STEP RIGHT UP, DON'T BE SHY:
HOW TO BREAK THE RULES AND MAKE A LOVE CONNECTION

So it's two days until Valentine's Day and you still don't have a sweetie. It's time to call in the shock trooper of dating, Jennifer Bawden.
Give her an hour and she can get you connected with four or five men, cute men, no matter how shy you are, or how much you worry about your cellulite.
Ms. Bawden, daughter of Calgary oilman and former Conservative cabinet minister Peter Bawden, has written a book called "Get a Life, Then Get a Man."
Most of what she says is just what your mom always said: Be yourself. Your happiness is your own responsibility. If you're waiting for a man to save you, he'll never come.
But Ms. Bawden leaves mom in the dust when it comes to tactics. Nice girls do go after men these days and she can tell you just how to do it.
Don't go to a pickup bar, go somewhere more casual where the men congregate after work - preferably in the financial district. Bookstores in the financial district are good too. Or go visit a friend in her office cafeteria. Can she get you an invitation to the office party? The men's department during a sale isn't a bad idea either.
When you get to the party or the cafeteria, start scooping efficiently but subtly. Don't do straight into the middle of the crowd, you'll get hung up with some time-waster. Moving around the circumference of the room, go a few feet at a time, stop, look and listen. Don't let just anybody buy you a drink. If you do, you'll have to talk to him and you’re not finished your recon yet. Make sure you've seen all the possibles before zeroing in on the prime candidates.
Then watch them from a distance. Any wedding rings? What's their body language like? Are they relaxed and open? Do not spend more than five minutes doing this. Move in or move out.
Now it's time to strike. Nervous? Get over it.
Just sidle up to his group and ask something general and non-threatening, like "How about those Habs?" Or "We need an objective opinion."   Don't just talk to him, but to the whole group. Chat, chat, chat. Getting his vibe? Is he interested? No? Don't take it personally, move on to the next.
Yes? There's a click? Get his card.
Now, move gracefully away. On to target No. 2. Repeat as needed.
But Jennifer! Look at you! Young (early 30s), gorgeous, private school girl (Branksome Hall in Toronto and Neuchatel College in Switzerland), ski champion (winner of the Italian championships in the European Pro freestyle skiing circuit), not to mention the renowned New York City dress designer.
What about the rest of us?
Ms. Bawden swears she took out groups of three or four "shy" girls every evening, girls who'd had only two dates in a year. Within an hour, they had handfuls of business cards.
So. You have 48 hours until Feb. 14. Get going!