I’m new to southern California, moving here from the Pittsburgh area this spring, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ll tell anyone who will listen to drive cross-country through the Utah desert and the Rocky Mountains at least once in your life. It’s truly amazing. As a western PA guy I’m a big sports fan. It’s all about hoops and baseball around here, but I come from a football and hockey town. It’s way too easy for me to spend a whole Saturday afternoon flipping between college football games.

Fitness is very important to me. I work out almost daily, and am looking for someone who, while not necessarily exercising as much as I do, is fit, healthy, and active. Well over half of the reason I work out so much is that so I can eat whatever I want with impunity. Mmmm…mac and cheese.

I’m a heavy reader, most of which falls into the classic literature category. Closest to my heart are the Russians: Chekov, Gogol, Tolstoi, and the chairman of the board: Dostoevski. There are many others of course. If you read any of these guys or Fitzgerald, Di.ckens, Hemmingway, Hugo, Austen, etc. and enjoy discussing, I’m already interested.

I make my living in a fun, unconventional way (I have to leave some mystery, right?). I am interested in international travel, though I have yet to find folks who have the time, inclination, and money all at the same time to do it with me. I hope to be able to change that soon.

What else? I’m an inside jokes guy, so the more time I spend with someone the more we tend to laugh together. If I think something’s funny, get ready to hear it over and over again. Repeated jokes fascinate like I’m 3 years old. I play chess poorly, dance slightly less poorly, and play a mean game of table tennis with the common ground that I love them all.

I’m looking for a woman who balances her time and energy well in all aspects of life: family, friends, career, as well as intellectual and spiritual growth. She‘s active and energetic, but doesn‘t feel the need to be on the go all the time since rest and quiet have their place. She should be someone who is willing and able to take a spontaneous weekender to Las Vegas, San Diego, or even the Grand Canyon. She’s somebody who can teach me something about the world, and who listens to what I have to say about it. She is honest and has integrity. She can tell me when I’m wrong, but have the loving understanding not to try and change who I am as a person. I believe that any relationship between two people has to have effective and honest communication as one of its cornerstones, so I‘m looking for someone who believes likewise and acts accordingly. We each have to think the other is funny at least sometimes…it’s hard to make it work without that.

As a post script: I’ll go ahead and admit my disappointment that so far no one has noticed that my headline is a song reference. If you know it, again, I’m already interested. Hope to chat soon.

For first dates I tend to lean towards something quiet where we can talk, because I want to get to know you. Coffee, lunch, dinner, or a walk are all great. If we've already talked a good bit beforehand I'm up for an activity date like bowling or mini-golf. Anything where we can get to know each other.