The dating dance

So, this first part of dating someone new is a very funny, odd time, and it's amusing to me to be experiencing this again. The whole set of questions and emotions: how soon do you call after a date? When are you allowed to ask where this is going? To PDA or not to PDA? How much do I want to tell my friends or family, and when? Is this just for having someone to be social with? Do I like him like him? Does he like me? How much does he like me, exactly? What would our kids look like? (That last one is a joke ... I'm not that crazy!)

Anyway, it turns out that I'm developing a strong interest in one of the people I've gone out with, enough that we've seen each other a few times and that I've started to develop that little nervous I-really-want-him-to-be-as-interested-as-I-am feeling. Of course, because I'm such a pessimist when it comes to the possibility of my developing a successful relationship, I'm constantly surprised by the fact that he does seem to like me, and I'm waiting for the catch. My sister thinks - rightly - that I'm a bit of a nutcase for doing this; I guess the one positive is that at least I know that I'm being nuts, so hopefully I'll be self-aware enough not to let it become self-sabotage.

Plus, it's only a couple of weeks in, so I probably need to stop over-thinking everything and just enjoy myself. To my credit, I do recognize that I'm having a fabulous time, and I'm frequently willing to just be content with that.