A few of my favorite things (raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens … )

Jerry Trupiano’s “way back!”

Genesis before Peter Gabriel left (“There’s Winston Churchill dressed in drag, he used to be a British flag, plastic bag, what a drag” – Supper’s Ready).

Peter Gabriel after he left Genesis (“Confessing all the secret things in the warm velvet box, to the priest, he’s the doctor, he can handle the shocks” – Mercy Street).

Youth softball games that end up 23-23 and one of the teams doesn’t have a hit.

The Remdog – one of baseball’s best analysts.

Dave Barry – who has turned intelligent sarcasm into a science.

Tony Kornheiser – his columns, radio show and TV show are equally entertaining.

Dan Jenkins – invented the phrase “catcher’s mitt” to describe chicken-fried steak and wrote “Fast Copy,” the best novel ever written about newspaper people.

Steve Miller – who will go to his grave as the only person who knows what “the pompatus of love” means.

Youth soccer played by 6-year-olds. They’re too young to have developed strategy, so the entire game is played with a huddle of kids moving around the field with the ball in the middle of the huddle.

Cirque du Soleil – see it once and you’re hooked.

John McEnroe in a rage.

Jimmy Connors in a rage.

Either one of them beating Bjorn Borg.

The crew of The Enterprise defeating the Borg.

Willie Mays’ basket catch.

Larry Bird improvising.

Joe Montana with two minutes remaining in the game, trailing and with the ball on his own 15.

Johnny Unitas’ high tops.

Fudgesicles.

A Michael Connelly novel with Harry Bosch.

Big ‘Un Darly, a Dan Jenkins character, a sportswriter who once began a game story with the following lede:

“Claybelle won the toss and chose to receive.”

The shock in colleague and good guy Tom Chard’s face when Bangor beat Cheverus for the Class A boys basketball state championship.

Covering the WMSGA state tourney and the candlepin world team championship.

Billy Crystal’s “61.”

Steely Dan’s “Hey 19.”

Three Dog Night’s “One.”

Neil Finn’s “7 Worlds Collide.”

Bangor Muni’s 16th hole.

Sam “Mayday” Malone’s stint as a TV sportscaster on Cheers.

The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.

The University of Alabama football team on NCAA probation.

Cosell calling a fight.

Paul Kariya with open ice.

The rib eye at Outback.

Texas hold ’em poker.

High school basketball.

Taking a drive down the coast. Any coast.

Movie thrillers that don’t make you sick to your stomach from all the gore. (I suggest “The Mothman Prophecy,” “Signs” and a 1950s B classic “The Curse of the Demon” with John Agar and the mother of all demons.)

Christopher Walken on “Saturday Night Live” as record producer Bruce Dickinson (“I’ve got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell.”).

This space.

(Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels…)

Don Perryman can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or dperryman@bangordailynews.net.