UPDATE: 11/25/09,

I am no longer single. Nyx919 has officially stolen my heart. I am still here for friends though, so do not let that discourage you from chatting.

I am Steven. I was born and raised in the midwest, near a familiar industrial city called Peoria, Illinois. I grew up in a small rural community, in which I always had a very close network of friends. During my adolescence, I spent a brief period in Fort Wayne, Indiana, after which time I returned to Illinois to complete High School. I then served 4 years active duty in the Navy and have since that time served as a drilling reservist and worked in Food/Beverage Production.

I've been in the military for 8 years as of this coming August. I served active duty Navy from 2001 to 2005, at which point I was involuntarily placed in a reserve drilling status, due to an overmanning in my rate. I have since drilled in Virginia Beach and worked in food and beverage packaging plants as a supervisor and mechanic.

Right now I'm splitting time between doing two weeks per month with the Navy reserve (enough to pay bills and put money back) and collect two weeks of unemployment per month until I return to school in January on the post-9/11 GI bill. It's a good way to unwind from being laid off from one of the most stressful jobs I've ever had. I also do some freelance photography and journalism on the side. It's good for making some extra spending cash for the holidays, and I am falling in love with photography as a tertiary profession.

I've also become quite involved in exercise again lately. I'd love to find a workout or sparring/wrestling partner (presuming you like that sort of thing).

Creative Writing is my passion in life. I am willing and able to write in virtually any genre, although my current two major projects are in science fiction and fantasy. I hope to one day to publish at least one of them. I also enjoy martial arts, paintball, and airsoft. As a bit of a geek, obviously I like to play video games, but I don't live on them or anything. I love to watch and play sports of all kinds. I used to play short stop in baseball and I love soccer. I'll watch any sport, be it NASCAR, NFL, MLB, Soccer (or futbol to be politically correct), college basketball and football, MMA (Pride Fighting or UFC), or things like drag or bike racing. Folks come to me for a lot of opinions on teams/athletes, since I'm very unbiased in regards to sports overall, despite being a Bears fan.

I consider myself a very active person, and while geeky in nature, I am not like those who spend every winking second of their free time in front of a computer (as in I have a life away from my computer screen, typically involving being social, exploring, making money, and going to the gym). Staying in shape is very important to me, especially after finding a weight loss plan that works - so I hope that fitness is important to you, one way or the other (read on to learn more).

I'm also fairly good at fixing things - comes from being a maintainer in naval aviation for the past 8 years and working in food and beverage production for the past two.

Despite the fact I wear glasses, most people can see that I have very blue eyes, and a very brilliant smile. Insofar as physical attributes go, that's about all. Others will notice that I am very energetic, outgoing, and very comfortable with whom to talk. A lot of people come to me for advice.

Lately people have noticed I've lost a lot of belly weight ( was never really a "rotund" person ).

Oh and just because my profile says that I like children doesn't mean that I want any. Career and commitment come first, and then we'll see if children fit into our life. It isn't mandatory for me to pass on to the next generation, but I'm not opposed to dating someone who would someday like to. Just ensure your priorities are straight, first.

I like anything that is written by Ray Bradbury, William Faulkner, Tom Clancy, Stephen King, R.A. Salvatore, R.L. Stine, Ann Rice, David Eddings, Troy Denning, James Oliver Rigney, Robert Jordan, Greg Keyes, Neil Gaiman, and Terry Brooks. I am open minded to many other authors, and I am interested in reading in almost every genre. How else could I better myself as an author without embracing the styles and talents of others?

Insofar as movies go, I enjoy just about everything. I'm not a big fan of chick flicks or teeny-bopper movies, but anything else I am game for. Again, sci fi and fantasy are my favorite genres, but I can't ever pass up the good ol comedy, animated films, or a good old 80s action flick. Some people have requested I list my favorites, but really, these days movies are movies and I love them all. My "favorites" are far too many to really list here.

I like any and all forms of music so long as it isn't noise or rap that talks about killing police or raping women. I can't stand that garbage. I'm all about going to concerts and occasionally hitting up the wave.

Some of my favorite groups/singers are Def Leppard, Alice Cooper, Nine Inch Nails, Pantera, Metallica, Nirvana, AC/DC, Iron Maiden/Ozzy, Rob Zombie, Eminem, Guns and Roses, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Bob Marley, Louis Armstrong, The Beatles, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Reba MaCyntire, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Tim McGraw, Josh Turner, Rihanna, Jay Z, Mos Def, Ice Cube, Tone Loc, Run DMC, The Chemical Brothers, Fluke, Propellerheads, Gackt, Daikiri.

When it comes to food, I'm limited only by certain forms of seafood, of which I've never been particularly fond. I can tolerate grilled salmon, but as for the rest, I can do without it. I love old american style grill, but I'm also very big on chinese food, italian, thai, and mexican (specifically aztecan).

I do play some online gaming, but there are a lot of things in my life I value more now than a computer screen. If I am going to have to come second in your life to a legendary item you want from a raid in WoW, don't waste my time or yours.

My writing material
My family
My friends
A roof over my head
Food on the table
Exercise

The worlds in which a lot of my writing takes place, how to make it all flush with the story and characters therein, and how I'm going to manage getting it all published once everything is said and done. I think about where I am going with my future, if I'm 100% certain that this is the path I really want to choose; and I spend a lot of time thinking about how thin my family has shrunk since the passing of over ten people in the past four years.

...and why do my personality awards lie about me? I'm certainly not a hardcore republican nor am I as square as a virgin. They're about as accurate as those lame WTF reports and other matching features this site and its users seem to rely ever so heavily upon.

Either hanging out with friends, at the gym with friends, playing an online game, at the movies, at the beach - hopefully doing something different each friday. I don't like the "usual" cliches.

I like roughhousing and play wrestling as a form of competitive teasing and intimacy. Hell, if nothing else, it's a good way to stay in shape WITH your partner. I'm also a real sucker for a nerdy/geeky girl with an athletic and/or a wild side. Do those even exist?

If we have anything in common and you're only looking for friends, by all means message me; but I am no longer single. Sorry, ladies.