I have this theory that it’s easier to get to know someone by hearing their likes and dislikes than just about any other way – well, except for asking that classic question, “John, Paul, George, or Ringo?” So here’s some of mine, in no particular order.

Likes: snarky movies . . . surprise endings . . . sick jokes . . . dogs . . . getting my way . . . new restaurants . . . old friends . . . Pepsi . . . sleeping . . . quilting . . . cozy British mysteries . . . cooking . . . finding the perfect gift . . . being able to afford the perfect gift . . . not finding out they already have the perfect gift . . . traveling, except unpacking . . . Mini Coopers . . . deep belly laughs in little kids . . . the poems of Ogden Nash . . . Katharine Hepburn . . . people who “do” Katharine Hepburn . . . exercise, especially jumping to conclusions, leaping before I look, blowing things out of proportion, and running behind . . . curling up with a good book in one hand and a dachshund on my stomach . . . new fabric . . . Monty Python’s Flying Circus . . . finishing . . . hugs . . . funny cards . . . smart men . . . bagels . . . sons.

Dislikes: only knowing a half-dozen words of the song that’s stuck in my head . . . stupid commercials . . . accidentally killing houseplants . . . math . . . rude people . . . traffic jams . . . losing . . . that I just had it five minutes ago and now, where is it? . . . missing the first ten minutes of a movie . . . people who tell you how the book ends . . . unpacking . . . airplanes . . . kids shrieking in restaurants . . . rap . . . misspelled words in public places . . . the way wet dogs smell . . . spam . . . Spam™ . . . bad books . . . personalized license plates that don’t make sense . . . that Watership Down turned out to be about a bunch of rabbits. . . getting lost even with Mapquest and a GPS . . . head colds . . . hypocrites . . . Brussels sprouts.