Friends with Benefits

Remember that if you're in a casual relationship, kind of like the "friends with benefits" situation, it's probably not as great as it seems. The other person likely has feelings for you and is living in hope that your relationship will get more serious.

First Date Insecurities

"Do you like my stupid hair? Would you guess that I didn't know what to wear? I'm just scared of what you think. You make me nervous so I really can't eat." - Blink 182

No more excuses.

When a guy doesn't call you when he is supposed to, cut him out of your life immediately.

Respect yourself. Don't make excuses for him.

If he truly liked you, he would find time to call you, no matter how busy he was. You would be the bright spot in his crappy day.

Alone again.

There is nothing worse than spending a Saturday night getting burned by some loser you somehow found yourself dating.

It is tough to, once again, have to tell yourself that you are great. It is his loss.

Then you think back to all the heartache you've experienced over the years and you ask yourself: "How much more of this can I really take?"

A friendly affair

Can men and women just be friends?

I suppose they can, but that doesn't mean the thought of sex with their friend has never crossed their mind.

Be honest! Have you ever thought about sex with a friend of the opposite sex and then went "nah!"

Just because you haven't, doesn't mean they haven't.

Your friend will never admit that they have either.

Sitting, Waiting

If you are single, female and want a challenge, try to live a full and eventful life without thinking about dating.

Liz Tuccillo, former "Sex and the City" writer and co-author of "He's Just Not That Into You," suggests that we do this.

What Tucillo is implying, but not saying is, if we focus on perfecting ourselves and push dating out of our mind, we will one day be unexpectedly blindsided by our true loves.

"We don't need to scheme and plot, or beg anyone to ask us out," writes Tucillo.

Drinking

Apparently, a lot of people like to consume alcohol during the early stages of a relationship.

Alcohol takes the edge off and helps get the ball rolling, so to speak.

I guess dating is so uncomfortable in the beginning we can't do it sober.

What would happen if we didn't date and drink? Maybe a lot of relationships wouldn't happen.

Perhaps it is sad, but true?

Hanging Out

What girls really dislike are the beginning of relationships where guys just hang out with them on unofficial dates. The guy could questionably be interested in her. And their hanging out time could be seen as a date.

The girls want to seem casual so they don't ask where the relationship is going and the guys don't want to take responsibility for any feelings being developed.

And, if the relationship does not get off the ground, the girl wonders if the guy just decided that he didn't like her? Or was he too chicken to ask her out? Did he eventually give up? Did she not help him along enough? Should she have asked him out herself?

Hanging out time is confusing and frustrating for girls.

Great Expectations

I think, if many of us girls lived our dating lives by books like "The Rules" or "He's Just Not That Into You," most of us would never have had boyfriends ever.

Okay, maybe the guys we date aren't that into us. But maybe they are just clueless about proper dating etiquette. Men aren't reading these rulebooks.

Romance

"When men attempt bold gestures, generally it's considered romantic. When women do it, it's often considered desperate or psycho." - Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

Just do it

It has been said that asking someone out is like tearing off a bandage.

The quicker you do it, the better.

Just blurt it all out.

But unlike a bandage, which stings immediately, the pain of asking someone out will come much later.

Bad Advice

I just heard an unusual conversation between two women in their late 20s.

One of them had never kissed a guy before and she wanted her first time to be with someone special. She also didn't want to be subconscious about her first kiss.

The other woman told her to ask one of her guy friends if he would practice with her, just so she could get over her fears.

The non-experienced woman thought this was a good idea and started thinking of guy friends to ask.

I wanted to yell: "No. That's a bad idea. What the hell are you thinking? You'll ruin your friendship by just asking."

Thinking

There is a certain point when you realize that you don't have anything in common with the guy you like.

In fact, you realize he's not that smart and kind of a jerk.

And what's sad is that, you know if he asked, you would go out with him anyway.

Giving up!

There is a time when you have to accept defeat and give up hope on your crush ever asking you out.

He's either too shy or he just doesn't like you, even if he's accepted invitations to go to movies with you.

It's depressing, but you have to accept the fact that it is not going to happen.