50 Things That Make Me Happy
Greetings Loyal Readers,
I am going to take this entry in a different direction than what you've expected in the approximately nine years I've been doing this blog. Recently, one of my favorite sports writers did a post entitled "50 Things That Make Me Happy", as an antidote to the wave of negativity that seems to permeate any visit to the Internet these days. After reading through the list (you can see it here), I found myself alternately smiling and thinking it was a great idea for both my sake and hopefully, those of my family and friends too.
There is no particular order to the list, except for #1-that item is perfectly placed. Keep in mind that the focus is upon things, otherwise the list would be dominated by you all.
So, here you are-50 Things That Make Me Happy. Ohh, and if you are pressed for time, I do encourage you to skip right ahead to #1 on the list.
Enjoy!
50. A Walk Around The Block At My Mom's
To be accurate, we are talking about a country block here, which in this instance is slightly over four miles (I forgot to provide that detail to Marianella the first time I invited her for this walk). On a relatively brisk pace, it'll take me about an hour and fifteen minutes to do the circuit. After about ten minutes, I take a left onto a quiet gravel road for the next 45 minutes or so, where it's as likely that I'll cross paths with deer as it is motor vehicles. It's a peaceful, contemplative walk that winds through woods and farmland and is always a welcome respite from the clamor of city life.
49. Reverend Jim Gets His Driver's License
Among the great TV comedies, Taxi should not be overlooked. It boasted a talented cast of actors back in its run in the late '70s/early '80s with Christopher Lloyd (prior to his role as Doc Brown on Back To The Future) playing the burnt out Reverend Jim to constant hilarity. Maybe my favorite sitcom clip of all time, his attempt at getting his driver's license never fails to make me laugh:
48. Crinkle-Cut French Fries
French fries are my dietary Achilles' heel; I can deny myself a murderer's row of savory and sweets, but I am weak when faced with the temptations of French Fries. And when those golden fried potatoes are presented in a crinkle-cut fashion? Forget about Eve's apple, this is the devil's work indeed.
47. Johnny Cash Singing A Boy Named Sue
Did you know that this song was written by Shel Silverstein, the celebrated children's author who wrote these books? This isn't my favorite Johnny Cash song, but I smile every time I hear it play, listening to poor Sue track down his troublesome father. And you can almost agree with the father's logic behind the naming of his son-almost.
46. The Highlights of Future Gophers
Among my favorite sports teams, it's the Golden Gophers basketball squad that has my deepest devotion. Unfortunately, it's been quite a few years in the desert as far as success goes for the program, but optimism is deservedly increasing for the fanbase, with talented and athletic players such as these two choosing to make the "U" their home:
45. Dogs Who Fail At Being Dogs
There are a lot of dog videos out there, but I'm loyal to this compilation of hapless canines who just keep getting back up. Who can't root for the little French Bulldog who makes his appearance 30 seconds into this clip?
44. "You Make My Dreams Come True" Sequence in (500) Days of Summer
If you've never seen (500) Days of Summer, I highly recommend this quirky and cute movie about Joseph Gordon Leavitt's character pursuing a woman named Summer. This sequence, set to the irresistible Hall & Oates song, is a highlight of the movie and feels like sunshine bursting:
43. The Pringles Speaker
Several years ago, when Marianella and I were residing in Peru, a promotion attaching a speaker to each two-pack of Pringles brought this item into our lives. Compact enough to stick into a shirt pocket and undoubtedly the cheapest electronic device we possess, it has traveled with us on nearly every vacation we've taken and has been a life saver on quiet nights in remote places such as Easter Island and Laos.
42. The Minnesota History Center, especially Weather Permitting
If time allows, I always try to carve out an afternoon in my visits home to visit the History Center in St. Paul. Flanked by the St. Paul Cathedral and Minnesota State Capitol, the Center consistently has fascinating temporary displays (such as the World War I exhibit I saw this summer) along with the permanent collections which immerse you into Minnesota state history. No matter if I'm by myself or with others, I make sure to visit the Weather Permitting exhibit and experience a simulated tornado that struck the suburbs of Minneapolis in 1965. Listening to the WCCO radio broadcast from before and after that night while the walls shake and the winds howl in the simulated basement thrills and shakes the nerves.
41. The B&W Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show
There's nothing like a trip to Mayberry to wrap me up in cozy nostalgia. I would watch the show with my Dad and I would watch it with college buddies; I can't think of another TV show that would bridge those generations to equal enjoyment. I don't bother with the episodes shot in color-they are the episodes after Don Knotts left the show and Mayberry without Barney Fife just isn't the same. And unlike so many other classic TV shows, full episodes are easily available on YouTube, such as this one:
40. Dairy Queen
I have to admit, there was some provincial pride five years ago when we walked out of our hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and saw a DQ mere steps away. I have seen other Minnesota-bred companies overseas (3M comes to mind), but only one of these establishments will make me a Blizzard.
