{Let Rachel Flotard of Visqueen take the sting out of your heart. Send your love advice questions her way at loveishard@threeimaginarygirls.com.}

Dear Rachel,

I visited Seattle for the first time this fall and during my brief trip, met three sweet, intelligent, articulate single guys. Was this an anomaly? Does the Northwest in fact have a better dating pool? Questions that need answered as I consider relocating…

Jaded on the East Coast

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JOTEC,

I see you've met JP Patches, John Curley, and Tom Skerritt. They often balloon down from their cave on Mt. Rainier to squire imports with seductive Northwest flavory: a moose sweater, a salmon bone choking rescue story, a dream caught tenderly in native webbing. Anomaly? Welcome to the everyday facets of Emerald City.

Usually, before they kill you and wear your hide on Evening Magazine, you get to go to Ivar's. Which is nice.

FACT: 73% of all women are lured to Seattle each year by the promise of free sex after a few trout dogs atop the Space Needle, only to end up alone and festooned to the R.E.I. climbing wall with a camel toe visible from I-5. A few nuggets can dupe anyone into thinking it's the gold rush of 1898, but before you pack your pan filter and hee haw dungarees, remember every dating pool has it's pee pee and Baby Ruths.

Yrrrl.

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{When she's not providing solace for the lovelorn, Rachel can be seen and heard playing for her band, Visqueen. But don't let that intimidate you! Send your love woes her way!}