This week ...

Person: Aja Pound
Hometown: Tacoma
Career: Esthetician
Marital status: Single
Longest relationship: 3.5 years
Why they broke up: Not in love
Hopeless romantic: No, realist
What she's looking for in a man: Honesty, sense of humor, not in a club
What she is: Easy going, caring, social
Are her parents reading this: Yes
Would I have mentioned her virginity or lack thereof if they weren't: Absolutely

Damnit! She said her parents would read this column. ... If I wasn't certain one day I will meet Aja Pound's parents, I would've gotten down and dirty with this interview with my current favorite single lady.

I've been married for more than 10 years. We have a child, jobs, house payments and obligations. The luxury of spare time for petty bullshit is long gone for us, as I'm sure it has for most families who are in the throes of child-rearing. This, fair reader, is why I found Aja Pound so interesting. She's an eligible bachelorette who I can drill for excerpts from the life of a single female. It's been a while. And, quite honestly, I'd like to know what it's like out there these days.

Pound tells me it's a hard, cruel world out there. The dating pool in a town you were born and raised in is most often populated with fish you've grown up with, been friends with or, even worse, used to date.

Then Aja talked about Cork! A Wine Bar's upcoming Feb. 11 speed-dating event.  As part of the force behind its creation, Pound has already filled all 36 seats with eager singles. Each of the 18 males and 18 females will have three minutes with each individual of the opposite gender.

Aja then confides, "The women will hopefully get to meet some new men, and the men ... well ... let's be honest. ... Even though they won't admit it, some are probably looking to hook up."  

Can't say I blame them.

Since I like Aja so much, I'll go ahead and give her a little advice to pass on to her speed dating attendees.

For the men: Find a low-maintenance broad. Then let her do what she wants and don't try to micro-manage. 

Ladies, here's your advice: Just enjoy the good times with your men and have fun. Stop the nit-picking.

Same advice goes for gay couples, too. Just, you know, mix around the genders in those sentences.

Find Your Valentine Speed Dating

Friday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m., $10
Cork! A Wine Bar, 3012 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
253.212.1492