For those of you who missed it, I spent the last two weeks as a contestant in BlindDateBlog. Now, finding myself in an increasingly serious real-life relationship, I’ve decided to bow out of the game. My official resignation:

I hate to do it. I’m still having fun. And I suspect I could have made it through this weekend’s double elimination, sticking around and causing trouble for at least one more week.

Still, I must admit that the joys of smarmy digital egotism pale in comparison to those of budding real-life romance. And after spending all of yesterday afternoon and evening with an increasingly-significant other, I’m afraid I have no choice but to go the Helen Jane route and resign myself from this game. The sting of Cupid’s arrow, the sonorous lilt of happy feminine laughter, and a damned good pair of legs all conspire against my participation.

Before I go, allow me to whole-heartedly extend my thanks to Ernie, my fellow contestants, and the peanuts and other rubbernecking onlookers – I certainly had no idea what the hell I was getting myself into when I signed up for BDB, and I can say in retrospect that the past two weeks have been a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’ll be watching intently from the sidelines, heckling and raking up ill will in a way that I couldn’t possibly have while still a contestant hell bent on kissing enough ass to stay in the game.

In the meantime, wish me luck. And if any of you, contestants, peanuts or audience members, ever end up in New York City, drop me a line. The first round of drinks is on me.