8/2/09 - Well, I guess it's time for an update. I'm no longer a newbie in Oregon. Been here for 2 years, but still haven't gotten around to exploring much. A few things have changed about me. I am now a pescetarian. That means I no longer eat meat. Fish, yes. Things with feathers or that walk around on land, no. This isn't an ethical choice and I haven't joined PETA. I still believe in being completely omnivorous. Meat just doesn't agree with me. I eat only natural, minimally processed, mostly organic stuff and I've never felt better. Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (i.e. homeopathy, naturopathy, energy medicine, qi gong, etc.) saved my life, so I'm a huge proponent. I'm not a complete raving crunchy granola type of earth mother (I like to shave, lol!) but green, sustainable practices, in diet, lifestyle, home care, body and beauty care, et al are standard operating procedure in my life.

I have also lost almost 30 pounds, so I changed my profile from "a few extra pounds" to "average" because I'm down to that "I'd love to lose 10 pounds" phase. I need to update the photos because those are a couple of years old. Still look pretty much the same. Just not as fluffy and my hair is longer.

Everything else is still pretty much the same - hobbies, interests, etc. Looking for a good friend who will turn into a confidant, then a lover, etc. Everything starts with friendship, even the wild and crazy stuff. Since I'm trying to live in a healthy, fit manner, I really would like to meet and hang out with folks who are doing the same. You don't need to be a Calvin Klein model. You can even just be starting out on the road to clean living, but it's really necessary that anyone I spend time with respect that this is really important to me and it should be important to them.

1/14/09 - I'm back! Yay! I finally got the computer back up and running, but internet is wacky, so it's on-again, off-again. Thanks for your patience.


Original Profile Info:

After way too many years behind a bar in New Orleans, I decided to ditch it all and go explore the great Northwest. I've been in Oregon for a year and a half and most of that was spent getting settled and starting work in the wine biz. I'm loving it! There are so many things I want to do and so many places to explore that I'll probably have to live here the rest of my life to get around to them all!

Me in a nutshell (if that's possible:) I'm a bit of an odd duck. I don't fit into any one mold - socially, intellectually, aesthetically or spiritually. I have hippie friends, and goth friends and ::::gasp!:::: Republican friends. People who know me describe me as a bit of a dichotomy. I practice Buddhism, but I own a gun. I work out so I can eat cookies (the cookies are currently winning.) I strive to eat organic, healthy food, but I'm not gonna pass up the BBQ spareribs. I've got a hard head, but a soft heart. I'm the kind of woman that didn't think it was weird to join the police department while being a member of the ACLU. I talk a lot. I think a lot. I read a lot. If I won the lottery today, I'd go to school and never stop. I want to learn how to do pottery; how to weld; blow glass; make wine/beer; speak Spanish; ride a motorcycle. Basically, anything creative or active.

My current hobbies (the list gets longer every day:) yoga, books, bellydancing, exploring, teaching myself to cook, wine, learning stuff, meeting new people.

Basically, I'm looking to meet new people to hang out and do stuff with and maybe develop a relationship after getting to know each other in person.

New stuff: I'm a progressive Libertarian, a left-brained word fetishist, a smart-ass and book junkie. I like critters, especially cats. I believe in astrology the same way I believe in weather prediction - there are no guarantees, but it shows trends and possibilities. Talking about Star Trek, Shakespeare and Sartre in the same discussion is not unusual. Please, oh please, with sugar on top, have a brain and know how to use it.

People I admire include Henry Rollins, Penn Jillette, Noah Levine and Joe Bageant. If you rolled them up into a ball, you'd get me (well, with different chromosomes and fewer tattoos.)

While I think that going out for coffee or a drink or even sushi is fine, sometimes doing something active is more fun. Hiking, bowling or even putt-putt golf is a nice way to hang out, play and spend enough time talking and laughing to really get to know each other.