#Fact: My ass was handed to me on a silver platter by @StevenBWard

I ... don't know what to say. I don't know what to write. I spent an hour riding back from our lunch literally speech and tweetless. I very honestly have never talked to someone so intelligent in all of my life, and sat there saying less than 10 words out of fear of embarrassing myself.

I HAD NOTHING TO SAY!!! AND WE WERE TALKING TECH AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS!!!!!!!!!

I ... am humbled. I expected a douche and left being the douche.

Lemme back up first though and break this shizzy shiznat down for you all.

So, I asked Steve out on Ustream a couple of weeks back (read more about that here). He was super cool, DMed me his email and we went back and forth for a few weeks planning it all out.

Rad.

I've lived in LA for 7 years. I've done the whole hanging out/ dating celebs before, and sure Steve is on a popular TV show on Vh1 (Tough Love) - but would you like an award or a breast to pin it on? Hanging out with someone just because they're on TV does nothing for me. I am just GENUINELY FASCINATED by social dynamics, and dating - after 103 dates in 9 months I STILL date and STILL get jazzed about people and playing. I'm an ABSURDLY curious person and still young and crazy enough to go out there and do it. What interested me in Steve is his knowledge of people and matchmaking ... and ... let's call a spade a spade, I also wanted to touch the hiney.

Dudes, the guy is gorgeous. Period end of sentence, I will not even debate anyone on that. He is a very very very handsome human being. Even if I were a straight dude I'd STILL do him.

I was genuinely surprised when he said yes to go out with me - but even more excited with the planning of everything.

<tangent> OMG you guys, I cannot for the life of me fucking write this post out. I've never been so floored and so unbelievably impressed in meeting someone. Like my jaw is open. Hold on, lemme get some music up - that'll help.

Oh god yes. This song pierces my soul with joy and bliss. Great fucking beat, man. </tangent>

So, I emailed him this morning asking where we could meet up.

Devons 3pm, he replied back.

Devons? I thought, what's that? I pop over to google and realize it's actual a semi fancy pants looking restaurant.

Hmmm not bad. Alrite.

I email him back saying that sounds good. See ya there.

I then go into girl freak out mode of oooohhhhhhh holy fuck this is happening.

Get ready Friel, in 3 hours you are going to meet your crush.

I get ready putting on one of my favorite vintage dresses and topped off the outfit with my super sexy sexy kicks from Blowfish Shoes ...

SO FREAKING COMFORTABLE!! AND CUTE!!!

I'm currently staying with a friend of the TNTML community just outside of Philly. She was rad enough to offer up her couch, ANNNNDD even offer up her car for me to meet Steve.

Are you for real? I said!

Yep! Take it!

WOOOOWWWWWWW!!

And just like that ... someone that I met in person for the first time less than 24 hours ago gave me her car, with gas to go and see Steve.

Go get 'em girl! You look great, she said as I walked out the door.

I get in the car, pop in the address in google maps on my Droid, and head over.

Breathe ... breathe ... breathe ...

It takes me almost an hour (by the way the crow flies it was actually only a couple of miles - but Philly's traffic is pretty bad), and at 2:45 I park the car and start walking over to the restaurant.

Breathe Friel. Whatever you do, just don't forget to breathe. Stick to the life basics, and do this - I think pepping myself up.

As I am walking over to the restaurant I get an email from him ...

I'm running 15 mins late. Sorry!

Alrite, whatevs I think. Minor inconvenience but I have emails I can catch up on, I'll just sit at the bar.

I walk into Devons, sit down at the bar and email him back - See u when u get here!

I then proceeded like a mad woman emailing and calling everyone on my "to call" and "to email" list.

I get caught up, take another sip of my water, and then remembered how unbelievably weird I get when I have a crush on someone. I get PAINFULLY quiet, and usually say the DUMBEST shit on the planet.

When I crashed the Grammys to meet Pete Cashmore the first words out of my mouth were - "I recognized you by your jawline." WHO SAYS THAT????!!!!! I fucking do. My nerves get the best of me, I turned to twitter for support.

I then hear a voice - your hair is so much darker than in your picture, I didn't recognize you.

I look up and see a super tall hoodie and hat wearing gorgeous human being.

Oh fuck. I'm totally caught off guard not by his clothing but by his height!! On TV and in pictures he looks pretty short. I pegged him at being 5'8/ 5'9 at the most - he was EASILY 6'2.

I temporarily look like a deer in headlights. I was actually so shocked with his height and how attractive he was in general in person - the entire scenario threw me. I don't even know if I shook his hand, hugged him - or what. My mind went completely blank.

Breathe. Just remember to breathe and you're okay.

We then move to the other side of the bar. Here let's sit over here, I like to face the door - good Feng Shui.

Right out the gate we start discussing google plus. (Steve is a power user.)

I don't believe it is going anywhere, I said. The only people really excited about it are marketers - and while yeah, I get the value, google is reactive. When your grandmother is on Facebook, that says something. Facebook thinks a step ahead nurturing the end user's psychology by supplying us with what we need not what we think we want.

Steve shoots me this look - I will have to agree to disagree with you.

Eloquently put, but I felt that jab.

He then explains that because of X Y and Z google will dominate and because of A B and C - Facebook is going down.

