So it turns out I'm just like every other guy. At least in one way:

I don't understand women.

At least not this one woman. Since I've been covering this baseball team, one of the cute young women who works there has been quite friendly. I didn't think much of it at first, but as it went on, it seemed more like she was flirting with me. Her smiles and hellos and jokes and teasing. Yeah, I realize this is all normal person-to-person behavior and had it been between two men or two women, I wouldn't see it as flirting. But there was a sense that it was more than just friendly banter.

As I said, I didn't think much of it at first. I generally don't. I take things slow � probably too slow � so it takes me a little while to start thinking along the lines of, "Hey, maybe there's something there." Besides, I probably shouldn't really date someone who works for the team I'm supposed to cover impartially.

I'd kinda thought that recently, but with the 12-game road trip the team just went on, I hadn't seen her in two weeks.

You know, I'm just not in the mood for a long, detailed account of all this. Here's the deal: She shows up at a Memorial Day barbecue today with a date. And I gathered from my gathering skills that they've known each other for a while. And they left early, before most of the rest of us, which you don't really do on a "Hey, wanna go to a barbecue tonight" for-the-heck-of-it kind of date.

So why was she so flirty with me? I understand women flirt just to flirt, but don't they realize how stupid we are and we take even the smallest flirt to mean some level of interest?

I mean, why would she send me (what I thought were) signals of interest if there were no interest?

I don't get women.

My shameful � because I disguised it as a request for movie suggestions � request for movie suggestions resulted in an increase in guestbook entries. Good suggestions, too, because I liked "Entrapment," loved "Vertigo" and "Unforgiven" and now I'm intrigued to see "Midnight Lace" because of the varying interpretations two people gave on it. We'll have to see which way I see it.

Eh, I'm just that tonight � Eh.