THE REINVENTION OF JAMES - What I Like

I like stuff.

I like to write when inspired.

I like to discover new things.

I like to share my discoveries with others.

I like the joy I see in someone’s face when they have experienced the delight I have come to know.

I like wine, beer, food and the challenge of pairing them.

I like travel and variety, exploring.  Napa, Tahiti, Vegas, Portland, Spain, (insert new destination here).

I like spending time with Nina, she is the best.

I like collecting and organizing (that’s the geek in me).

I like the media, radio, TV, film (that’s what my Dad left me).

I like the Opie & Anthony Radio program

I like to talk, I like to listen, but I prefer the talking part.

I like to counsel, I like to advise, I like to share my experiences, my mistakes in hopes that others will not repeat them.   

I like to take care of people (This is from Mom)

I like to play a part. I like to play a role. I like to take the lead at times.

I like comedy when it’s funny and I fancy myself a funny person.

I like my personality, my sense of humor, my charm and I hope others are not just playing along when they seem to like it too.

I like games but I don’t like the time they take away from me; does this mean I don’t like games?

I like the people around me and I like the fact that there are times that when I am in a group of people that may not be good for me that I have the wisdom to recognize it and change course.

I like the idea of living in a small town but need a big city from time to time.

I like to matter.  I like to make a difference.  I like to get credit for my successes.

I like to brew beer.  I like when someone likes what I have brewed.

I like to review.  I like to share my opinion and I believe my opinion is valuable and others consider it.

I like to demystify things.  I like to make plain those topics that due to their complexity scare people.

I like it when I provide a wine recommendation and it results in someone reaching beyond their comfort zone and opens their eyes to possibilities.

I like the day I discovered Bootleggers Knuckle Sandwich DIPA.

I like the day I introduced my brother to Bootleggers Knuckle Sandwich DIPA.

I like the three months I spent in Napa studying wine at the CIA, dreaming about the future making good friends, living what became WINE LIFE.

I like Oregon. I like my family in Oregon. I like spending time in Oregon, but I like California too.

I like Oregon beer.  I like the idea of distributing Oregon beer down to Southern California and I hope one day to know the steps to take to make this happen.

I like money, not in terms of hoarding but in terms of what it can get me.

I like gambling but not to the point it gets boring, and it does.

I like road trips (like Huell Howser did) but I don’t like commuting.             

I like the idea of reading this list of likes in an Andy Rooney voice.

I like the NFL and the Raiders and even though I may complain about those who judge me for being a member of the RaiderNation I love the controversy. 

I like staying up late when I am busy doing things but I like getting enough sleep.

I like the fact that this list is only a partial list of my likes and I could go on forever...

Listening to my Sixth Sense

Some people call it intuition, some think they are psychic, some think that there is an angel looking over them or a message from a loved one who has passed. I am not sure what it is but it seems that lately my sixth sense has taken over.

So I am in Las Vegas and I am walking through the Casino and before I sit down at a table I know whether I will win or lose. It's when I don't listen to my sixth sense that I lose because every time it told me to play I won. It's uncanny and I didn't have to be drunk for it to speak to me.

For example:
I was playing a version of Texas Hold'em that my buddies like at the Hard Rock Casino and just had a bad feeling about it. The dealers were cool, the game is fun and we were having a good time but the bad feeling persisted. I lost $100 very quickly so I left the table. My buddy Erik left at the same time and I asked if he wanted to play some blackjack and we walked to the blackjack tables. None seemed like the place to sit but then I passed by a craps table it was as though the Nubian Queen dealer was beckoning me to play. I ignored it at first because I don't like to play craps unless there is a low limit but after a second pass around the casino and a second come hither look I was taken in. It was a blast and I won more than the $100 I had lost at the other table.

This kept happening to me, whether it was the table I was sitting at or the seat at the table I was sitting at I knew whether it was in the cards (or dice) for me to win. Next time I will listen to my sixth sense.