I love...

I apologize.

So I'm hanging out with my friends on Friday, and the subject of this very Website came up. My good friend Marc (whose name you've seen here before), brought up that PJ's Place can more often than not be a source of negativity. "You always take about what you hate; what do you like?" was a question Marc asked. The sad thing was...I had to agree with him. In The Hobbit, Tolkien has an interesting bit of writing on how disappointing it is that things that are good and pure do not make enjoyable stories, but how things that are dangerous and scary do make good tales. There is more than some truth in this. I have always, however, been a believer in focusing on the positive. It's important to say and do good things, in order to encourage them to happen in the world. If everything you focus on is negative, then negative things will happen.

So here are things I like, or love. I hope you enjoy these things, as well, and if you've never experienced them, I hope you give them a shot.

^ I love my family. They're awesome, and I miss them every single day I don't get to see them.

^ I love basketball. I love playing it, watching professionals play it, watching kids play it, watching guys at the park play it, coaching it, watching it in person, watching it on TV, thinking about it. I love that fricking game.

^ I love candy. Thank you God for candy. Jolly Ranchers, Sour Patch Kids, Terry's Milk Chocolate Oranges, Starburst, M&Ms (peanut to eat; plain for cookies), Snickers, Heath bars, Adelaides (HOOOOOLIE shit people...I just found out while looking up the spelling for that word that you can build a box of Russell Stover candy online. And that you get free shipping for products over $30! See, good things are coming from being positive already!), orange sticks, chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, lemon and lime bars, brownies, lemon cake. Mmmmmm...

^ I love the movie Van Wilder. I watched it three times on Saturday, I swear to God. Wow. Maybe I shouldn't have told you that...

^ I love science fiction and fantasy. Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate, Dan Simmon's novels, Transformers, X Men, Batman, Superman, The Lord of the Rings, Stephen King, the first couple of seasons of the X Files, The Matrix. I love how it makes us wonder what we "know"; how it makes us dream of the future; how it makes us believe that we can all be something more; how we can escape to a world that is totally different from out own.

^ I love America, which is the greatest nation in the history of the planet Earth.

^ I love music. All kinds. I love R&B, I love pop, I love classical, I love rap, I love metal, I love rock, I love jazz, I love Frank, I love oldies, I love techno, and I even love some country. I love to dance. I love to sing, whether it's in the car on the way to work, in the shower, to my friends, or in a bar with the Karaoke Naze, or anyone else. I love to quote song lyrics to people.

^ I love working. Sure, there are days I don't want to clean the apartment (or whatever), and there are mornings (many) I wake up and don't want to get out of bed and go to the job, but I love the feeling of accomplishment, the satisfaction that my effort has meant something to me and/or the world around me. I love feeling like somehow, I've helped accomplish something good. Or at least tried to :-)

^ I love Mom jokes. Not as much as your Mom loves me, ____, because she loves me more often than I make Mom jokes, but I still love the Mom joke an awful lot.

^ I love to read. Sci Fi, fantasy, mysteries, biographies, short stories, comics, horror, whatever. I love to use my imagination, and reading inspires me to do that.

^ I love women. I love how you feel, I love how you smell, I love how different you are, I love how similar you are, I love how kind you are, I love how crazy you are, I love how you dress, I love how you shop, I love what you like. I love how you drive us crazy, I love how we couldn't be half the men we are without you there to inspire us, to drive us, to encourage us, to support us, to help us. I love giving you hugs, I love holding your hands, I love talking to you. I love my Mother and my Grandmothers.

^ I love God. Yep, I do believe in Him, and I do believe He loves us, and is looking out for us. And I love Him for everything He's done for all of us.

^ I love Nike Air Max, the greatest shoes ever. Thanks Phil!

^ I love men. ...okay, hopefully you're done laughing now. I love our camaraderie, I love our power, I love our sense of right and wrong, and honor, and dignity. I love the fun we have together. I love my Father, and I love my Grandfathers, and I love my brothers, and I love my best friend.

^ I love movies. I love comedies, like Super Troopers. I love action, like Indiana Jones. I love Sci Fi, like Star Wars. I love romance, like What Women Want. I love thrillers, like Ocean's 11. I love drama, like To Kill A Mockingbird. I love fantasy, like Willow. I love them all.

^ I love food. I love to eat it, I love to cook it. I like to try new things, I like to try to make new things. I love that exciting feeling that comes when you're about to eat, and you know it's going to taste SOOOO good. I love to create something that is going to cause that feeling in others. I love the feeling when you're done, and you get to enjoy that good meal.

^ I love my friends. I love how you all are always there for me, how you care about me, how you inspire me, how you give me new ideas and insight, how you give me shit, how you hold me in check. I love how you need me, and I love how I need you.

^ I love showers. I do my best thinking there. And it gets me clean clear through, and deoderized too.

^ I love love. I love being in it, I love seeing people in it. I love hearing people talking about it, I love thinking about it, I love watching people act about it. I love how it makes us all better people.

That's a start. I hope you have good feelings today, whether you read this or not. I'll try to stay more positive in the future.

:-)