39. The Calm After A Big Snowstorm
Speaking of blizzards. . .I have not been able to experience a good old Minnesota blizzard or snow storm in several years (I know, I know-if I still lived in Minnesota, I would not be lamenting this), but for all the hassle that a foot of fallen snow can cause while its occurring, in its immediate aftermath exists a calm that if it could be bottled would rid the world of all anti-anxiety medications.
38. Lonesome Dove
It has to be a hell of a book for me to willingly read twice; when that book is over 900 pages long, well, it must exist on a totally different planet. Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer-prize winning tale of a cattle drive from Texas to Montana is such a book. I've read it twice, watched the mini-series, and I have got a hankering to pick it up once again. I've read many wonderful books through the years, but if you ask me my favorite book of all-time, I don't need anytime for contemplation, it's this novel.
37. Palta (Avocado) Sandwiches
Evidently, avocado toast is the hottest new thing in the U.S.; in Lima, I've been indulging in palta sandwiches at my in-law's table ever since we moved to Peru. I've never had an avocado as delicious as the ones I've eaten in Lima and they are available year-round, being sold out of carts, 2 for $1. Sprinkled with a bit of salt and drizzled with lemon juice, my mouth begins to water when the calendar indicates we're getting close to a return trip to Lima.
36. Bowling
I try to live a humble life, but when I am looking to pick up one pin for a spare and I can see my ball is squarely headed in the right direction, I relish the ability to turn my back to the action and cockily walk back to the scorer's table. I stepped onto the fields or courts of my favorite youth sports, the rust from my inactivity would be embarrassingly apparent. Not so at the bowling alley-I can still garner a score similar, if not better, than in my teenage years. I have been giddy to discover lanes in Peru, Bangladesh, and China and the camaraderie of the bowling alley is always festive-what other sport elicits such boisterous laughter when its participants are failing miserably?
35. Friday Night Fish Fry at The Golden Harvest
Shortly after my parents and I moved to southern Minnesota before my 7th grade year, we came to know about The Golden Horn in Utica, as unassuming a restaurant as you can imagine in a town with about 200 residents that is about a 20 minute drive from home. If you drove past any other day of the week, you might see a smattering of cars in the gravel parking lot, but on Friday nights we tried to arrive early to find a parking space and avoid the (seemingly) interminable wait in line for an open table. Why the wait? The golden brown flaky haddock fillets (all you can eat!) were the top draw for miles around and I still haven't found a fish fry that can top it.
I would make the road trip with friends from college, brought Marianella during our courting days, and have cajoled others to drive from the Twin Cities and no one has left disappointed. A few years back, management changed and brought with it a new name and some cosmetic touches, but they weren't fools-they knew not to mess with the fish recipe. I can attest it's as good as ever, as I visited with my Mom a few weeks ago, roughly 30 years after our first meal and it was as good as ever (ohh, and they serve crinkle-cut french fries with their fillets).
34. Goats
Goats that faint! Goats in pajamas! Goats on rooftops! Goats loaded with dynamite!
33 & 32. "Hoo Hoo's" on Sympathy For the Devil and "Na Na Na Na Na Na Na's" on Hey Jude
Try it. Try to listen to these classics from The Rolling Stones and The Beatles and not find yourself joining in the chorus.
31. The Smell of Brewing Coffee
While I enjoy a fresh cup of coffee, this makes the list because of what it represents rather than the actual product. Marianella and I don't take the time during the working week to brew coffee, so when a pot of coffee is percolating in the kitchen, it means it's the weekend and a relaxed start to the day and lounging about in our pajama bottoms and everything else that the work week isn't.
30. The Hanson Brothers
Have any characters stole the show like The Hanson Brothers in Slap Shot? The unbridled mayhem that the brothers unleash when they skate onto the ice is unfailingly hilarious, as is their boyish enthusiasm for toy cars and retrieving a quarter from the pop machine. How they were overlooked for an Academy Award is beyond me.
29. Campfires
Alas, I haven't been able to experience one of these for quite some time, but nonetheless, I can conjure the memories. My favorite time for these are on crisp autumn nights with a few friends and a few drinks, sharing stories and light conversation while watching the flames lick around the logs in the fire.
28. Skype/Facetime/WhatsApp
We've been living overseas for nearly 10 years now and I know our existence away from home would be much more lonely and difficult without these modern tools of communication. There are times I bemoan the creep of social media into our lives, but I also realize our life would be much less without them.
27. Pedicures
Laugh if you must, but after Marianella took me to my first pedicure, I am an unabashed fan. I wear sandals and flip flops a lot, so my feet take a beating. I feel like a new man after my feet have been thoroughly scrubbed, scraped, and buffed. Don't knock it until you try it!
26. Strolling Through Art Museums
Several years ago, on my first extensive visit to New York City, my cousins Joe & Doreen suggested that I take one afternoon to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My initial response was lukewarm, but in the spirit of experiencing what NYC has to offer, I decided to try and expand my cultural palette. Since that visit, I've enjoyed various art museums in cities such as Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, and Paris. I am no student of art; in fact, I quite enjoy stepping into the various museums and galleries with little knowledge about what I am going to see and the history behind the artists and their pieces of work. I just let it wash over me-the beauty of these works created in previous centuries that have been preserved and showcased and that are mere inches away from my touch.
