A 56 yo ex-musician, engineer and business owner (only moderately succesful due to an oversupply of honesty - but at least my apt. rent is paid and my vehicle is my own!) I am looking for some social contact to get a few civilized habits going again, but its fun to be surprised by finding amazing compatibility.

No kids, married once years ago,I am friends and in touch with my ex-wife and long term relationship partners. I listen to primarily to NPR and intelligent radio, but occassionally annoy my liberal friends.

I've been Catholic, Atheist, pagan, Wiccan and now eclectically believe a spirituality makes sense to me, and I do not allow any human or Divine authority more power than my own (since we are all the Divine!).

I am a bit of a loaner and tend to not have enough fun. I love seeing amazing things, understanding how everything works, and am trying to spend as little time as possible with computers anymore (but here I am filling out this questionaire - go figure!)

In a relationship, I am utterly loyal to a woman I care for, but am not the jealous type. When I answer some of the jealousy questions in the survey, understand I am referring to what is OK for me with a serious partner. If we are going to give from love, we should give what the other wants. What HER feelings are does affect my choices of behavior for myself, if something would upset her, I feel we need to work it out, and in many things, I prefer to meet her desires if the issue is not critical to my happiness. Do understand, while I am not particularly touchy and jealous over other guys in social situations, old friends, hugs and kisses, I do require a high degree of EMOTIONAL fidelity and honesty and connection. That is what make relationships last and be close. I don't want someone around simply because they fear me or by default.

I had a heart problem crop up last year, quit smoking after 30 years, am eating relatively sensibly (low sodium, dammit!) and losing weight (but still could be a Santa) and had to cut off my white beard. (I use a CPAP). I still have some physical limitations from it all. You can smoke, but I don't. You can eat chocolate sundaes, and I will enjoy watching you or feed it to you!

Needless to say, I love kissing since the loss of my tobacco pacifier.

I do computer and control systems software/hardware, and some physical repairs of industrial equipment locally and in other states. I am doing home computer repairs/support/security as well, now.

I am serious, irreverant, and not conservative!

I am experimenting right now. I have really changed my lifestyle, although I have gotten to be even more of a hermit, which is not my first choice.

However, I see drastic changes coming in the American way of life, and after a lifetime of running my own businesses or doing crazy and eclectic jobs, I really have no idea what is going to work next year or the year after. Or where to be to do best in the future. I would love to hear others' ideas on this.

My work adventures includes: Classical violinist, then Jazz/rock/bluegrass/country/folk bar bands and coffee shop gigs.
Then mid-20's, got married and tried to make a living driving delivery trucks, then Journeyman high rigging Boilermaker (like a steel worker up high in the sky - this remains my favorite type of job when working for others). Then my own business doing industrial controls with these new-fangled PC computers. I was quite the workaholic. I wanted to get rich and retire and go back to music. The opposite happened, got broke, well-off, broke again, in the middle after alot of amazing ups and downs! Never a dull moment, that was for sure.

Still doing my business from my apartment and getting by.

I need to move to where there are some trees, though, Fullerton has cut them all down in my block, the concrete jungle is barren and lifeless.

Most physical world things, never knew called a repairman until I was 35, but I do now but I still want to make excuses to AAA tow truck drivers for not changing my own flat tires. But I have given up most car mechanic work, and even avoid working on PC computers except for the most Special Friends! I do believe in keeping my part of a shared house and bathroom clean, but I prefer to do this by hiring a housekeeper whenever possible (but if I clean a toilet, it sparkles!)

With people, I usually want to listen to them, I have my gabby moments but I really prefer hearing about someone I care about. I KNOW how my day was! I want to know yours.....

I have discovered I like stories and role playing of many different kinds. It makes life quite interesting, and you often find out more about yourself than you do the other person when you don't insist for a time on being the person you were taught you were supposed to be.

That I am probably NOT from Orange Country. My mispent youth was spent in Colorado mountains and rural Denver, it shows.

I also drive a truck orientated to work. Clean and nice, but not a BMW. I have owned such cars but I don't now, and if you NEED that sort of ride to be happy, many will be happy to impress you with theirs, I am sure! lol! In fact, nothing I do and own is impressive in The OC point of view, so be up for talking and sharing if you see me, not for looking and acting cool. But your kid (or pet) can bring their toys and have fun, or cry as needed, if we all go somewhere, and I won't worry a bit about upholstery or sticky fingerprints.

Some books:
"A Language Older Than Words" Derrick Jensen
"Mists of Avalon" Marilyn Zimmer Bradley
Anything by Heinlein
"A Brief History of Time"
"The Journeyer" "Raptor" "Spangle" "Aztec" Gary Jennings
Movies:
O Brother, Where Art Thou
Lord of the Rings (movies and books)
Casablanca and the Humphrey Bogart movies
The forties grand musical movies (Fred Astaire et al)
Harry Potter
Sector 9
Kill Bill
The Princess Bride
Waitress (2007 with Andy Griffith-http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473308/)
Many more, almost none are #1 for their time
I love live plays and do not go often enough.
I love small acoustic music concerts and do not go often enough.

Music - Willie Nelson, Frank Zappa, Yo Yo Ma playing Bach and Mozart, Nickle Creek Bluegrass Band, Stephane Grappelli, Jhango Rheinhart, Miles Davis, Randy Newman, Greg Brown, David Grisman Quintet, Leo Kottke, many. many more
Food:
Godiva Truffles.
Dark cranberry chocolates.
A strict low-sodium diet hurts my eating options badly, although I can enjoy watching someone eating something they lovewhile eating something dull myself! I need an occasional very good steak. Love broccoli, and almost all greens (except olives) Asian vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy (I need to make those at home). I love Indian, kebobs, gourmet Thai, Chinese, Spanish, Mexican, spicy and hot.

Green living things.
The caring of and caring for friends.
Books.
Conversation.
Affection.
Full moon nights in forests or by oceans.

If reaching out gets hard, remember that it isn't ONLY God who loves us. People will too.

How the regular people are going to live in our future.....

How people actually work (including myself). I have looked and looked for a manual, but they are always out of stock.

I think I am unshockable. I am interested in being proven wrong.

Sometimes I feel like being very kind and helpful. Sometimes I feel like being in control. I like both.

I also probably will not reply to an automatic match if my age or other is outside a person's stated range. My stated ranges are guidelines, either older or younger can be exceptions.

I get busy, and replying promptly becomes an issue.