BY SUEY CHOW

If you have a question, write to me at:
Suey Chow
Willamette Week
822 SW 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97205
e-mail:sueychow@pobox.com


Read previous Dinner Palace of Love columns.


Dear Suey,
I like to hang out at a male strip club in town. I am really interested in one of the guys there. He asked me out, and I went. We had a great time, and I broke a 3-year celibacy streak. Afterwards, he told me what a great time he had and that he would most definitely call me that weekend. He never did.

I thought, OK, maybe for him it was just a night out and I should not take it too seriously. I decided to keep going to the club, and not to chase him down. Now when I go, if I see him I smile and wave and I sit down and have fun. He is always coming to the table and talking about what a great time he had and wanting to get together. But he never calls. He asked me to call him, which I did. He called back to let me know that he had gotten my message, that he had an obligation he was going to try to get out of because he wanted to see me. He would call back and let me know. He never called.

My friends say he watches me all evening when I am in the club and if I was a tree I would have a pee streak down my leg that would glow in the dark! What gives? I am tired of mixed signals. I really think he likes me, but that could just be me.

--Hopelessly Confused

Dear HC,
I'll go out on a limb and assume that he likes you too, in the sense that he thinks of you as a likable person, and probably harbors certain romantic, carnal or domestic fantasies towards you. This is purely speculative, of course.

And yet, just because he likes you, that doesn't mean he's ready to date you. This is a conundrum that all of available humanity must occasionally face. It doesn't matter if you are a patron, a dancer, politically opposed to dancing, or simply intimidated by thongs and catwalks; at some point, we all must confront the contradictions of human nature.

It sounds to me like you've tried making the first move, you've tried being patient, you've tried being polite, and none of it is working for you. So try blowing him off. If you can accept his flirtations without taking them seriously, then leave things as they are. But if not, explain to him how you feel about him, and also let him know that you're confused by his inability (unwillingness?) to establish contact except in the club. Let him know that you need a break. Then start looking around for your next take-out date.

P.S. Congrats on breaking your celibacy streak! (But write me again if it's bringing you down.)

--Suey

Dear Suey,
I love my husband, but in the last few months, every little thing about him drives me crazy. Nothing's changed about him; I think it's just me. My husband is a good, kind, affectionate man, but when he's trying to be affectionate, it seems like he always manages to crush my toe, or when he's trying to be good, he buys the wrong brand of chips at the grocery store.

I'm trying my best to hold back my temper, but sometimes I snap at him for absolutely no good reason. I just can't relax around him--I'm always on edge. He just seems a little more clueless, a little more schlumpy than the way I remember him when we first married. I find myself preferring the smarter company of work friends or my sisters, and God knows their advice is useless.

So I ask you, what's to be done? Does annoyance ever dissipate on its own? Is annoyance a good enough reason to get divorced? I don't want to wait until things turn really ugly.

--Bored

Dear Bored,
When things feel stale, predictable, irritatingly ordinary, it's usually time for a new hair cut. So ask him to get one. Tell him to grow a beard or shave one off, get new glasses or find a new hat. Try a little eyeliner or paint his fingernails. Guys need to change their look periodically, to keep the relationship fresh and lively. Having a strange new man in your house will definitely improve your manners; you'll feel less inclined to sit in your underwear and trip on your pants. It'll feel like having an affair with a married man.

If that doesn't work, then maybe you're the one who needs a change. Give in to your urge to spend more time with other people, take a class or experiment with nude modern dancing as a community-building act. Give your hubby time to get used to the changes in you. He'll probably be wondering what took you so long.

--Suey

 


Previous Columns:

5/5/99

  -Crushed out on movie stars
5/12/99  

-My 22-year-old daughter is threatening to marry her 23-year-old boyfriend
-I met someone over the Internet - but I'm afraid she's a stalker!

