You sit across from this guy, and maybe it's the first time you meet him. You're not sure what you think about him. You definitely don't know what to expect, and the nerves are alive in the air around you both, a heady mixture of excitement and fear. Thankfully, he can sense it, too, and smiles, offering a joke about awkward moments.

You ask him his strong points, and he replies, "I like to think, deep down, that I'm a loyal, funny guy who can offer you the best shoulder you ever had to cry on, but also loves to have fun when the time is right. I think dating games are childish; I want to get down to what makes you who you are, your dreams, your goals in life."

Sounds good enough, you think, if a bit canned. You share your strong points, and ask him his hobbies. "Number one is volunteering. I love the feeling of giving back to others after being fortunate enough to be where I am. But I also love writing, outdoors photography, baseball, and football. Oh, and I can talk your ear off about music. But enough about me..."

You like the sound of what you're hearing, and you know you two can click; after all, you're honest and mature, with a dash of intelligence, creativity, and a rich sense of humor. You think it's time to let him know how you feel.

I'm a technical writer at Sirius XM Radio during the day, and am working on a novel at night. I plan to learn guitar in the next few months, and have found I'm not TOO bad at singing. At least decent enough to think about pursuing it.

Writing. Really, that's the big thing. Oh, and I seem to be pretty good at making people laugh, which is good, because I love laughing. So WHY is it so hard to write comedy, I ask...

I think my sense of humor. Or my eyes. Oh, or my weight.

Books: this changes all the time - can't really pick even a few. Authors include William Faulkner (my inspiration), Clive Barker (another inspiration), Stephen King (guilty pleasure), Tom Robbins, and a boatload of others.

Movies: You know what? Let's go with genres. I prefer thrillers and straight-up drama, but I'm also known to love foreign movies (think Wings of Desire).

Music: Genres again - my favorite is indie/indie rock, whatever that label means this week, but I also love jazz (Miles Davis), power pop, classic rock, some electronica, some hip hop, and some country.

Food: I'm pretty picky right now, as I'm changing my eating lifestyle. Tuna or salmon are probably #1.

My Blackberry, my pets, my voice recorder, my iPod, good spring water, my Xbox.

what that cloud looks like.

Hanging out with friends, shooting pool...whatever is available.

Yes, I am aware I'm overweight, and am actually in a program to do something about it. I care a LOT about health and fitness and could tell you what to eat at any given time, I just have a block about it at times. Oh, and I am helping others to achieve their goals as well. I think the big thing about weight is to build awareness and help others, not shun them.

Okay. Maybe I need to get a little more specific:

-Geeks/nerds/dorks definitely welcome. I love knowledge and would love to talk to new people about the nerdier pursuits.
-You related to anything I posted. I know it's still a little scant, but I'm working on it.
-You like to laugh. I WILL make you laugh. Dammit.