Before Match.com - The Real Matchmakers

June 28, 1987

              

As our twenty-fifth anniversary is approaching, it seems only fitting to tell the story of how we met. It all began when my dear friend L. called to tell me about an upcoming dating show on cable. She said that her client was a Jewish matchmaker who offered to fix her up. When she told her that she was engaged, she asked her if she knew of anyone who might be interested. She knew that I would enjoy being on a dating show, so I thanked her for thinking of me.  A few minutes later, the matchmaker called me at work.

She started firing off personal questions, as I trembled in my cubicle.  I finally cut her off when the subject of weight came up, though I would give anything to trade my 1986 stats now. The next step was to set up a meeting in person at which time I would pay a generous fee. When I asked about the cable dating show, she said that she was still working on it.  I told her to call me back when she had more information.

A few weeks later, I received another call at work. The matchmaker told me that she had several new clients who would love to meet me,  and she "desperately" needed women in my age group. I was a tall, twenty-four-year-old Jewish blond, with good child bearing hips. What's not to like?  I asked again about the dating show which was probably never going to happen in the first place. So there was no TV offer, and she admitted that she was "desperate." This was a true Seinfeld moment when I had "hand."

I offered to meet her if she sent me on a free trial date. The matchmaker said it was out of the question. Then I replied, "Since you told me that you were "desperate," I don't see why I should have to pay you." At the time I worked in the advertising department at a magazine, so she suggested I help her with advertising instead. Hence, we set up a meeting for the following week.

The matchmaker looked like Dr. Ruth, and was a compact powerhouse. Since many of her clients were older religious men from New York, she immediately started asking me questions about how observant I was. When she asked me if I ever ate bread during Passover, I answered her honestly. She sternly replied, "Do you know what the bible said about what happened to people who ate bread on Passover?  It said that they were stoned." Suddenly, I wasn't so excited about my trial date. Then she took my picture to share with her partner, and sent me on my way.  

Her partner must have liked the terrified expression on my face, because I got a call a few days later. We went to a nice Chinese restaurant for dinner. He didn't laugh or try to sneak out when I started choking on the hot n sour soup. It turned out that he lived down the street from her younger partner who had been trying to fix him up for years. She bent the rules by showing him my picture, and he decided to call me. I fell in love with my trial date, and we were engaged six months later.

My friend L. stood up in our wedding, and later ran into the matchmaker. She always came to see her during the clothing shows in search of sample sales. Though she had only met my husband briefly when she crashed our wedding she said, "He was much too good for her." 

BREAKTHROUGH by Stephen Tremp

A scientific breakthrough of such magnitude it could radically alter the future of humanity - for better or worse - is in the wrong hands.

                                  

                                                                                             

Breakthrough  by Stephen Tremp is available for FREE on Amazon through the rest of today. It is the first novel in a trilogy that addresses the conflicts that ensue in technological breakthroughs. The protagonist Chase Manhattan has been compared to "a scientific James Bond." 

Barnes and Noble Review wrote, "A timely book that speaks to our generation, with its technological breakthrough and the struggle to use it for good or for evil." 

According to Book Review.com, "This author's got what it takes. The main thing a reader can accuse him of is pushing the suspense genre beyond its usual limits. "Breakthrough," will take you there."

Amazon Reader raved, "Stephen Tremp has crafted a terrific page-turner filled with adventure, intrigue, action, and suspense. The characters are superbly crafted, the settings are richly described, and the plot is very well-paced. If you're looking for a highly readable adventure story, get this book. A perfect book for the beach or ski lodge."


Earlier yesterday Breakthrough entered the Top 10 in True Crime and Top 50 in Suspense in the Amazon Best Sellers Rank for the Free Kindle Store, and the results kept climbing. It couldn't happen to a more entertaining and informative blogger who writes every post like a science discovery camp. Stephen also has the ability to make us appear brighter in front of our kids, by educating us about wormholes, and the endless possibilities.

Visit Stephen at Breakthrough Blogs to download your FREE copy of Breakthrough today. Enjoy it outside with a cool drink, as long as it's "shaken, not stirred."

Monday PhotoPrompt: Trifecta

(Thanks to Arleen at Starting Over, Accepting Changes- Maybe for sharing this lovely photo of her daughter)

"I'm up here! I thought you were right behind me. What's taking so long?"

