Don't hate me because I'm not a fan of summer

Haters are gonna hate . . . so hate away. But me, I'm looking forward to fall.

It's not that I hate summer – or spring for that matter – I just can't take the hot temperatures anymore.  I'm a lady of a certain age, so maybe this will pass, but for now, summer is my least favourite season and I fear its impending arrival with each drop of sweat.

I'm an excellent sweat-er. One might even say I'm a a sweat over-achiever. Ask my friend Rich Bullis, guitarist for local band Fish Head. No one can crank up a sweat on the dance floor like I can and Rich has gotten a kick out of spotting my shiny little face in the audience on numerous occasions.

When I workout, I know there's at least one staff member with a hand hovering over the emergency defibrillator device, worried I may collapse one day on their watch. Not to worry little gym person, I'm okay, just sweaty. To me sweat is a sign you're getting your money's worth out of your workout.

Frankly, I don't understand how people can get through a spin class without sweating. It's not normal. Where does all that energy go? Your body needs an outlet. They're probably the ones who are going to pass out one day.  I picture all these feverish little sweat drops inside their bodies desperately trying to find a pore or any orifice to slip through. Digging away like tiny wrongfully convicted Shawshank Redemption prisoners trying to escape from hell. "Let us out dammit! We're not supposed to be in here!"

So, yes, the heat does not agree with me and I also prefer a nice, cool house as my friends will attest. They always know to bring a sweater when they visit as I keep the thermostat set fairly low. I am pretty much impervious to cooler temps. In fact, when the batteries in my thermostat died this winter, it took a few days for me to notice the furnace was not kicking on. I mean, it was a little chilly but I couldn't see my breath or anything . . .

And it's not just the heat that creates problems for me. I also have issues with the sun. That's right people, the sun. I'm slightly visually disabled (a topic for a future post) and I'm bothered by bright lights. Since the clouds of winter have finally lifted over the past weeks, I now have to contend with the glaring sun in my windshield on my drive home. I'm probably the only person who curses the sun, but I do. I probably need to invest in a better pair of sunglasses but is it too much to ask for a little cloud cover once in a while? Come on!

But, I will persevere and spend the next four months in a perpetual state of perspiration. My time will come. And as the last vestiges of summer slip away and fade into the glorious iridescence of fall, I will welcome my season with open arms and dry pits.

The beat of your heart

She said
I'd go anywhere with you
You're my favourite point of view
Any time of day

He said
When you're around I want to dance
Hold you close and take a chance
Never let you go

The beat of your heart
Sings me home
Away from the dark

He said
My favourite sound is when you smile
I love your funny sense of style
Your sunny joie de vivre

She said
Your taste in music is kinda sweet
I love the way you sing off-beat
I want to hum along

The beat of your heart
Sings me home
Away from the dark

Some day
We'll take our children to the park
 Push the swings 'till it gets dark
Watch the evening fade away

Back home
We'll hold hands 'till we're asleep
If we can't, then we'll count sheep
It'll be okay

The beat of your heart
Sings me home
Away from the dark

If you lived in my town

What would I do
If you lived in my town
Went to my school
Followed me all around
Showed up at my door
With your favourite guitar
Sang to me loud
Would I wonder what for

If you lived in my town
Could this be true?
Or am I dreaming
And is this cruel?
You don't live in my town
And we haven't met
You're a face on a page
Maybe my big regret

Because I wasn't brave
And I wasn't strong
Didn't know what to say
So, I wrote down this song
Here in my town
One night all alone
With my favourite guitar
A few words to atone

Words to impress
Or maybe cajole
To get you to stray
From away from your home
Oh, the fun we could have
The life we'd create
The things we could do
If you lived here too

Here in my town

Shopping for love

I've decided to dip a cyber toe into the online dating world. It's only been a week but I'm already exhausted by the process.

First you have to create a profile. If you're not accustomed to waxing poetic about yourself, this can be a daunting task. What to include. What not to include. You want to be as honest as you can without sounding pretentious, needy, high-maintenance or even worse, boring.

