What's wrong with these roses?

Ladies, a man sends you a dozen roses by way of introduction -- and in hopes of getting you to agree to a date. You:

A. Rejoice. Romance is alive and well! You call to thank him for the gift, you chat a little bit and you schedule that date. He just might be a keeper.

B. Read the note, which goes a little something like this -- "Having enjoyed meeting you, please accept these roses as an invitation to dinner" -- and you think, "Weird. Why didn't he just ask me when he saw me?" Your answer to his invitation: thanks for the flowers, but no thanks to the invite. Let's be friends.

C. Don't respond. What in the world is this guy doing sending me flowers, and, if he's so interested, why do I have to call him to set up a date? Stalker alert: Let the red flags wave.

For one Relate reader, the answer has been a version of C, every time. Seems he keeps sending a dozen roses to women he has met casually, but they never acknowledge their receipt, let alone the dinner invitation -- even if he sees them again.

By way of background, this reader was married for 12 years and says he took a few years off from dating before re-entering the scene. Then he started sending the roses. To four women, to be exact.

Not one date resulted. He says not one woman told him she had received the flowers.

He's frustrated. He says of the women he's encountered on the dating scene: "They claim to want a man who is stable, comfortable, who can provide the security that is needed in a relationship, but yet you watch the type/style these women date and it makes you wonder which side of the mind are they thinking with. For me, I look at the woman's inner beauty, who she is inside, what makes her tick."

So, readers, what should he do?

Recognizing the dating red flags

Don’t you wish there was a master list of warning signs when dating? It sure would make things a tad easier when weeding out the sane from the psycho or the liars from the truth-tellers.

Here’s a starter list of statements and phrases, that if your partner says on the first date or in those first get-to-know-you phone conversations or e-mails, you should either put up your guard and investigate more or immediately end all communication and change your phone number.

• “My back is really killing me. I’ve got to find a more comfortable bed than that raggedy couch.”

• “If we start dating, then I think it’s best you tell your friend Margaret that you can’t see her anymore. You only need me in your life.”

• “Oh, I bet you want to know who that was who just called me. Well, I told the creditors not to call me at work anymore and just to ring me on my cell – it cuts out the middle man.”

• “I gotta be home by 7 p.m., because Rob, my parole officer, will be there.”

Maybe we can come up with that master list of red flags if you contribute by posting in the comments. I bet there are some good ones out there!

Warning signs a breakup is near

So you and your significant other can't stop fighting. The arguments started out over big things, issues that any couple should discuss, but now your fights focus on where you're going to dinner and why you didn't call when you got home two hours later than expected.

They all seem to be silly, petty arguments that make you wonder if your partner is trying to tell you something.

According to an article published Thursday on yahoo.com, author Elina Furman gives her top five signs you're about to get dumped. I think she hit the nail on the head with the "forgetting to call" sign.

What would be your top five signs?