This story lacks a beginning or an end... and the middle is sort of weak, too...

Yesterday I was at the Noodle Box, the happiest place in Victoria.  While waiting for my Black Bean and Garlic with Rice, a rather cute girl around my age came in, standing alongside an older gentleman.  I did my single-guy exercises (not married, never had physical contact with the man, and let him lead the conversation), so I concluded she was with her dad.

Then I realized something that was kind of depressing.

I am at the age where this can actually be a problem.  In other words, potential partners for me could be dating men old enough to be their parents.  No longer can I look at a girl and easily deduce "ah, she's with her dad" and act accordingly.  Now I have to play things a little bit tighter.

The dad, by the way, noticed me checking her out.  So did she - I smiled at her, and she smiled back.  When they went to go sit down, she sat down next to me.  The dad shooed her aside, sat down next to me, and raised an eyebrow at me, as if to say "do you have the guts to hit on my daughter with me right here?  Do you, punk?".

Turns out that, no, I don't have the guts.  But I did have my noodles. 

Which were delicious.