Howdy. I am a very simple person with absolutely no pretensions. I'm not classy or sophisticated. I don't like to get dressed up, except for special occassions. (Although ironically I am wearing a dress and tights in my photo...but that was New Year's Eve). I will pick my neighborhood dive bar over a fancy restaurant any day of the week. I tend to grip my fork like it's a dagger and get food all over my face. I don't feel comfortable adorning myself like a Christmas tree and eschew things like fake nails, high heels, complicated hair styles, and lots of jangly accessories. I am not trying to insinuate that I am manly or butch, however. I have very long hair and my favorite color is hot pink. So there.

Got to say, I like men who are the same way. Nothing is more of a turn-off for me than a guy who puts too much effort into his appearance. Of course it's nice (well, more than nice, kind of imperative) if you shower every day and put on some nice cologne, but all I really like to see a man wear are T-shirts, jeans/shorts, and tennis shoes or hiking boots. Sports jerseys are sexy, too. Not a fan of polo shirts, button down shirts, khaki, skinny jeans or blazers on the menfolk.

I am a very bookish person, I read and write a lot, I work in an office doing interesting office stuff and it is right up my alley, but I actually am most attracted to guys who are the opposite - guys who can build and fix stuff, like houses, cars, computers, etc. I like guys who are into all of the cliched macho things that "men" are supposed to be into - sports, cars, belching contests.

I'm not good at ego-stroking, so it's helpful if I meet a guy who has enough already (though not TOO much). I have a hard time connecting with men in person because my style of flirting does not resemble anything like actual flirting. If I like someone, I am very sarcastic with them, will tease and taunt them mercilessly (yet only playfully - not cruelly, mind you!) and am looking for the same in return, but a lot of people don't know how to react when they are busy trying to look sauve and impress a girl and the girl starts making little cracks about them.

The whole idea of a "date" makes me cringe because it is often so much like a job interview. I hate feeling like I have to sell myself. Too often on dates people just try so hard to come off as being more awesome than they really are. And then what happens is, down the road, once you are a couple, they give up the act and then you find they are someone crappy after all.

Sitting and giving a condensed version of my life story is so boring. Same as talking about what kind of movies and TV and music one likes. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Who cares? If you go out with someone long enough, eventually all of that stuff comes up in due time. I think it is more important to see if you can have fun with someone, not sit and give A Brief History of You. I think it's good to do something fun where you can observe the other person and see if they're too self-conscious or uptight. Baseball games, concerts, amusement parks - I worked at an amusement park for a few years, and it was awesome because you had free admission all the time, so there was a built in first date right there for all of the hideously ill-fated romances you'd start up with your co-workers.