25. Pro Wrestling
Sunday mornings of my youth were balanced between weekly Mass and rushing into the house to catch the AWA weekly wrestling show. I was transfixed by the world of good vs. evil, with dastardly managers taking cheap shots at the "face" (good guy) while the referee inexplicably was distracted by the "heel" (bad guy). I would be thunderstruck when a face would inexplicably betray his partner and become a heel. Through the years I followed the battles involving such luminaries as Mad Dog Vachon, George "The Animal" Steele, The Junkyard Dog, The Sheepherders, and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. For longer than I'd like to admit, I believed what I was watching was legitimate and would engage in arguments with my father about its veracity. And while I long ago came to understand that what I was watching was not "real", it has not dissuaded me from enjoying the dramatics and the athletics of the squared circle. I'm not a devotee anymore, but if I'm flipping the channels and I happen to land upon a pro wrestling match, I'm going to linger for awhile.
24. Bugs Bunny vs. Yosemite Sam
I could have put any of the Looney Tunes roster here-Foghorn Leghorn, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig Speedy Gonzalez, Elmer Fudd, The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, but I'm going with the headliners-Bugs and Sam. These characters were a barrel of laughs when Saturday mornings were devoted to cartoons and I snicker like a grade school kid when I come across these clips to this day.
23. Kittens
I can understand the animosity many have towards adult cats, but you can't tell me that kittens don't melt your heart. Look at this little gal, name of Pee Wee, the newest addition to the brood at my Mom's. This little spright is spending its summer days bouncing around my Mom's garage and annoying its mother. Each time I stepped out of the house, I had to see what little adventures Pee Wee was up to before heading on my merry way.
22 & 21. Barry Sanders and Stephen Curry
I've loved sports since I was able to turn on the television. I'd guess I've watched thousands of athletes performing a wide variety of sports, from the youth level to the pros, and there have been two non-hometown athletes who have entertained me like no others. While both are legendary, neither are the best of all time or even their time. But no matter-to watch Sanders and Curry perform was/is like seeing athletic magicians, likely to perform a trick you have never seen before and can't quite believe you did see. That both athletes are rather diminutive for their respective sport only adds to my awe and admiration (as a perpetually diminutive former athlete who could only dream of making these moves).
20. The Annual Antique/Thrift Store Excursion
My Mom is a hard core antique shop/thrift store connoisseur who has spread her enjoyment of a good bargain throughout many of her family members. Over the last few years, this has manifested itself in a summer road trip that involves my Mom, niece Kimberly, sisters Jackie and Mary, Marianella and myself (the roster shifts each year) as we choose some destination in the tri-state area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa and proceed to sift through the shelves in whistle-stop towns on our trip's radius. A trip that starts with an empty trunk invariably gets filled to the point where we have to be judicious about the purchases on the back end of the trip. While the shopping is nice, it's the conversations within the car that make the trip so fun and has turned it into an annual event.
19. My Record Collection
Why would someone without a record player own somewhere between 70-80 LP's? Well, as to the aforementioned shopping excursions with my Mom and family, I just can't idly sit by and buy nothing and for the purposes of storage and cost, collecting record albums is a nice little hobby while we remain overseas. For the vast majority, I have never spent more than a couple dollars to put together a wide-ranging collection ranging between the legendary (Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Johnny Cash) and the one-hit wonders (The Thompson Twins, Phoebe Snow, Al Stewart). Every time I come back home, I dust off the albums and look through the eclectic collection and think about the day when I will have a record player to play them.
18. Street Performers
Whether its musicians busking, human statues coming to life, painters speeding through a portrait, or acrobats and jugglers performing during a red light, a city becomes alive for me when these entertainers are showcasing their skills for the loose change jangling in your pockets.
17. Radio Magica
As far left of the dial as you can get among the offerings on Lima's radio stations is Radio Magica, a station devoted to playing a constant, nearly uninterrupted stream of soft '70s rock, a place where the likes of Abba, Barry Manilow, Linda Ronstadt, and Lou Rawls croon on. The nostalgia is enhanced by a man I imagine with a pencil-thin mustache and slicked back hair wearing a tuxedo and smoking a cigarette while breathlessly announcing "Radio Magica" every few songs.
16. Dazed & Confused
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I try to watch this movie annually, preferably on the last day of the school year to celebrate stepping into summer vacation. Semi-autobiographical from director Richard Linklater, it's set in a Houston suburb on the last day of the school year, 1976. Amongst its many cast members, it introduced us to Ben Affleck and Matthew McConoughey (alright, alright, alright) and in my opinion, it captures the life of a high school student better than any of the many other movies of the genre.
15. Fireflies
A few weeks ago, I was driving to my Mom's house from having dinner with friends in Rochester with the sun having just set. My IPod shuffled onto Purple Rain and as I slowly drove through the winding and hilly county road towards home, hundreds, if not thousands, of lightning bugs filled the warm summer night sky, nature's substitute for cigarette lighters as Prince hit the crescendo on his epic song. Watching these little insects light up the night is one of the top highlights of a Minnesota summer.
