Typewriters
Radio, both airwaves and streaming
Books
Dmitri Hvorostovsky

I, too, have a thing for the National Parks! Hoping to get a stamp or two in our passport this weekend.

Potatoes
Brunettes
Sunglasses
Color
Lip gloss

Archaeology magazine
Old books
Bags (purses, tote bags, backpacks, etc.)
Birds (I have ADD when it comes to birds flying by)
Vin Diesel

Mozart
Chocolate
Desk gadgets
Smooth stones
Book stores
Jewelry
Pillows
Warm fuzzy things like blankets and slippers
Russell Crowe
Lord of the Rings

And perfume
And Brahmin handbags

And black and white photography
And Matisse and Cezanne

Old travel posters
Boots
Mildly scratchy sounds and textures
Long, fast walks
Fireplaces

stationery.

I used to have a thing for watches. But that one has dissipated. I have a Citizen watch that charges from the light that it receives on its dial, synchronises automatically by radio with an atomic clock and is water proof. There's no improving from there.

I also used to have a thing for physical books. I have nice 2nd hand editions of Poe, Couperus, Huysmans, Casanova, Joyce, Proust, Hamsun, Lowry etc etc. But at this stage I'm mostly thinking of how I'll donate the best parts of this to my daughter. In 11 yrs when she'll go to university f.i. (ice & weather serving*)

Then there's my former passion for fountain pens. I have some nice Japanese fountain pens as a result. And a black green Pelikan just because I learned to write with one of those.
At some point I was ready to admit to myself that I don't write that much by hand. And if I did one fountain pen would be enough. And that fountain would not really need to have a gold nib.

Currently I'm intrigued (current tense of 'obsessed') with saxophones from the 1970s. That's before the world wide attrition of saxophone manufacturers due to Japanese cheaper alternatives. I could go on and on about the small shops from France, Germany (East & West), Czech Republic, the US...

When it comes to people I currently have a thing for Alice Eve. Yes, I'll admit to having a thing for upper middle class educated pretty women.


* 'ijs en weder dienende' is the very Dutch version of 'God willing' 'Insjallah' etc. It used to be the standard clause for ice skating events: if ice and weather will serve us. I.e. if everything goes well.

Animals - especially homeless ones in need. I want to take them all home.

Trees
Rocks
Sand dollars
U2
Irish writers
Print magazines
Letterpress cards
Coats made of beautiful fabrics
Nail polish