The Non-Meme
Fri., August 19, 09:13 PM
This is going to take me awhile. I heard mention of this new meme, to list one hundred things you love. One hundred? Forget it; I know I couldn’t think of that many.
Some people just listed a few. It is, after all, your own page; you can do whatever you want with it. A meme is often a good jump start. Y’know, the more I thought about it, the more things I thought of. So, in no particular order, here are things I love. How many there are remains to be seen.
- I love anything that stretches my mind. So let’s begin with computers. Word processing. Programming. Data processing.
- Playing with words. Crosswords, jumbles, cryptograms.
- Puns and jokes, especially when they build on themselves. My parents did this, and my kids do it too. When you say, “I lost my train of thought,” and a little kid says, “you didn’t express it right,” it’s great. And before you can stop laughing, she adds, “maybe you should localize it,” and you know the genes breed true.
- Languages. I think that’s genetic too. My dad used to be able to say a few words in many different languages – a practice that tends to make people comfortable with you. I’ve heard that his brother did too. Studying languages can give you understanding into how people think. And cognates can be darned funny sometimes.
- My garage, with its automatic door. How wonderful, after shopping in inclement weather, to drive into the basement, close the door, and do all the unloading safe from the elements!
- My own washer and dryer. Even though I haven’t had the optimal use of it this past year or so. U.D. launders only what’s absolutely necessary; on occasion, she dresses directly from the dryer.
- My stove, with its flat cooktop. Maybe that doesn’t seem like a big deal, especially since I don’t cook much any more. But I wanted a stove like that for years, ever since I first saw one.
- Kevin and Kell. You can read Why Kevin and Kell to get some background on it, but I enjoy it every day. So much of the background philosophy mirrors my own.
- What I call my music, as heard on “Music of Your Life.” It’s not the only kind of music I like, but I listen to it most. It tends to be my kind of poetry.
- Cranking classical music on the car radio in response to some kid driving by with noise coming out of his windows.
- Comic strips, especially those that make me laugh at myself. Doonesbury is running a piece about my kind of music. Start: here.
- My online buddies. In general, some of the brightest, nicest, and most supportive people I’ve ever met are among those I’ve met online. Even more, I love the ability to make friends in this manner. It compensates for not being able to travel freely.
- Caller ID. Before there was spam, there was junk mail. Now there are “junk phone calls” and “junk faxes.”
- My own fax machine.
- Arithmetic. I’ve always enjoyed bookkeeping. With the assistance of computer spreadsheets to check my results, it’s even better.
- Online banking. I’m not usually compulsive about instant gratification, but knowing where my money went and when is a good thing.
- Arithmetic games. Explaining this may produce a whole post.
- The U.S. Postal Service. Not only will the Postal Service carry your packages; you can track their progress online. (Don’t tell me you never got it!)
I worked at this thing, on and off, for a couple of days, and then I realized, this is silly! I’m linking back because I already write about things I love. That’s what the journal is for.
Yesterday I wore myself out on household stuff, including carrying all the empties downstairs and stashing them in my car. So today I decided I really had to get over to the store and turn the darned things in – more than a hundred of them. After half an hour of feeding cans and bottles into the machines, I did a minimal walk through the store. I’m still walking the fine line between “I need exercise” and “go easy on those muscles.
Fortunately, I hope to have a visit from Mother's
little helper on Sunday. I told him I need a tall person.
