Me Likey

Happy New Year. I've been surfin' and lurkin' all day and have really enjoyed all the end of year/beginning of year lists. What follows, however, is not just a list of things I like but why I like them. Anyone can write a simple list (Dave Letterman, for example--with his writers). But it's better if you say why.

Lately I have really been loving TLC. It's one of my favorite channels these days (and by "these days" I mean "during the writers' strike"). I love TLC because it is just like a big giant circus. You've got fat ladies (and men), tattooed men (and women), midgets, and other freaks of nature like sextuplets. I love going to the circus, but it's kind of scary. Having a circus on a TV channel is just about right. Who would have thought a channel that sounds so boring (The Learning Channel) would be so terrific?

I'm also loving the new cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld. I haven't tried any of the recipes and, frankly, it sounds like a lot of work just to get your kids to eat vegetables which is, frankly, not my problem but to put it quite simply: I want to eat whatever Jerry eats.

Another thing I like is National Treasure: Book of Secrets. It got bad reviews but doggone it, I thought it was funner to watch with my kids than some cartoon like Barnyard. I enjoy a pleasant surprise. I may have made fun of Jon Voight in the past but I wish him well and the more I hear about Angelina Jolie the more I respect his estrangement from her--not that I take the estrangement of fathers and daughters lightly, because I don't.

The next and somewhat related thing that I really like is the LDS church. I learned something particularly awesome about the church last Sunday. There's a freaking vault in Granite Mountain where we store records. Have you ever heard of anything cooler (that wasn't fiction)? I am loving the idea of this vault and I am so glad we have it because. . . you never know. During the presentation about the vault I couldn't help but think of National Treasure. The next one should be called, Granite Mountain: The Book of Man. If you aren't a Mormon and the phrase "Book of Man" troubles you, just let it go. There's so much more [that is troubling] than that.

Another new thing I like is my Franklin Covey Julie Morgenstern edition planner. Boy, that's a long name for such a slender and stylish planner. I know that Franklin planners are pretty square and it has been many years since I have used one in earnest. Last year I took my cue from the style bloggers and used crafty little striped notebooks. But then I had all these notebooks to keep track of and still never knew what day it was. I am not a naturally-organized person. But I still like the idea of being organized and go through phases of obsession with it. So I'm on board with Morgenstern.

I also like the 640s in the library. That's the organization section. I am crazy about home organization books. I have been studying them lately to see how other people organize meals and laundry and the like. These routines interest me. I've gotten a few good ideas but usually I end up thinking, "Man, these people are lunatics." Some of them have thousands of index cards and label their puzzle pieces. They say you have to devote three hours per day to housework to keep up on it. Nuts to that!

I like visiting pet stores. When my kids were home for Christmas break we went to Petsmart for hamster food. Then we almost adopted two cats. Then we used my iPhone to find all the pet stores in Utah county and we went to them. What my kids don't know is that if they simply would have begged me for a dachshund I would have gotten them one. But they are so into cats. Sick cats that can't be adopted for two weeks. That doesn't seem like a good idea, does it? I am afraid telling you that I like visiting pet stores makes me sound gross. It is gross.

I love Mythbusters. Were it not for the aforementioned writers' strike I might never have noticed this show. I love the enthusiasm of Adam and the specific expertise of Jamie. Want to bust an underwater myth? That's great because Jamie's a certified dive master. Adam and Jamie are a collective room of requirement for mythbusting. They are super smart and Adam's actually quite hot when he has his hair buzzed. I have this sinking feeling that loving Mythbusters is a little like loving pet stores, but I gotta be me.

And finally, I like Diet Coke. I like it because it is a tasty treat. I like it because it is relatively inexpensive. I like it especially with Chinese food. I don't drink coffee, so I can't take coffee breaks. Instead, I take a refreshing Diet Coke break. (Otherwise I might go and go and go--maybe for even three hours straight!) I have no plans to give up caffeine in 2008. Why should I? I mean besides uterine fibroids?