| Field report, 2nd designated sarge mission
Location: North Beach, San Francisco
Date: November 30th, 2007, PM
Target: HB8
Objective: # close minimum
Outcome: # close but only after last-minute approach in the street on the way home
Went to ______'s pub in North Beach with _________ and his LTR GF. Some promising sets but a lot of male presence in many of them. Got into a strategic position at the bar near the door and chatted away with ________. This guy used to purport to act as a wing but has been known to cock-block for his own self interest, and it has led to friction in the past. It's cool now though, but I think he knows he's on probation with that sort of thing. It's all moot anyway since he's in an LTR.
I couldn't quite get out of my comfort zone. Was scanning the setting constantly and looking for potential in-roads, but I didn't want to seem rude and abandon Fernando to go sarging. I couldn't figure out why but in hindsight it's partly because I haven't told him about this PUA phenomenon, and I couldn't really bring it up in front of his LTR. So I was using that as an excuse to justify my Approach Anxiety.
Near night's end there was one girl (waiting for BF in bathroom) sitting in a trance on her own a few stools down from me. I thought I'd use an old line of mine that had no chance of working but would try anyway for the sake of getting the flow going.
Me: "Have you been abandoned?"
HB5 (slight grin): "No, he's coming back, he's in the bathroom."
Me: "In the bathroom? Ah, so you HAVE been abandoned then."
HB5 (shaking head, still grinning, but adamant): "No, he's coming back."
Me: [no comeback available, abandon ship and return to comfort zone like a tail-tucked AFC]
Later I start chatting to two S African guys beside me (again for the sake of getting some flow going and, hey, all conversation has some value even if it's not going to directly lead to a close with a girl. Right?)
Later we say goodbyes and we all disperse, me walking home alone. Scan street. 2 girls hug while one gets into a taxi. I think that's unusual, one of them must be gonna walk home. HB8 starts walking home uphill (San Francisco streets, you know how steep they are). I decide to walk home the same way and catch up. Approaching from behind gives me time to prepare an opener.
HB8: [looks around at the sound of my approaching footsteps]
Me: [keep head down, relaxed smile on face as if laughing at a remembered joke, observe her from corner of my eye. She has a terrific body!]
Me (preparing to pass): "Coming through on the right. [she looks around] Didn't want to startle you"
HB8: "Hehe. [pause] These hills kill me."
Me: "Want me to carry you?"
HB8: "Hehe."
Me: "So how was [name of bar she came out of]"
HB8: "It was a lot of fun. Crowded though, too crowded."
Me: "I usually go to ______'s that's not so busy."
HB9: "Are you Irish?"
Me: "Yup. Where are you from?"
HB9: "New Jersey"
Me: "Oh, I never would have guessed. You don't have a Noo Joisey accent."
HB9: "Haha. And do you live up here too?"
Me: "Yeah, I live on Sacramento and Leavenworth, over a few blocks this way [gesture left]"
HB9: "I'm just over here [gesture right]"
The conversation's momentum carries on here even though we almost physically stop walking.
Me: "Well, I suppose I might as well walk you home then since it's just here"
HB9: "Okay. [resume walking to her place] So how long have you lived in the states? "
Chit chat continues, and I notice her slowing away down, as if she wants to prolong the conversation. We come to a stop outside her apartment and carry on talking for a few minutes, then a point comes where we're laughing and looking briefly into each other's eyes as the talking stops.
I look at her door and decide to go for a # close.
Me (reaching for phone): "Well we'll have to pick this conversation up again some time, wouldn't you say?"
HB9: "Sure thing [Gets her phone out and gives me her number]"
I call her just to test it.
HB9: "Let's see, is it vibrating?"
Me (still eyes on the keypad): "A vibrating phone. Now that could have multiple uses."
HB9: [laughs] "I'm sure it could"
Her phone vibrates, she guesses correctly how to spell my name and I compliment her on it, it's quite an achievement, I say she surprises me (maybe that's a little neg?).
We hug and say goodnight, I walk on home.
Remarks: Just as I was walking out of the pub I was kicking myself for not opening any sets and trying to analyze why I let the AA get the better of me. I came to the conclusion that it was because I was in a comfort zone and didn't have my friends briefed about what I was really doing there that evening, and that maybe there is some merit to sarging alone without the crutch of a wing. It was at that point where I started scanning and saw the taxi.
In future: Go as close to an F close as you can. That girl may have been ready to fuck or at least let me in to snog/make out, the IOIs were there in big numbers relative to all the time we had together. I was thinking about her LMR on her behalf and concluding that she wouldn't just shag a guy she met in the street a few minutes ago, but I should have allowed her to make that choice. Since this was my second ever designated sarge, my objective was to get a # close, and I think that mentally I was prepared for that and nothing more. If I go out with the attitude that I'm going to F Close, I think that's more likely to happen.
But all of this is beside a much more pressing point. I was just in the right place at the right time in the street afterwards, I should have been sarging in the bar. This AA thing is going to have to be addressed. I have a good mind to go downtown tomorrow and try some street sarging around the malls just to get openers going and see where they lead.
Tonight's objective has been met, but sheer luck had a huge role to play. Must do better.
Positive points:
Zero alcohol consumed, even with pressure from friend to take some, and my sobriety helped a lot. Last week I would have succumbed to his pressure, but not now after having read The Game.
Alertness in the street after the bar is a result of a heightened sense of awareness that I'm actually going out for the purpose of meeting women, as opposed to going out with friends and just seeing what happens. If I hadn't read the book and gotten into this, I doubt if I would have bothered tracking HB9 and chasing her down.
Street stuff was 100% improv, no routines or scripted lines in play (except for the wording of how we should pick the conversation up later). Just how I like it.
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CHAT
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