I've been saying for awhile that if my neighborhood just got one good independent coffee shop and one good independent bookstore I'd never leave. Well, we're halfway there. One of the best coffee shops I've ever been to (and that's saying something) just opened a block from my apartment. If you ever need to find me on evenings or weekends, you know where I'll be :)

Earlier today I was all set to blog about how I think I'm ready to put myself back on the dating market, and a friend called to talk about a bad date and about how much she hated dating. Hmm. Even so, I think I might want to date. If I can find the perfect guy. So I'm enlisting the help of my friends. If you know a 25-30 year-old single guy with all the following characteristics, whom I have not met, then please let me know.

-tall
-sexy
-speaks at least one language other than English
-well educated, and even more important, well read
-loves football and all other sports except basketball
-recycles
-has been in enough relationships to know what he's looking for
-doesn't want a traditional wedding
-ambitious, but not motivated by money (it's ok if he has money; he just can't care about money)
-has a good relationship with his family
-from the Midwest (or has at least lived in the Midwest for a while)
-leans liberal in his politics
-will be there when I need him, but doesn't want to spend every day together
-adventurous
-loves to travel, but also loves to be at home
-physically fit, and especially likes to run
-lives within the city of Chicago, preferably on the north side
-has never been married and has no kids, and is not desperate for either, but is not necessarily opposed to either
-doesn't hate vegetables
-willing to watch foreign films or dumb comedies
-knows the meaning of life

So, get going, people. You must all know at least 20 or 30 single guys who meet all my criteria :)

[BTW, for you grammar freaks-- I know I did not use parallel construction in my list. It bothers me, too, but I'm trying to deal with it.]