5/19/99   -How to buy a dildo
5/26/99   -Do you think it's OK to break up with a guy over sex?
-My boyfriend is homophobic and my best friend is a gay man.
6/2/99   -Should I choose a relationship or the single life?
-How can I tell if I really love my girlfriend, or just her money?
6/9/99   -My boyfriend feels like a pervert
-Should I jeopardize my relationship for sex with my ex?
6/16/99   -dildos can reaffirm your humanity
-where are all the straight men?
6/23/99  

-My wife wants an open marriage
-I can't stand my in-laws' cooking

6/30/99   -black man seeks advice for courting an Asian lady
-tip from a queer customer
  -My lover is a slob
-Breaking up is hard to do
7/14/99   -Buying porn
7/21/99  

-After two years, my boyfriend and I don't have sex enough
-I'm still in love with my ex, and she's getting married

7/28/99

-My girlfriend is obsessed with telephone psychics.
- I'd rather be with my cat than my girlfriend

8/4/99  

-I started seeing a guy who's an 'emotional dud'
-I'm 50-plus and want to get back into dating, love and sex.

8/11/99   -I'm 19, but I only like older women
-When should I meet my online pal?
8/18/99  

-I haven't been attracted to anyone lately
-My girlfriend changed her mind when I was gone for two weeks.

8/25/99  

-My boyfriend believes it was love at first sight, and I don't.
-My boyfriend claims I don't take care of my appearance any more.

9/1/99  

-Do I really want my first time to be as "Girlfriend No. 71"?
-Is this your real name?

9/8/99  

-My girlfriend likes to wear thong underwear, and wants me to as well.
-Is it that bad to be romantically dormant all my life?

9/15/99

-Cold sores ruined my relationship
-Suey's relationship track record.

9/22/99   -My boyfriend doesn't like my artwork.
-My girlfriend drives like a maniac.
9/29/99 -I can't reach orgasm with my girlfriend.
-Break-up avoidance strategies.
10/6/99   -How to date with the teenage children living at home.
-My best friend ran off with my crush.
10/13/99 -I've never had an orgasm. Do you have any suggestions for me?
-What should I do with my argumentative boyfriend?
10/20/99   -How should I discuss my spanking fantsies with my wife?
-Are Portland women 'cold'?
10/27/99   -My wife wants to have sex with another man
-Impotence. That's the problem.
11/03/99   -Why does every woman of quality have a boyfriend?
-I am in love with three men.
11/10/99   -A friend of mine has eyes for a guy she's working with
-I have tons of male friends, but no boyfriends
11/17/99   -I'm a frustrated 16-year-old male
-My boyfriend of two years is terribly jealous of an ex-boyfriend.
11/24/99   -Does penis size matter?
-My marriage is falling apart
12/01/99   -I'm in love with my best friend
-How do women in porn films get their crotches so hairless?
12/08/99   -My long-distance partner wants to be non-monogamous
-My partner is a workaholic
12/15/99   -I love my partner, but want to have sex with other women
-I'm in a good relationship, but my girlfriend's not interested in sex
-I've been dating someone new, but I'm not sure if he's millenium-worthy
12/22/99   -What's your opinion on dating coworkers?
-I love my girlfriend, but she won't marry me
12/28/99   -Should I get back together with my child's father?
- On the cheating scale, how bad are online sex chats?
1/5/00   -My phone chat line 'friend' turns out to be my co-worker's fiancée
1/12/00   -I think I'm addicted to sex
-My boyfriend is a cross-dresser
1/19/00  

-Is it true that men like girls?
-My job and my man are not compatible

1/26/00   -Is web sex cheating?
-Dealing with self-consciousness
2/2/00   -It's Desperate Hunky Man Week!
2/9/00   -Is making out with a drunk friend a bad idea?
2/16/00  

-Is my boyfriend still fantasizing about a threesome?
-Tips for a virgin on what makes a woman quiver.

2/23/00  

-What do I say to people who ask why I've never been married?
-What's the proper etiquette for dating through the personals?

