Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1) Discount Tire
Of all the boring, middle aged things I have featured in this post, this might be the most boring and middle aged. In fact, it is almost untrue. It is hard to “like” anything pertaining to car tires since they are only noticeable when something goes wrong and spending any money on them feels like being politely robbed. However, it is for this reason that I *like* Discount Tire. When one has gone through the larcenous process of purchasing tires, the last thing one wants to do is hand over more money to the ruffians for maintenance. And so it is that I find myself in a long-term, slightly manipulative, not altogether heathy relationship with Discount tire for the sake of free, timely, and effective tire maintenance which they offer to anyone who purchases from them. On top of this, their staff is well-trained and polite and their waiting areas are generally clean and unoffensive. So do I really *like* this business? On the scale of necessary evils, yes.
2) DeWalt Cordless Electric Chainsaw
Context is important. I live in a 15 year old suburban neighborhood with no mature trees. My need for a chainsaw and my opportunity to do any real cutting is minimal. My need for a proper, high powered gas chainsaw is even less. However, when a historic ice storm blows through Tennessee and knocks down trees all over the city, a chainsaw is a right neighborly thing to have. And it is fun. So I got one–a reasonable one. And let me tell you, it helped me be a good neighbor and have some good fun too. (And I got free firewood out of the deal.) I like DeWalt power tools. I find them reliable and not overly pricey. The batteries are interchangeable with other tools (leaf blowers, weed eaters, etc.) The saw i s light weight and can handle some heavy duty cutting. I would recommend getting ,multiple batteries because they do tend to run down quickly if you are working them hard. And if your spouse wonders why you need one of these, just remind them that we are called to love our neighbors, and sometimes that means chainsawing.
3) Do You Know What it Means? performed by Ellis Marsalis
Ellis Marsalis is a legendary jazz pianist and the father of Wynton and Branford Marsalis, both jazz icons in their own right. Ellis was a major influence and mentor for Harry Connick Jr., another of my favorites. The Marsalis family is from New Orleans and deeply rooted in that rich Jazz history, so it is only fitting to feature a song about the very place that formed Ellis.
