My Favorite Things…

Tenor sax ballads, good fitting walking shoes, summer fruit for breakfast

cereal, mountain streams, laughing, NPR, tall flowers, spicy medium rare

steak, personal conversations, kissing, winning at solitaire, Gloria’s smile,

energetic sex, walking fast, Protection, dancing to funky beats, cooking in

the groove, waterfalls, intervening in rhythm, roasted lamb, riding waves,

sex in the morning, warm dry afternoons, clothes with style, high contrast,

finding new music, home decorating, tubing through rapids, well made

sandwiches, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, indie films, spicy mustard,

good weed, soft peaches, strong coffee, the smell of bacon, slow languid

sex, gardening, talking with Molly, driving alone, trip hop, spring mix, talking

culture, good bourbon, grilled meat, New Mexico, soft sarcasm,

compliments on my cooking, warm female smiles, Russian coffee cake,

spontaneous silliness, bargains, my thumbs on oily nipples, raptors, big

games, Yuengling lager, Coltrane/Hartman, full bodied women, walking in

moving water, baroque music, Terry Gross, exotic vacations, making a

home with Gloria, cool breezes, my staff, al dente asparagus, jerked pork,

Jacuzzis, Lidia’s show, strong flavors, mixed textures, curry, Frances Mc

Dormand, sledding, jumping into water from a height, large breasts, e. e.

