YOU may have noticed that I haven't written Mad About Saffron for several weeks.

I have been in No-Datesville for some time now and there's been nothing to tell.

And when my colleagues renamed my column Mad Saffron,I realised it was time for a rethink.

But now I have an exciting new hope in my life. And it's not a man. No, it's not a woman either.

It's a self-help book.

Don't worry, I'm not going to become an obsessed Bridget Jones type with a tottering stack of them in the cat basket.

My fresh dating attitude has come from author Greg Behrendt, who wrote He's Just Not That Into You.

That is, once I got past the infuriating Americanisms like 'super extraordinary', 'ultra-successful' and 'inner cheerleader'.

Not to mention the vomit-inducing picture on the inside cover of him and his partner, sipping cappucino and beaming with matching highlights.

Anyway, one of the book's dating rules is 'Make Sure It's A Proper Date'.

Ever been unsure whether you are on a date? I sure have.

Apparently, the remedy is to clearly label it a 'date' while making arrangements.

"But he'll get freaked out!" I hear you cry.

"That's too much pressure on him."

No, it's not - because It's Just A Date.

If your fella gets freaked out by the Dword, he isn't worth bothering with, because my guess is that you'd rather be with someone who will spend time with you outside the hours of 2am to 9am.

The basic principles of real dating, which our parents and grandparents did, has been lost in a world of hooking up, hanging out and booty calls, apparently.

The concept of arranging a proper date has been swept aside by a tsunami of text messages, email, instant messaging and Facebook.

It's all too easy to arrange or cancel a convenient last-minute hook-up, leaving you unsure where you stand, how to behave, or what should happen.

Apparently, give men the chance and they will opt for the no-pressure, low-budget hang-out, like tagging along with him and his mates to the pub to watch the football.

I realise now that I need to aim higher - and I have some Real Dating to do (sorry, the American capitalisations are contagious).

So it's time for change - and in more ways than one.

This will be my last Mad About Saffron column, as I begin a new job next month.

So if you are single and looking for love, I wish you more luck that I have had.

The only advice I can offer is, you have to love yourself before anyone else will love you.

And... remember that meeting in a kebab shop at 4am is Not A Date.