3/01/00   -My boyfriend believes that men are not required to reciprocate sexually.
-How can I make up for missing Valentine's Day?
3/08/00   -What should I do with my once-cheating boyfriend?.
-Exclusively online romances have their advantages?
3/15/00   -I love performing oral sex, but hate eating the hair.
-My girlfriend doesn't enjoy sex, she's just a cuddler.
3/22/00   -My girlfriend is dating a married man.
-I just got out of a long-term relationship, do I want another right now?
4/12/00   -I would like to try stripping, but I've some things to overcome
-I met a booth stripper, during her show and now I'm in love.
4/19/00   -My ex-girlfriend still entertains ideas of us reconciling. I'm ignoble.
-How can I prolong my happy time?
4/26/00   -My guy's so sexually pedestrian
-Our daughter is bitter at us for breaking off her affair with an older man
5/03/00   -I'm an ex-porn performer and I know nothing of lovemaking, only fucking
-I'm tired of being the guy friend.
5/10/00   -Suey hears from the virgins
5/17/00   -What do you think about Ross Jeffries' Speed Seduction seminar and other programs that promise to teach a guy how to get women in bed?
5/24/00   -I've recently started paling around (and more) with a married guy; now it's getting weird.
5/31/00   -Without a ring how is a guy to know if a woman's available?
-I love my husband but recently we fight about everything. I want to try marriage counselling but we're both skeptical.
6/7/00   -"I want to know what love is"
-I'm attracted to unavailable men. Married, uncommunicative, religious, sports-oriented or work-obsessed men seem to be my specialty.
6/14/00   -My best friend, who's a straight male, initiated a sexual encounter. Now our friendship is horribly strained, what's a guy to do?
-What's the etiquette on roommates bringing home lovers and all that?
6/21/00   - There's this girl.... and I want to talk to her.
-Why is it that all the men I meet only want to casually date or have casual sex?
6/28/00   -I'm involved in a relationship that I'm afraid might shock and alienate my family and friends, how to proceed?
7/04/00   - I met this wonderful girl...
7/12/00   -I'm a guy who doesn't like sex.
-I broke up with my boyfriend of three years, but now I deeply regret it...
7/19/00   - Suey, what's with your lame gender cliches?
7/26/00   -I think I'm Straight-Curious (if there is such a thing)
-I've been off and on with my college boyfriend for over 12 years. We're having trouble moving to the next level.
8/2/00  

- I'm 32, just divorce, and dating a guy who's 25. Is there something wrong with what I'm doing??
- I am older and therefore wiser. Your readers are naive. I'll help you set them straight.

8/9/00   -Just when I had lost all hope in men, I met the most amazing guy.
-I'm thinking about contacting a dominatrix. Any advice on how to present myself?
8/16/00  

-My boyfriend is such a sweetheart when he's with me, but when he's out with his guy friends, he turns into a total pig.

-The world's biggest ass

8/23/00   -A year ago, I cheated on my boyfriend of three years with another woman. How can I fix this? He is freaking out.
-Oh Ms. Chow, in this case you're wrong
8/30/00  

-When do you tell someone you're dating that you have hepatitis?

9/6/00   -Clueless fellow in deeply sordid situation
-I'm beginning to suspect a connection between chemical dependency and emotional dependency, or maybe between fitness and emotional independence.
-Is there any way to turn down a bridesmaid offer without offending?
9/13/00   -My wife doesn't want to have sex anymore
-I used to be in the sex service profession, should I tell the man I'm about to marry?
9/20/00   -I started playing out some of my fantasies with my lover in the last year. Things have gotten complex.
- I explained that nail polish is only for girls, to which my son insisted, "I'm a girl too!"
9/27/00   -I'm dating my close friend's ex-husband
-Even though he is gonna dump me after having sex, I still want go out with him.
10/04/00   -Three straight guys agree: Hey, what's with the ladies?
10/11/00   -Are there side-effects to jerking off?
-I'm married, he's married, we're deeply in love with each other and having an affair. And now he's asking me to marry him.
10/18/00   -I have recently gotten out of a yearlong relationship with someone I considered my best friend...now, heartbroken.
10/25/00   - I'm fascinated and infatuated with the parking valet boys at Bluehour.
- I am wondering why I am finding it so difficult to meet that special person.
11/1/00   - I am unable to make my girlfriend orgasm through intercourse or oral sex.
- The chronically ill have to realize that their life-and-death medical tragedies aren't the only problems in the world! What about the mental discomfort of the physically healthy?


 

 

 

 

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