Hoxton, 4th Feb 2011 - Me, Rebus, JohnnyB and Under_Patch

So we met up in Bluu Bar next to Hoxton Kitchen, had a beer, chatted for a little while, then decided to move on to Roadtrip as it has a large smoking area out front where Under_Patch could do his unique drawing pickup technique (dude, that is some serious talent you have there btw - I realise this is not news to you, but I feel I have to say it all the same).

So at Roadtrip, we left Under_Patch to do his thing in the smoking area while me, Rebus and JohnnyB went inside - inside, Rebus opened a few mixed sets, a 3-set, and a HB standing by herself at the end of the bar (I'm sure he can flesh these exploits out more).
I wasn't really feeling it at this point - my AA is still massively affecting me, and while I kept having the urge to to jump in with Rebus as his wing, a little voice kept telling me not to, as I'd inevitably fuck it up. So I stood there like a chode.

Me and JohnnyB decided to go back outside and see how Under_Patch was getting on; he had had some approaches while we were inside (again, I'll let Under_Patch flesh these out).

After a while, me and JohnnyB figured we might be better getting on familiar ground by going to Traffic (the scene of last friday's exploits)

Again, Rebus was on-form by opening up a mixed set outside Roadtrip, so the rest of us decided to leave him to it and head straight to Traffic. Inside, Under_Patch got himself a seat and me and JohnnyB headed off to find some females.

To cut this down a bit, after a little recon of the club (and AA getting the better of me and JohnnyB), we found a place to perch by the back entrance. Just then a 3-set walked in (all about HB6.5) and headed for the bar - one of them broke off and sat down opposite Under_Patch. Then the other two came and sat down with her. It was on - JohnnyB went and opened them first - I was about to follow but then thought it was maybe a little creepy just coming along straight after JohnnyB and plonking myself down. So I dashed off to the toilet in order to make a more natural approach in a few minutes.
When I got back, Under_Patch was already doing a sketch of the one sat in the middle, so I came over and opened the one closest to me (which as it happens, was the one I was most attracted to anyway). She was watching Under_Patch do the drawing of her friend sat in the middle. I shall call her HBc.

Me: That's an amazing talent, ain't it?
HBc: (looks up, smiles) Yeah
Me: Well, I taught him everything he knows! (I hunkered down at this point to get on her level) You know that there is a charge for him doing this - I'm like his Art-pimp!
HBc: (laughs) Oh really? How much?
Me: You have to dance with me!
HBc: Haha, I bet you pick up girls like this all the time right?
(now, this is the second time a girl has questioned my motives like this while out sarging, so I just played along and mockingly agreed)
Me: Oh yeah, this works a treat - he does the drawings to get the girls over, then make my move! Haha
HBc: (Laughed)

All the while I was doing some light kino, and then moved the convo on - I decided to go with a relationships frame - we had similar-sounding names, so I played with that, saying we already sound like a cute couples' name. she also made me guess her age and it turned out we were the same age:

Me: See! Look at how many things we have in common!
HBc: I know! Maybe we should get married (I think the relationships frame was working too well! lol)
Me: Whoa! Steady on! Are you always this forward?!
HBc: (smiled)
Me: Besides, me and you would never work out - we'd always have huge arguments and fall out, followed by hot make-up sex, followed by more arguments, followed by hot make-up sex! (I think I pinched this from Style)
HBc: (laughes, smiles, etc.)

Well, we continued the chat for a while longer about miscellaneous stuff - really going well. And then I made a fatal error (which Rebus helped me to realise later):
Under_Patch had to leave to catch the last train, so when he got up and left, Johnny moved up the seat on the booth, and I sat down. BIG MISTAKE.

I essentially went from having her in semi-isolation to breaking it - her friend started talking to her, and I couldn't really break myself back in - while the distance across the table was only a couple of feet, with the music and her friend, it might as well have been the distance of the fucking Atlantic ocean.
What I should have done (again, thanks Rebus for later pointing this out), was to completely isolate her by taking her hand and moving her off somewhere else - to dance, to chat more, whatever - anything instead of sit down opposite her! grrr.

Shortly after that, they all left and I didn't even get a chance to close her.


That was when Rebus came in, and we all started a little approaching game - we all put a 5 note in and had to take turns to nominate who would go and approach who - this is a great game to play to get over your AA, I highly recommend it. I'll just talk here about my most succesfull and interesting approach and let the others fill in their own stuff.

1. Rebus told me to approach a 2-set at the bar - one was a HB8 in a little black figure-hugging dress, and the other was a HB9 dressed a little less sexily, but god-damn was she hot as hell and much more talkative. So shitting myself with AA (THIS WAS MY FIRST-EVER SOLO APPROACH!!!), I walked up with my hat on and opened with:

Me: Hey girls! Help me out here - my friends back there keep taking the piss out of my new hat, and I don't want to talk to them anymore! You girls have style, so I thought I'd just hang with you!
Both: (laughed)
HB9: Aww, it's nice - I like it!
Me: (took the hat off) Yeah, I only wear it cos I have such messy hair!
HB9: Oh, that's much better anyway!
Me: Yeah? You think? (kino'd)

At this point, we continued talking about random stuff - they were both from Poland, and only over in LDN for a few days visiting friends - we talked about clubs to go to etc., and the whole time this HB9 was really giving me IOI's - returning Kino, smiling loads etc etc.
I kept thinking to myself: my god, I am talking to one of the hottest girls in this place, and not only is she not telling me to fuck-off, she actually finds me interesting too!
I FELT LIKE A FUCKIN BOSS RIGHT THEN!

