A doctor is a doctor. Some people prefer a doctor of their own gender, some of another, and some just don't care as long as the doctor is good - or more likely, accepting new patients when your HMO changes. I think it is probably more due to who we are comfortable dealing with that a vast difference in results. As patients we have preconceived notions about male doctors or female doctors. Whether these notions are true or not we will measure them against these perceptions. We bring to the table what we have done in our past. If we came from raising beautiful perennial beds in our back yards we will be bringing experience that grew from that to the design table. If we worked for hardscape construction companies we bring that. If we are out of an environmental design field we'll probably be prone to more native landscapes and be less likely to be planting colorful exotics. The reality is that a lot of people are going to have preconceived notions of what background and what interests you have by your gender or the way you look or dress. Whether that is right or wrong, you should do the best to project where you are right now. If you show up with a pair of long braids, calico gloves, and a sun bonnet, I'm not going to think that your strength is in masonry regardless of your gender. If you look like you just crawled out from fixing a tractor, I'm not going to have confidence in you designing my cottage garden. These don't rule you out or rule you in, but it just makes a longer row for you to hoe to gain a persons confidence.

I think it's all depending on whether that male friend found the woman to be attractive or not. Also, it's depending on the level of their closeness & mental intimacy. If a man found a woman who's his soul mate on email exchange, and irl she's physical/sexually attractive, it's probably difficult for him to not falling for her (whether he wants it or not). I have a lot of male friends, but they aren't my soul mates and I'm not attracted to them. I'm there to help then anytime they need me, we are very good friends since we were 18 (met in college) but because we don't have physical attraction for each other, nothing ever happened. They are all married w/ kids. However, I'm very cautious a/b entering a level where a male friend became my soul mate . If I found a man who is my soul mate (understand me, sharing my common passions, etc.) and we are both physically attracted to each other, then it would be tough to keep my marriage intact. I do not want to be tempted, you know, so I don't even go there. Yes, I can be friends, but I don't let any man enter the inner sanctum of my heart :-). Once (before DH) I knew this man from the internet who was my soulmate in every way. We often compared ourselves to Sabine & Griffith who live on parallel universe. Well, we met irl & while he was very physical attracted to me, I am not attracted to him. He ended up being hurt by my refusal & that broke our friendship. If I was remotely attracted to him, we are probably married now. :-) A lot of marital affairs started out as friendship, you know. :-)

Hmmm, so I fuss over "girl" AND "guy" stuff. When it came time to have our electrical box upgraded from the old 100 amp service to the 200 amp service...I was the one asking the questions to the electrician. When our electrician was here this weekend to replace an old light switch that sizzled and fried (littlerally...black smoke coming out and everything!), I was right there, asking him about it. And I LOVE that he explained it to me as a human and not as "okay, little lady, here's what's up with it." When we were getting ready to build a house a few years ago...it was me that fussed over the dual zone heating. And me that fussed over the geothermal heat pump. And me that was asking about the relative advantages and disadvantages of Superior Walls vs. standard foundations. My husband came along for the ride on most of that. In our house, in many cases, I do the research (be it "male" or "female" based. Narrow down the choices to what I find acceptable. Present findings to DH and then we work on finding a decision. But, me, heck yeah, I'm going to be SO excited (seriously!) when it comes time for us to have the HVAC people in to replace our old furnace. But, I'm a little odd like that.

socal, I'm in Southeast Texas, 9a, so I'm warm enough to grow quite a few citrus but still too cold to grow those that can't tolerate below 28-30F. Alas, no Key limes or avocados for me! I may climb the ladder again and do an air layering on the top of one of the flowering trunks of the calamondin. There are four trunks and so I could root one and bring the top down to ground level so I can more easily reach the fruit! Steve, yeah, I don't know what happened to that sticker. I either peeled it off to keep from slipping on it or I wore it out from standing on it so much.