Things We Love and Loathe

by Caren Crane

It's officially winter. Snow expected in the next few days, bitter cold wind blowing, bare trees and weak, pale sunshine. It's also time - okay, past time - to take down the Christmas decorations. I love to have them up and loathe taking them down. Which leads me to today's topic: Things We Love and Loathe.

These don't have to be big things, or even things that annoy or thrill others: just you. I'll give you some of my Loves and Loathes to kick things off:

LOVES

1. Baked Goods - Most all of them, really. I adore all of them, even if they're full of things I try to avoid, like white sugar, white flour and saturated fat. I especially love whole grain goodies, full of nuts and dried fruit and whatnot, but I also care greatly for their sinfully bad-for-you cousins. If it's baked, bring it on!


2. Warm Food on Cold Days - Chili, soup, casserole, pasta, oatmeal or a steaming bowl of grits. If it's warm and the temp outside is below 50 F, I want it!


3. Great Visual Entertainment - We stream so many Netflix movies and TV shows through our Roku that the poor thing should be paid overtime. The nice thing is, they have new content all the time! We watch it so much that we completely canceled our cable TV and got a digital antenna and receiver instead. Once we sign up for Hulu Plus, we'll be set for life!


4. Great Books - Whatever your preferred method of consumption - print or e-book, there is something out there for you. Again, new content all the time! A juicy read is a real find and something I savor like a fine wine.

LOATHES

1. Road Runners - Those annoying people who zip up merge lanes (or those that end in 100 ft) as if they are the only ones clever enough to have thought of doing it. Uh, no. Everyone else is simply courteous enough to go ahead and merge at the appropriate time. I also loathe the people who let the Road Runners merge after they pull this trick. By all means, encourage them!


2. Commercials - No matter how clever they are, I detest them popping up on TV and radio. All that video streaming and listening to non-commercial radio has ruined me! I want my entertainment uninterrupted. WORST OFFENDERS: Commercials AT THE MOVIE THEATER and, most recently, ON A DVD!! Quelle horreur!


3. Packaging - First off, most companies use far too much of it. Second, some of it is almost impenetrable. WORST OFFENDER: Those plastic containers molded around the product. There is no way to get them out short of a hacksaw or the jaws of life. Ack!

Okay, now it's your turn. Give us some of your loves and loathes. I'm always up for picking up a new bad habit and I love to reinforce someone that their pet peeve is really peeve-worthy. Bring them on!