When I woke up this morning, the image burned into my head involved pink octopi encapsulating a person. The throbbing mass writhed as I tried to remove them off the body. When I finally got them off, the form revealed was curled in a fetal position, not moving.

Then I woke up.

What the heck? Death by octopi? Pink octopi?!

What could I have been trying to work out in my poor wee brain last night? I mean, I love octopi. For dinner. Tako sushi, takoyaki, hm tako tacos!

I don't recall much of the rest of my dream other than it involved an apartment about a resturant. I can only speculate the ghost of animals eaten attacked the chef for culinary atrocities.

I think it was probably the stress of trying to deal with wedding invitations with an already stressed out bride, through the champagne strawberry sangria did help.

Maybe my dream is a metaphore about marriage. Everyone is jumping in and killing the chef (of love?).

Actually, it's been a bit stressfull. My youngest sister is getting ready to walk down the aisle in October. I'm in the middle of tons of wedding-stresstivities. I have to run errands to prepare for my sister's bachalorette party next weekend. We're in the middle of finishing Two college friends just got engaged and one friend just got married.

Of course, all this activity just enhances the fact that I'm not exactly dating. To tell you the truth, I'm really a homebody and would rather be reading a book then try to figure out what a guy is thinking. I live in a more family-centric area where the bars feature country music.... It's not exactly the most rich relationship-hunting grounds for geek-minded individuals.

I don't play online games. I attend conventions, but usually hang out with my friends.

I don't dress provocatively. It's too much energy to do that. And hair and makeup take forever!

Maybe the octopi symbolize my life being sucked away?

And I have tried dating sites before. Perhaps I don't have the mentality for them. Using Match.com made me feel like I was shopping on Amazon.com. I did try eHarmony.com and it took forever to even get to a date. I wonder if people get together on eHarmony from sheer exhaustion after trying to get through the quizes and finally date.

What are the qualities of a good geek-helpmeet?

I can't speak for everyone but I think that someone who can stand by your side during a zombie invasion would be ideal.

Okay, okay.

I think important qualities in (any) human being include:

• Independence. 
• A nack for critical thinking and problem solving
• A sense of right and wrong (where one tries to do what is right.)
• Responsibility
• A willingness to help
• A love for imagination
• An abilty to be quiet when nothing needs to be said.
• Open-mindedness
• An ability to absorbe information and learn
• Sense of good hygine

Of course the qualities above would ultimately help during the zombie invasion thing.

Ultimately, I have a distrust of internet dating. These algorithms are secret. There is no peer review if these things even work. Heck, so many of the accounts are inactive. I think it's wonderful if you meet your match, but the chance of it happening makes me nervous.

Maybe finding love is more about where you are now rather than connection that a database that humans can make.

And though my habit of heading to the gym to work out with headphones on or home after work to curl up with a good book may not enhance my chances of meeting Mr. Right, I'm kind of content in some ways.

Though I should get a bow and arrow set. I'm thinking, if I set fire to the arrows before they hit the zombies, the hit would have more of an impact, especially from a high vantage point. Zombies are flamable, right?

I'd love to hear about people's experience dating online. I do know it's worked out a few times, but am I the only one who's given it a try only to give up?