Each month, we set two daters up at a restaurant, give them free food and drinks, then wait for the magic to happen. This month’s Blind Date, we set Katie and Chris up at Avery Brewing in Boulder. 

Meet the Daters!

Name: Katie 

Sign: Aries 

Current job: I am on the marketing team for a cannabis brand.  

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date? Why not? For the experience. I always like a good time. 

What’s a good way to win you over: Food. And jokes. Food and jokes. Sense of humor. 

Most irrational fear: That my zipper is down when I am on the job. I’ll be in the middle of talking to a manager and be like oh shit is it down? 

What’s your greatest strength: Perspective. I can just find the good in the things. 

Never have I ever:  Shit, I’ve done a lot of things. Never have I ever done ayahuasca.

Do you want kids? I am undecided on that topic, but I have always considered adoption.  I worked with children for 12 years. I’ve already raised other peoples’ kids for many years. 

What do you geek out on? Music. Playing music, seeing music, writing music and seeing live shows. I’m pretty nerded out about that. 

Immediate red flags: If he doesn’t understand sarcasm and is rude to a server. 

Immediate green flags: Easy to communicate. It’s hard to explain but it’s more of a vibe thing. I can feel the energy. Either it’s on or it’s not. Party or Don’t. 

One thing you can’t live without? Cannabis, art, doodling in general, music, and pets! Any kind of pets. 

Why did your last relationship end?  He was an alcoholic and I didn’t know until after I moved in with him. 

Celebrity crush: My first celebrity crush ever as a child is really, really weird: Ernest! Ernest Halloween, Ernest Goes to Summer Camp. I was obsessed with him as a kid because he was so funny and so nice to kids. Now, I’m not super into celebrities because I need to know a personality to care about someone, but I do like Jimmy Fallon. 

Guilty pleasure: How I Met Your Mother. I watch it all the time.  And Dua Lipa. I’m such a rock and roller, but I love to listen to Dua Lipa. Oh, and cottage cheese.

Name: Chris 

Sign: Gemini. Everyone shits on that. I’m not a star sign guy, but the ladies are. 

Current job: Self-employed plumber 

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date? My friend signed me up. And I thought it would be fun. 

What’s a good way to win you over: Don’t be like Kim Kardashian. 

Most irrational fear: I’ve been super worried that my dog is going to get eaten by a coyote. My house is in the fields of the coyote turf. 

What’s your greatest strength: I am really good at fixing things and solving problems for things that need fixing. 

Never have I ever:  I’ve never been to Hawaii, but that’s not that interesting. Never been on a blind date, but a lot of people haven’t, I do a lot of stuff! Just doing so much cool shit! I have never…. Been to… gah all the areas I can think of are lame. Like I’ve never been to a winery but that’s lame. We were rafting in Montrose and got sick and lost once, and there was a winery that would not let us in because we were in all our rafting gear. They seemed really snooty. 

Do you want kids?  Yeah probably. I’m down to have somebody else’s kids, though. I’m down for people that already have kids – not too old – so I don’t have to put much effort into it or anything. I was going to adopt, but it seems easier if you already have them. 

What do you geek out on? A lot of UFO shit for sure. I go to bed every night watching space documentaries or trying to understand quantum physics more than I do now, but I have a hard time understanding it because I’m a plumber. 

Immediate red flags: Not handling your shit when you’re drinking. My last long term relationship fucked up a lot early on and I forgave her for too much. 

Immediate green flags: Interested in interesting things, easy to talk to, and gets my type of humor and goofy ass personality. I can be quite turn offish to some types of people due to how I act. If you can handle that, that’s cool. 

One thing you can’t live without? Definitely my dog. I guess I could. I’m going to have to some day. Outdoor fun for sure. If I don’t have outdoor fun, life sucks. And friends.

Why did your last relationship end?  Just go back to the other question about the drinking… damn I hope she doesn’t read this. I tolerated it and it was an enormous amount of shit. 

Celebrity crush: What if it’s a dude? My brother and I used to geek out on Jude Law as the sexiest man alive. It was more of an inside joke to make my stepdad mad because he was homophobic. 

Guilty pleasure: Guilty?? I have a lot of pleasures, but I don’t feel that guilty about them. Solid score from the thrift score! Final answer.

