Ten Things I Adore

1. 1. My dog. The last of a pack of seven that lived in our tiny house (all together) from about 1995 through 2010 (in which year we lost four), he is a Scottish terrier of the type seen more prevalently in the early and mid-twentieth century: full size tail (not docked); longer, more pointed muzzle; and leaner, less boxy body. He is over 13 years old and every day with him is a gift. He is the perfect dog for me. I walk through the neighborhood with him almost every day, and I haven't felt that kind of pride since my grandmother sang solos in church.
2. Good quality tea—I have enjoyed loose tea since my teens.
3. Wine—regretfully. If you can enjoy alcohol irregularly, intermittently, the way you might enjoy David Foster Wallace, or tiramisu, fine. If not—run like hell.
4. Women. I love women. Though they are famous for bonding, the best sorts of women are each little planets, little solar systems that sweep their families into their path but respectfully, charitably, deny the validity of other worlds ... other women. Women are so proud and capable and interesting. They thrive on challenges and admirably perform their duties. They enjoy a little emotion but relegate it to secondary place. They are wonderfully despotic, certain of their tastes (which are much less similar to those of gay men than is generally thought), and are trenchantly practical. Like stamps or baseball cards, if I could, I would collect them all.
5.  Art. I have a good eye. Sadly, I have a small intellect, so that means I only like “gorgeous” things (no Picasso or conceptual art for me). I create some type of artwork almost every day. Such projects supply what forward momentum there is in my life.
6. Old things. I have collections of 1930s/1940s wristwatches, swing-era clarinets, French carbon steel chef's knives, and old wool fedoras. It's a question not just of design or functional excellence, but of beauty (of course). New stuff is ugly.
7. Pasta. With meat, tomato sauce, herbs, vegetables, fish, or just alone with butter, it is my favorite food. I can mix up, roll out, and boil a serving of pasta all'uovo for two with as little drama or clean-up as the deployment of a Mr. Coffee.
8. Swing music. When I was a child I listened to Glenn Miller and dreamed of being a big band leader. Once, one of my mother's boyfriends came into my bedroom around 2:30 a.m. to introduce himself to me (I think he had only met my mother earlier that same evening), and he asked me if there was anything I really wanted to have. I requested a trombone.
9. Swimming. I have suffered the lack of many things in my life that others take for granted (family, travel, a competent method of earning money), but the lack of opportunities to swim galls me perhaps the most. I once had a molded plastic child's wading pool I used in our back yard, but Gary convinced me it took up too much space in the basement during winter and I disposed of it.
10. Acadia National Park (Maine). My favorite place on earth, I was lucky to know it well during my thirties and early forties.