And it's six from me

This one comes from Heart in San Francisco and rather than tag, she just suggested that if you want to do it, please do so and let her know. So, I am doing it and following her number meme theme, in this one the consideration revolves around the number 6.

SIX GUILTY PLEASURES NO ONE WOULD SUSPECT ME OF HAVING

1. When alone or even in company, I sing. I sing all the time. I don’t know if it’s an OC tendency, or just that I like singing. The only difference is, I tend to sing obscure songs (like Muleskinner Blues and Mairzy Doats) and songs identified with women, like My Guy. This used to piss my ex-wife off because she thought it made me sound gay. I ignored her. Everything pissed her off.
2. I eat ice cream mid-evening virtually every evening. Usually vanilla, but ‘good’ vanilla.
3. Being a contrarian because I detest being told what to do. I get inwardly very angry if somebody is trying to control me. I am a decent and law-abiding citizen, but if somebody is just throwing his or her weight around then I am most unimpressed and I just damn well won’t ‘play’ if I see no reason to. I think this goes back to unfortunate schooldays experiences. Most bad things do.
4. Getting crushes. I am very happily married and resolutely faithful, but I am still susceptible to schoolboy crushes on certain females.
5. Very foul-mouthed when angry. Not much of an admission for a former English teacher but I don’t believe God would have given us the F-word if he didn’t want us to use it at appropriate times. And, at such times, loggers and stevedores could probably pick up some new expressions from me.
6. I detest vulgarity for the sake of vulgarity. I don’t find crudity or baseness diverting or amusing. But – if a gag is really funny, regardless of profane nature, then I am all-agog to hear or see it. I think I am tasteful, but not a prude. Bawdiness, on the other hand, I love.

SIX GUILTY PLEASURES I WISH I HAD THE COURAGE TO INDULGE

1. Scuba. Wendy has scuba certification, I don’t. I love snorkelling, but have never gotten around to doing it. I don’t know if fear deters me.
2. Chucking it all and heading out on the road or to sea and just see where life takes us.
3. Learning either the piano or another language. In this one I have to convince myself that it is never too late to gain mastery of something appealing. Do I have the self-discipline? I don’t know.
4. Going up the Amazon by boat. Not a little canoe, but a nice air-conditioned boat.
5. Overcoming my fear of heights. It’s not exactly crippling, but it certainly thwarts my pleasure when I have to deal with certain chunks of geography that are otherwise immensely appealing, like gazing down into Waimea Canyon (see photo) on Kauai.
6. To gain complete confidence in my writing, and damn any torpedoes that come my way. I mean, I have made a living in this wretched trade for 30 years, but I never approach it with complete confidence in my skills.

SIX PLEASURES I ONCE CONSIDERED GUILTY BUT HAVE EITHER ABANDONED OR MADE PEACE WITH

1. Coffee: I love it and am not in any way motivated to give it up regardless of what new boneheaded finding ‘scientists’ come up with. Screw them. I needs me my caffeine and I’m shameless about it.
2. Alcohol: I used to love to drink, socially, affably. I was a fine connoisseur of good wines, single malt scotches and cognacs. But then I decided, over a decade ago, that I loved it far too much. It was an escape and it was costly. So, I stopped. I miss it not at all. Never even think about it.
3. Spending money on expensive travels: I have spent a lot over the years to go to far away places with strange sounding names. But, then I asked myself if I regret having spent so much in that regard. I realize that I have no regrets at all. I love travelling. I do believe it’s broadening and increases tolerance at many levels. I can tell immediately when I am conversing with somebody who hasn’t traveled, and I believe it diminishes them.
4. Missing my stepdaughter. At one time I thought it was a pointless exercise and that she had treated me grossly unfairly. Having communicated with her a year ago (finally, after many years) I learned that she believes she had her reasons. I don’t necessarily accept her reasons, but they are her own and I’m good with them. Acceptance is the key.
5. Not hesitating to confront people who litter, who let their dogs crap on my lawn or on footpaths, and who spit (yuck – double yuck if they are girls). I say not hesitating, but it does depend to a degree on how big they are. I’m not a fool.
6. Unhesitatingly offering my seat on public transit to a female, or always permitting her to proceed through a doorway before me, rising when a female enters a room, and all those old niceties are who I am. I am unapologetic about this. If this is an affront to somebody’s feminist impulses, then so be it. I like old-school manners and am not about to change.

If you want to do this meme, you're tagged. No pressure. But if you do, please let me know so I won't miss it.