Round 1 

Let us set the scene. It is an absolutely perfect October evening. Chris arrives, with his muscles flexing through his t-shirt. Katie arrives shortly after, with a beautiful blueish purple hue to her hair. We have high hopes for this one. After they try some beers, we pull them apart to see how things are going so far.

How are things going so far? 

C: Cool. She’s super easy to talk to. She’s from Texas. And we just openly talk about drugs and having fun on them. She used to party in Denton. I used to party in Denton. She plays in bands and I have friends in bands, and I’m pretty sure that we know a lot of the same people, but we haven’t gotten there yet. 

K: They are going well. Yes. They are going really well. It’s pretty cool. We’re both from Texas. We have a lot in common. We probably know the same people and have hung out in the same circles in the past. He’s been here 8 years and I’ve been here 12 years, but we still have circles that we share from the past. Conversation has been really easy. He’s very easy to talk to. 

What are your first impression of the dater? 

C: Ah shit. She looks like a liberal rocker from Austin. I don’t hate that or have a problem with it. My first impression was ‘this looks like a liberal rock chick from Texas.’ And there are a lot of girls that have that vibe down there. Probably here too. Oh, and she seems fun. 

K: Before I got here, I knew it could be anybody, any age, any backstory so I didn’t know what to expect. And then when I walked in and saw him, I was instantly like hell yeah tattoos and he seems chill. And very hot, but I don’t want to say that out loud. But he is. Very much so. 

What was the first thing you noticed about your date? 

C: She was uncomfortable. And didn’t look like she really wanted to do this. It didn’t turn me off. I’m uncomfortable too. I’m just good to go with it. 

K: Tattoos probably. But also, his face. It’s a cute face. 

Is this the type of person you’d normally date?

C: Looking back on my last 5 relationships, she’s not like any of them. But I’ve never actually dated before. There are some people that date a lot, and they can figure out what they are looking for through dating. I just like landing in relationships and just staying in one because of friendships. The last 2 girls I dated sucked, so that’s not a deal breaker that she’s not like them. I don’t feel like that’s dating when you’re together. Dating is like, hang on, let me answer your question while I shove a nacho in my mouth. 

K: I wouldn’t say I have a normal when it comes to the people that I date. I’ve dated literally every type of person you can think of. But he is the type of person I would date. 100%. He’s not out of that category in the least. 

Where do you normally meet partners?

C: Friends of friends, already friends, and parties with friends. It’s always through a connection somehow. 

K: In the past, I’ve met partners at shows, since I’m really involved in music. Either from bands that I’ve been in, shows that I’ve been to or online dating. Or just through mutual friends. 

Why are you scared of dating? 

C: I think it’s more or less it just landed that way. You hook up at a party and all of a sudden you do it again and all of a sudden you’re dating. (he said dating not relationship). All the relationships I’ve been in all started without going on a date. I’ve basically been in a 15 year relationship with 5 different girls since I was 18. When I had a girlfriend, I never said I’m dating. When I’m dating it’s like you’re definitely not my girlfriend, we’re just hanging. If we bang your GF status.

What are you most nervous about for tonight? 

C: Probably this questionnaire part. I hate answering questions that I don’t know the answers to. I don’t know the answers to any of these questions. I’m just spitballing. 

K: I was just nervous because I didn’t know anything about the person that I was going to be spending the evening with. And it’s funny because I meet a ton of new people every day at my job, but I was still very nervous about this. Just because it’s the first blind date that I have ever done in my life. First time experience and the first time I’ve been to this brewery! 

Did you get any advice for the date? 

C: No. Should I have? No. Damn. 

K: Not necessarily advice, but I do have a friend who was at the ready if I texted her the word pineapple. She was going to call me and tell me about some fake tragedy that was occurring to interrupt the conversation if it was super awkward. My Uber driver told me to have a good time and that I was going to have a blast. 

How did you prepare for the date?

C: I put on a button up shirt. I never wear button up shirts. 

K: So, I’ve gone on a lot of dates in my life. For this one, I decided to be as me as possible because it’s the first time meeting a person, instead of going all out and dressing out and putting on a full face of makeup I just wanted to come as I am as much as possible. As authentic as I can be. 

How did your date dress tonight?

C: I forgot. 

K: I dig it. He dressed in very “Golden” attire. He nailed it. He’s not too overdressed. He’s not too underdressed. He’s right on the money with his get up. 

