SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS:
1. Dogs. Especially mine of course. Roxie the Beloved. Also, all golden retrievers, as well as small cuddly pups with long fur and huge eyes. I also love Bernese Mountain Dogs and Australian Shepherds for their coats. They’re lotsa fun to hike with.
2. The Bernese Oberland in Switzerland (where, of course, said mountain dogs live). We went hiking there every summer for nine years with friends and were blissful. The Swiss Alps are the most exquisite spots on the planet, I’m sure. Norwegian fjords are second.
3. Lasagna. It has my favorite ingredients: melty cheese, ground meat, noodles, and tomato sauce. When they’re blobbed together, they’re sublime.
4. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. I once had the blessed chance to sing in the chorus at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic when I lived in NYC and sang with the Collegiate Chorale. It felt like the ceiling would lift off from the audience’s thundering applause. I was sure God was somewhere in the audience.
5. West Wing. We’re watching it for the third time, and never get tired of it. The most gorgeous writing and superb acting. Until very recently, I always fantasized that Martin Sheen (AKA President Jed Bartlet) would someday be our president. Especially when Republicans were in office.
6. British actors: Ian McKellen, Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Gary Oldman, Helen Mirren, and Mark Rylance.
7. American actors (and singers): Jean Smart, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Josh Groban.
8. Robin Williams. I once saw him in a restaurant wearing a wild black and white sports coat. As he was headed to the bathroom I commented on his jacket; he stopped walking and did 8 minutes of hilarious comedy just for me about the jacket.
9. Beef ribs. Especially with no sauce or anything drippy on them. Very thick and medium rare.
10. The Noel Coward comedy, PRESENT LAUGHTER. The National Theatre Live production starred Andrew Scott and every minute is uproarious.
11. MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING, by Victor Frankl. I reread it every few years.
12. Kamala Harris’ smile and laugh. Also her pant suits.
13. Long, straight, blond hair on women, with several different shades and streaks, but only if they’re subtle.
14. Fireplaces with real logs, hot tubs, mushy couches, squishy pillows, huge beds with puffy quilts.
15. Champagne, Moscow mules, vodka gimlets, skinny margaritas, pisco sours.
16. John Denver’s Annie’s Song.
17. $5.00 roast chicken from CostCo.
18. Commentators on MSNBC. Especially Rachel Maddow.
19. My nine safaris to East and South Africa and my favorite creatures -- giraffes. I would hop on a plane tomorrow if somebody would buy me a ticket. Thank you in advance…
20. Time Heals Everything by Jerry Herman from Mack & Mabel; Losing My Mind by Stephen Sondheim from Follies.
21. A Gentleman in Moscow, the novel and tv series.
22. Everything Sondheim wrote. But especially Sweeney Todd, my favorite Broadway show. And the magical song, Not While I’m Around. “Nothing’s gonna harm you, not while I’m around.”
23. Facebook. It’s the best way to keep up with distant friends and family in Baltimore or events coming up near me. I try to get Ina Garten’s and Stanley Tucci’s daily recipes on Facebook but can’t. I guess it’s a fraud.
SOME OF THE THINGS I HATE:
1. Republicans, beginning with Trump of course. Then going right through the alphabet, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Governors of red states. The few Republicans I like are Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, Adam Kinzinger, and that guy from Georgia.
2. The Supreme Court, except for the three female Democrats. Especially Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. But all the other Republicans, come to think of it, are equally disgusting.
3. Pencils of all kinds.
4. Liver, except for pate and chopped. Oxtail. Ugh!
5. Cilantro and all strong peppers.
6. Bodies covered in tattoos. I have a small round one, about the size of a 50-cent piece, on the inside of my right ankle; it’s green and a circle of the globe with three continents outlined in black. I got it when I became involved in the climate crisis. Most friends in my age group thought I was nuts.
7. Elon Musk. What can I even say about him?
8. Subways in New York. They’re complicated and scary, especially if you’ve seen all those movies where riders get arbitrarily murdered (which movies?). I can’t remember which ones.
9. The bus. I’ve never been on one in the 50 years I’ve lived in LA. But I’m sure I would loathe it.
10. Small purses with many compartments that still somehow never have enough room for all my purse needs.
11. Twitter, Tik Tok, or Reddit.
12. All game shows, except Jeopardy, and even that gets tedious.
13. Melanie Trump for continuing to stay with the monster.
14. Signs that say “Democrats for Trump.” It’s crazy making. I know, I know, what about the ones that say “Republicans for Harris”? That makes more sense, doesn’t it?
15. Driverless cars. I’m sure they’re out to get me. I gallop off the street whenever I see one coming.
16. Overcooked anything.
17. Noisy restaurants. I won’t go twice.
18. All technology that’s beyond simple whether it’s home or office.
19. AI. I’ll never use it and I hate that young students are using it instead of writing and studying. It’s a question of morality and personal principles. I never read anything that comes from AI.
20. All cats. Except for lions, cheetah and tigers.
Please feel free to add anything to either list.
MY MOTHER WOULD HATE THIS BOOK is now available in hardcover, paperback & eBook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or order through your local bookstore. https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Would-Hate-This-Book
“Marcia Seligson is one of the funniest, most original, and irreverent people I know, and her book carries all those qualities. She can make anything funny, from a Peloton bike to a 40-hour brisket cookery. And she can be touching, deep, and bracingly honest. My advice to readers is make sure you have unbroken time ahead when you pick up this book. Each time I did, intending to read for ten minutes, an hour went by before I looked up. And I’d laughed out loud at least twice.” Sara Davidson, Writer NY Times bestseller Loose Change, Head writer for Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
I certainly agree on 6, 12, 16 and 18, and the only Republicans we like. Nice piece, Marcia. Julie W.
It’s hilarious how different we are and how much I love you never-the-less (or perhaps because)! Maybe you could add me to the very short list of Republicans that you like? I hope so! X0 Pam