My First Set of Lists

Ok, just for fun, I thought I would list some of my favorite things. This won't be a comprehensive list because I can't remember what comprehensive means. Many things will be left out and some that aren't really favorites might be listed but it will be a list that I have made. So here goes.

Things I like to eat:

• Ice Cream—most any flavor but especially vanilla with hot fudge or chocolate syrup. But I hate the cheap brands because they have too much air and not enough flavor.
  
• Shrimp—fried, broiled, baked, in things or fresh are wonderful. The fatter the shrimp, the better I like them. I'm not really a fan of the little ones they put in salads but I'm not really sure they are shrimp anyway. I suspect they are some fake thing like those fake crab meats you can buy.
  
• More ice cream-- cause it is really super after eating some shrimp.
  
• Mushrooms—fried, on pizza, sometimes raw (though this isn't my favorite way to eat them), in soup or casseroles. My only concern is the after effect.
  
• Chicken Noodle Soup—Teresa makes homemade noodles and I love how thick and tasty they are. The soup part is pretty good also.
  
• Burritos—really good Mexican food is fantastic. Teresa makes great burritos that rival any I have ever had at a restaurant. I used to think the very best came from the Red Iguana here in Salt Lake but I don't get there much anymore so they may not be as good as I remember.
  
• Good Chinese food—not Panda (though that will do for cheap food) but food that is really Chinese. We used to go to a place on State Street (can't remember the name) that was excellent but we usually just go to Panda. If anyone has a good place to go, please let me know (and don't say Chinese Buffet cause I KNOW they use cats and seagulls for their meat).
  
• Linguini with Clam Sauce—can't find this much anymore. Lots of places offer linguini but very few serve clam sauce anymore. Don't know why cause it is really good. Of course, most places want to put a thick Alfredo sauce on the pasta and I prefer the lighter, almost clear sauce (what is that called????)
  
• Fresh Clams—I once ate a whole bucket of clams cause no one else at our table liked them. It was heavenly but I spent the night paying for the pleasure. This was a great example of actions and consequences.
  
• Most vegetables—the only ones I can think of that I don't like are eggplant (horrible childhood experiences) and okra (nasty flavor). Most everything else I have tried is delightful. I even like cooked spinach and collard greens.
  
• Corn on the Cob—nothing better in the summer (maybe it's the butter but I like to think it is more the corn).
  
• Watermelon—Melissa disagrees but I think this is one of the greatest fruits God has created.
  
• Tapioca—I know this is just 'frog-egg' pudding but I like the flavor. I also like the whipped cream that we put on top (even if it is Cool Whip).
  

Good Movies to watch:

• The Hunt for Red October—one of the best Sean Connery movies ever. Lots of action and a great story.
  
• The Outlaw Josey Wales—Clint Eastwood at his very best. Probably too violent for my likings these days but still a good western.
  
• Silverado—the best of the modern western movies. Thankfully Kevin Costner was still a young actor so he didn't take the lead and mess things up.
  
• Westerns—I grew up with cowboys and Indians so it's natural for me to keep that connection with my youth. Besides, the good ones always let the hero win.
  
• Pride and Prejudice—I know, this is a 'chick flick' but it has a wonderful story and was well acted. And I'm not against any movie that has good acting and a good story.
  
• Aladdin—Robin Williams made this a great movie. The story is a little lame but the comedic nature of the movie was excellent.
  
• Toy Story (all iterations)—Woody and Buzz make good partners. The animation was top notch and the writing was very entertaining.
  
• Waking Ned Devine, The Secret of Roan Inish—just had to put these in so my kids and wife would know that I continue to be a little warped.
  

Jobs I have held over the years:

• Dishwasher—made $1.00/hr when I was in the 8^th /9^th grade. My dad was a cook at the same restaurant. The sinks were so deep I had to stand on a bucket so I could get to the dishes in the bottom.
  
• Busboy--$.87.5/hr at the same place as above. They paid less per hour because we were supposed to get 10% of the tips the waitresses got. Didn't always word out that way but I was just a kid so they ignored me when I complained.
  
• Paperboy—several times and none paid very well.
  
• Construction—started in HS as a clean-up guy on construction sites. Also built highways while I was going to college.
  
• Grocery Store Clerk—first job I really worked to get. I bothered the store manager for almost a year before an opening came and he hired me. I thought I was going to own my own grocery store so I would always have enough food but I found out it wasn't a very glamorous or fun business.
  
• Shoe Salesman—a part time college job. I was assigned to sell women's shoes because it had the lowest margin and the full-time guys wanted to sell men's shoes. I ended up selling more than most of the full-time guys cause I could get the ladies to buy multiple pairs + socks and things.
  
• Stock room worker in the bookstore—another college job that helped us make it through. Part of the deal was a discount on books and first choice of used texts.
  
• Financial advisor—one of my favorite jobs before I became a teacher. Horrible hours (1pm-midnite, four days a week) but I enjoyed helping people take care of their money. This was the cause of 'the year without a dad' in our home.
  
• Phone Technician/manager—longest duration for a job until seminary. Never really felt like I belonged but I was pretty good at it so I stayed. Finally realized that money wasn't the best part of a job.
  

Places I would like to go before I die:

• Australia—seems like a very exotic place. I am especially interested in diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Don't know why but it sounds like a lot of fun.
  
• Alaska—partly for fly-fishing but I have wanted to see what it might be like there. Canada was interesting but I imagine Alaska is a lot better.
  
• Maine—haven't been to the east coast much. I see pictures of Maine and it looks like such a beautiful place. I think I prefer autumn but I would go anytime.
  
• Hong Kong/Japan—the Orient has always been interesting to me. I would also like to go where I would be the tallest person in most any crowd.
  
• The Moon—not much chance of this but we can dream can't we? With all the science fiction I have read is it any wonder I want to travel in space? I keep hoping for a travel company to start tours but nothing yet.
  
• West Virginia—the original home of my ancestors when they joined the Church. I wonder if it is really as lush and beautiful as they describe.
  

That should be enough for today. I will try to add a few more lists as they become apparent to me. Its fun thinking about what I would include on each section. There are a lot of movies that I used to think would make my favorites but as I think about them they fall out of contention. The food list is really incomplete but I decided it would take too many pages if I kept going. I considered making a list of the favorite pets we have had but then I remembered that we never had any pets we liked. The fish always died and the others escaped when we weren't looking. Maybe I will work on some serious things for the future. Let me know how you like this and I will know whether to continue. See you round.