I'm most passionate about exploring the world. I love traveling to new places and adapting to different cultures. Some of the most interesting places I've been to include Brazil (where I lived for 3 months), Iceland, Israel, Ireland, Japan, Vancouver Island (Canada), Hawaii, and New Mexico. I'm currently planning a vacation to the Cinqueterre area of Italy this Sept. I am also very passionate about music. I sing in an a cappella group, as well as play piano and guitar. Recently I started writing songs. A few other things I fill my life with include: dogs, politics, the environment, indie films, photography, scuba-diving, crossword puzzles, kenken and chocolate. ;o)

I got laid off from my job in IT at an environmental consulting firm last August, and it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I wound up going back to my first interest, public health, and since Oct. I've been working as an epidemiology analyst doing post-marketing drug safety surveillance. Brownie points for those of you who know what pharmacoepidemiology is without having to look it up! ;o)
It's a challenging, rewarding job and I'm learning a ton. When I'm not working, I fill my time with a bunch of stuff (see above).
Last summer I went SCUBA diving almost every weekend, and I'm hoping to find more of a balance this summer between diving and hiking (as well as camping and kayaking), and also getting back to swing dancing. But diving has become one of my greatest passions, almost up there with traveling and music. It is my dream to one day dive with dolphins. :o) And to dive the Great Barrier Reef before it is completely destroyed.

Well, that's about it for now...I'll add some more stuff soon, but hopefully that gave you some insight into my life!

I tend to be modest about these things, but I am quite confident in my singing ability. I've also gotten better at guitar, though I still have a ways to go. I've been playing at open mics in the area for the past year and change, and it's definitely helped me become a better performer. I've also become a good SCUBA diver (see above), hopefully I will be a great one by the end of the summer. :o) Letsee what else...how could I forget?! I'm really good at dogsitting. Just about all dogs love me (and I love them)! I'm good at wasting time on the internet (ha ha), good with computers in general, good at things like kenken, Scrabble and crossword puzzles, good at procrastinating (but I get points for honesty, right?), and I used to be a pretty mean swing dancer.
I think I'm a pretty good kisser but perhaps you will have to be the judge of that, hee hee. ;o)

How tall I am. Just kidding! ;o)

BOOKS: I like a mix of fiction and non-fiction...in particular, I have gotten into political books in the past few years. One of my favorite authors is Barbara Kingsolver - "Prodigal Summer" is her best novel, in my opinion. Some of my other favorite books include "Nickel & Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich, "Dreams from My Father" by Barack Obama, "The People's Choice" by Jeff Greenfield, "And the Band Played on" by Randy Shilts...that's just a sampling.
I'm usually reading 2 or 3 books at the same time (it's my own form of ADD I guess, ha ha). Right now I'm reading "Musicophilia" by Oliver Sacks, which I'm really enjoying, as well as "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks. When I'm done with those, I am finally going to be the last person on earth to read "The Da Vinci Code". ;o)

MOVIES: My favorite genres are dark comedies (think "Fargo"), independent, documentaries, dramas, romantic comedies, and foreign. I'm *not* huge into action films, fantasy, horror movies, or stupid comedies (like "Dumb and Dumber").
Some of my favorite movies (in no particular order) are (from off the top of my head): "The Shawshank Redemption", "Amelie", "WALL-E", "Sense and Sensibility", "Apollo 13", "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home", "Napoleon Dynamite", "Waking Ned Devine", "Election", "Annie Hall", "The Big Chill", "As Good as it Gets", just about anything by Christopher Guest (e.g., "Best in Show"), "The Princess Bride", "Spaceballs", "Fail-Safe" (my favorite classic film), "Animal House", "Grosse Pointe Blank", "High Fidelity", "Better Off Dead" (yes, as you can see I enjoy John Cusack films!), "Sling Blade", "Strictly Ballroom", "Rivers and Tides", "Bowling for Columbine", "Primary Colors", "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", "Trainspotting", "Starman", "The Silence of the Lambs", "Keeping the Faith", "Babe", "Chocolat", "Central do Brasil", "Garden State", "Almost Famous", "Contact", "The Firm", "Dead Poets Society", "Clueless", "Much Ado about Nothing", "Supersize Me", "Run, Lola, Run", "Goodbye Lenin". I'm sure I'm leaving out a bunch that I love, but that should give you a pretty good idea what kinds of movies I like, anyway!!

