By The Numbers: Art Of Courtship Edition

When it comes to dating, there’s a lot to be said for the art of courtship.

Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune of dating a variety of men who know what it means to truly woo a woman. In this day and age, that’s no easy feat given how modern mores seem to scoff at the very idea of romance – and imply that being an independent woman is somehow at odds with wanting (and enjoying) the rites of courtship.

During those heady first days and weeks of getting to know a new love interest, I'm a big fan of mixing it up. A combination of spontaneity and planning, of the grand gesture and the little things, goes a long way toward getting off on the right foot romantically speaking. Here are a few of the memorable ways I’ve been wooed – By The Numbers:

Number of men who said it with flowers early on: 5
Number of men whose initial courting tactics included a concert or Broadway show: 5
Number of men who whisked me away on a romantic trip: 3
Number of men who added to my menagerie of stuffed animals: 3
Number of men with whom I’ve done karaoke (and not lived to regret it): 3

My most recent karaoke outing was with hunky cop and Match.com member Rich. He belted out Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive,” while I made like Tina Turner and sang “The Best.” Never underestimate the icebreaking effect of warbling after you’ve had a few drinks.

What are some of your top picks for great dates?

By The Numbers: Front Row Edition

Imagine attending more than 700 concerts in your lifetime. Earlier this week, I learned that’s what my friend Cindy’s boyfriend Jason has done (733, to be exact) – which got me to thinking about my own love affair with live music.

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing more than 50 concerts, a dozen of which have been my beloved Ricky Martin. Here are some of my most memorable live music moments, enjoyed with and without the opposite sex, By The Numbers:

Number of concerts attended with significant others: 4
Number of Maroon 5 concerts that figured prominently in reconciling with an ex: 1
Number of ‘farewell’ concerts attended of performers who later toured again: 2
Number of times I ended up within the first 20 rows despite having a nosebleed section ticket: 1 (Tina Turner, June 2000)
Number of times I saw Ricky Martin during his 2007 Black and White tour: 4
Number of miles flown to see Ricky perform in Puerto Rico: 3,206

Worth The Trip: Ricky Martin sizzles during his Black and White tour, San Juan, August 2007

I’ve been fortunate enough to see Ricky and some of my other favorite performers (e.g. Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band and Tina Turner) multiple times. The band I most want to see but haven't yet -- U2.

Jason has seen U2 five times. I look forward to catching up with him on that front – and, of course, to whenever Ricky hits the concert circuit again.

Bon Jovi Rocks The Big Apple

For as long as I can remember, I've always loved going to concerts. The transporting experience of live music, of being literally and lyrically taken away from the outside world, is something I've been fortunate to enjoy many, many times. Ray Charles, Billy Joel, The Police, my beloved Ricky Martin...the 50+ concerts I've attended over the years have featured some of the greatest performers of our time. Last night's Bon Jovi concert at Madison Square Garden was no exception.

Having gone to my very first Bon Jovi show in October during the initial leg of their "Lost Highway" tour, I had every expectation of being dazzled all over again. The veteran rockers did not disappoint, delivering a high-octane three-hour concert that proved why they're still selling out arenas 25 years after first arriving on the scene.

From classics like "Bad Medicine" and "Livin' On A Prayer" to such recent charttoppers as "Who Says You Can't Go Home" and "(You Want To) Make a Memory," the band took all of us in the audience on an exhilarating journey through their entire catalog of hits. The on-stage camaraderie between Jon, Ritchie Sambora and the rest of the band was palpable--the kind of connection that can only come from more than two decades of performing together.

Between songs, Jon did some reminiscing. He mentioned writing "Wanted: Dead or Alive" way back when with Ritchie on the washing machine at Ritchie's house. He laughed about coming to MSG as a kid and sitting in the nosebleed section, and said this week marks the 25th anniversary of Bon Jovi's first performance here.

"For 25 years, we've been saying we're not going anywhere," he told the crowd. "We're just getting started."

Thunderous applause and screams indicated all of us in the audience couldn't agree more.

By the time Bon Jovi took their final bow, my voice was happily hoarse. As everyone filed out, the sounds of Sinatra singing "New York, New York" filled the emptying arena. All of us sang right along with Old Blue Eyes. I smiled, thinking immediately of my mother. "New York, New York" was one of her favorites. She adored this city with every part of her, a love I will be forever grateful to have inherited. After all, this is a city where even the biggest of dreams can come true.

Just ask Bon Jovi.