Ok here's my field report for tonight. I just looked over it and realized how freakishly long this was. I spent an hour typing this up. You guys are gonna get sick of me posting to seddit all the time, but prepare to learn about all of my failures and successes along the way. Hopefully I improve greatly and I hope some of you guys will learn from my mistakes.

I met a buddy of mine at a bar that I frequent. Before I got there I made up my mind to open 3 sets. We met up and got a table towards the middle of the bar and were showing each other some bar tricks just to pass the time. I warned him that I was going to try to approach some sets tonight so to just go along with what I did and to force me to make those three approaches. There was a 5 set next to us that appeared like they were out to have a good time. I wanted to approach with an opener I've modified from another opener I've read. I froze up and got in my head. My friend who is a bartender at the bar was talking to me and my friend and two guys she knew walked over to talk to her. One of the guys had my name (let's say Josh). I was like "Hey cool now we have two Joshes at the table." The other guy introduced himself as Brian (fake names).... which just so happened to be the name of my buddy. "NO FUCKING WAY!? WE HAVE TWO JOSHES AND TWO BRIANS!?!!" (I swear to God this was one of the trippiest things that happened to me all month). The only one that didn't have a name doppleganger was our bartender friend, Amy. On the spot I decided to use this as a good opener. I hopped over to the table with the 5 set and was like "Hey are any of you named Amy?!" One of the girls raised her hand. "My name is Amy!" "No shit?! Sweet come over here because now we have six people with the same names!!" Then she revealed that her name wasn't actually Amy. I had gained the table's attention, but I feigned a look of disgust from being lied to and waved them off and joined my group.

Our table chatted a little more. I was racking my brain trying to come up with a way to open the table again (I felt like using an opinion opener was cheesy). When most of the group had left I leaned over to my buddy and told him I was trying to think of a good opener. He looked at them and said, "steal their bowl of popcorn." It wasn't just a good idea, IT WAS A GREAT IDEA. The only problem in the plan? Me. I got in my head and didn't do it. This is the first takeaway message. If something seems like a good idea, DO IT!!! I'm still kicking myself for not doing this. Another guy from another table started talking to the group. He gave off a gay vibe, but was very alpha and kept bouncing back and fourth from his table to the 5 set and was getting strong body-language IOIs from a few of the girls. 2nd takeaway message: make your move before somebody else makes it for you.

I finally gathered my courage when the alpha was gone (lame, I know) and decided to use my opinion opener. One of the girls was into it, but there was an HB 8 who decided to get in the way. Right away she was like "Oh boy, I'm waiting for a cheesy punch line." "No, I'm just asking your guys' opinion on something." She countered with, "Oh boy, it's an opinion coming." I tried to keep my composure but my mind was screaming "FUCK." I smiled and said, "Oh that's cute that you think we're hitting on you." (not sure how effective this was) I tried to engage everyone in the process but only one or two girls were paying attention at a time. The HB 8 threw shit test after shit test at me (hinting and accusing me of hitting on them) which I tried to deflect as best as I could. I threw in at least four negs, which she acted hurt by. I tried to talk to the HB 9 to my left and threw in a few negs. She feigned shock and a hurt expression, but I got a couple IOIs. Then my wing and I just stood there after we ran out of things to talk about. Third, fourth, and fifth takeaway messages: LOCK IN TO THE SET! HAVE A FEW THINGS TO TALK ABOUT! EJECT GRACEFULLY WHEN YOU'VE BLOWN IT! We looked awkward just standing there.

Finally I decided it was time to eject. We decided to go to another bar. Before we left, we ended up talking to the HB 8 and the HB 9 separately because they had split up and I wanted to give them a little more crap. My wing and I went to another bar where I saw someone I knew from school (HB 10) and her friend (HB 7) and one of their friends I hadn't met before (male). We sat around a table and chatted, moved to the dance floor a little bit to dance, and my wing and I split up from them to walk around/not appear needy (although we kept drifting back to them so I don't think we succeeded). HB 10 has a boyfriend so I didn't really go for much, although I tried to initiate a little nonthreatening KINO with her. She reciprocated a little bit. We decided to leave. I waved goodbye to them and asked HB 10 for her phone number and said we should hang out sometime after finals. She said it sounded like fun. When I said we were going to a bar (that she had already said was a bar she didn't like) she said they'd come meet us after her friend's song had played. We didn't see them again after we left but I dropped her a text.

We went back to the same bar we started at and saw the girls from earlier. First I said "hello" to my barmaid friend, then walked up to the HB 8 who was in conversation with another guy. I just walked up and butted in to their conversation. I said, "I thought you would have been with a guy by now because you were being so cocky earlier." The guy seemed a little offended by this and told me his name and shook my hand, but when I kept talking to the HB 8 and giving her shit he ended up turning away and talking to his other friends. Takeaway message number six: It is much easier opening a set you've opened earlier in the night. In this case I walked up, put my hand on her shoulder, and said 'hi'. Her body language shifted towards me the more we talked and I kept negging her. I decided to call it a night and let my wing know. He agreed. I asked her for her number. She seemed a little caught off-guard and said "ok if you want it....?" (I wish I had a snappy response here) After I got her number I went and said goodbye to all the other people I knew at the bar (trying to show my social validation). My wing and I stepped out to the sidewalk and were about to part ways when HB 8 steps out too. She said she was waiting for her friends (who she had been babysitting all night). Takeaway message number seven: just because they seem cold doesn't mean they're interested. She followed us outside in below freezing weather. Her friends then stepped outside and waved goodbye to HB 8 and went to their car. Apparently HB 8 had driven alone. I hadn't really tried to hit on her much because I assumed she had to drive her friends home at the end of the night. takeaway message number eight: Don't ASSUME anything. I missed out on a solid 20 minutes of KINO escalation and attraction building because I thought she wouldn't be leaving by herself at the end of the night. I walked her to her car and learned she was driving to a town 30 minutes away. I let her know that she was welcome to crash on my couch and that the offer expired in 5 minutes. She politely declined (I didn't expect her to accept though). I gave her a hug and finally admitted to her that she had a fun energy about her and that sometime she might be fun to hang out with. I drove home alone.

My goal for the night was to approach 3 sets. My wing texted me after I got home and he said, "hey man you had great success tonight. you pulled 2 numbers from 2 really cute girls and you had a lowsey wing man. I wasn't on my game tonight for sure." Takeaway message number nine: don't spring the news to your friend that he's your wingman last minute. Give them a little bit of time to prepare for it.

Even though I got numbers, I'm not expecting follow up because HB 10 is in a relationship and HB 8 is from out of state. I still feel like my sticking points are the approaches. Also, I have a hard time maintaining conversation well without it turning into the usual boring small talk. Anyone have advice for that?

TL;DR: went out with the intent to open 3 sets. I truly opened 1 set. I got 2 numbers. Overall a fun night and I learned quite a few things that I hope to implement next time I go out.