So anyways, because I am still a complete chode, I kinda wimped out after a while, made my excuses, and exited.

Now, I fucking hate myself for not doing more with this girl - we bumped into each other a few more times that night, and at one point, she actually came over and opened me!
I should have done so much more!
But as this is all new to me, I'm gonna chalk this up to inexperience and a lack of confidence - I just couldn't believe that i'd have a chance with this hot chick.

So I opened a few more sets the rest of the night, but they were nothing of real note. I'm sure the other guys have more to input on their experiences that night.

All in all, it was a pretty good night - I still have so much to work on, but I feel I am making progress, slowly but steadily.

I AM FUCKING LOVING THIS SHIT!!!

Much love,

Craigus

All of this is on the money.

You're totally on the right track.

Keep doing what you're doing.

Apart from sitting a metre (width of table) away from the bird!

Yeah I picked em out as they were hot! The three of us could have played that opener nomination game like dicks -- the theme of "oh there's a massivly obese fatty over there, go open her and say you are horny" -- but I didn't see the point, so thought yeah the hottest birds in the bar nearby -- go and do it with view to a good outcome for youself!

I opened tons of people, doing the socially awesome thing.

Had a right good laugh with the guys, and we even had some normal conversations about each of our respective jobs (!) which is a good thing. I do that sort of chat with, like, normal friends. As opposed to these abnormal people I meet off the forum (JUST JOKING YOU LOT).

Despite opening tons of people, two young women of unusal beauty stuck in my mind, which I'll theme around movie stars:

• Tall slender golden blonde, HB 9.5, Nicole Kidman in the Chanel advert, with her hair wild with locks draped in front of her face

• Brunette, Rachel Weisz, HB 9, dressed in muted colours, white fitted high-armed shirt

HB Nicole Kidman was in a large group on the street outside Roadtrip, I spied how hot she was so opened the guys she was with. Quickly, I was ingrained in the group as this cool guy (the guys' sort of words) and naturally turned around to open Nicole.

Usual Rebus mix included directness, kino, I even - with permission gained - re-did the bob of her hair (coz it was blowing in the wind) and also gently brushed her forehead of the wisps of golden blonde hair blowing in her face.

Nicole was mesmerised by the Rebus show.

At closing: Nicole has a boyfriend, and I could not "destroy" him, as it seems serious with them, so game over.


HB Rachel Weisz was spotted by me from the opposite side of the street; through a narrow first-floor window, all I could see was her sexy legs. Me, Craigus and JohnnyB bundled into the bar as I headed upstairs I grabbed a 2/3 empty beer bottle to give impression that we weren't creepy pick-up guys who were entering, rapidly casing the very small pub for pussy, then leaving.

I saw her face and said to JohnnyB, "wow, she looks like Rachel Weisz! Stunning!"

I glided over to approach them, "HEY! You look like Rachel Weisz!..." and to the guy she was with "...you look like that guy off Blur... Alex James" (I was being overly complimentary to the guy; he actually looked like a cunt face plus a large wisp of black hair... by being complimentary I was trying to get him on my side).

One of either Craigus or JohnnyB tried to wing, keeping the guy busy (hard work!). But they ran out of petrol and walked away to chat, leaving me solo with the two-set. But thanks anyway, as whilst the guy was distracted, I leant into Rachel Weisz's ear and whispered something direct and fun in her ear. Which she loved.

The guy extensively tried to AMOG me. He even said I had a slight beer belly (bulshitter, he was looking at imagery things to use just like my "Alex James" comment), pointing etc, but it did make me address my poor posture in that moment.

• Rebus: "Ooooh! Does your boyfriend always talk to you like this?"
• HB Rachel Weisz: "He's not my boyfriend"

In the end, Rachel Weisz had her back to the window and was wedged on three sides of: window, edge of large booth, and the AMOG-attempting non-bf guy.

To get her out of this corner successfully - overcoming non-bf guy harassment - and isolate away from his noises, I would have had to do something clever. Which I couldn't think of. So I left.

My summary to Craigus and JohnnyB was "she needed to give a bit more to me... you know, like it's just one of these things." I came across as awesome, she giggled and laughed and had a good time, but she needed to take that step forward -- LITERALLY -- to help me out of the physical corner she was in. Her raw classy beauty stuck in my mind though.

Well I had fun with you guys on Friday. I just wish I could have stayed later. It did feel as though I was leaving as the evening was just getting started. But sadly work has to come first. I mean it is 9 on a Sunday night and I am still at the office. It does not look I will be leaving here any time soon. I might be spending the night here.

But at that second bar we where at. There was this one girl who came to me who seemed very interested. She was even insisting on giving me information about some of the artists she likes. Wanting to write it down. I could have thrown in a.

"Give me your number. I would like very much to continue this conversation."

I dropped the ball so badly on that one. Even as she was leaving the table she looked as though she wanted me to stop her. I need to learn how to change gears. I was in the drawing zone that night. Getting pulled out of it to talk to a girl messed me around a little more than I thought it would. I should write on the black board a thousand times.

"I am here to pickup girls. Not draw!"