Things I Love

1. My children. Most of the time.

2. The fact that the Bojangles down the street from my house has a sanitation grade of 100.

3. The TV show "House M.D.", whose lead character Greg House, M.D. is played by the brilliant Hugh Laurie, whose birthday, incidentally, is the same as mine. This is not coincidence.

4. America's Next Top Model. I was on that show once. Only it wasn't called America's Next Top Model then. It was called America's Next Top Drag Queen.

5. Anything resembling a book.

6. The Lord of the Rings. I'm one of those freaks who loves this trilogy so much that I actually have J.R.R. Tolkien's initials tattooed on my arm, along with a phrase in Elvish written in Bilbo Baggins's handwriting. Yes. I did that. And no, it had nothing to do with the movie, although they were fabulous. I read this book for the first time when I was 7 years old, and have not put it down since. It's what I'm reading when I'm in between other books.

7. The movie Dead Poets Society. If you haven't seen this movie, don't ever speak to me again because we simply cannot coexist in the same galaxy.

8. Carolina basketball. (Please see list of Things I Hate for information on Brandan Wright deciding to put his name in the NBA draft and not return to UNC next year.)

9. Dooce.com. The author of this blog/website, Heather Armstrong, is a gem among women.

10. My Sesame Street blanket that was made for me by my great-grandmother as a baby gift for my mother, and with which I still sleep at 27 years of age. This is a subject of many "jokes" from those close to me.

11. The Pittsburgh Steelers. Though I have never been to Pittsburgh and should probably be a fan of the Carolina Panthers, the Steelers have a pretty sweet football team.

12. Mr. Mike's Used Books, a lovely store about five minutes away from my house where I can buy used books for two or three dollars.

13. Candles.

14. The fact that I have never and will never pay for a toothbrush.