cummings, crusty bread, shorts in the summer, handmade silver jewelry,

oriental rugs, burnt orange, catching a football, The Wire, Jolie’s lips,

writing poems, African music, engaging novels, purple, working up a sweat,

great views, making compost, ice cold seltzer, foo foo, central air, my

mother’s love, gorgonzola, complex beats, Dubrovnik, Chloe Sevigny,

good pottery, tropical beaches, focusing passionately, primitive masks,

feta, Susan Sarandon, southwestern chili spices, exotic rocks, beautiful

woods, good movies, cooking for a group, ripe pears, dahlias, Rachael

Griffiths, music in the background, rocky coast lines, creative metaphors,

sunsets over water, Vermont, moss, gruyere, feeding my goldfish, Marge

Piercy, designing in the garden, Marshall’s, walking in fresh snow, the

squiggle of the grizzle button under my wet finger, writing something clever,

white satin blouses, warm coats, Pete Dexter, the sound of rapids, Unique

pretzels, shore birds, small fossils, parmesan, throwing rocks, shuffling the

deck, shrimp and garlic, Billy Collins, talking to old friends, our home,

shopping for clothes, the voices of Tom Waits, Dr. John and Joe Cocker,

pulsating clubs, Vondie Curtis Hall, song birds, scrambled eggs, nice old

furniture, camping near water, Steve McQueen, sleeping deeply, rice

vinegar, connecting, infatuation, dub, Chemical Brothers’ concerts, black

shirts, winesap apples, cleavage, good sound systems, Denzel

Washington, Mexican food, walking in a light rain, going up hill, good

pillows, Helen Mirren, shrooming in nature, plump plums, a good firm tug,

dunes, watching good basketball, Ithaca, nice underwear, turning a phrase,

Massive Attack, cat birds, talking psychology, swimming underwater,

smiling, sexy movies, coming home, abstract art, strong colors,

caramelized onions, long weekends, tagine cooking, Net Flicks, Sleepy

Hollow, butter, my ipod, being different, drifting around concerts, croissants,

Sunday dinners with Molly, Juan and Gloria, hiking in the woods, good

physical acting, Chris Smither, the Hay Stacks, evergreens, fall foliage,

grilled fresh fish, hot showers, man to mans, carving meat, Sophia Loren,

sour dough bread, Kruder and Dorfmeister, bacon and eggs, warm hugs,

giggling, piecing the narrative together, spooning, driving fast, making fires,

roasted chicken, small children laughing, feeling smart, olive oil, being

ready, thunder in the distance, tending my pond, snuggling, strawberries,

enough money in my wallet, soft toilet paper, John Cusak, being the

passenger, after the rain, empty beaches, dancing in rhythm with

somebody, good sports writing, Tracy Thorn, being deep inside, fresh

salmon, cilantro, buttered pastina, dill weed, stone walls, tall grass, big sky,

romantic movies, being close, good socks, Radiohead, fresh rosemary, Nia

Long, the sound of cicadas, warm gloves, feeling free, cleaning up the

kitchen, tearing into a fresh loaf of bread, Monk, good Danish, Pinot Grigio,

affectionate people, bubbles, jersey tomatoes, well made necklaces, ethnic

foods, talking to people with thick accents, Clive Owens, ferns, campfire

cooking, cheek to cheek, chewing meat off the bone, food shopping,

mulching, arugula, speaking in public, making people laugh, holding

babies, walking on cold mornings, eating with friends, making play lists,

having big parties, Gloria’s sweetness, women with prominent noses,

walking in crowds, feeling strong enough, Paris, people dancing to my party

mixes, long scarves, pop corn, Lopud, Mary Louise Parker, dark meat

turkey, dad’s mashed potatoes, giving and getting head, Lyle Lovett’s

voice, tomato/basil salad, connecting with Black folks, cheese steak

hoagies with sauce and mayonnaise, my career, Samuel L Jackson,

Zipolite Beach, short phone conversations, David Sedaris, arriving early,

brick oven pizza, rainy afternoons, 7809 Park Ave, diving through used

record(CD) bins, clearance racks, crafty artifacts, cumin, the feel of

Cashmere, roasted vegetables, good Germantown memories,

Multipulciano, playing in water, the smell of coffee, lusty memories, the

sound of wind in leaves, movies with exotic settings, Oaxaca, food

shopping, watching football with David, the beach in the late afternoon,

laughing with Gloria, leather couches, Vancouver, mineral springs,

bananas and yogurt on cereal, kicking through autumn leaves, the light at

dusk, grilled fish, Terry’s cackle, jazz improvisation, down home cooking,

coming upon animals in the woods, short afternoon naps, Isla Mujeres,

predicting plot developments, Juliet Binoche, shopping for jewelry, huevos

rancheros, being surprised by plot developments, Judi Dench, apple crumb

cake, watching the Olympics, Miles, salt and peppered cream of wheat,

talking about religion, the Northern California coastline, Japanese water

gardens, old red tiled roofs, Ed Norton, heavy rain, crossing against the

light, exotic smelling soap, reading the morning paper, Allen Ginsberg,

Jewish deli food, memories of Venice, flannel sheets in the autumn, Clive

Barnes, dark women, re-reading what I’ve written, beautiful beads, salsa

verde, Eric Dolphy, people with a sense of style, food prepared with care,

hearing from an old friend, strong hands, Tricky, kielbasa and pierogies,

Gene Hackman, good eulogies, Yiddish phrases, smiling strangers, Bill

Mahr, the myth of Sisyphus, peeing outside, good smelling massage oil,

Garp, chopping vegetables, Kay Parker, hearty soup in winter, Lincoln

Drive, folks with social consciences, “shooting baskets” with waste paper,

Jewish funerals, summer rolls, staff meeting at work, Calder, doing the role

play exercise, the smell of the ocean, Kate Winslet, Gay sensibilities,

confronting clients, early mornings alone in the kitchen, seeing peoples’

bodies again in the Spring, food shopping, getting dressed up, having

change for the meter, Indian food, being in charge of the meeting,

Penelope Cruz, talking politics, exploring moral dilemmas, spitting for

distance, amber, smart dogs, a good shit, chatting with craft sellers,

Barbara Kingsolver, abstract expressionism, Zora Banks, sincere humility,

strawberry rhubarb pie, Run Lola Run red hair, chipotle pulled pork,

poblano peppers, Diane Lane, wood stoves, moments of mindfulness,

select photos of our old trips, close games, cedar, Jim Broadbent,

ratatouie, poonanee, the Village, blue herons, Nat Hentoff, roasted garlic,

sautéed garlic, raw garlic, slivers of garlic in roasted meat, big cities, being

known, cotton sweaters, from behind, British accents, dark skin, good bras,

Chris Rock, film noir, Got To Get It On, Clint Eastwood movies, grilling with

charcoal and wood, the first Sneaker Pimps album, Dianne Wiest, dred

locks, a woman with a good stride, Chaka Kahn, fireflies, Drew Barrymore’s

impishness, an occasional good boxing match, decorating for Christmas,

watching the 1500 meters, good olive oil, killing mosquitoes, Gerard

Manley Hopkins, the smell of wood smoke in the early winter, seafood in

red sauce over good ravioli, Makondi carvings, the zing of fresh ginger, a

little Ben and Jerry’s with a biscotti, Javier Barden, frittata with potato,

onion, sausage, broccoli rabe and cheese, Lisa Stanfield, memories of

raising Molly, when my desk is (occasionally) clear, warm pop corn, having

a cold beer after work, trusting the people who work for me, Uma Thurman,

Friday afternoon, A.D. Amorosi, D.J. Krush. Dennis Kucinich, finding my

way, spell check, helping people, fresh laundry, latté with good foam,

Sidney Lumet, watching excellent volleyball, Sunday mornings, the early

songs of Tom Waits, good neighbors, Cokey Roberts, Macintosh,

encilliadas verdes, Santa Fe and Taos, sales people who give me space,

my leg muscles, occasional drama, blocking at the net, people watching,

making up scenarios about other people in restaurants, getting away, Julie

Christie, butterflies, Groove Armada, Impressionism, Falling Water,

memories of Ohiopyle, Julie Delphy, hummingbirds, Ethan Hawke,

Almodovar, paying cash, steamed dumplings, the sound of the cello,

having exact change, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, John Sayles, E.R.,

toast with Marmite and butter, talking music, Joe Biden, The Arts and

Crafts Period, Falkner, foamy bath gel, Gloria’s apple walnut cake, Molly’s

love, Rock Lane, the Wissahickon, my Stump Jumper, using home grown

herbs, layered clothes, Mike Leigh, Zorba, taramasalada, sesame oil,

stretching, occasional brownies, liberationist theology, secular humanism,

Gestalt Therapy, Existentialism, Do You Realize?, Mint Car (Radio Mix),

breaking up a fat bud, cool nights for sleeping, soft night gowns with

buttons down the front, well timed raunchiness, John Abercrombie, making

a good impression, resisting arrogance, large eyes, feisty/brave little dogs,

being appreciated, good fresh water, a good haircut, unobtrusive wait staff,

big old trees, elegantly designed electronics, woodlands gardens, killing

stink bugs, vichyssoise, African accents, Alice Walker, Wait, Wait, Don’t

Tell Me, Project Runway, Lake Michigan, the smell of fresh ground nutmeg,

dark humor, sudden creative swearing, Dim Sum, al dente fresh

vegetables, Ira Glass’ voice, gardening high, Tuscany, eating with my

hands, sucking on/ licking nipples, Thievery Corporation, hot and sour

soup, well designed kitchen utensils, old fashioned bagels, Six Feet Under,

good reading lamps, getting enough sleep, baggy cargo shorts, red onion,

indoor white Christmas lights, All Things Considered, my big screen TV,

our living room, Portland, plowing through a good novel, the Olympic

Peninsula, chorizo, the sound of the oboe, Missy Elliot, Gloria’s lemon

poppy seed cake, the Massai, Island Beach State park, moss, the sidewalk

boulangerie/crep kitchen in Rehoboth …

Paul Bukovec