Stacey The Cougar Gets Personal

The anticipation of finally meeting the guys was so nerve wracking! Vivica and I got a sneak peek of the guys getting off the bus through a "spy cam." I was so impressed with what I saw that I couldn't wait to go downstairs and meet the guys face-to-face!

For me, first impressions are very telling. Women have great intuition, and I can usually size someone up quickly. But there are definitely times when someone surprises me. I decided to just go with my gut instinct and choose Travis.

Travis, a blond surfer dude from California, was my pick because he had three things I love: long hair, an argyle sweater and Champagne! I also love a musician and artistic creativity, so Colt was in the running for sure. His ascot, velvet jacket and guitar showed me he was a true original. If it was a smile contest, David would have won, hands down. I've never seen a more beautiful, contagious smile on a man! 

I'm not surprised the guys were already giving Travis so much heat for winning the first impression. Travis and I were having an awesome time together. Instead of "crying upstairs" like one of the guys said, Travis was bold enough to lean over and kiss me. And by the way, he's a great kisser!

Bodie, the pool boy, posed the question to the guys about children, but not one guy posed the question to me. It's very important to be able to share the fact that I do have children, and I'm curious who will ultimately ask me first. I'm not happy that these guys haven't been bold enough to ask me yet!

I would think that if they genuinely want to get to know me, a great starting point is to ask real life questions. Instead, these guys are reading off their résumés to me. It's like they think they are on The Apprentice! It worries me that some of them seem like they might be here for the wrong reasons. Jimmy, the personal trainer from San Francisco, was definitely one of the cockiest guys. I think he forgot to leave his ego at home.

I loved having time with the twins, Adam and Grant. It was fun to see the difference in their personalities right off the bat. Adam is all fun and smiles and Grant seems more logical and straightforward. One thing they do share in common is that their biggest relationship challenge has been a woman's possessiveness over them. Adam and Grant are both very attractive and have great style. I can see why women would want to put a "vice grip" on them!  

20 guys + cocktails + pool = someone is taking a dive! Johnny has a wild side to him; otherwise there is no way he would cannonball into water at 50 degrees. He has an amazing body and looked hot in his boxer briefs. He showed his playful and free-spirited side, and I love a guy who can let loose and have fun.

Testosterone was running rampant at the house... One thing I've noticed about younger guys is that they have to find a pecking order with each other. It's a phenomenon that can get ugly, fast. Look what happened with Ryan and Colt. They are polar opposites on the spectrum of personalities. Add a little alcohol (a.k.a. truth serum), an ascot that didn't sit well with Ryan, competition over a woman and voilà! It's a recipe for disaster.

I think Ryan may have won the record for the number of words beeped out in a single episode. I was VERY taken aback by his level of anger. We all have opinions, but to express them in such a volatile way is out of line. I'm a non-judgmental, open-arms kind of girl and I expect the same from the man I date. In front of me, the guys were all smiles. And almost, well... angelic! It's only the first night, so I'm letting things roll as they will, but watching the guys intently. 

Remember that thing called women's intuition? Sometimes I wish I was better at listening to it more closely, but my logical side kicked in. I overanalyzed Colt over his song. I'm glad we cleared the air. When he told me he genuinely cared about getting to know me, he scored some serious points. Fast. In return I felt like he should score a kiss. It was magical! Colt has great lips adorning his perfect smile.

Jon and Joe both sideswiping each other for my attention was classic! I love guys with a competitive edge. Joe has a really sweet nature that I really like. Jon seems to have his act together, but I want to hear more than "I own a home"... I got it the first time. These guys are making me laugh at their strategies and game (or lack thereof) tactics!

Round Two in the cabana with the "Southern gentleman," Kevin. Strike One: Kevin tells me he's unemployed. Strike Two: Kevin tells an offensive, off-color joke. Strike Three: You don't need a strike three to be out in my book. Especially when strike one and two are so bad. I could almost hear the needle come off the record when he told that joke. I'm sure Kevin is a nice guy and somewhere deep down he really is that Southern gentleman. Unfortunately, I never got to see it.

Tom has never dated anyone over legal drinking age. Hmmm, I'm beginning to wonder what his motives are for being at the house. I do have concerns about some of these guys not being serious about dating an older woman. I love that Colt called Tom out and said maybe you should start with a 25-year-old, not a cougar. Well said. When Colt stood up to Ryan about age being just a number, I was thinking, "Right on! Age is just a number!" And then off goes Ryan's mouth and more bleeped-out words. Ryan should thank his lucky stars that I was oblivious this was all going on at the time. One thing I made clear is that I can't stand blatant arrogance.

If these guys think fighting is going to win me over, they should pack their bags now. After all, I'm not here for the drama; I'm here to find true love.