                                       (Thanks to Susan at thecontemplativecat)                                                       

 "Sorry darling, I seem to have lost my contact. Ah here it is! I'll be joining you shortly!"

 Henry arrives out of breath, as Ilana shoots him an evil look. "Didn't you bring the water bottles? I put you in charge of one thing...."

"Please forgive me my pet. I will climb back down the mountain and bring it to you."

Ilana shouts after him, "And don't forget my hiking boots. I don't know how I made it up here without them. Oh, I could also use a snack. Something sweet, no salty. Better yet, make it a combination."

Henry pants, "Anything for my beautiful bride."

Then Ilana suddenly remembers, "The twins! Where are the twins?"

                                                       

                                                               

 

                          (Thanks to Delores at thefeatherednest)

                                                    

Henry turns to find another woman halfway down the mountain. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

"Of course I couldn't trust my scatterbrained son and his nitwit wife to take care of my granddaughters. They're playing with their dollies at the base of the mountain. I've had it up to here with you! Once and for all, you're going to have to find a job, and stop mooching off of me! It's time you got your own trailer home, so that my boyfriend and I can finally have a little privacy!"  With that, she grabbed her cane, and stormed off of the mountain.

                      

It's never too late to join in Monday PhotoPrompts. Thanks again to Arleen, Susan, and Delores.

                                                                                                                                                   

IWSG : Meet and Greet

                                                                   

 Leann couldn't believe her ears when the announcement came over the radio. Not only was the group going to have their first meeting just a short distance away, but she couldn't  wait to see the acclaimed author Alex.  She packed her bag, and took the next bus into the city. During the trip she jotted down notes about her insecurities, so that she would be prepared for the anticipated discussion group.

When the guest speaker asked for volunteers to share their insecurities, Leann glanced at her notes, and told the group about how it all began when she was a child. The school was twelve miles away, and while everyone was laughing and playing on the bus, no one wanted to sit with her. Sometimes the bus driver would force someone to make room for her, but then they would quietly torture her by calling her names or pulling her hair. The same thing happened again at lunchtime, and she often went off by herself to sneak a snack in under a large library book. Leann secretly hoped that she would be able to find a lunch companion for today, but packed some emergency rations in case she had to walk around the building by herself.

When the conversation shifted to other insecurities, another blogger talked about how he felt lost in the publishing world. As other writer's chimed in, Leann shared her experience of when she took the wrong bus home from school, and had to spend the night in a strange barn until her pa picked her up the next day.

Consequently, when the subject turned to the agony of submitting queries within the small window of opportunity, Leanne also contributed. She told the group about how she tried to help a little girl who got her ponytail stuck in the bus window. After she finally freed her, the bus driver sped off and the window smashed down on her hands. It was the day of her big piano recital, and she missed her only opportunity to receive a scholarship to a College of Musical Arts. Her eyes began to tear up, as she gazed at her once fractured fingers. The speaker tried to comfort her, but he had to get the group back on track.

Finally, someone shouted out "Talk about shameless self-promotion. You just want us to feel sorry for you and buy your book!" She looked up startled as the class was murmuring. When someone asked for the name of her book, Leann replied,"What book?" By the time the guest speaker calmed everyone down, they broke for lunch.

Two kind-hearted women invited Leann to join them, and she graciously accepted. On the way to the dining room they asked her why she joined the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Then she turned to them and said, "Isn't this the Insecure Rider's Support Group?  Hey, there's Alex! He'll explain everything!" A smiling tall, dark and handsome man approached them. The women were thrilled to finally meet Alex J. Cavanaugh in person.

After they hugged, Leann introduced them to her dear friend Alex, the meat hauler who gently carried her off of that fateful bus, encased her hands in frozen meat, and whisked her in for emergency reconstructive hand surgery.  He later became a counselor to those who were involved in traumatic vehicular accidents, and wrote a best selling book about it. As they stood there with their mouths wide open, they saw the sign across the hall: Welcome Alex J. Cavashaw author of CattleFire, and founder of the Insecure Rider's Support Group.


To visit the other guy from the IWSG, and his faithful followers go  Here.