So Shando had a conversation with me yesterday about favorites. She was tagged a while back on doing a "favorites" blog entry and due to hospitalizations and pregnant ward members and a plethora of other Shando responsibility we have yet to get that blog together so here it is now.

When I started to make my own mental list of Shando's favorites I was having a hard time coming up with anything. Which is odd. Because we talk every day and I'm pretty aware of what annoys her and what doesn't - but I had to ask her "What do you actually really love?" And to be frank, her answers quite surprised me, in fact, I had no idea. So here goes:

We do not need to go into detail about this but near the top of the list is the aforementioned love of Tab: So we'll make it number 1.

Next up at number two is pregnancy & delivery. Shando will watch shows all day long about the pregnant and in her dream job she would be a nurse who helped deliver these women...(hmmm which makes me wonder if she's ever considered becoming a mid-wife or a dula? is that how you spell it? I don't even know - I really need to have some more substantive conversations with her obviously, what are we talking about for hours every day?)

Number three really surpised me:

Fishing
What?
This is what she told me first thing when I asked her about her favorites. fishing When I got over my surprise and asked her Really? Why? Do you know what she said? Because they're free.

So number 4 should come as no surprise: Gardening

That's right, she said gardening. Does she have a garden? I've known her for 12 years now and a garden isn't something I've ever seen in her yard. She claims this may happen when she's an old lady. She also claims she grew some fabulous tomatoes from her porch when she lived in Flagstaff (bear in mind this was around 18 years ago). Again, I was quite surprised. Want to know what gardening and Fishing have in common? They are both foods you can get for free.

5. Speaking of free. One thing of note here is that Shando is not a big fan of clothes. I'm not going to say too much about this but you should never show up at her door with the expectation that people are going to be dressed. I think she imagines this is how it is at everyone's home. She thinks you will know not to expect them to be dressed. By way of warning...just sayin'.

Also on our list #6 : Rain

Now I know she loves rain. We fight about this frequently. I am no fan of the rain. I love the sun. But I did not fully realize one of the reasons for this love of the rain until this conversation about favorite things. It's free water.

#7

Shan loves nothing more than to buy her Life & Style on a friday and settle in for the evening with her magazine and a Tab. It's mindless. It's cheap entertainment. It makes us feel better that even though celebrities have fame and money and sometimes talent and looks
and other perks like maids and a laundress and a personal cook, they also have problems and this may seem petty, or even meanspirited but really, it is just reassuring.

Also, this is nearly free information. And information is power - or so Shando tells me all the time.

8.

make no mistake - Shando does not advocate drug abuse. Vicodin requires a prescription and should never be taken unless under a doctors direction and care. However, it's fabulous. Just sayin'. (also not bad if combined with the Tab and Life & Style combination above)

You know I started thinking about this list of favorites and I realized something about Shando I had never before realized. Put all of those things in a blender and what do you get? It's not obvious but I think you'll agree that you get some combination of this:

Rain+Free = Hippies at Woodstock

Ditto Here - And you know combine the ideas of free food, gardening in particular (remember the earlier mention of Flagstaff and tomatoes? I went to the 4th of July parade in Flagstaff once - there was a plentitude of hippy free love everywhere) -earthiness (midwife or dula anyone?), drugs, nakedness...I think Shando is a closet Hippy.
Who knew?

Peace BABY!

In light of this I think she might have to give up the Tab though - especially in light of this commercial from the 1970s for Tab - it's anti-thesis of Shando's hippy ideal. Watch at your own risk, it might make you want to stab any male in the vicinity :