(MONEY Magazine) – Sam Steinberg

AGE 89 HOMETOWN Forest Hills, N.Y. WHAT HE DID Joined the online dating game. Healthy, happy but lonely, the old-fashioned widower tried a modern approach to finding companionship--with a little help from his younger relatives.

MAYBE I'M SPOILED after being married 57 years, looking to replace what I had. Then I say to myself: Why are you standing around here moping like a jerk? Get going. Being alone is yucky.

I'M A RETIRED BUSINESSMAN, a grocery store owner. My wife had a good job with the Board of Ed; we saved her income and lived on mine. No investing philosophy--we just kept it simple. I'm not a spendthrift, although sometimes if I see something on sale, like Ocean Spray cranberry juice, I'll get three because, hey, it was a good deal.

THE SUNDAY NEW YORK TIMES PERSONAL ADS. I got my magnifying glass and saw one that looked great. I called my great-nephew Jay's wife for advice on what to say. It's a cockamamie type of thing, where you have to call a 900 number and they charge you, like, $15. I don't know about it.

I WENT TO CALIFORNIA for a week to visit my kid brother. We play tennis, have dinner, catch up. Always fun. When I got home, there were messages on my phone from the Times ad.

A DATE WITH THE WOMAN from the ad. I bought opera tickets--$64 each. I had given away my season tickets since I didn't have anyone to go with. No chemistry. She's still a business lady, even though she's in her seventies. We had pizza, a drink, and I drove her home.

I SPEND WEEKENDS at my lake cottage about 60 miles upstate. There's no heat, but it's beautiful.

JAY PUT MY PICTURE up on JDate.com. They let you pick what to say. I'm spontaneous, down to earth, easygoing, friendly, energetic, humorous, romantic, caring, sensitive, loving and outgoing... shoyn genug! [Yiddish: enough already.] It's free to post but up to $35 a month to talk to someone.

SOMEONE E-MAILED ME! She said, "Let's chat," so I did. She said, "I can't do it, I'm computer illiterate, just give me your number." No call. Hey, that isn't nice, you ask for my number and no call?

BY THE WAY, I'm looking for a woman 72 to 99, down to earth but with a sense of humor. I said I was 83. Who wants to date an 89-year-old?

TWO MORE DATES! No go. Let's just say their pictures weren't all that up to date. Each wanted to share the tab, but I declined. I am a gentleman, after all. --AS TOLD TO ELLEN McGIRT