I have been flying solo for a long time, raising my kids, and now it's my turn. I love my job, my home town, and my family! At 42, I'm hitting my stride, and I'm looking for a partner from here on. Will you sing with me? Dance with me? Read with me? Talk with me about anything under the sun? Go to church with me? Will you watch movies with me and cry when they're sad? Do you invest yourself in what you do? Can you be my equal? If you can do all this, maybe we should get together soon!

More? Well, for starters, you have to be able to speak and write in real English!! I hate text-speak, and I expect you to know how to present yourself well. I hope you love indoor dogs (I have three)...and kids (at least for a little while anyway, because I have two teenage sons who are both driving now)! Truthfully, though, I am not looking for more young kids in my household, nor can I have any more of my own. If you have or want little ones at home all the time, I wish you well in your search. It isn't that I dislike kids, I actually love them...but I've done my full-time parenting duty, and I'm looking forward to a little R&R!

I don't drink (although I am not opposed to a partner who occasionally does), don't do drugs, don't smoke, and don't fool around on my partner. Casual sex, to me, is an oxymoron (and if you don't know what that means, there's probably a mismatch here). If you're just looking for a "good time," keep looking somewhere else. Going to church is part of the package here, too. I'm looking for a partner who will regularly attend and participate in Christian activities, whether that's Baptist, Methodist, etc.

Let's see...anything else? I prefer someone who loves to learn and keeps his mind sharp. Consequently, NASCAR and Wrestling just aren't high on my list of things to occupy my evenings, and neither are dragracing and gambling (although I do enjoy playing cards in general). I also enjoy fishing and hiking, even if I'm not great at either one, haha. Having said all that, I am NOT looking for brainiacs who don't know how to "play" in life. My motto is "Work hard, play hard."

Speaking of work, I have made many men angry over this next one, as you can imagine: having worked with too many guys "on Workers Comp disability" who are more able-bodied than I am (and I work 2 and 3 jobs), I will tell you that the instant the word "disability" pops up, I involuntarily throw up a defense screen. I sincerely apologize to the vets who have served their country well only to get severely injured...and to folks who have been truly disabled through accidents and other forms of tragedy. The last thing I want to do is hurt someone's feelings. I am, however, looking for someone who continues to contribute productively to society, regardless of the curveballs life has thrown at him. If you have a disability, and you continue to contribute, I do not view that in ANY negative light. It's only the cheaters and liars of the world I can't stand!!

By now hopefully you have figured out that I am an old-fashioned classic, with decent morals and straight-up opinions. I am not looking for someone perfect, and I don't consider myself anywhere close to perfect either! In a world of cubic zirconia, though, I am the diamond...can you tell the difference? I'm not Barbie, and I know that. I'm better ;)

Maybe we could meet in a public place, say a coffee shop or restaurant, where we could get to know one another. Then, if we click, we could decide about doing something else together...Putt-Putt, Bowling, Karaoke(?), people-watch, who knows? I'm looking for a best friend to share my life with, and I hope you are too. There's a whole world waiting for us to explore together if we're right for each other!