So There

"My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music." - Vladimir Nabokov

Several months ago, I rammed through a tiny book called "My Pet Peeves" while browsing in a book store with my wife. I might or might not have been feeling grouchy that day but I clearly recall reading the Nabokov entry above, laughing out loud, and immediately reading it to  my wife. I gleefully pointed out the "soft music" part of Nabokov's pet peeve to her while thinking - good enough for Vlad, good enough for Pat. So there. And I was sure our thirty eight year battle about the phrase "background music" being an oxymoron had been decisively won with me the undisputed and supercilious victor. So there, again.

So imagine my delight when my oldest niece gave this same little gem of a book to me as a Christmas present. Soon after reading Nabokov's words to my wife a second time, I did a victory lap around our living room and then cranked up Pandora to full volume. So there - the hat trick. Admittedly not my finest moment, but no less sweet for that.

But as wonderful as that moment was for despicable me, I knew this minuscule volume deserved a permanent place in our library when my wife discovered an equally snarky quote by David Foster Wallace that she immediately loved: "We are the Few, the Proud, the Appalled at Everyone Else." See how she and I were meant for each other?