I am newly single and looking for new friends and fun. Naturally, I'm hoping to meet someone special, but I'm also open to just having new and fun experiences.

I'm originally from New York City, but moved to the San Francisco Bay area about 15 years ago.

I have the mind of a scientist & businessman (I have degrees in engineering and business, and work as a technical project manager), and the heart of an artist (I used to be part of a creative writers' workshop and still dream of eventually writing the great American novel).

My interests tend to be more academic than athletic... I'm more into boardgames than ballgames.

I'm a technical project manager by day, and a dad by night.

I'm separated with joint custody of my kids and still adjusting to the novelty of actually having some free time to myself on the alternate nights/weekends when I don't have my kids with me.

I've been trying local "Meet Up" groups to meet new people and try new experiences. So far, I've tried kart racing, laser tag and Stand-Up Paddle-boarding (SUP) in addition to the usual dance outings. Most recently, I've started going to potluck meet-ups and am having fun trying out new recipes.

Ideally, I'm hoping to find a fun and interesting hobby that will also lead to meeting romantic prospects. Any suggestions?

Aside from the meet-ups, I'm enrolled in an improv class and I've been doing a bit of vegetable gardening in my backyard. Once a year, I try to participate in NaNoWriMo.

When I'm with my kids, fun time usually involves taking them to the park (or pool during the summer) for free play, or staying at home and playing Wii games (mostly Sports Resort & Just Dance) or card/board games (UNO, Connect Four, Mancala, Battleship, Pictionary, and most recently Catch Phrase and Blokus).

I've been told I have a nice smile and laugh. :) A friend mentioned that I have nice eyes too, but complained that my glasses hide them.

Kids notice my cartoon/superhero t-shirts... Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Thundercats, Transformers, etc. :)

Books - For fiction, I like Scifi/fantasy... recently finished reading the ninth book in the Dresden Files series about a wizard P.I. in Chicago and the third book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series (more familiar to tv fans as the HBO Game of Thrones series).

In terms of non-fiction, a few years ago, I really liked "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson and "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jerod Diamond. Recently finished Tina Fey's "Bossypants" and Daniel J. Siegel's "The Neurobiology of We" and "Mindsight".

Movies - Most of my favorite movies are trilogies/serials, such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, The Dark Knight, and last but not least, Toy Story. My favorite movie is Back to the Future. My favorite romantic comedy is probably Shakespeare in Love. My favorite Schwarzenegger movie was True Lies.

Television - I don't really watch broadcast television anymore... I cancelled my cable a few years ago and usually wait for a series to come out on DVD and then watch the entire season/series at once. I'm mostly into scifi/fantasy/superhero stuff... Avatar: The Last Airbender, Batman: The Animated Series, Battlestar Galactica, Chuck, Doctor Who (and its anagram spin-off Torchwood), Eureka, Game of Thrones, Grimm, The Guild, Heroes, Highlander, Joss Whedon stuff (Buffy, Dollhouse, Firefly), Justice League (Unlimited), Lost, Quantum Leap, Sliders, Smallville, Stargate, Star Trek, Superman: The Animated Series, Supernatural, Thundercats, Transformers, X-Files. Some non-scifi/fantasy shows that I've enjoyed include: 24, Homeland, How I Met Your Mother, MI-5, and Sherlock.

Music - I'm a product of the 80's and 90's and tend to like Top 40 soft rock from that period (Air Supply, Bryan Adams, Chicago, Debbie Gibson, Expose, Huey Lewis & the News). Most people seem to cringe at this, but hey, it's what I like. :P

I'm not up-to-date on the latest pop music because I tend to listen to audiobooks or podcasts instead. My favorite podcasts are NPR's This American Life, Fresh Air and Intelligence Squared.

Food - I pretty much eat anything... definitely not a vegetarian/vegan... I like the taste of meat too much. :) I like most cuisines that I have tried and for those that I haven't tried, I'm willing to try anything once. :)

1- My kids - they drive me crazy, but I guess that's their job :D
2- A sense of humor - in particular, the ability to laugh at myself... also helps when dealing with my kids!
3- My own vehicle - wheels=freedom!
4- My iPhone - having a phone, camera, mp3 player, internet browser, etc. at your fingertips everywhere is so cool!
5- Brain teasers - I love solving puzzles (sudoku, cryptographs, word jumbles, etc.), especially ones that involve taking a fresh approach to solving a problem.
6- Pillows - they are all that I've had to cuddle with at night for a long time!

when I have my kids, I'm at home hosting movie night for them.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the Friday night/weekends when I don't have my kids with me.

I like to sing karaoke.

I've never been to a professional ballgame or concert.

I seem like the kind of guy that you might want to spend some time getting to know better.

You have suggestions for a hobby/interest that will be fun, and also expose me to romantic prospects. :)