MUSIC: I have a pretty eclectic taste in music; from folk to classic rock, from '80s to classical, from Brazilian jazz to traditional Celtic music...you get the idea. The only genres I don't like are heavy metal, country, and most hip-hop (there's actually some that I don't mind). I have a LOT of favorite bands/musicians (like I do movies), so here's just a sampling: Peter Mulvey, The Winterpills, Erin McKeown, Kris Delmhorst, Chris Pureka, Jake Armerding, Cake, The Doors, Fiona Apple, Peter Gabriel, Elliott Smith, Fleetwood Mac, Duran Duran, Death Cab for Cutie, BT, Alana Davis, Bjork, Modest Mouse, Minus the Bear, Crowded House (as well as Finn Brothers and Neil Finn, solo), Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Luscious Jackson, The Postal Service, U2, Sarah McLachlan, Lisa Loeb, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Depeche Mode, Buckwheat Zydeco, Fernanda Abreu, Joao Gilberto, Timbalada, Lunasa, The Chieftains, Van Morrison, Chopin, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Alison Krauss, The Powder Kegs, Chris O'Brien, Afro Celt Sound System, Jeffrey Foucault, Vance Gilbert, Ellis Paul, Nelly Furtado, Schuyler Fisk...the list goes on and on. My apologies to those musicians/groups I somehow overlooked!
If I had to pick a favorite song RIGHT NOW it would be "Lay Your Heartbreak" by The Winterpills. It is just such a fucking good song!

FOOD: I am quite the foodie and *love* living in a place where I have such great access to lots of different ethnic cuisine! Some of my favorite types of food are: Thai, Indian, Italian, Brazilian, and Japanese. I also like Chinese and Mexican, but I haven't found anywhere stellar yet in this area. My favorite restaurants are Cafe Brasil, Spice & Rice, Pepper Sky's Thai Sensation, Bertucci's, Bombay Club, Casa Portugal, The Warren Tavern, and Wagamama.
My favorite meal is brunch, and for that, I love to go to: Neighborhood Restaurant, Johnny D's, Ryles, S&S, just to name a few.
I am a major ice cream snob ;o), my favorite place by far is Toscanini's, but I also love J.P. Licks and Herrell's. I used to like Christina's but lately I have been quite disappointed in their ice cream.
For dessert other than ice cream, I like going to LA Burdick, Finale, and Modern Pastry.
My favorite cafe is 1369 Coffeehouse (they have yummy desserts there as well as excellent coffee, tea and hot cocoa). No Starbucks for this gal! ;o)
I also enjoy cooking and baking, but I admit I haven't made as much time for them as I'd like. I can make a mean baked ziti, chicken marsala, excellent brownies and cakes, and your basic stirfry. I'd definitely like to learn more!

Just thought I'd throw TV in there: My favorite shows (past and present) include: "The Office" (both the British and U.S. versions), "Lost", "House", "My So-Called Life", "Freaks & Geeks", "Judging Amy", "Gilmore Girls", "30 Days", "Seinfeld" (pretty much my favorite show ever), "South Park", "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "It's Me or the Dog", "Far and Away", "Project Runway", "Top Chef", "Meerkat Manor" and "Blue Planet". When I was much younger I really enjoyed shows like "You Can't Do That on Television", "3-2-1 Contact", "Mr. Wizard", and "Remote Control" (does anyone besides me remember those shows and miss them?!?)

1) my passport 2) my camera (including the underwater housing, so I can take photos while I scuba-dive!) 3) Trader Joe's 4) NPR 5) music

-where I'm going diving during the weekend (if the weather cooperates)
-what kind of dog I'd like to get someday...though it will likely be a mixed breed from a shelter (though they can be the best kind!)
-Italian (since I'm learning it for my vacation)
-how I'd like to travel the whole world someday (and maybe other words, should the opportunity arise, hee hee)
-politics - global, national and local
-lots of other things...just ask!

Hanging out with friends or just relaxing at home with a book or a movie. When I go scuba diving, it's usually on Saturday mornings, so Fri. nights tend not to be late nights for me (but there are exceptions.) I make up for that on Sat. nights though.

Well, if I admitted it here then it would no longer be private, would it?! ;o)

you're interested in just being friends or activity partners...but *please*, no more slimy 48 year-olds from Bumblefuck, Texas!!!

BTW, I wrote a "test" to see how well people would match with me - take it at http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-best-beau-for-bets75-test ! (If anyone knows how to make this a hyperlink, please let me know...I tried html, but it didn't work.)

Editors

• DCMerlin