** in transition - enjoy your search but I'll wish you luck from a distance for the moment**

Third round Bay-area-an, just moved back (well - Turkey day 09) from three years in Ireland. Tried living in Oakland, now live down in the south bay - after stints in Redwood City, and Mountain View.

I'm originally a country girl from rolling green hills outside of Philadelphia, who spent 10 years working in the Silicon Valley, got fed up and decided to explore living in Europe. I loved it to bits, but I quit the tech job that kept me there (yep, even in a crap economy sometimes its just time to get out), and the Bay is basecamp. Friend, freedom and play support all here, as well as all my professional contacts. And you just can't argue the weather, tho I miss fall and real winter with a passion.

I am Inquisitive, Gregarious, and Intellectual

Trying to get more wow in my life again. Fun too. Looking for like minded exploring buddies to enjoy life. You get more out of it when you see things through multiple sets of eyes. Bending and questioning your perspective is a good thing.

I like architecture, museums including modern, good food and wine, some shopping, and any opportunity to see how the rest of the world is making happy. I've been to Paris, south west of Ireland (finally), South Africa (want to go to Stellenbosch again), Beijing, China (1x only thx), South East England, Edinburgh, Oban, Glasgow, Paris, Munich, Sydney and Melbourne Australia, Taipei, Switzerland (Zurich, Innsbruck, Interlaken, Davos), lots of the US.... all in the last few years. I love to drive - having driven across the US 7 times (all the major east west routes except 10 - too damned hot). This might make me crazy or just a great road tripper. Case in point - a 10 day, 3600mile circuit from San Francisco to Cody, Wyoming - through Grand Teton and Yellowstone, doing top-down wide open speeding on highway 50 - quite possibly my new favorite road. I have a convertible that I love in all weathers above 30F. ;>

I took a year to explore what I might want post-tech - relaxed, learned a little about how to build houses, barns, and stone walls, and spending some time getting in touch with a 3D as opposed to virtually driven world. I took a week working with a team to cut a 22'x32' hammer beam lofted barn out of white pine - with chisels and a circular saw. Still building out my nest again - 3rd time in 5 years. Went back to work August 09, tech program manager for a large internet company. No, not that one. Trying this time to do it with a little more definition between the job and me.

Somewhere in there I'll be reading, cooking, hiking, sailing, and generally enjoying myself.

Talking, listening, giggling, seeing and respecting the humanity in people. I like humans - provided they do more than bitch, which will short my fuse fairly quickly. Oh - and seeing small, beautiful, and odd things. Also annoying small painfully expensive things indicating that you need to fix your roof/window/gutter....

Laugh I think is first... tho these days could be the insane hair, color variable and formerly Meredith Gentry red, now streaky stawberry blonde. Best comment about my hair evar - 'Well it looks great darling, but it's not believable.'

Books - usually fiction, fantasy or mystery. Anything by Patricia McKillip, Justina Robson, Terry Pratchett, Charles de Lint, Martha Grimes, Shakespeare, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Dunnett, China Mieville' - god this is hard all my books are in boxes. Recent reads - Simon Barnes 'How to be Wild'. Also just finished 'Spook Country' by William Gibson - but damn when he's human he's awesome.

Music - Chris Smither, Cathy Davey, Roisin Murphy, Massive Attack, Jordi Savall, Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, NIN, Pink Floyd, Delerium, ELO, Verve Remixes, Gotan Project (don't think genre, think mood and lyrics)

Movies - Captain Blood (yah, Errol Flynn all the way), Roman Holiday, Stranger than Fiction, Love Actually, less recently Lion in Winter, Rebecca, Philadelphia Story, Waking Ned Devine

Food - there isn't a priority to this list, but I default to Mexican, followed by Italian, Chinese, Thai or French. I adore good fresh and often spicy (not lethal) food of all kinds, and have tried lots of things. I never met a piece of pig I didn't like. And I am death to well cooked beef - it and I, with black pepper, salt, and a piece of bread for juice. Best to call me unrepentant omnivore - tho I don't like some of the more extreme animal handling options (fois is tasty but I won't miss it if they outlaw it, and veal just never did it for me). And you can't do good food justice without good beverages - Belgian or German beers, microbrewery output of all kinds most especially barleywine, and I adore single malts.

Friends!!! intimacy/sex/affection (yes I'm cheating) Books (real 3-D with printed word and musty smells), good food, good drink, music

Why at 42 I feel like I'm 19 again. Trying to find a barn or a warehouse to convert while I continue to fuss on the new apartment. Roadtripping around the countryside. Whether I should buy a convertible in Ireland or a boat for the Bay.

Dinner with friends, possibly at a whiskey joint or brew pub, or hanging out cooking.

Not born a redhead - though I feel I was gypped by nature here.

You consider yourself a curious, moment-engaged and engaging adult who's flipping over metaphorical rocks looking for interesting things to add to your life experience. Alternatively - talkative company over good food, music, or a pint. ;>