I'm a 45 yr old (where did time go?!!) going on 25 self-employed illustrator of children's books who does bi-dyke comics in her (now nonexistent) spare time. I used to be involved in the lgbt, bdsm and small press DYI communities, but now I stay home with my toddler, fingerpainting, playing with blocks, dragging small son to daycare several days a week and trying to make ends meet (timewise more than moneywise, though they end up being the same thing oftentimes). I would love to meet alternative parents, esp single ones, ones who have adopted (domestic or international), people to trade mandarin lessons (for english, french, children's books, comics.... you suggest it) with, people who love to hang out with little kids. I am a member of communauto, use a bike for transportation. I love to eat chocolate and cheese, I read Harper's magazine and Parents. If I wasn't so creaky I'd be outdoorsy. I used to do indoor rockclimbing and weightlifting. I prefer canoes to motorboats, espresso coffee to filter, cafés to taverns, whole grain to white bread (but love a good baguette), birkenstocks to high heels (though love black leather boots), dressing down to office chic (though love to dress up .. used to frequent the Fetish Cafe/Funhouse). I date boys and girls, but they have to be tolerant and openminded. I love learning languages and am learning Mandarin, have taken Swedish|| and German lessons too, and ASL.

Je parles l'anglais, francais et j'apprends le mandarin, le suédois, l'allemand!

I adopted from China about a year ago, so I am learning mandarin, baby sign language, and just generally feeling out the whole new parenting gig as a self-employed working mama to a toddler. If I had more time I would be reading novels and nonfiction, cartooning, working on my illustration career, sewing and hopefully when there is more snow, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. I spend a lot of time dressing up small son in order to walk my Saint Bernard dog in our execrable and every-changing weather. I have aspirations to harness her to a sled to pull small son, instead of pulling me while I push the stroller. I also have aspirations to have SLEEP lower down on my list of priorities.

Drawing. Baking. Talking. Listening. Giving massages. Learning languages (ok, I am pretty good, not sure if I am really good).

My short hair. My earplug. My bad posture. My piercing eyes. That I talk a lot, and fast. That I'm not a fashion plate. That I am accompanied by a Saint Bernard.

Books: These days I find time to read little but adoption or early childhood related, learning mandarin, language acquisition (reading The Bilingual Edge currently). In the past I read and enjoyed:

fiction: "Blindness", Agota Kristof, "Cruddy", Evelyn Lau, Anne Rice, "Jitterbug Perfume" , Patrick Süskind, "La Vie devant soi", "Diary of a Teenage Girl", Laura Antonio, "The curious incident of the dog in the night-time", "The Life of Pi".

nonfiction: The Red Rose Girls, Steven Pinker, Emily Carr, "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves".

comics: Alison Bechdel, Lynda Barry, Michael Manning, Phoebe Gloeckner, early Dirty Plotte.

children's books: "Incident at Hawk's Hill", "The Sad Story of Veronika Who Played the Violin", Anne McCaffrey, "Matilda who told such dreadful lies", Gorey.

movies: subtitled foreign films (esp swedish and chinese for the language, but from anywhere), Kusturica, "Happiness", "Grease", "Sound of Music", "Evil Dead II", Coen Bros, Cronenberg, South Park, "Bon Cop Bad Cop" (cuz I'm an anglophone living in Quebec, eh!), "Oliver", LWord (mmm trashy) anything with Jodie Foster, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jr. (cuz I think they're hot)

Music: Dresden Dolls, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, Jonathan Richman, Peaches, Phranc folksinger, Ween, The Lovin'Spoonful, 80's alternative, 70's disco, Carter Burwell soundtracks, NIN, Martha Wainwright.

Food: Cheese, more cheese, butter, espresso coffee (allongé), dark chocolate. Actually I love trying different foods and restaurants. In China the food was GREAT. I like Indian, Polish/Ukrainian, Thai, Middle Eastern, homecooking, vegetarian, ...

Editors

• iamturangalila

Air (boy, I appreciate that now that I'm back from China), water (ditto), nature, my pets, my kiddo, freedom to be me.

How I will be able to afford my life for the next few years until small son is in some sort of school fulltime and I can work normal hours again. Why I promised to do all these book contracts when I have so little time. When will I ever find my sense of humour again, and my patience. Why people think that if you chose to adopt a child, you must be blissfully happy and nonstressed... hello?

Working working working working. Procrastinating by reading emails and surfing the net. Sweeping up dust and dog hair, putting away toys, , reading in bed with a plate of melted mozzarella cheese, and trying to get to sleep before 3am so I am not dead tired the next day (and probably failing).

I would like to have a sex life again sometime, but cannot imagine when or where, and cringe at the idea of actually taking off my jeans and sweatshirt. oh my.

You think we'd get along.

If you can be honest about what you are looking for. Don't say you are looking for a long term relationship if you are looking for a friend. Don't say you want a life partner (ie I am a possibility) if you live hundreds of miles away and are unwilling to move or do longdistance.

If you aren't going to ask stupid questions about why I am stressed if I wanted a child. If you aren't going to IM me with online sex requests.

If you can be friendly and supportive. I am tired and overwhelmed right now. thanks.