Gemini

I have never used an agency, and I can't ever see doing so. Not having any experience of agencies I can't really comment on their service, but my main reasons for not using them are the same as others have mentioned. Less chance to get to know the provider before the appointment, and the feeling that the agency will try and substitute another girl if my chosen one is not available, whereas with an independant I will wait until our schedules mesh. Just my 2c

If you have the time and the inclination to put your thoughts down Nathalie, it all helps to get to know you. Personally the better I feel I know an escort, the more likley I am to arrange a meeting. I like to know what books a person likes to read, or indeed if she likes to read, or what music she listens to, what annoys her and what makes her happy. It all helps to turn two dimensional photos into real people. Websites certainly fullfill some of that, but are not updated often, postings on CERB may be more frequent, but they are generally scattered across the site. I think a blog does need to be updated fairly regularly though, at least every couple of weeks, if it is to be relevant, but the good news is that the update don't need to be long. Or if this puts too great a strain on your time there is always Twitter.

Well in the lead at 40.1%

Would I get involved with an SP? Absolutely! From my limited experience I have found SPs to be some of the nicest people around, so I would certainly not rule out the whole group. If I was to generalise and rule out an entire class of people as unsuitable partners, it would probably be Lawyers. Or maybe Nickelback fans.

'Unrushed' is very easy to write in an ad or on a website and it is really good to think about what it means. I think 'unrushed' to me is a lot to do with how the impending end of our time together is handled. Tapping a clock on the bedside table and telling me to hurry up is likely to damage the mood. Obviously if the time is already up as in Gabriella's example, then that is completely different. Being told the time on three or four occasions through the encounter will also interrupt the mood. I generally don't bring a watch with me, and wouldn't want to be wearing or checking one if I did, so timekeeping is really up to the provider. The easiest way is to probably to have a clock visible in the room so that I can check occasionally and make sure I'm not overstaying my welcome. Being told we only have 15 minutes or however long left, and asked how I want to spend the remaining time seems a good way to go and is no problem for me.

Sitting down to a plate of salad and smelling the neighbour's BBQ.

Julie Wilde :D

There are no words...

Sending a large and urgent document to the big printer downstairs, waiting long enough for it to print and then going to find that it jammed on the second page.

Live and learn indeed. I'm embarassed to say that my first thought was of an outdoor winter game, and not one that would usually involve an escort.

The Native Pow-Wow at the Ottawa-Nepean Tent & Trailer Park is always good, with interesting food, but I think you might have missed it for this year, usually the end of May. The beach at Constance Bay is really nice for walking and swimming and there are a couple of places to eat (The Point and one I can't remember) Burnstown (just past Arnprior) has a number of galleries and gift shops, along with a couple fof places to eat. Neat Cafe has wood-fired pizzas and really good concerts some evenings (http://www.neatfood.ca)

This thread reminded me of a neat book called Missed Connections, Love Lost and Found by Sophie Blackall. The idea of the book is all those times when you have seen someone in the street and sensed a connection, or more likely imagined one. The book lists the funny or painful personal ads that people have placed after these almost-meetings as they attmept to say the things they should have said at the time. I wonder if I have passed any of the Ottawa area SPs in my daily life. Maybe megforfun on one of the rare times I was in the east end? I'd like to think so, based on her amazing recommendations. Perhaps Dorinda Bloom when I was out west? Maybe even ATasteofEve when I was downtown? But if the book has a moral it, is probably to seize the day and make sure that if you want to meet someone, you do something aboout it. The biggest problem that I see in Ottawa is that there are so many beautiful providers and each recommendation seems better than the last; we really are spolied for choice in the nation's capital. Cheers, Gemini

Congratulations Jhena. 1000 posts is an amazing milestone, and a very daunting one when viewed by a lowly newbie I must admit. Still, every journey starts with a single step. Or a single post. Congrats again!

Now that's my idea of seriously good doomsday planning Samantha! I think I would need to add some bottles of red wine and maybe some good Belgian beer as well. The more I think about it, the longer the list of items to be stockpiled grows - just in case: - A generator (to keep my computer going for access to CERB and all of the beautiful SPs) - Chocolate (of course) - Good books (but not Fifty Shades of Grey if the reviews on CERB are anything to go by) - Pizza (not sure how to stockpile delivery pizza, but it must be worth giving it some thought) - Music (not a problem with the amount you can put on an iPod these days) I'm sure that there are lots more essentials.

Never really thought of myself as a geek, but that Star Trek look might be interesting...

This sounds like souch a good idea. I can't wait to hear all about how it went