I wish the "I Am Looking For" function had an and/or option, because what I'm looking for is dating and/or friends and/or hanging out. Hanging out!? Hanging out?! Sounds pretty high-school, but what the heck; I guess that's what I do with my friends. Can't think of a better term. This also applies to the "Want Children" question. I mean, of course, that I am open to dating/being friends/hanging out with people who have children.

Thing is, I work long, odd hours and that makes the dating part tricky: how to meet someone who can sometimes get together for the traditional dinner and a movie/Sunday brunch and a walk/drive in the country/whatever else people do in this Brave New Dating World, but is also OK with the fact that maybe this week my only down-time is Tuesday and Thursday.

About me: I'm a moderate small-L liberal in most matters, but have some small-C conservative friends. (Moderate ones, not rabid.) Love animals, but eat meat. Prefer comedies/mysteries/thrillers to chick-flicks, but sometimes get all soppy when the hero/heroine saves the day. Once jumped out of an airplane, but am afraid of propane barbeques. Not a particularly trendy dresser, but have way, way too many shoes. Some of them even hurt my feet.

About you: I don't have a long list of qualities that a person needs to be my friend. Maybe courtesy and sense of humour that meshes with mine, but that's something we'd have to discover. As for attraction, I've known average/nice-looking men who morphed into drop-dead gorgeous hunks once I got to know them, so it's tough to make a list of physical qualities I want. We're adults; we'll know when it happens.

My only "Don'ts" are: don't be a racist; don't be a homophobe.

Thanks for visiting my profile.

Get me rewrite, kid! Okay, this is actually more of a postscript, since all of the above was true when I wrote it, and is true now. But apparently a little clarification is needed.

If you're looking for a hookup: Nothing wrong with that. It doesn't make you a horrible person. Sometimes that's all a man or a woman wants, and if you're honest about it, why not? It's out there for you. Good luck. Be careful. It's not what I'm looking for here.

If you're looking your "soulmate," your one true love, someone to share all your days and nights for the rest of your life: Nothing wrong with that, either. It doesn't make you a misguided dreamer. Sometimes that's all a man or a woman wants, and if it's the only thing that will satisfy you, why not? It's out there for you. Good luck. Be happy. It's not what I'm looking for here.

If you're looking for something in between: That's what I'm looking for, too.

If you've read this far, if you get it, it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Sigh

NEW EDIT: My name is NOT Dawn. That's just my user name on this site. Cheers.

I know it's a cliche, but I've spent many wonderful hours with a friend and a coffee, so that sounds good for a first meeting.

For an actual date - the one we decide to have after our first meeting - I don't think we could go wrong with a nice dinner downtown followed by a walk on the waterfront. We could talk more and find out if we want to continue at all, and whether it's going to be as friends or more.

Either way, a third date could follow. That could be a good time to do something fun and casual, maybe even risk looking a bit silly. For me, that would be anything that requires hand-eye co-ordination. I love playing pool, for example, but I soooo suck at it. Doesn't stop me from enjoying it, though. I've never won a game of mini-golf, either, but have had a blast with the right person.

You get the idea.

By the way, I prefer early dates to be cheap, um, I mean inexpensive, and casual. I want to pay my own way, and it has NOTHING to do with whether I'm interested in a man. A man I'm interested in will know it, period. He'll also be the type who is not offended that I want to go dutch. Only exceptions are special occassions or if one of us wants to go someplace that will break the budget of the other that week. Then we can treat each other, but in general, I like a 50/50 type of thing. It's a pleasure to go out with a nice man. It shouldn't be a crazy expense.