I like pretty much everything about me right now. I love my job(s), love my apartment, and love the freedom that comes with living in NYC. I'm very happy with where I am, but I'm also not satisfied. I want to go for my PhD in mathematics soon--Fall 2011 is my goal. I am a professor at a local college already, but want to go get tenure somewhere that's a bit less "local". Either that or be a tutor with a PhD.

I get absorbed into puzzles. Whether they're video games, jigsaws, or riddles, if you throw a puzzle at me, I can spend hours contemplating it, trying to figure out how to best unlock it. I skip meals. I'm also looking to get back into writing sketch comedy scripts, even if nobody sees them but me. It would be great to go back to filming them, but permits in NYC are (exceedingly) insane.

When most people think of a mathematician, I think they think of a bearded white guy who is quite socially awkward. I'm a non-bearded white guy who is only somewhat socially awkward! Plus, I play obscure sports, and consider myself to be in shape--I can do pull-ups and outrun non-athletic muggers. I like to think of myself as fairly well-rounded, with the knowledge that my brain is my best asset.

Overall, I may not be the smartest guy, but of the smart guys, I think I'm generally fitter and funnier. I'm not the funniest guy, but of the funny guys, I think I'm generally smarter and fitter. I'm not the fittest guy, but of the fit guys, I think I'm generally smarter and funnier. No comments on my humility here, though I usually don't go around saying how awesome I am.

I sound like a total nerd. Yup. But I'm comfortable enough with myself that I'm totally okay believing that. I'm looking for somebody who can keep me on my toes--spontaneity is a great thing, as long as it doesn't cross the line into insanity. Somebody to watch movies with--especially movies that we've both seen so we can laugh uproariously at/mock them. Especially cheesy horror flicks--the only type of horror flick I'm likely to watch. Somebody who I could simply bask with, or adventure with, somebody I could be with. I'm not so particular about the what, so long as the who is right. Let's go laugh at daily absurdities together.

I don't feel that a first date should be set in stone. If I roll out the same thing on every first date I go on, I will either start to expect things to happen a certain way, or get bored with the venue, and have that translate into what would appear to be my reaction to you. That's not cool.

Also, it seems that the generics would all involve the extremely risky proposition of dinner and/or a movie. Daring. Sure, there's the ice skating option (winter only) or a sporting event (I do want to see the U.S. Open at some point) but these things depend on the other person who is going on the date as well. Maybe you have bad ankles, or had a terrible experience with a tennis ball when you were younger. I don't know these things. So I'm not going to explain that which I'd do without getting some input from you--even if that input is "whatever".

If that is the case (the whatever), then I find game nights more interesting than nights out. Balderdash, Taboo, Pictionary, Scattergories, even charades--I think that these say more about a person than where they are from.