We met for the first date lunch at a truck stop on Highway 2. When we met, I almost didn’t recognise  him because he looked about ten years older than his dating site profile picture. How long did he think it would take me to figure that out?

Over lunch, we exchanged some basic information; where we come from, our families, reasons for our single status, and so on. And then I asked him about his work.

Anne: Your profile says you are a pyrotechnics technician. That sounds exciting. What kind of displays do you work on?

Date:  Well, I took a one month course in it, but I’ve never actually done any work on pyrotechnics.

Anne:  Oh, I see.  You are also an emergency response person, right? Do you work with ambulances or fire trucks?

Date: I took a one week safety course. I’m the designated first aid person for my crew.

Anne: What does your crew do?

Date: They work with me on the truck. I drive a garbage truck.

Anne: (pause) That’s good steady work, I guess.

The first date was the last date.