I moved to California from Michigan about 6 years ago, so I have a great heart and Mid West values. Would love to meet someone who is warm, caring, fit and interested in exploring more of California (and perhaps the world) with me. Would love to hit up Napa for a weekend in the wine country, and would love someone to cook dinners with and sit outside by the fire. Also, a work out partner would be great!

Was recently told my profile is a little "bare" so I'm expounding on it today...what to say? I own my own home, which in California is a huge accomplishment. I had a major case of sticker shock when I moved here and found out that what I paid for my house in Michigan is basically a down payment for a home here. I'm a runner, love to run on the beach with my dog Hemi. She's a Great Dane and we get a lot of attention because everyone wants to stop us and pet her! I can't tell you how many kids ask all the same questions: Is that the biggest dog in the world, how much does she weigh, how old is she, will she get bigger...it goes on and she loves every minute of it :-)

Have a little substance abuse problem - shoes. I love shoes and if you know anything about women this is not uncommon. Not that into bags or jewelry, but a nice pair of shoes could possibly buy a place into my heart ;) That's a joke, obviously, but once upon a time someone did buy me a nice pair of Jimmy Choos and I will never forget that! It's never happened since, so it's probably a once-in-a-lifetime occurance!

I'm definitely NOT a club girl and you will never run into me at one. I tend to like little wine bars and dive bars where a good game of pool ensues out of the glasses of Guinness we order, and I love the bookstore - any bookstore. I will probably never own a kindle because I would miss the feel of a book in my hands when I'm reading it. Plus, I always feel so badly for those people with kindles on airplanes when they have to shut them down on take off and landing. Also, it really bugs me when random people are reading over my shoulder, it feels like an invasion of privacy. But if we're dating and we're into the same book, I wouldn't mind if you did. I also like it when someone eats off my plate, but only if they're a friend of mine...although I've never experienced a stranger doing that and if I did I would probably be a little stunned for a moment. Also, apparently, a fan of the run-on sentence.

I'm a big Red Wings hockey fan, so if it's hockey season I'm probably watching the game. I was going to surprise my Dad last season and bought playoff tickets at the Joe, near the crease, 3 rows off the ice for the final series against the Penguins. I called to let my parnets know I was planning on coming in that weekend only to find out they were going "up north" and that they wouldn't be in town! Who goes up north during hockey playoffs?? I had to sell those tickets on eBay. I never told my Dad because I didn't want to give him a heart attack. There's always next season! And I'm the type of girl who would do just about anything for my Mom and Dad. :-)

What else is there? I'm looking for someone who is interested in dating and possibly finding someone to spend happily-ever-after with. I miss being cozy with someone, watching a movie on the couch, dinner with the sunset, going out for a fabulous dinner and a great bottle of wine and actually wanting to spend time with that person! I love a sense of humor, intelligence, someone witty and sarcastic with a little bit of a dark sense of humor (not in a psycho way) and generally someone who "gets" me. I'm not looking for the perfect man, I'm looking for someone real. I think our imperfections make us who we are and what we may see as a flaw in ourselves can often be something very endearing to others - a crooked nose or tooth, one eye that has a different fleck of color in it, if your voice cracks when you laugh, the way your hair is never perfect and sticks up a little in the back when you wake up in the morning...all those things are amazing and are the types of things that keep me up at night remembering all the lines in your face. Real is so much better than perfect.

I think I should add that I'm a non-denominational Christian and my faith is important to me. I'm not looking for the Bible-beating crazy zealot type, but I would like to meet someone who shares my faith. My marriage ended because we were different religions and we were at spiritual odds. That pretty much broke my heart. When you first meet someone these things don't seem that important, but when you want to start a family they become very central and it doesn't work out. I just want to put that out there because I don't want to waste anyone's time and I would like to avoid making the same mistake twice.

If you've read this far into my profile and think that maybe we have something in common, drop me a line and we'll see what happens!

PS - I LOVE that picture of me laughing with my friends because it makes me HAPPY! And I love people who can make me laugh so hard my stomach aches. That girl on the right in the picture does it every time :-) THAT's what friends are for.

PPS - I just received a message from someone asking me if I would be interested in a "sexual relationship". If this is what you're looking for, I'm not interested.

I think first dates are weird and end up like interviews. It's really amazing what people will tell you and think it's totally ok to tell you on a first date, does anyone else run into that? I prefer getting coffee (but would more prefer an actual drink with some octane) after work some place we could actually talk and hear each other and not feel trapped having to sit through an entire dinner. I hate dating, this is the sucky part - but we have to meet somehow, I suppose. Cheers!