I like to read but don't have much time these days. I do read novels when I fly on airplaines and since I do that fairly frequently, I have time to read a bit.
I don't have a favorite author but if I had to name one it would probably be John Steinbeck. I have read most of his novels and non-fiction works. I also read most of the books Herman Hesse wrote. I also enjoy reading anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. One of my goals is to be able to read his books in Spanish because I am sure I miss much with the translation.
I enjoy works by the south Florida locals: Carl Hiassen, Dave Barry, Edna Buchannan, Les Standiford.....They have so much material to draw from. "Naked Came the Manatee" is an example of how good all of them are.
I love mysteries and have read all the "alphabet books" by Sue Grafton, and many by Sara Paretsky, Patricia Cornwell, Michael Connelly, Nelson deMille, Trevian, David Lindsey and others I can't quite remember.
Barbara Kingsolver is a wonderful author and I really enjoy her books. They remind me of my youth and growing up in the west.
Although this is a bit out of place, it seems to belong here. I read Tropic Magazine from cover to cover. If I was unable to read it any given week, I saved them and read them when I could. Tropic was definitely the finest weekly publication in Miami and I was sad when I learned the Hearld was going to kill it. I read this quote somewhere: "Loved by its readers and killed by its parents." So sad, but true. Unfortunately we probably have the worst newspaper for any large metropolitan city in the country. I spent part of my sabbatical leave in Washington DC and New York City -- the Washington Post and the New York Times are real newspapers. The Miami Herald is evidence that corporations can sell lots of advertising space.
I love watching movies, but don't have enough time to watch the ones I want to. I saw Traffiic and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon most recently. I enjoyed Three Kings, Eyes Wide Shut, the new Star Trek movie, and Shakespeare in Love. I really love off the wall movies that include: Leolo, Antonia's Line, Babe, Gal Young Un, Repo Man, Smoke, Eraserhead..... I have a movie list that includes movies I want to see -- I think there are more than 350 movies on this list. My philosophy on film is pretty simple -- the weirder the better.
I like all kinds of music and will try anything once. I don't like music that is too negative (gansta rap, some new alternative groups) or too sappy (Celine Dion). I still listen to some of the "moldy oldies" I listened to when I was a teenager (Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Carol King, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Traffic ) but have also expanded my horizons to newer music. Some of my favorites include (in no particular order):
Matchbox 20, Nil Lara, Mary Karlzen, Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, Sister Hazel, Gin Blossoms, Joan Osborne, Garbage, Collective Soul, Mercedes Sosa, Silvio Rodriguez, Hootie and the Blowfish, Counting Crows, Asleep at the Wheel, The Seldom Scene, The Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Days of the New, Concrete Blonde, Cowboy Junkies, Sheryl Crow, Dog'e Eye View, Cyndi Lauper, Edwin McCain, Maria McKee, Sarah McLachlan, Live,The Goods, Paul Winter, Indigo Girls, Rusted Root, Flaco Jimenez, Ry Cooder, Jim Wurster, Marc Cohn, Faith Hill, Willie and Lobo, Mana, Shakira, Gilberto Gil........
LIKES (in no particular order):
strong coffee - whole wheat bread - imported beer (especially Czech, Irish, and Mexican) - dry red wine (from California & Chile) - ice cream - blue licorice - red swedish berries - Mexican food - south Florida in the winter - speaking Spanish - flying in first or business class - the tropics -- anywhere, anytime - sleeping - swimming - the pool at the NMC, especially in long course mode - the pool at MDCC Kendall Campus, especially in the summer - miniature donkeys - cats - dogs (especially puppies) - birdwatching (especially without binoculars) - road trips - cooking - movies - driving in California - dim sum - thai food (Siam Lotus Room in South Miami and Thai Kitchen in North Miami) - sushi (Miyakos in Kendall/Pinecrest is wonderful) - berry pie - photography - spring wildflowers in the west - trapping gophers - morpho butterflies - the local section of the Miami Hearld - parrots - some TV (The Practice, ER, Law & Order, Third Watch) - Hurricane Football - National Public Radio (Car Talk, Science Friday, Talk of the Nation, Fresh Air) - FIU Women's Basketball
DISLIKES (in no particular order, but the driving thing probably ranks first):
Driving in South Florida -- especially: folks that do not signal their intentions, folks driving 40 in the far left lane, folks pulling up to the toll booth exact change line and waving a dollar bill around hoping a turnpike attendant will make change, folks getting on the turnpike with no money at all, folks that get in the SUNPASS only lane without a transponder or a clue, folks that only use their rear-view mirrors to put on their makeup or check out the hair, folks that drive on the shoulder of the Palmetto to get 3 cars ahead of their merge point, people in different cars that talk to each other in their cars on the Palmetto or 836 or any other roadway where the speed limit exceeds 15 mph, the three lane sweep across Dixie Highway or Tamiami Trial to make a right or left turn, folks talking, eating, reading while behind the wheel, folks that slow down to talk on the cell phone, folks that come to a complete stop to make a right-hand turn, driver's ed in the parking lots (go figure!). The driving thing could go on forever -- I have seen someone eating food from a bowl with a spoon while driving here, reading the newspaper while commuting on US 1 in the morning, there is always something, unfortunately these folks could cause serious accidents that might injure innocent people!!!
Perfectly healthy people that use the handicap access button instead of opening a door themselves - Perfectly healthy people that take the elevator instead of walking the stairs - Laziness - Whining - Abuse of animals, children, spouses - Brussel Sprouts - Being Sick - Meetings - Paperwork - Waiting in Line - Incompetence