14. Prince's Guitar Solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
Speaking of the Purple One, the awesomeness in this performance cannot be justly described with words, but I'll try-it's a perfectly nice cover of George Harrison's classic song lead by Tom Petty and ELO's Jeff Lynne when Prince steps from the sidelines at about 3 minutes, 30 seconds and takes control, turning this rendition into a jaw-dropping stunner. There's so much to love about the performance-his dapper red & black ensemble, the incredible virtuosity on the electric guitar, the look of pure joy on Dhani Harrison's (George's son) face, and not least of all, the exclamation mark, when Prince ends his performance by tossing the guitar into the rafters as he struts off the stage. ROCK & ROLL, BABY!
13. Spotting Actors In Early Roles
Alright, let me try to make sense of this-I'm a bit of a movie nerd (if you haven't noticed) and enjoy watching films from different eras and genres. One of the little joys within the viewing is when I spot an actor who has a minuscule role early in their career before they hit the big time; for example, Richard Dreyfus in The Graduate, Harrison Ford in American Graffiti, John Cusack in Sixteen Candles. Don't remember them in these movies? I'm not surprised-watch again and watch closely, as they get very little screen time and even less spoken lines.
12. Decadent Sandwiches
If I'm hungry and scrambling for something to eat, my default choice will be a sandwich-a ham & cheese, PB& J, egg salad, or chicken salad and I'm usually quite content. But if I'm at a restaurant and they are offering something up a bit more exotic? A club sandwich? Monte Cristo? Patty Melt? Cubano? Well, my oh my!
11. Cold beer, Warm Sun, and a Good Book
10. "We're Going To Win Twins!"
I can't tell you how many Twins games I attended at the Metrodome when I was a lad, often jumping onto a school bus for some reduced ticket day where my compadres and I were seated in the nose-bleeds with the other ragamuffins from surrounding small towns. Before every game, as the Twins ran out onto the field prior to the start of the first inning, this jaunty tune would tell us the game was ready to commence.
9. Pass The Buck (or S*** On Your Neighbor)
This card game, which possesses different names depending on the politeness of the company you are keeping, combines simplicity, enough strategy, and fun for a low-stakes card game (you can only lose $1 each round). We play the game a bit differently than the instructions here, where everyone has a dollar bill in front of them and for each time they draw the low card, they put a fold into a corner; once all corners are folded, they throw their "buck" into the middle where the eventual winner collects.
8. Pandas Going Down A Slide
7. Fresh Fruit
Lest you think that the only foods that makes me happy also shaves days off of my life, if I have available ripe mango, strawberries, dragonfruit, apples, tangerines, bananas, I would select the natural choice every time. The sweet taste bursting in my mouth while the juice runs down my chin, the other foods just cannot match.
6. The Diaper Heist Scene in Raising Arizona
Nicolas Cage was never better than as H.I. in this zany tale of an infertile couple who decide to kidnap a baby without really thinking it through. I could select several side-splitting scenes from the film, but I'll choose H.I.'s struggles against his thieving tendencies, his wife's exhausted patience, a pack of fierce dogs, and trigger-happy convenience store clerks.
5. Going to the Market
Unlike a sterile trip to a supermarket in the U.S., visiting local markets are quite an entertaining experience; it's a highlight of the week when Marianella and I purchase our fruit, vegetables and meats while steering away from the eels, crickets, and sidewalk dentistry. When we receive smiles and incomprehensible conversation in Mandarin from our caseras it makes the massive, impersonal city of Beijing smaller and homier.
4. Individual Screens on International Flights
Preparing for a flight home can exhaust you before you even arrive at the airport-going through check-in, the immigration lines, the paltry meals on the plane, the anticipation of jet lag that lands like a hangover. A silver lining in these various clouds is when you settle into your seat and discover that you have your own screen to catch up on movies and TV shows over the entirety of the flight. Sometimes I opt for the classics, other times for an intriguing documentary, but often times it's the ridiculous movie that I'd never consider paying money for in the theatre (Jason Statham damn near has the market covered in this area). On one sleepless sojourn from Bangladesh to Minnesota, I set a record of 8 movies viewed which I hope to never surpass.
3. Jeopardy
At my Mom's house, weekdays from 4:30-5:00 is must-see TV as Alek Trebek introduces us to a trio of eggheads who complete against one another and the national audience for supremacy. When I'm back home, I try to make sure I join my Mom for the show. And when I go on a run in a category that matches my interests, and my Mom says I should go on the show, well, I might be in my mid-40's, but I become a pretty proud little boy at that time.
2. The Lyrics to Visions of Johanna
My answer to the hypothetical question of which musical artist I would choose if stranded on a desert island would be Bob Dylan. He certainly doesn't have the most melodic voice or catchiest of songs, but he writes songs that are perplexing and intriguing, puzzles to unlock. According to his website, he's written 459 songs and while I enjoy a great many of these, Visions of Johanna is the one I continually come back to as a favorite, due to the vivid and mysterious lyrics. Here is a sampling:
Ain't if just like the night to play tricks when you're trying to be so quiet?
or
Inside the museums, infinity goes up on trial
or
He sure has a lot of gall to be so useless and all
What does it mean? I have no idea and that's what keeps bringing me back to the song and Dylan's catalog.
