I'd like to think of myself as an interesting person, and while my ego is a little too large at times, I can't really get into the idea of going on and on about myself. Strike up a conversation and you can find out just about anything you want to know. It'll be worth your while. I just might be the most interesting person you'll ever meet, and I provided you're willing to give and take in a conversation, I can talk for hours about pretty much anything.

There are a few things you might want to know about me. I'm not one of those instant gratification seekers. I'd like love, and I'd like sex, but the two need to be intrinsically linked, and I make it a point to really get to know someone in a meaningful relationship before sex. If you and I hit it off right here, right now, don't expect to get in my pants for a few months at least.

I'm no longer on hiatus from studying music at a university, because of some awesome people at Financial Aid, so I'm going to school full time right now and hopefully graduating in December. Aside from that, I'm working to pay my bills and eat, and trying to enjoy life. I don't have a car (or rather, I don't have a car that runs) and I'm okay with that. I can get just about anywhere I need to go in less than twenty minutes walking, and if there's something I need to do outside of that, there's a city bus that stops across the street from my apartment twice an hour, so spending money on insurance, gas, and keeping a car running isn't exactly top priority at the moment. My car situation is also a parellel to my viewpoint on other things in life. If I can be perfectly successful and happy without something, I don't feel the need to spend a bunch of money, time, or stress on it.

Aside from that, I read, I write fiction and poetry, and I play more video games than I probably should. I'm also an avid fan of Dungeons & Dragons because I love being able to express myself creatively, and I can't help but feel that deep down inside, everyone loves a good dungeon crawl...

So here's the kicker, and the thing that anyone reading this with thoughts of a relationship in mind needs to focus on. After I graduate in December, I plan to go out and get my CDL. By no later than May '10, I plan on being out on the road, driving a large truck for a living. This probably won't last more than four or five years tops (I'm planning on no more than three, but allowing for things to go awry) before I settle down and look for a teaching job, but this is an important step in my life, because it allows me to pay off my student loans while simultaneously saving up the money necessary to settle down. Plus I get to see the country, visiting all of those places I've always wanted to go, and meeting all of those friends I've never met. I'd really like to meet someone willing to give up a few years of whatever they've got going on to go with me. Even better would be a woman who can fulfill her plans while driving around the country with me in a truck. Anyone interested gets top priority in my considerations. If you're willing to spend a few years in a truck with me, you'd have to have a personality that drives me insane for me not to be interested in you. If not, I'm cool with a largely long-distance thing. It's not ideal, but if you're special, I'll do whatever I can to make things work with you. Plus it's certainly better than spending every other weekend or so with my parents...

[EDIT:] I'm not sure any of that truck-driving stuff is ever going to happen. There's too much, at the moment, riding on me being in San Antonio and helping out where I can. Perhaps a few years down the road I and everyone else will be capable of handling my doing that, but I'm not sure that's likely at the moment. Ah well.

life. Also music, deep thought, doing the right thing, and keeping myself out of trouble, being in the right place at the right time, being in the right place at the wrong time, arriving somewhere just as the people there realize I need to be there, helping the people I care about (and some that I don't) in any way that I can to the point of sometimes giving entirely too much of myself.

On a lighter note, even though my memory tends to suck most of the time, I really good at remembering important dates (from birthdays and anniversaries to days of important historical significance) and inane facts that I don't have any business knowing or remember. This makes me killer sometimes at trivia games, but my random knowledge is sporadic, so just as often, it doesn't help at all.

If you are ever having trouble figuring something out, some proverbial (or not so proverbial) 'why,' ask and you'll find that I am very, very good at arguing both sides of any argument. If you want to know why someone does something, I can probably tell you. I can't guarantee it will be right, but it will make sense, and it'll probably be right. Try me. Seriously.

Oh, and I'm a ninja. That is, I'm really good at sneaking up on people and scaring the crap out of them when I suddenly speak and they didn't know I was there. This would be awesome to be good at if I was anywhere near as successful when I tried, as opposed to randomly and accidentally. I've probably been physically struck at more often in my life for this than all other reason put together.

are my clothes. Not sure why. Strangely, most of the compliments I get are about my eyes, but it often takes people months to notice them. These days, my nosering tends to get some looks as well, but that's a recent addition.

Books: I read mostly fantasy, because I'm a nerd, with a smattering of sci-fi and various other things. I'm not big on the classics, but I'll read them anyway. I tend to avoid horror stories, for the same reason I avoid horror movies (see below), but I've been known to read westerns, modern and historical fiction, satire, and other forms of fiction, as well as non-fiction ranging in subjects from history, music, and philosophy to theoretical astrophysics and electrical engineering.

Movies: I have a weakness for romantic comedies and movies about college losers. That being said, the only movies I don't like are generally horror movies, especially recently when they stopped being scary and started relying more on gore, excessive violence, or things jumping out at you. If I go to a horror movie, I want to be horrified, not saddened, sickened, or surprised.

