I like my margaritas on the rocks without salt and I only like mild salsa, preferably fresh and not super spicy. I like fresh barbecued white corn on the cob and I like dark chocolate with just a smidge of peanut butter. I like to sleep with all of the windows open, especially on the coldest nights and then I pile on tons of blankets so that I can snuggle underneath. I like to make coffee in my old reliable Mr. Coffee instead of the new Keurig that my family got me for mother's day (don't tell them). I like to eat cereal with a fork so that I don't ingest so much milk with every single spoonful and I like to kiss my dog on his furry little forehead. I like to say hello and Good morning to total strangers and I like it when they say either one back. I like to buy school supplies, for MYSELF and I like to label everything so that my kids don't take them. I like to buy paperback books from the Salvation army and I like to only put enough gas in the car to get me through the day. I like to buy gifts for people who I don't know well but who invite me to their homes or parties; wine is always a good choice, oh, and flowers. I like to be told that I'm loved close to someone's heart and I like to be hugged multiple times a day. I like to have sex and I like to make chocolate chip cookies from a package. I really like the smell of bacon cooking in the morning, especially when someone else makes it. I like the feel of the water against my skin as I am swimming and I like to buy brand new running shoes. I like when the plane takes off and when it lands and I like the feeling of cruising down the highway when there isn't a lot of traffic. I like to see my kids smile and I really like to see them challenge themselves. I like to hear the pug snoring away happily asleep on our bed. I like to look out of our bedroom window and see the pool in the backyard and I like that our house is the only in our neighborhood with a palm tree shooting up into the sky. I like the movie Ratatouille and I like that Ty is sitting here next to me, naked, eating Lay's potato chips while he watches it. I like to buy shoes from Payless and I like that I don't have to spend a lot of money to get things that I enjoy wearing. I like to run and I like Bikram yoga. I like donuts and I like ice cream with a lot of texture and flavor. I like going to church and I really like to pray. I like my colleagues, my students and my job which, never feels like work. I like soccer, water polo and Miss Nancy at Family Fun Time. I like parks, the beach and driving to Lake Tahoe. I like eating a medium rare New York steak and I like knowing that I have people who I can count on when things are difficult. I like bowling, going to the movies and Heavy Metal songs from the 80's. I like ponytails, Converse high tops and high heeled shoes. I like how swim trunks hang just on the hipbones of really toned surfers and I like to watch them wipeout on really big and gnarly waves. I like to put on my headphones and dance around the bathroom, practicing my "moves" with no one looking and I really like to dance with Ty, who also likes to practice his "moves." I like when friends call or text for no reason and I like that my children are close to their grandparents. I like to watch people succeed and I especially like the feeling that sometimes I help them to be that way. I like the triumph of the human spirit and stories of people overcoming major obstacles. I like documentary films and vintage clothing. I like to coach and tutor. I like coats and cold weather. I like kindness and equality. I like spiders. I like to water the plants myself. I like Ty's stuffed giraffe "Raf" who he continues to carry around with him, even after all these years. I like waffles and whipped cream. I like Jack Daniel's and Vodka, but not together. I like lilies and sunflowers. I like Spain. I like the ocean. I like novels with unpredictable endings. I like classical music and Gustavo Dudamel and the Dodgers. I like Xavi and Barcelona. I like compliments and honesty. I like The Walking Dead and Newsroom and House Hunters. I like to go to the Farmer's market and I really like shopping at Whole Foods. I like baths with super hot water and I like to take a shower before I go to bed at night. I like black nail polish. I like tattoos. I like earrings on my son Jake. I like camping and sleeping outside under the stars. I really like the rain. I like to walk on the soft sand when it has been warmed by the sun and I like to play beach volleyball just for fun. I like to run in races and I really like to run with Team TRY. I like New York and San Francisco and I really liked driving to Vancouver with Lulu. I like life.
I don't like... pretentious people and overspending. I don't like hypocrisy and prejudice. I don't like jalapenos. I don't like Country music. I don't like just laying around. I don't like weakness and bullying and I really don't like lying. I don't like it when drivers change lanes without signaling first. I don't like it when Tim falls asleep without saying Goodnight. I don't like dirt. I don't like flies or those HUGE black bee things that seem to buzz only in my yard. I don't like not following through. I don't like that I am really slow in the pool and I don't like making excuses. I don't like ignorance and sweating while I sleep. I don't like it when people snore. I don't like impatience and racism. I don't like sales tax. I don't like stepping in dog shit. I don't like fines for overdue library books and I really don't like speeding tickets. I don't like it when my kids are arguing and I really don't like it when I am part of that argument. I don't like it when people are cheap or when all they do is complain about money. I don't like the idea that I have to live up to someone else's expectations. I don't like Fox News. I don't like hair ribbons. I don't like overpricing. I don't like it when people type "u" instead of "you." I don't like inane comments about topics that are important. I don't like stupidity. I don't like it when people judge others. I don't like to take the blame. I don't like really soft pillows. I don't like roller blades. I don't like losing. I don't like poor losers either. I don't like incompetence. I don't like time limits. I don't like trash in the ocean. I don't like sharks. I don't like it when the water gets cold before I'm done in the shower. I don't like finishing a book that I have absolutely loved reading. I don't like it when people say "I hate to read." I don't like it when my dog sneezes right in my face. I don't like it when the pedicurist scrubs the bottom of my ticklish foot. I don't like cooked vegetables as much as raw vegetables. I don't like how expensive movies are. I don't like the color Puce. I don't like designs on fingernails. I don't like lip rings. I don't like carpet in my home. I don't like wasting food. I don't like intolerance and I certainly don't like people telling me what to do. I don't like wasting time or predicting the end. I don't like knowing what's coming next.
As life moves quickly, I am reminded of how my tastes change, in food, in people, in life, but, there is one absolute truth with which I identify the aforementioned things and that is, quite simply, that life is filled with moments, both tasteful and, often, distasteful and sometimes, it is rather refreshing to sit and down and list them, for no other reason than it's a fun exercise. And, it's also cathartic because you can't hide from the information that you share with others. Make your own list...