1. The Boys In Marianella's Belly
If we haven't had the chance to tell you in person, Marianella and I apologize-it's been quite a hectic few months and we know that it's only just begun. But two weeks from today, on Friday August 11, we will be welcoming identical twin boys to the family! There are a lot of emotions we're experiencing-fear, anxiety, terror, but the overriding emotion is joy!
I anticipate this blog will veer away from photos and reports of exotic locales instead to photos of the boys as babies, infants, toddlers. . .well, you get the idea.
So, you'll be hearing back from us in a short time, once those new editions arrive (and for those of you who have been asking, the revelation of their names).
Cheers!
I am going to take this entry in a different direction than what you've expected in the approximately nine years I've been doing this blog. Recently, one of my favorite sports writers did a post entitled "50 Things That Make Me Happy", as an antidote to the wave of negativity that seems to permeate any visit to the Internet these days. After reading through the list (you can see it here), I found myself alternately smiling and thinking it was a great idea for both my sake and hopefully, those of my family and friends too.
There is no particular order to the list, except for #1-that item is perfectly placed. Keep in mind that the focus is upon things, otherwise the list would be dominated by you all.
So, here you are-50 Things That Make Me Happy. Ohh, and if you are pressed for time, I do encourage you to skip right ahead to #1 on the list.
Enjoy!
50. A Walk Around The Block At My Mom's
To be accurate, we are talking about a country block here, which in this instance is slightly over four miles (I forgot to provide that detail to Marianella the first time I invited her for this walk). On a relatively brisk pace, it'll take me about an hour and fifteen minutes to do the circuit. After about ten minutes, I take a left onto a quiet gravel road for the next 45 minutes or so, where it's as likely that I'll cross paths with deer as it is motor vehicles. It's a peaceful, contemplative walk that winds through woods and farmland and is always a welcome respite from the clamor of city life.
49. Reverend Jim Gets His Driver's License
Among the great TV comedies, Taxi should not be overlooked. It boasted a talented cast of actors back in its run in the late '70s/early '80s with Christopher Lloyd (prior to his role as Doc Brown on Back To The Future) playing the burnt out Reverend Jim to constant hilarity. Maybe my favorite sitcom clip of all time, his attempt at getting his driver's license never fails to make me laugh:
48. Crinkle-Cut French Fries
47. Johnny Cash Singing A Boy Named Sue
Did you know that this song was written by Shel Silverstein, the celebrated children's author who wrote these books? This isn't my favorite Johnny Cash song, but I smile every time I hear it play, listening to poor Sue track down his troublesome father. And you can almost agree with the father's logic behind the naming of his son-almost.
46. The Highlights of Future Gophers
Among my favorite sports teams, it's the Golden Gophers basketball squad that has my deepest devotion. Unfortunately, it's been quite a few years in the desert as far as success goes for the program, but optimism is deservedly increasing for the fanbase, with talented and athletic players such as these two choosing to make the "U" their home:
45. Dogs Who Fail At Being Dogs
There are a lot of dog videos out there, but I'm loyal to this compilation of hapless canines who just keep getting back up. Who can't root for the little French Bulldog who makes his appearance 30 seconds into this clip?
44. "You Make My Dreams Come True" Sequence in (500) Days of Summer
If you've never seen (500) Days of Summer, I highly recommend this quirky and cute movie about Joseph Gordon Leavitt's character pursuing a woman named Summer. This sequence, set to the irresistible Hall & Oates song, is a highlight of the movie and feels like sunshine bursting:
43. The Pringles Speaker
42. The Minnesota History Center, especially Weather Permitting
If time allows, I always try to carve out an afternoon in my visits home to visit the History Center in St. Paul. Flanked by the St. Paul Cathedral and Minnesota State Capitol, the Center consistently has fascinating temporary displays (such as the World War I exhibit I saw this summer) along with the permanent collections which immerse you into Minnesota state history. No matter if I'm by myself or with others, I make sure to visit the Weather Permitting exhibit and experience a simulated tornado that struck the suburbs of Minneapolis in 1965. Listening to the WCCO radio broadcast from before and after that night while the walls shake and the winds howl in the simulated basement thrills and shakes the nerves.
41. The B&W Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show
There's nothing like a trip to Mayberry to wrap me up in cozy nostalgia. I would watch the show with my Dad and I would watch it with college buddies; I can't think of another TV show that would bridge those generations to equal enjoyment. I don't bother with the episodes shot in color-they are the episodes after Don Knotts left the show and Mayberry without Barney Fife just isn't the same. And unlike so many other classic TV shows, full episodes are easily available on YouTube, such as this one:
40. Dairy Queen
39. The Calm After A Big Snowstorm
Speaking of blizzards. . .I have not been able to experience a good old Minnesota blizzard or snow storm in several years (I know, I know-if I still lived in Minnesota, I would not be lamenting this), but for all the hassle that a foot of fallen snow can cause while its occurring, in its immediate aftermath exists a calm that if it could be bottled would rid the world of all anti-anxiety medications.
