Tales From the Front by Cheryl Lavin

Martha called herself a spinster widow.

Marty, the man she lived with for eight years, died suddenly in 2003.

"He was the love of my life."

Among the heartache was the appalling thought that she'd have to go out and start dating again. She didn't do anything for six months.

"I barely made it out of my bedroom and to work. Then I started to rejoin the living. But I didn't date. I went out with friends."

Two years after Marty died, Martha decided it was time. She met someone on Match.com who was going through a divorce, and they dated for almost a year.

"Weird guy. Nothing much to report except that he'd been married four (or was it five?) times. Shortly after we broke up, I met another guy who was going through a divorce. We dated for four months. I decided no more separated guys.

"Then I had a few friends with benefits, if you know what I mean, but I didn't date anyone. I tried eHarmony and met someone whom I thought might turn into someone special, but he didn't.

"I joined a dating Website for baby boomers. It was worth the puny amount I paid for a month for its entertainment value.

"A lot of the guys who contacted me said they were widowers with an eight-year-old (usually a daughter). They were setting up laptops in orphanages in some out-of-the-way country and loved Dutch oven cooking. I'm not making this up. I've never laughed so much at online dating stuff in my life. Every day was a new adventure. They'd usually say, 'Hey, give me a call' and then list some 53-digit phone number.

Riiiiiight. Like I just fell off the turnip truck.

"It was about this time that I decided the heck with it. I don't need a guy. I'll just be happy with myself and my bird."

You know what happens next ...

Martha was on her way home when her commuter train was delayed, so she decided to go to the bar. She was enjoying a beverage and playing Buzztime, a trivia game, when Alex walked in and asked if he could play next to her.

"He tried to beat me in Buzztime, but he couldn't."

They rode the train home together, and she slipped him her card. Over the next few weeks, they met for drinks several more times.

"I wasn't sure this was going to lead to anything. He was divorced, no kids, six years younger than me and starting a business, and didn't want to be tied down. He told me point blank, 'I'm not looking for a girlfriend, and I'll never marry you.' He has basically been kicking and screaming the whole way.

"Now he's practically living with me. He's in charge of mowing the lawn, cooking most of the meals (he owned a restaurant in London for five years) and assigning himself little projects. 'Next week, I'm tackling that garage.'

"He's got a great personality. We make a great pair, and we honestly love each other. And we laugh all the time. My bird is slowly coming around to him but still has fits now and then. It's only a matter of time before she loves him as much as I do."

To see a picture of Martha and Alex, check out my blog www.talesfromthefront.com.

Have you ever met anyone on a train, plane, boat or bus? Send your tale, along with your questions and problems to cheryllavin@aol.com. You can visit her blog at www.talesfromthefront.com. To find out more about Cheryl Lavin, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.

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