




Rumor has it Oprah won't be airing her annual "Favorite Things" episode this year. In hopes of filling the void, here are mine:
1. Stewart Copeland
Recently, Netflix sent me "Everyone Stares: The Police Inside and Out", a documentary made by Copeland during the Police's early 1980s world tour. The IMDB reviewer who complained that Copeland's "gee-whiz" narration nearly destroyed the film is dead on, but that didn't stop me from developing a strong affinity for him and the band. He may not be the coolest rocker out there, but his energy is infectious. And when he was 28 he had some damn fine legs! As I told my pal Josh, I think the Police may be my next great musical crush. Three decades later than everyone else. Go figure.
2. "Let My Love Open the Door" (Slow version) by Pete Townshend
I heard a slowed down version of this song while at BBB this morning. I don't know if they were listening to Pandora or just someone's iPod, but I can't find this version on iTunes for the life of me. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, drop me a line!
Let My Love Open The Door (acoustic) - Pete Townshend
3. Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake
Just finished this for the po-co fiction book club. I can't get over what an amazing story teller Lahiri is! Favorite part, for those who read it: Gogol's memory of walking to the lighthouse with his father. In that moment I came to fully appreciate Lahiri's narrative style.
4. Oxycodone with Tylenol
Sure, having that fibroid removed was its own reward, but I don't wish to ignore the gift of post-operative pharmaceutical care. I spent the better part of Saturday and Sunday in a pleasant state of semi-consciousness as my uterine and abdominal muscles fused back together. The pain was real, but a distant concern for much of the time thanks to the prescribed painkillers. Sensibly, my physician only gave me 16 tablets, all of which I consumed. I'm also thankful that there were no refills. I can see how people get hooked on these pills (I'm looking at you Rush)! I'm now relying on Advil to ease the discomfort I presently feel. Goodbye "Hillbilly Heroin", it was fun while it lasted!
5. Community charity
Today I went to the community pantry to see what I could donate in advance of the Thanksgiving rush. The people working there were really busy (the rush had already begun), but they took the time to brainstorm what they needed: cereal, cake mix, stuffing? Whatever! So I went to the grocery store and picked up a modest supply of all of the above. When I returned with the goods, they didn't shower me with praise or thanks, they just accepted the donation and asked me to sign my name to the registry of donors. When I did, I saw what others had contributed in the last two days: Hundreds and hundreds of dollars in cash and food. The Pantry may not be able to give out turkeys this Thanksgiving (sadly), but they are still kept in operation by community charity. This makes me very thankful.