What are you looking forward to in the next round?

C: We were talking about if she’s going to do DMT or not and why she should do it with her aunt who’s a DMT guru.  

K: Honestly, just continuing our conversation. It kept jumping around because we had so much to connect on. I’m excited to see where the rest of the conversation goes, because we’re having a good ol’ time. Having a lotta laughs.

Round 2

Well, well, well. What did we predict from the beginning of the night? Did we predict this would go well? Yes. Yes, we did. At this point, we can’t even get Chris and Katie apart long enough to interview them. As much as we want to leave them in their own little world, we pry them apart to see what we’ve missed.

How was dinner at Avery?

C: Good. I just wish that I was more hungry. I don’t know what happened. I’m just not very hungry. 

K: It was great. It was a wonderful experience. Great staff. Very attentive and they know what beers would go well with the meals. I’m not a big beer person, but everything I tried tonight has been delicious. I honestly feel converted to a person who can love beer after tonight. 

How’s the date going?

C: The date is going well. We keep on talking and laughing about all kinds of bullshit. 

K: It’s going and it’s flowing. It’s just nonstop Chatty Cathy’s over here. It hasn’t been hard to connect with him. And it was really cute when he came back from his first interview and said he didn’t notice my outfit before, and he really liked my shirt. Because dudes just don’t recognize clothes, and I thought that was really sweet. 

Do you two have anything in common? 

C: We’re both not religious. We’re both into live music. And we’re both into not into not getting out of control when we’re fucked up. We’re both into handling our shit while partaking in the fun stuff. I do like to party, but I don’t like to be out of hand with it. As soon as you get out of hand with it, you shouldn’t do it anymore. That’s where we have a really good connection. Her ex and my ex were always getting out of hand and that’s the best way to ruin a vibe. 

K: We seem to share a lot of similar perspectives. It’s funny because we both got out of our last relationship for similar reasons. And he’s a super outdoorsy biker guy. He was already telling me I could do it. I thought that was very kind. 

What do you like about your date? 

C: She is unique and a character. Not someone I run into on the regular. In a good way! It would suck if she were the type of person I run into everywhere, like a carbon copy. 

K: That’s so hard. Because you know what we are talking about. We’re talking about surface level shit.  We’re talking about inside / outside. I like that he’s easy to talk to. I like that we both share a common background where we come from. Like places I grew up going to. House shows that I used to throw in the same neighborhoods that he was in. 

What do you not like about your date?

C: Damn. I haven’t even gotten to ask her opinion about something that I don’t like. Why do you guys even ask that question? Fuck. I don’t know her well enough to not like something about her. I should have asked her more woke questions. 

K: That stuff takes time to find out, at least for me. Because when I meet someone it’s always just a green light until they give me something that’s not a green light. I love people in general. Nothing is rubbing me the wrong way at this point. 

What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far?

C: That she is super easy to vibe with.  

K: I think it’s attractive that he’s in the trade and he does hands-on work for a living. And, I would say when he came back from the first interview and he complimented my shirt. I thought that was very sweet. 

How would your parents feel about the dater? 

C: My parents? They don’t even know about this! My dad never has feelings. He’s kind of a lizard. My mom would be like I can see why you find her fun. Because we’re both quirky, me and my mom. 

K: Honestly, my mom is super traditional so anytime she knows I’m talking to a human that is of the male gender she is ready for a wedding. So, my mom would love him because if I like someone, she likes someone. That’s the only criteria for her. 

What’s been the best part of the date so far?

C: The best part was us both going into it knowing if it’s going to be super awkward and laughing about it. And then it not being awkward. I can talk to anyone about anything. So, I shouldn’t have put it on a pedestal. 

K: It’s hard to pick. Great service, great food, great beverages, great conversation. Everything is great! On the way, I was very nervous but it’s all been very chill, and I met a new person who’s super cool. 

What could make the date better? 

C: If this was more of a normal date. Not having to answer questions. It’s not terrible, but that would make it better. 

K: I don’t know. I don’t really have any critique of that. 

How’s the chemistry on a scale of 1 to 10? 

C: I would say, based on personality alone (we don’t know a lot about each other), a solid 7/5-8. It’s like hanging out with a dude friend. I don’t know if that’s a good thing to say or not. One of my ex’s has been a dude friend and that was one of my best girlfriends ever. The only one that I don’t regret. 

