So there I was, sitting in a cozy little candlelit restaurant, mentally rehearsing my charming small talk. I had matched with a lovely woman on eHarmony—let's call her "Laura." She had a delightful smile in her profile picture and claimed to be into "long walks and deep conversations." Classic, right? We dive into the usual, "What do you do for fun?" and "What’s your favorite pizza topping?" (Important stuff, you know.) So far, so good. Then, out of the blue, Laura leans in just a tad too close and says, “You know, I once dated a guy who was really into taxidermy. He preserved his pets and would take them to dinner parties.” I blinked. Was this a thing? I’ve heard of people having odd hobbies—miniature golf, extreme ironing—but taxidermy? “Uh, so does that mean he brought them, like, to the table?” “Of course!” she exclaimed, beaming. “His cat, Mr. Whiskers, had a place of honor next to the mashed potatoes. He said it added character!” My brain was racing. “And did it?” “Only if you consider ‘character’ part creepy/part fascinating,” she laughed. At that moment, I realized I had a choice. I could either be horrified or embrace the bizarre reality that I was in fact on a date with a woman who not