After spending 18 years in Washington, DC and Austin, I moved to Ft. Worth this year to be near family. While I would ultimately like to find *THE* woman, I am happy in the meantime to make friends, explore this area, and just see where things go.

Generally, I am laid back, positive and inquisitive. My sense of humor is sarcastic, witty, and occasionally really, really stupid. I appreciate well-timed puns. I am very skeptical of infomercials and new improved deodorants. And (shhhhhhh) most republicans.

My favorite things in life include spending time with family, traveling (I have been to Europe three times for a total of 14 weeks); taking my dog to the dog park and on walks downtown; hiking in the fall on crunchy, multi-colored leaves; riding my bike; seeing live music in cozy little venues; attending live theater in cozy little venues; and drinking coffee in cozy little venues.

I am a life-long athlete (soccer, biking, ultimate frisbee) but I'm nearing a point where I might need to find less strenuous activities due to those constant, nagging little injuries that tend to hit you around age 40. I'm working on finding a good balance between eating healthier and exercising even more. It would be really cool if you have a bike that you like to ride.

I work with kids with disabilities and I have a master's degree in special education. I am financially secure and independent. My beagle and my cat are my roommates. The beagle enjoys going to the dog park and on walks around downtown. The cat, well, she's a cat.

I am from the South so I do have many typical gentlemanly qualities. I open doors, say *please* and *thank you*, and throw my jackets over mud puddles. (OK, I have never done that last one but I would consider it if there were no way around the puddle).

While I have never been married, I've had several very good long term relationships that just did not end up going the distance. Despite my relationship ups and downs, I remain a hopeless romantic. I will never settle for anything else than being madly in love, and I expect no less from anyone else. Which is why I am very happy to take new friends from this on occasion.

I'd like to meet a compassionate, kind-hearted, intelligent, strong woman....someone who is outgoing, someone who wants to spend summers traveling and perhaps building gardens at home, tasting wine, walking in the woods, sipping coffee on cobblestone streets. Someone who is honest, friendly, loyal, compassionate, smart, easy going, and willing to schmooze up to the cat, and of course, the beagle.

Coffee shop, walking dogs, talking, wine tasting, hiking, museum