Next is the all-consuming challenge of finding a profile picture. I swear, it's almost as bad as trying on bathing  suits. Few seem to be a perfect fit. Again, it can be a tenuous, fine line between sexy, skanky, or even worse, boring. 

Not that I could ever be accused of any of those adjectives. Well, maybe there was a skanky period back in my 20s . . . but I've never claimed to be what one would term a "girly-girl." I is what I is.

I like hats. I prefer pants. I keep  my hair short and I rarely (if ever) wear make-up. I prefer people to see me as I am – no surprises. What you get in the evening will be the same in the morning. The hair will likely be a bit less than perfectly coiffed, but other than that . . . who am I kidding? The hair is never perfectly coiffed!

So, here I am – shopping for love. It seems a  bit unnatural, especially since I dislike shopping and do not profess to be very skilled at it. Many of my gender love shopping, but it's not my favouruite pastime. Plus, I usually only go shopping when I really need something, so I can tend to be impulsive.

My sister, she loves to shop. She visits clothing in the malls, biding her time until a favourite sweater or blouse goes on sale. It's a game to her. Not me. I need running shoes stat, so I usually end up paying more than I should for them. I  need it. I want it. I'm buying it.

You can see how this may pose problems in the online dating world. 

So, I spend an hour every day or so, perusing through profiles, in the hopes of finding a profile or photo that's appealing. And, hoping that someone on the other side of a laptop finds my photo and profile appealing.

I'm lucky in that I have a great life – including a fun, interesting and varied social life. I don't really want to be spending my evenings (nor do I have a lot of spare time) bleary-eyed in front of a computer screen. But, it would be wonderful to meet someone with whom I would connect on a spiritual, intellectual and intimate level. I think everyone wants that in their life.

I should also add that connection for me is gender-neutral. I'm more about the person than whether they pee standing up or not.

So, I have included my profile below. I'm open to feedback, online dating advice, and even set-ups if you think you know someone in your circle who would be a good match for me.

Please read my profile. For those who know me fairly well, let me know if I've captured myself appropriately, I would hate to misrepresent who I am or even worse, come across as boring :)

PROFILE
I'm passionate about music and am an amateur singer/ songwriter in my spare time. I love live music, and if you're a Bruce Springsteen fan, you're golden in my books. I'm a bit culinary-challenged but if you love to cook, I'm an excellent sous chef. I love words and appreciate a witty sense of humour and a well-turned phrase. I'm an avid reader and enjoy writing.

I'm more spiritual than religious and definitely not Conservative in my politics. If Stephen Harper is your favourite politician, we likely will not see eye-to-eye on many issues. I love helping people and believe in giving back to my community.

My perfect day would involve sleeping in (waking up at my cottage), followed by reading, writing and maybe some meditation. An hour at the gym or on the golf course would be ideal but a walk or hike would be just as enjoyable. Capping the evening with a great meal out and live music would be perfect.

If your circle of friends are a reflection of who you are then I must be pretty fantastic. I am surrounded by a kind-hearted, warm, supportive and loving community of people I am proud to call my tribe! Some, I am proud to say have been with me since grade school. So, I guess you could add loyal and true to the list of my best qualities. I'm a pretty happy person with a positive outlook on life. I have a great circle of friends so my social life isn't lacking but I'd love to meet someone with similar interests to further enhance my life. And hopefully, I would enhance yours.

I like to travel but am more of a jump-in-the-car-road-trip kind of person than lie-on-the-beach-on-an-island kind of person. I love New York and would like to visit San Francisco, New Orleans, Vancouver, Africa and Nashville someday. I'd also like to go back to Ireland, and walk the Camino Trail. I should also disclose that I am lifelong Habs fan in the event that creates any issues for you :) 

I'm looking for someone who is kind, trustworthy, funny, financially stable, a good communicator and listener. You don't have to be fit and toned but I would prefer someone who lives a healthy lifestyle.