Ok...well...I'm originally from Vancouver, and I've lived in Calgary now for the past 5 years (I miss the ocean very much). I'm a very active guy who enjoys the outdoors and physical exercise. I guess that sounds like a lot of guys you'll probably read about on this site, but in my case it is really what I do and who I am. I go to the gym regularly, run both on the trails and on the treads, and I'm now trying to get into smithing (yeah...hammer...anvil...bellows...metal...you get the idea)...I've always been facinated by it...and I'm trying to actually get someting started along those lines. I've been single for over a year now (just waiting for the legal certificate to finalize a divorce I never saw coming - yikes!) and man...as hard to face as that was (and believe me...it was an extremely painfull process in the beginning)...I'm at peace with it now. What else...mmm...I'm a voracious reader (I'm into historical and historical fiction at the moment...currently it's Pressfield's "Gates of Fire"). I have a degree in English (yeah...I can recite poetry on demand, but I'm not pretentious!), I have a great job that I love with the Government (ensuring the safety of the people of Alberta), I'm a St. Johns Ambulance Instructor, and I'm also a Medic Sgt. in the Canadian Reserves (busy eh? :) ).

I'm very VERY (now pay attention to this!!) close to my family. They are who I"ve modeled myself after. My father and my grandfather have been my biggest role models, due in large part to how they dealt with people overall. Dad was Navy...Grandpa was Army. They had (well...my father still has) high expectections of just what constituted honour and integrity. I joined the Army Reserves back in '95 because my grandfather had just passed away, and I thought it would be a good way to get to know him better...chose the Medics because I like to help people and because I've always pictured myself as a kind of white knight charging to the rescue. Thought about Navy (again...love that ocean), but now I get to bug my pop about being a navy WOG (military term..ask me :) ). Spent 5 years full-time in the Forces as a medic on a partial contract...a lot of time in Wainwright Alberta. I've taught multiple military career courses...yelled at troops during basic training...taught them how to drive the big trucks...developed them into the future leaders of tomorrow. I've jumped out of planes travelling at 120 km/hour into the pitch black of a winter sky. I've gone without sleep for three and a half days while leading troops on an exercise. I've navigated in the wilds with the use of a compass, a GPS...and on one memorable occasion by using just the stars themselves. I have cried with my brothers at the fate of those who have sacrificed themselves for our country. I have stood tall as an honour guard for the Fallen. I have laid a friend who died in the line of duty in his grave...and folded the flag for his family. I know both my physical and mental limitations in a way that few others outside of the Forces can really know. I can honestly say that the Army has been a large and positive influence in my life, and that my time as first a Junior NCO and now a Senior NCO has made me what I am today. I've also learned enough to know that the military lifestyle does not lend itself well towards having a lasting relationship...hence the reason why it is now just a hobby that I enjoy.

I want to find someone to laugh and have some fun with at first...but I am very interested in relationships. Hell...let's call a spade a spade...I'm a relationship kind of man. I've always wanted to have a family...kids, baseball, family outings...the whole she-bang. I have no idea if I ever will have that kind of life..but it is what I'd like. I love dogs (my family used to breed Scotties), and I have a lot of really amazing friends that I'd do anything for. What else...well...I'm really outgoing, but a bit shy at first with women I’m interested in. I'd say I'm very old-fashioned for the times…manners and honour are big with me.

I'm ultimately looking for a lady who wants to take it slow. Who is secure enough in who she is that she does not want to attempt to change me into something other than what I am. I'm a damned good guy...if you like what you see at the beginning of a relationship, then don't attempt to change it (the kiss of relationship death!!). A man is not a lap dog (grin). If you want a good laugh, ask me about my new criteria for female selection...all my chums seem to find it pretty funny. The funny thing is...I'm only half-joking about it.

No lies, no falsehoods, no games (I really hate games), and only a little baggage (laughing...not as much as you would think given what I've gone through in the past year, but there you have it). My previously unshakable faith in love and committment has been severely shattered...and I'm sort of trying to figure out if I can ever piece it back together and trust in that sort of magic again. I'm both intrigued and trepidacious that I'm starting all over again with the dating scene....and it may sound unmanly, but I just don't want to have my soul run over by a Mack truck again. I'm a bit skittish if you come on too strong and too quickly...and besides....while life is short, the best things in life are worth working for ;D. A bit heavy (shrug) but that IS who I am. (Laughing)...there you have it in a nutshell....The Tao of me.

To quote a famous sailor I grew up with..."I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam" :).

Take a chance and make my day.

Life - It’s not a dress rehearsal.

Dinner, followed by an activity. That way, we could actually hold a conversation and receive an impression of what kind of person the other is. Physcial attraction is a must... but you need more than a spark to ignite a flame. Unless you've prepared well and have some gasoline. Oh...and some really dry wood.

Did I mention that I DO have a sense of humour (grin)?

:D.

Female