have i told you lately...

...how much i f*in hate e-harmony?!?!?

after they send me a potentially promising match the day after my 6 month subscription expires (how convenient!), I go through four of their "stages of communication" with this guy (initiated by him), and today he "closes" on me. the reason? "other." so lame. not that i had my hopes up about this particular dude (as i told JS tonight, judging from the pictures, he may own a poodle, which could be a bit problematic for me. i mean, i love dogs...but a white poodle? sorry, i digress.)

perhaps my honest, candid responses rubbed him the wrong way. if so, that's just as well. but it's damn annoying that after now 7 months on that stupid site i haven't met a single person! they won't get any more of my money, no sir.

for what it's worth, these are the questions he posed (they have a list, though you can author your own if you like at this phase of communication) followed by my answers....

1. Looking back on your life, of what are you most proud?

In terms of an accomplishment, I'm most proud of the Ph.D. in Education Policy & Administration that I earned in September 2005. Getting that done took six years of intense focus and a fair amount of sacrifice. Personally, I'm most proud of the long-term friendships I've sustained -- I take friendship very seriously and have a number of great people who've been in my life for a decade or two.

2. They say life is about simple pleasures, what is your simplest pleasure, and how does it make you feel?

I love listening to music. Nothing can set a mood, improve my mood, or bring back good memories than music. I enjoy making compilation CDs for my friends, playlists for myself, or just putting the iPod on shuffle and seeing what comes out. (I enjoy folk, jazz, alt/indie rock, some world music, etc.) Other simple pleasures include smiling at people (I love when they smile back) and high threadcount sheets. : )

3. Describe your spirituality.

To be blunt, I'm rather skeptical of organized religion. But that doesn't mean I don't take spirituality seriously. I'm a strong believer in making the world a better place through daily actions. For me, that means working in a career that is directed toward a social cause (the improvement of public education), sharing kindness with others, and living with awareness (yoga helps with that). So while I don't go to church (if I did, perhaps it would be Unitarian, Friends, or a Buddhist temple) the development of a healthy inner life and knowledge of myself and what motivates me is really important.