Twilight Express

Although I think I have reasonable self-esteem, I still couldn't help but wonder why I have recently been desribed as a "catch" lately.

One was Elizabeth*, who spotted me in Best Buy a couple of weeks ago when I was checking out the gaming systems. I had finally decided to replace my obsolete Playstation 2 and was attempting to choose between an XBox or Playstation 3.

She commented that I would be really popular with her ex-husband's (Nerdy Husband's*) doctor friends, as they always complained that their girlfriends/spouses didn't like playing video games.

This all got me wondering what constituted a "catch" to the opposite sex, and which of these attributes I offered. And no list would be complete without a comparative "not a catch" list.

This is what I came up with:

Pro-catch attributes:

Not needy or jealous
Doesn't drink - an economical and convenient designated driver
Prefers flowers to pricey gifts
Doesn't insist on dragging males to clothing stores
Doesn't force males to stay home on weekends
Can cook reasonably well if incentivized
Doesn't want children, but tolerates existing ones
Can hook up her own stereo, DVD player, and gaming system
Owns a reasonable collection of draughty lingerie
Rumored to have a sense of humour

Anti-catch attributes:

Likes riding motorcycles after midnight, sometimes sans helmet
No money or inheritance
Usually sleeps until 10 - 11 a.m. on weekends
Occasionally quiet to the point of moodiness
Not tidy (but can finance regular house cleaning)
Excessive cats in household at times
Needs occasional solitude, both in and out of domicile
Watches practically no television
A bit of a tree-hugger
Not particularly thin

I still have no idea how this measures up, but I make no apologies for the anti-catch attributes.

* See Key to Characters at right.