38. Lonesome Dove
It has to be a hell of a book for me to willingly read twice; when that book is over 900 pages long, well, it must exist on a totally different planet. Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer-prize winning tale of a cattle drive from Texas to Montana is such a book. I've read it twice, watched the mini-series, and I have got a hankering to pick it up once again. I've read many wonderful books through the years, but if you ask me my favorite book of all-time, I don't need anytime for contemplation, it's this novel.
37. Palta (Avocado) Sandwiches
Evidently, avocado toast is the hottest new thing in the U.S.; in Lima, I've been indulging in palta sandwiches at my in-law's table ever since we moved to Peru. I've never had an avocado as delicious as the ones I've eaten in Lima and they are available year-round, being sold out of carts, 2 for $1. Sprinkled with a bit of salt and drizzled with lemon juice, my mouth begins to water when the calendar indicates we're getting close to a return trip to Lima.
36. Bowling
I try to live a humble life, but when I am looking to pick up one pin for a spare and I can see my ball is squarely headed in the right direction, I relish the ability to turn my back to the action and cockily walk back to the scorer's table. I stepped onto the fields or courts of my favorite youth sports, the rust from my inactivity would be embarrassingly apparent. Not so at the bowling alley-I can still garner a score similar, if not better, than in my teenage years. I have been giddy to discover lanes in Peru, Bangladesh, and China and the camaraderie of the bowling alley is always festive-what other sport elicits such boisterous laughter when its participants are failing miserably?
35. Friday Night Fish Fry at The Golden Harvest
Shortly after my parents and I moved to southern Minnesota before my 7th grade year, we came to know about The Golden Horn in Utica, as unassuming a restaurant as you can imagine in a town with about 200 residents that is about a 20 minute drive from home. If you drove past any other day of the week, you might see a smattering of cars in the gravel parking lot, but on Friday nights we tried to arrive early to find a parking space and avoid the (seemingly) interminable wait in line for an open table. Why the wait? The golden brown flaky haddock fillets (all you can eat!) were the top draw for miles around and I still haven't found a fish fry that can top it.
I would make the road trip with friends from college, brought Marianella during our courting days, and have cajoled others to drive from the Twin Cities and no one has left disappointed. A few years back, management changed and brought with it a new name and some cosmetic touches, but they weren't fools-they knew not to mess with the fish recipe. I can attest it's as good as ever, as I visited with my Mom a few weeks ago, roughly 30 years after our first meal and it was as good as ever (ohh, and they serve crinkle-cut french fries with their fillets).
34. Goats
Goats that faint! Goats in pajamas! Goats on rooftops! Goats loaded with dynamite!
33 & 32. "Hoo Hoo's" on Sympathy For the Devil and "Na Na Na Na Na Na Na's" on Hey Jude
Try it. Try to listen to these classics from The Rolling Stones and The Beatles and not find yourself joining in the chorus.
31. The Smell of Brewing Coffee
While I enjoy a fresh cup of coffee, this makes the list because of what it represents rather than the actual product. Marianella and I don't take the time during the working week to brew coffee, so when a pot of coffee is percolating in the kitchen, it means it's the weekend and a relaxed start to the day and lounging about in our pajama bottoms and everything else that the work week isn't.
30. The Hanson Brothers
Have any characters stole the show like The Hanson Brothers in Slap Shot? The unbridled mayhem that the brothers unleash when they skate onto the ice is unfailingly hilarious, as is their boyish enthusiasm for toy cars and retrieving a quarter from the pop machine. How they were overlooked for an Academy Award is beyond me.
29. Campfires
Alas, I haven't been able to experience one of these for quite some time, but nonetheless, I can conjure the memories. My favorite time for these are on crisp autumn nights with a few friends and a few drinks, sharing stories and light conversation while watching the flames lick around the logs in the fire.
28. Skype/Facetime/WhatsApp
We've been living overseas for nearly 10 years now and I know our existence away from home would be much more lonely and difficult without these modern tools of communication. There are times I bemoan the creep of social media into our lives, but I also realize our life would be much less without them.
27. Pedicures
Laugh if you must, but after Marianella took me to my first pedicure, I am an unabashed fan. I wear sandals and flip flops a lot, so my feet take a beating. I feel like a new man after my feet have been thoroughly scrubbed, scraped, and buffed. Don't knock it until you try it!
26. Strolling Through Art Museums
Several years ago, on my first extensive visit to New York City, my cousins Joe & Doreen suggested that I take one afternoon to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My initial response was lukewarm, but in the spirit of experiencing what NYC has to offer, I decided to try and expand my cultural palette. Since that visit, I've enjoyed various art museums in cities such as Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, and Paris. I am no student of art; in fact, I quite enjoy stepping into the various museums and galleries with little knowledge about what I am going to see and the history behind the artists and their pieces of work. I just let it wash over me-the beauty of these works created in previous centuries that have been preserved and showcased and that are mere inches away from my touch.