K: Oh lord. It’s a hard one to gauge. We’re vibing hard. But, you’re asking from the perspective of right now in the second. Not over time. I can’t gauge these things in one evening. But, as of this one meeting, it’s pretty high. It’s pretty high! Dude! I hate giving numbers to shit. 

Where would you like the night to go from here?

C: Damn, is it supposed to go somewhere else? My place! Just kidding, don’t include that. Why is that a question? God damnit. I’m going home from here, so maybe like texting later. 

K: You know, the world is your oyster and I’m a free bird. But I’m also an old lady. So, I could go either way. I’m vibing. We can hang out another time. But, if it were to be a later night, that would be fine too. 

Do you think there’s going to be a second date?

C: I would be down. It just seems we both aren’t going on date types. It seems like we could do something fun, not just like talking to each other. We could do something more fun than that. 

K:  I would be open to that. I would be down for that.

Round 3

As we are leaving, we get to meet Chris’s dog, Fiona, who has been patiently waiting all night for her debut and melt everyone’s hearts. While we are leaving, we hear that Chris has offered to drive Katie home. We can’t help but feel proud of our matchmaking skills this month as we pat ourselves on the back and wait to check in to see what happened on their journey home together.

What happened after Rooster left? 

C: I gave her a ride home and we played a game of Biñho. It’s a game where you kick a soccer ball into the goal with your fingers. 

K: After Rooster left we continued to hang out and he was very kind and gave me a ride home. I made him play a round of a new game that I’m obsessed with. It’s called Biñho Ball. We started playing but got too lost in conversation. But I was totally beating him. 

What was the best part of the date and why? 

C: It was cool being able to talk to somebody who was really easy to talk to and had a lot of common interests. 

K: Damn, it was all around good. Everyone was super fun. We both enjoyed each other’s company and everyone there – our servers and Rooster – was just vibing. The whole thing was a really fun experience. 

Would you have changed anything about the date?

C: I probably wouldn’t have eaten before I came to the date. Aside from that, no. 

K: I was thinking about it, and I don’t think I would change anything. My brain just has a lot of thoughts so I’ll go off on all these random tangents. I was like man, maybe I could have been a little more in the zone. But that’s me. That is the authentic me, so whatever. I wouldn’t change anything about the date. 

Was there a goodnight kiss, hug or exchange of numbers? 

C: We did exchange numbers, and we did do a goodnight kiss. But, we also had a good conversation about relationships and where we both want to be and stuff like that. I’m trying to be single for a year. 

K: Right before he left he asked if we could kiss. He ASKED! My lips were so chapped and I was like oh fuck, he wants to make out. But we kissed. We had a couple of smooches before he departed. I told him I was sorry if I was awkward and he said, “Dude, I just asked if I could kiss you. That’s fucking awkward!” He looked away when he asked me and I asked if he wanted me to kiss his tattoo. That was awkward.

Will there be a second date? 

C: In my opinion, a second date would have been having her come and hang out with friends but also wanting to communicate our intentions still. Pursuing a second date seems to mean the opposite of what my intentions are. I want to be single for a year. But I would hang out with her again. 

K: I’m not sure. We talked a lot about our previous relationships and how they stung us a little bit. We got along really well. I for sure see us hanging out and getting to know each other more, and then if that continues to vibe there could be some more dates. But we already contacted each other. He already told me what he was going to say in the follow up iinterview. We definitely get along and we’re friends and stuff. It could possibly develop into something else. We for sure enjoy each other’s company. Moving forward, Chapstick and a lot of hydration will be a necessity.

Any advice for future blind daters? 

C: Read the questions and have some answers loaded up! I thought I did, but I did not do a good job. Having a couple of preloaded ideas is easier than stumbling through the questions.  

K: Embrace the opportunity to enjoy some good food and libations with a stranger. Open yourself up to the experience because it could be really fun, and don’t judge a book by its cover.

Conclusion: 

At first, we thought Chris was putting too much pressure on the word “date,” but maybe that’s what they both want. Either way, we’re going to call this “hangout” a success. Any “hangout” that ends in late-night smooches is way more successful than most of our dates so we’ll mark this in the win column. But we have a feeling these two will be hanging out with each other quite a bit.