I keep saying I’m going to write a book.  Dating is not for the faint of heart.  I just read a really interesting article on CNN today about childless women, and the fact that we aren’t all lonely cat women.  Good grief, but I can relate to that.  In being out and meeting people, I had one message me.  “You’re a pretty girl, you’re easy to talk to, and have a great sense of humor.  Why are you still single?  What’s wrong with you?”  I wanted to respond, nothing, other than I’m picky.  I actually want someone who wants to be a part of my life, and have me be a part of his.  Someone who understands what commitment means.  Someone who has shared interests with me.  I’ve met lots of nice guys.  I’ve met some really great jerks.  I’ve had sparks with some, no sparks with others.  I think I’ve become something of an expert on what to do, what to expect on a first date.  Of course, now that I’ve said that I’m going to get thrown a great curve ball.  But, I think the purpose of dating is to find that person that you want to be with, and I can usually tell within 1-3 dates if that’s even a possibility.  I live in a teeny, tiny town, and that’s located in a small county.  My friends have told me they’ve thought through their “eligible” guy friends and realized that um, no.  Not a good idea.  It’s hard to meet someone, even harder as your “fishing pond” shrinks in size.  Just like that guy asked, “What’s wrong with you?”, there is usually a good reason why guys in my age range are single.  I decided after J and I split up last year that I was going to make sure that I was the happiest I could be with just being me.  I keep hearing people say “Oh, you’ll find someone”, but the reality is, I may not.  And, I am done with waiting to meet him.  One of the advantages to no longer having a dog at home is that I can come and go just as I please.  I have had FUN, with getting out, and seeing the world right here at home.  I’ve lost 50 pounds since last July, and it’s amazing how much bigger the world is as I’ve gotten smaller.  I owe a lot of my exploring time to my friend Laurel, who is teaching me that the outside is a great place to be.  Minus, of course, the ticks, and the snakes, and the spiders . . . . I’m still enough of a girly girl that those freak me out!  I live in a beautiful part of the world, and I’m going to spend this summer exploring every nook and cranny of it.