25. Pro Wrestling
Sunday mornings of my youth were balanced between weekly Mass and rushing into the house to catch the AWA weekly wrestling show. I was transfixed by the world of good vs. evil, with dastardly managers taking cheap shots at the "face" (good guy) while the referee inexplicably was distracted by the "heel" (bad guy). I would be thunderstruck when a face would inexplicably betray his partner and become a heel. Through the years I followed the battles involving such luminaries as Mad Dog Vachon, George "The Animal" Steele, The Junkyard Dog, The Sheepherders, and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. For longer than I'd like to admit, I believed what I was watching was legitimate and would engage in arguments with my father about its veracity. And while I long ago came to understand that what I was watching was not "real", it has not dissuaded me from enjoying the dramatics and the athletics of the squared circle. I'm not a devotee anymore, but if I'm flipping the channels and I happen to land upon a pro wrestling match, I'm going to linger for awhile.
24. Bugs Bunny vs. Yosemite Sam
I could have put any of the Looney Tunes roster here-Foghorn Leghorn, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig Speedy Gonzalez, Elmer Fudd, The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, but I'm going with the headliners-Bugs and Sam. These characters were a barrel of laughs when Saturday mornings were devoted to cartoons and I snicker like a grade school kid when I come across these clips to this day.
23. Kittens
I can understand the animosity many have towards adult cats, but you can't tell me that kittens don't melt your heart. Look at this little gal, name of Pee Wee, the newest addition to the brood at my Mom's. This little spright is spending its summer days bouncing around my Mom's garage and annoying its mother. Each time I stepped out of the house, I had to see what little adventures Pee Wee was up to before heading on my merry way.
22 & 21. Barry Sanders and Stephen Curry
I've loved sports since I was able to turn on the television. I'd guess I've watched thousands of athletes performing a wide variety of sports, from the youth level to the pros, and there have been two non-hometown athletes who have entertained me like no others. While both are legendary, neither are the best of all time or even their time. But no matter-to watch Sanders and Curry perform was/is like seeing athletic magicians, likely to perform a trick you have never seen before and can't quite believe you did see. That both athletes are rather diminutive for their respective sport only adds to my awe and admiration (as a perpetually diminutive former athlete who could only dream of making these moves).
20. The Annual Antique/Thrift Store Excursion
My Mom is a hard core antique shop/thrift store connoisseur who has spread her enjoyment of a good bargain throughout many of her family members. Over the last few years, this has manifested itself in a summer road trip that involves my Mom, niece Kimberly, sisters Jackie and Mary, Marianella and myself (the roster shifts each year) as we choose some destination in the tri-state area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa and proceed to sift through the shelves in whistle-stop towns on our trip's radius. A trip that starts with an empty trunk invariably gets filled to the point where we have to be judicious about the purchases on the back end of the trip. While the shopping is nice, it's the conversations within the car that make the trip so fun and has turned it into an annual event.
19. My Record Collection
Why would someone without a record player own somewhere between 70-80 LP's? Well, as to the aforementioned shopping excursions with my Mom and family, I just can't idly sit by and buy nothing and for the purposes of storage and cost, collecting record albums is a nice little hobby while we remain overseas. For the vast majority, I have never spent more than a couple dollars to put together a wide-ranging collection ranging between the legendary (Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Johnny Cash) and the one-hit wonders (The Thompson Twins, Phoebe Snow, Al Stewart). Every time I come back home, I dust off the albums and look through the eclectic collection and think about the day when I will have a record player to play them.
18. Street Performers
Whether its musicians busking, human statues coming to life, painters speeding through a portrait, or acrobats and jugglers performing during a red light, a city becomes alive for me when these entertainers are showcasing their skills for the loose change jangling in your pockets.
17. Radio Magica
As far left of the dial as you can get among the offerings on Lima's radio stations is Radio Magica, a station devoted to playing a constant, nearly uninterrupted stream of soft '70s rock, a place where the likes of Abba, Barry Manilow, Linda Ronstadt, and Lou Rawls croon on. The nostalgia is enhanced by a man I imagine with a pencil-thin mustache and slicked back hair wearing a tuxedo and smoking a cigarette while breathlessly announcing "Radio Magica" every few songs.
16. Dazed & Confused
I try to watch this movie annually, preferably on the last day of the school year to celebrate stepping into summer vacation. Semi-autobiographical from director Richard Linklater, it's set in a Houston suburb on the last day of the school year, 1976. Amongst its many cast members, it introduced us to Ben Affleck and Matthew McConoughey (alright, alright, alright) and in my opinion, it captures the life of a high school student better than any of the many other movies of the genre.
15. Fireflies
A few weeks ago, I was driving to my Mom's house from having dinner with friends in Rochester with the sun having just set. My IPod shuffled onto Purple Rain and as I slowly drove through the winding and hilly county road towards home, hundreds, if not thousands, of lightning bugs filled the warm summer night sky, nature's substitute for cigarette lighters as Prince hit the crescendo on his epic song. Watching these little insects light up the night is one of the top highlights of a Minnesota summer.