Alrite, I thought. I'm never one to out right dismiss something, and I gotta admit - he had a point.

We'll see, I said.

What do you think about Graph?

Facebook's Open Graph, I ask?

No. Graph - Web 3.0

I don't have an opinion on it, I say quietly.

He then explains to me how we are becoming more and more intertwined electronically that we will eventually get to a point where every site you visit will be COMPLETELY personalized sans Facebook and Twitter connect.

I've heard that, I said. I haven't gotten to that place yet on an intellectual level, there are too many variables still I believe in the social space right now - but yeah, it all makes sense ... very Minority Report! I say with a smile as I take a BIIGGGGGG sip of my beer. Liquor will not make you smarter Friel, but it might kill off a few brain cells when it comes to the retelling of this story later. 

This guy is SO FUCKING SMART, I thought.

I had no idea you were this passionate about tech, I said. I think it's great, I just very genuinely had no idea.

A lot of people don't, he said. He then continues on talking tech, licenses, and general entrepreneurism.

This guy has built a fucking empire, I thought.

I started working with my mom a couple of years ago. At the time she was working from a rolodex, I changed that. I have an agent, no manager, no publicist, but a LOT of attorneys.

He then began discussing the current global economic crisis and explained to me ways that he was going to change things - I was literally speechless. Everything he said made so much sense, and the way he spoke, and the passion ... this guy is VERY LITERALLY a genius.

So, tell me more about your business, he said.

Oh my little business? I thought. Here I am with a website and community I built with my bare hands, a scripted, and an unscripted show in development - I have a channel on On Demand, and a book deal - and never in my entire life have I felt more like I knew nothing and have accomplished nothing.

THIS GUY IS SERIOUSLY WORKING ON THE FUCKING GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERY MOVER AND SHAKER ... LIKE EVER!!

Really? Me? What the fuck have I done!!! I just have fucking adventures. I am now the littlest kid at the fucking big kid table, I think as I click the heels of my Blowfish shoes in shame. ::there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home. Please. Take. Me. Home.::

I explain just the bare bone basics of being a corporate sponsored minimalist, and explained to him that even my trip out here was sponsored. It's narrative advertising, I say taking another sip of beer. Please don't ask me any more questions - I have never been more embarrassed in my entire life that I feel like I have had zero contribution to the world.

He then receives a text message.

Oh thank god, I thought. Saved by the text.

He looks up and smiles showing me the text - it says Justin Bieber.

Like THE Justin Bieber, not someone he nicknamed in his phone as Justin Bieber. Like Justin Bieber actually texted him as I was sitting there.

Yo! Congrats on the new show! read the text.

Steve smiles not in a "wow look how cool I am way" but almost amused as well that it was pretty cool that Justin Bieber just texted him.

I then break the conversation placing both my hands on my chest saying, you're incredibly intelligent and really fucking cool. I'm not even just saying that to blow smoke up your ass - whatever. I've very honestly never felt more humbled in a conversation. I genuinely appreciate this and genuinely appreciate your time. 

You're welcome, he said.

His brain immediately bounces back into action - I'm going to get a tattoo tonight.

Amazing! I said. Do you have any now?

Yeah two.

One on my back, and the king of hearts on my arm, often referred to as the "suicide king." Heavy is the head that wears the crown, he said. Who does the king have to look up to when you're the king? 

A glimmer of sadness lingers in his eye.

I can't even imagine what dating must be like for Steve. Who the hell does he have to challenge him intellectually? The guy is a FUCKING GENIUS, gorgeous, totally real and down to Earth.

When I asked Steve out initially I got a lot of emails with people warning me that he's 31, still single and a professional matchmaker. There MUST be something wrong with him.

I have to say after spending an hour with him, the only thing "wrong" with him is that he is too fucking humble to admit to the world that he is A GOD DAMN GENIUS.

He is processing shit that has NEEVVVEERRRR even remotely processed into our frames of consciousness, and he not only gets people, he's pretty damn cool about it.

I have never in my life been more impressed by someone, and never in my life just genuinely enjoyed someone's company. To be that smart, that real, and that accomplished - not something you come across everyday in someone. Steve is a rare breed. I am UNBELIEVABLY humbled to even get an hour of his time.

We then close out, he pays for lunch and we walk outside. 

What are you doing tomorrow night, he says.

Filming during the day, meeting up with some people - then I don't know!

Want to come by my radio show?

RAAADD!! I thought.

I'll email you the address. Talk soon he said as he walked away.

And just like that ... he was gone.

I stood there temporarily frozen.

Did that just happen? Did he really just hand me my own ass, school me on EVERYTHING I thought I knew, and then invite me to hang out tomorrow?

Fuckin eigh, man. That's some gnarly shit. Alrite, I can go again for round two. 

Now excuse me nerderinos, I will now be spending the entire night googling "how to solve world hunger."

Must have something to report back to Steve tomorrow!!!

#staytuned

Click here to find out what happened on night two!

Special thanks to Blowfish Shoes for their sexy sexy kicks that I got to rock on this date! For reals, man - their shoes are SUPPPEERRRR comfy, and make my already tall 5'7 self SUPPERRR tall. =) YAY LIFE!!!