Music: I'll listen to almost anything. When I say that, I actually mean anything, not just anything in popular media. I haven't gotten into the indie scene, although people tell me I come off as an indie guy sometimes, but I'm not against indie by any means. I do harbor a general dislike for most rap and hip-hop. Sure, the beat is great, but lyrics about hoes, bitches, drugs, sex, and violence just don't really do anything for. Maybe it's just the poet in me. All things equal, though, I have to say that TOOL is probably the greatest band currently performing, both in regards to how much I like them and also how musically talented they are. I'm also a huge fan of System of a Down, Flight of the Conchords, David Bowie, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Simon and Garfunkel. There's an even larger and more eclectic list of artists I really like, but not enough to list here.

Food: There is a long list of food I don't like, but a relatively short list of food I won't eat. On the other hand, I love almost anything cultural, so long as it isn't on the foods I don't like list. Yes, I know that doesn't tell you anything. The only thing that's important enough to get out at the start is that I don't eat seafood, except in sushi. I don't mind going to seafood restaurants and whatching other people eat it while I enjoy my steak or chicken, but I don't eat it myself, so if that's a problem, sucks to be you.

Television: I don't watch television, really. If it's on, I'll enjoy an episode of Family Guy, and I can honestly say I regret not getting the chance to finish Heroes, but working nights makes it difficult to get involved in any show, because watching something on my computer just isn't the same. Besides, I have better things to do with my life than watch the crap they put on TV these days.

Friends
Music
Sleep
Humor
Video Games
Caffeine

Not necessarily in that order.

my relationships, good or bad, romantic, platonic, familial, or other. I'm very focused on how I interact with others and how I can learn from the mistakes I and others have made.

When I'm not thinking about that, I'm tossing around ideas for poems, stories, or D&D adventures, contemplating the moral ramifications of whatever I need to be doing, or trying really hard to turn my brain off so that I can sleep.

Then there are those hours I spend at work, mindlessly performing tasks. Those times tend to be spent thinking about the kind of woman I'm looking for. Part of me is tempted to make a list here, but I generate little enough interest on this site as it is.

at work, unfortunately. When I'm not, I'm usually hanging out with friends either at home, a pool hall, or hopefully somewhere with karaoke. I drink with my friends fairly regularly, every few weeks, but I only get drunk maybe once every four or five months. If I'm in public or around people I don't know very well I'm very unlikely to have more than one drink. I'm a fan of safety moderation while drinking, and I've taken my friends car keys before.

I remember everything!

I remember every little thing as though it happened only yesterday. I was barely seventeen, but I once killed a boy with a Fender guitar. I don't remember if it was a Telecaster or a Stratocaster, but I remember it had a heart of chrome and voice like a horny angel. I don't remember if it was a Telecaster or a Stratocaster, but I do remember that it wasn't at all easy. It required a combination of the right power chords and the precise angle from which to strike.

The guitar bled for about a week afterward, and the blood was *shudder* dark and rich, like wild berries. The blood of the guitar was Chuck Berry red. The guitar bled for about a week afterward, but it rang out beautifully, and I was able to play notes that I'd never even heard before.

So I took my guitar and I smashed it against the floor, and I smashed it against the wall. I smashed it against the body of a varsity cheerleader. I smashed it against the hood of a car. I smashed it against a 1981 Harley-Davidson. The Harley howled in pain; the guitar howled in heat!

And I ran up the stairs to my parents' bedroom. Mommy and Daddy were sleeping in the moonlight. Slowly, I opened the door, creeping in the shadows right up to the foot of their bed. I raised the guitar high above my head and just as I was about to bring the guitar crashing down upon the center of the bed, my father woke up screaming, "Stop! Wait a minute. Stop it boy. What do you think you're doing? That's no way to treat an expensive musical instrument!"

And I said "God Dammit Daddy! You know I love you... but you've got a helluva lot to learn about Rock and Roll!"

you are interested in what you've read and looking for a friend or something significantly more than a friend. You shouldn't message me if you're looking for someone to take advantage of, in any way, shape, or form. At least, not any time soon... if you know what I mean...

Just so you know, I'm pretty sure of what I'm looking for in a woman, and so my standards might be a little higher than some guys. Even if you're not neccesarily my type, I'll still message you back though, so don't worry about me ignoring you. I enjoy talking to new people, even if I'm not very good at it. And let's be brutally honest... unlike a lot of people here, I'm here actively to find someone. I might message you randomly if I think we'll click. You should message me if you think we'll click. If one of us disagrees, it seems only fair to let the other person know actively (ie not through simply ignoring them...). Maybe I'm just crazy though.

Or if you're interested in D&D and want to join a group, or just come watch a few times to see what it's all about...

Or if you're interested in learning music. I notice a lot of people on this website say they want to learn some musical field or another, and I offer cheaper lessons than you'll find probably anywhere for beginners students in whatever it is you want to learn. If for whatever reason I can't teach it to you, I guarantee I can find someone who can, and we all work cheap. Anything I can do to bring the gift of music to the people is worth doing. Even if you think you can't do it, I guarantee you can (unless you're tone deaf, in which case you'll need a better teacher than me, but you can still learn...) So if you're looking to learn anything from singing to drumset, reading music to composition, I can get you started. I want to get you started. It is my job...