’s how I ended up with 8 dogs. I don’t suggest 8 however. Never again, love em every one, but never again.
Cheers