Before you go any further reading my profile, I have to wonder why you Southern boys don't even bother to make an effort when messaging me like the New York gentlemen did. I'll give you a fair warning: if you write 10 words or less, your message will be ignored. Would it KILL you to actually make an effort to pique my interest or are y'all just lazy? If all yas are just lazy, I have no need for you. I have a full life as it is without a man. I'm just here to see if there's someone who complements my life, NOT completes it. So have something to say if you're going to send a message other than "hello." Don't be lame.

I am a 100% bona-fide smartass native New Yorker who moved to Memphis for work during the summer of 2011. Within a week, I knew I had found home after many years of searching in places as varied as Connecticut and Wisconsin. Being an urban kind of gal who loves R&B music, great food and starting weird and interesting conversations with total strangers, how could I not love Memphis?

People have said that they are surprised when I tell them I'm an accountant, because I'm a gregarious, loud, fun-loving, opinionated woman...a bit far from the stereotype. But then again, I love busting stereotypes anyways.

Since the beginning of 2012, I have adopted a healthy lifestyle, which includes healthy eating (no fast food, very little alcohol, and mostly whole foods) and daily exercise (1-2 hours per day). Living a healthy lifestyle has become a really big part of my life, and I'd love to be able to share that with someone. However, I tend to prefer to take things slowly, create a foundation and build up from there, so anyone interested in me would need to respect that.

I'm an accountant by education, and am currently in healthcare finance for a health system here in Memphis. I've been doing this kind of work since I finished grad school in 2004, and feel that it truly is my calling.

In my time away from the office, I enjoy a lot of what Memphis has to offer. I regularly walk around the Zoo, go to concerts at the Levitt Shell, check out the art at Brooks, and sample various restaurants with my friends.

The other thing I enjoy doing is exercise regularly. Whether it be walking or running in my neighborhood (I run 5k races to benefit a variety of causes I support in the greater Memphis area), swimming, pumping iron, yoga, making a fool of myself doing Zumba or nursing a sore bum after spin class, I love it all.

I'm also currently training for a half marathon in March 2013. I enjoy all the things I do for fitness, but I especially love running. It just helps center and relax me so that I can tackle the rest of my day. Plus, running 13.1 miles is a good challenge. Hoping to then crank it up another notch in the fall/winter 2013 by running the St. Jude's Marathon.

At home, I do a bit of reading, mostly about nutrition and fitness, but on my bookshelf, there's plenty of Martin, King, Grisham, Patterson, Puzo, and Rowling as well as Shakespeare, Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Fitzgerald if I want to read for pleasure. When the TV is on (which is becoming a less and less frequent thing for me), it's usually "Cold Case" or "Psych" reruns, or depending on the season, I'll have the Steelers, Manchester United, or whatever golf tournament is going on that particular weekend.

So what am I looking for? I'm just looking to meet some new people that I may not ordinarily meet in any other way, and see what happens. More in the "Message me if" section.

Another FYI: 99% of the time, I will NOT message a man, simply because in the past when I've done that, I've had to do 99% of the work in the relationship. Not happening again. If you're checking me out and interested, have a spine and contact me, because that's the only way anything will happen. After all, it's the GENTLEMAN that is supposed to chase, NOT the lady.

Listening, being dependable and trustworthy, making people laugh, making people feel appreciated...and apparently I'm also a decent cook with a stew usually cooking up in the crock pot on any given weekend.

I'm very outgoing and a people person. I've always believed that in sharing experiences with others, there is growth. People also say that I have a pretty smile. Guess those years of having braces paid off!

A) The Stand (Stephen King), The Grid (Philip Kerr), Bridget Jones's Diary (Helen Fielding), anything by Jane Green. She's always good for a laugh. Unfortunately, since I do a lot of reading government-ese in my job, I tend to do a lot of audiobooks, and have recently finished the first five books of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R. R. Martin. Here's hoping we don't have to wait another 5 years for the next one!

B) The first Star Wars Trilogy, Office Space, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, anything by Kevin Smith, Fever Pitch (the Colin Firth version), and Goodfellas.

C) R&B, jazz, classic rock, classical, country, hip-hop....you name it, I probably like it. I listen to a lot of Henry Rollins as well, mostly his Spoken Word stuff. I love his perspective on society. He cracks me up, and on some topics, he makes me think. Very clever guy.

D) It truly depends on my mood. I do love to cook though.

1) Love 2) Humor 3) Family & friends 4) Faith 5) Affection 6) Respect and understanding

Sorry, but I have to add two more: my crockpot and MY iPOD!

Continuing to keep my finances in order, my nephews, what new recipes I want to try, where I want to spend my next vacation, and in what direction I want my relationship with God to go in.

Going to a concert at the Levitt Shell or curled up with the cats, relaxing after a busy week.

I'm a recovering WoW addict.

You have a picture of yourself in your profile. NO EXCUSES.

You MUST be fit or athletic. Fat guys need not apply. You want to date a woman like me? Get your ass to the gym, eat healthy and GET FIT.

You are actually sincere about wanting a relationship and aren't looking to get laid as the primary reason why you're on OKC. Before I get physically intimate with someone, I have to get emotionally intimate with him. That takes TIME. You want to have sex with me? Earn that privilege.

If you're looking for someone to satisfy a fetish, I'm not your girl. Best bet is to check out FetLife, which specializes in fetishes, NOT a dating site like this.

You demonstrate intelligence, common sense and have strong morals, values and convictions...but can also respect other viewpoints.

You believe that change is potentially a good thing. Change brings growth.

You make sure to keep yourself informed about the world around you and formulate your own opinions about what's going on in the world. Don't be a sheep or an ostrich. Have a voice! Have an opinion!