Unsafe Community; Dating Older Women?

Scary news today as we heard shortly after getting home that my daughter's school was on lock-down, and that there had been a shooting about a mile down the road, at US 1.  A man shot a police officer and a man hunt has been going on since.  They still haven't found the shooter.  The police officer was transported to the hospital in serious condition.  There has been no news for several hours, and the man remains at large.  We received an automated alert from Howard County police about the incident at around 7 p.m.  We heard helicopters overhead several times, but I'm not aware of whether they're police or news copters.  We haven't been outside since we got the news.  I'm sure Faithful Pup Scout is going to have to go outside soon.  We have a line of trees in our backyard, and a huge field with power lines stretching for at least a mile all the way to US 1, so someone could easily use that area to hide.  This leaves me feeling uneasy.

When  these types of incidents happen, I always feel uneasy and violated.  I've lived in this house for 12 years, and it angers me that one person, in this case the shooter, can impact my community in such a negative way that I want to leave, just move away, as soon as possible.  To me, this is a signal that my community has changed, that someone believes that it's okay to commit crimes and shoot people without remorse, and to make people barricade themselves in their own homes, and there's nothing we can do about it or risk possibly being shot ourselves since we have no idea where this guy is.  I recognize that this kind of thing can happen anywhere, but there have been signs for several years now, even here on my own street, that my neighborhood is changing in a negative way.  There is crime, the types of crimes that were alien to this community a decade ago, but are now commonplace.  I've had my car broken into even though it is right in front of my house.  When I find candy wrappers next to my car door when I leave for work at 6 a.m., I know that someone, during the night, was looking inside my car for something to steal.

I want out of here.  My community is not mine anymore.  I want a better life for me and especially my daughter.  This is crazy.  I hope they catch this guy!

BREAKING: Suspect ID'd in shooting of police officer in Laurel earlier today.

Howard County police are offering a reward up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of a suspect wanted for shooting a police officer in Laurel this afternoon. Stephon Prather, 29, of no fixed address, is wanted for attempted murder of a police officer and multiple counts of assault against officers.



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On a totally different topic, I just read that men out number women on online dating sites by a 5:1 ratio.  It may explain why I don't have a date, or that the women I'm attracted to on these sites don't answer my requests.  They're likely getting better offers.  On top of all this, I heard that women are also looking for men up to 5 years younger than them, on average.  How do you like that!?  This is not good news.  How can I compete with those guys?  They have age on their side!  I don't stand a chance!

I liked it much better when it was the other way around.  I feel like I can actually compete with the guys that are around my age and looking for younger women.  And I'm not talking about 5, 10, or even more years younger.  I'll take someone who is just a few MONTHS younger, if it means I've got a shot at a date with her.  But when I'm excluded just because I'm a few years too old...?  That hurts.

So how AM I doing on the dating scene?  Still no dates.  Still getting interest from women who just don't come close to meeting the criteria I established.  What can you do?

Well, it's past my bedtime.  I've been having some pretty cinematic dreams lately, and I'm hoping to have one along the lines of a Bond film... I wouldn't mind dating a Bond girl!  However, I'll probably end up in a typical Bond scene and get shot at, especially since they haven't caught that shooter yet.

Have a great night everyone!