14. Prince's Guitar Solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
Speaking of the Purple One, the awesomeness in this performance cannot be justly described with words, but I'll try-it's a perfectly nice cover of George Harrison's classic song lead by Tom Petty and ELO's Jeff Lynne when Prince steps from the sidelines at about 3 minutes, 30 seconds and takes control, turning this rendition into a jaw-dropping stunner. There's so much to love about the performance-his dapper red & black ensemble, the incredible virtuosity on the electric guitar, the look of pure joy on Dhani Harrison's (George's son) face, and not least of all, the exclamation mark, when Prince ends his performance by tossing the guitar into the rafters as he struts off the stage. ROCK & ROLL, BABY!
13. Spotting Actors In Early Roles
Alright, let me try to make sense of this-I'm a bit of a movie nerd (if you haven't noticed) and enjoy watching films from different eras and genres. One of the little joys within the viewing is when I spot an actor who has a minuscule role early in their career before they hit the big time; for example, Richard Dreyfus in The Graduate, Harrison Ford in American Graffiti, John Cusack in Sixteen Candles. Don't remember them in these movies? I'm not surprised-watch again and watch closely, as they get very little screen time and even less spoken lines.
12. Decadent Sandwiches
If I'm hungry and scrambling for something to eat, my default choice will be a sandwich-a ham & cheese, PB& J, egg salad, or chicken salad and I'm usually quite content. But if I'm at a restaurant and they are offering something up a bit more exotic? A club sandwich? Monte Cristo? Patty Melt? Cubano? Well, my oh my!
11. Cold beer, Warm Sun, and a Good Book
10. "We're Going To Win Twins!"
I can't tell you how many Twins games I attended at the Metrodome when I was a lad, often jumping onto a school bus for some reduced ticket day where my compadres and I were seated in the nose-bleeds with the other ragamuffins from surrounding small towns. Before every game, as the Twins ran out onto the field prior to the start of the first inning, this jaunty tune would tell us the game was ready to commence.
9. Pass The Buck (or S*** On Your Neighbor)
This card game, which possesses different names depending on the politeness of the company you are keeping, combines simplicity, enough strategy, and fun for a low-stakes card game (you can only lose $1 each round). We play the game a bit differently than the instructions here, where everyone has a dollar bill in front of them and for each time they draw the low card, they put a fold into a corner; once all corners are folded, they throw their "buck" into the middle where the eventual winner collects.
8. Pandas Going Down A Slide
7. Fresh Fruit
Lest you think that the only foods that makes me happy also shaves days off of my life, if I have available ripe mango, strawberries, dragonfruit, apples, tangerines, bananas, I would select the natural choice every time. The sweet taste bursting in my mouth while the juice runs down my chin, the other foods just cannot match.
6. The Diaper Heist Scene in Raising Arizona
Nicolas Cage was never better than as H.I. in this zany tale of an infertile couple who decide to kidnap a baby without really thinking it through. I could select several side-splitting scenes from the film, but I'll choose H.I.'s struggles against his thieving tendencies, his wife's exhausted patience, a pack of fierce dogs, and trigger-happy convenience store clerks.
5. Going to the Market
4. Individual Screens on International Flights
Preparing for a flight home can exhaust you before you even arrive at the airport-going through check-in, the immigration lines, the paltry meals on the plane, the anticipation of jet lag that lands like a hangover. A silver lining in these various clouds is when you settle into your seat and discover that you have your own screen to catch up on movies and TV shows over the entirety of the flight. Sometimes I opt for the classics, other times for an intriguing documentary, but often times it's the ridiculous movie that I'd never consider paying money for in the theatre (Jason Statham damn near has the market covered in this area). On one sleepless sojourn from Bangladesh to Minnesota, I set a record of 8 movies viewed which I hope to never surpass.
3. Jeopardy
At my Mom's house, weekdays from 4:30-5:00 is must-see TV as Alek Trebek introduces us to a trio of eggheads who complete against one another and the national audience for supremacy. When I'm back home, I try to make sure I join my Mom for the show. And when I go on a run in a category that matches my interests, and my Mom says I should go on the show, well, I might be in my mid-40's, but I become a pretty proud little boy at that time.
2. The Lyrics to Visions of Johanna
My answer to the hypothetical question of which musical artist I would choose if stranded on a desert island would be Bob Dylan. He certainly doesn't have the most melodic voice or catchiest of songs, but he writes songs that are perplexing and intriguing, puzzles to unlock. According to his website, he's written 459 songs and while I enjoy a great many of these, Visions of Johanna is the one I continually come back to as a favorite, due to the vivid and mysterious lyrics. Here is a sampling:
Ain't if just like the night to play tricks when you're trying to be so quiet?
or
Inside the museums, infinity goes up on trial
or
He sure has a lot of gall to be so useless and all
What does it mean? I have no idea and that's what keeps bringing me back to the song and Dylan's catalog.
1. The Boys In Marianella's Belly
I anticipate this blog will veer away from photos and reports of exotic locales instead to photos of the boys as babies, infants, toddlers. . .well, you get the idea.
So, you'll be hearing back from us in a short time, once those new editions arrive (and for those of you who have been asking, the revelation of their names).
Cheers!
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