On my drive to work today, I thought of many things that I have figured out over the last five years. What prompted this assessment?
Tomatoes.
As I drove away, I thought of the empty planter pots on my driveway and how last year at this time, they were filled with heirloom tomato plants which my daughter was supposed to water when she was watching her brother. Several weeks of neglect and finally a hailstorm ended those plants. Out of $50 worth of plants, I think I might have gotten about ten tomatoes off the vine.
Several of them were green, which I fried.
This year, I didn’t buy plants. The reason: I really don’t like gardening. I also had hot dogs and baked beans for lunch because even though I am a good cook, I really don’t care what I cook most of the time, so long as I am providing myself calories and nutrients.
Five years ago, gardening and cooking were my escapes. Everyone left me alone when I did these things and really gardening and cooking are unpleasant experiences, but not nearly as unpleasant as the alternative at the time.
In the last five years, I have gotten a chance to re-evaluate what I like and what I don’t like, based on experience. Some things are still the same. Some aren’t. Here are some lists.
Don’t like
- Gardening
- Cooking
- Loud clubs
- Tequila
- Goodbyes
- Birthday cake
- Beer
- Ice cream
- Dating
- Carnivals
- “We need to talk.”
- Cats
- My day job
- Classical music
- Nu-country
- Crab cakes
- Swimming
- Running
- Camping
- Decorating for holidays
- Kids’ birthday parties
Do like
- Rainy days
- Doing laundry
- Cider
- Rum
- Walks in the moonlight
- Notes on the bathroom mirror
- Dancing
- Travel
- Road trips
- Good food
- Watching fireworks displays
- Days on the lake
- Trains
- Talking to strangers
- Helping old friends
- Playlists
- Dogs
- Writing
- Riesling
- Paying my bills
- New experiences
- A nice, quiet, boring night in
- Sitting in hot springs
- Music
- Hiking
- Mountain biking
- Green chile
- Taking pictures
Indifferent
- Concerts
- Burlesque shows
- Cocktails
- Other people’s kids
- Church
- Going to the gym
- Tacos
- Fishing
- Massages
- Tattoos
- Lighting fireworks
- Holidays
- TV and movies
- Social media
- Wine tasting
Wendigo Mountain 