There is one thing on which we can all agree.
We have our favorites.
In that spirit I find it's time to take a short break from the rather heady topics we engage in each week and spend a few moments to simply embrace what Maria in "The Sound of Music" shares by singing, "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things."
Here are some of mine and I'd love to hear a few of yours.
- Food. Wow, this could take a while. First of all, I enjoy cooking. Not great, but I can navigate around a kitchen. My favorite dish to prepare is Shrimp and Mushroom Fettucine Alfredo. I take some liberties with sauteed garlic, onions, and spinach to taste. Some basic seasonings and that's it. There are many others, but this would be the one.
- Restaurant food. I love seafood buffets. My all-time favorite is the AYCE Buffet at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Unlimited lobster tails, crab legs and so much more. Match it up with about a gallon of melted butter and it's about as perfect as perfect can be.
- Cocktails. Yes, definitely yummy. Personally, I'm pretty basic. Vodka is my preference, and Tito's, Ketel One, Grey Goose and Belvedere are top of the list. I'm a on-the-rocks guy with three olives and that's it. Like I said, yummy!
- Non-alcoholic beverages. A well-proportioned Plantation Iced Tea is da bes'.
- Desserts. I'm not a big sweets guy but on occasion my favorite is Crème Brulee and/or Flan. Seems that a custard ranks as the favorite, but tiramisu is right on their heels.
Again, we all have ours, and I'll ask again, what are yours?
I love cars. And, no, I don't include electric vehicles. Sorry, just seems like a glorified golf cart. A real car is a combustion engine,6 - 8 cylinders, 300-plus horsepower and, well, I prefer European but there are just so many great vehicles.
- My favorite rides I've owned include my first car which was a 1968 Buick Skylark. I bought it myself with money earned from my high school grocery store job. It's the obvious sentimental favorite, but my numero uno ride was a 2013 Jaguar XK. It was a recent ride, and I still consider it my favorite. Unfortunately, my friends at Starkey's Auto Repair had it in their shop more than my garage, so the poignant yet necessary time came for me to say goodbye. Sigh.
- My favorite ride to own is the Maserati Quattroporte. It's an Italian beauty with a Ferrari engine and drivetrain and it would be black on black. I'll use the word yummy here too. Maybe someday.
We all have our favorites regarding entertainment. This could run the gamut from movies, TV shows, concerts and audio.
- My favorite movies. I've shared in this space previously that my No. 1 favorite film is "All That Jazz" starring Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfus. "The Godfather" series and the more recent film "Gladiator" starring Russell Crowe tops my list.
- My favorite TV show is also a recent entree. "Ted Lasso" starring Jason Sudekis and a stellar cast exemplifies the greatest components of acting, writing, storytelling, comedy/drama and engagement. Check it out!
- My favorite sit-com on television is "Frasier" but the last two seasons were disappointing in the same way the finales for "Seinfeld" and "Supernatural" were so anticlimactic. "Frasier" possesses the same qualities as "Ted Lasso" and all these years later is still absolute enjoyment.
- My favorite concert is a tie. In 1979 I had the chance to see "AC/DC" perform live at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago. Hit upon hit with a non-stop show of over two hours and it was incredible. I've been blessed to see The Eagles concert twice at The Sphere in Las Vegas, and the music combined with the art of visuals remains amazing.
- My favorite audio is the spoken word found in podcasts. There are a myriad of quality examples but my personal favorite is The Dan Patrick Show podcast. Dan is a former ESPN broadcaster who I believe is the complete package of talent, knowledge, supporting cast and, with his well-crafted format, delivers the best in entertainment.
There are so many aspects in our lives that qualifies as our favorites. The beauty of it all is there are no right or wrong answers, and those who are critical of your favorites would easily make my list of non-favorites.
So, enjoy and revel in what makes your lists of favorites. It's how we can find an essential balance while we navigate this thing called life.
Rick Hamada can be reached at rickhamada@aol.com.
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