Sounds I Like:
1.) The sound of a piano. (most piano music has a calming and relaxing effect on me)
2.) The sound of the Iowa countryside during spring and summertime. (birds chirping, insects making noise etc...)
3.) The ticking of a clock. (especially grandfather clocks that chime on the hour)
4.) The hard crunch sound of heavy metal being played on a guitar. (especially rhythm guitar)
5.) Anytime a furnace kicks on in winter. (that'll put me right to sleep)
6.) The crackling of a campfire.
7.) Thunder
Sounds I hate:
1.)
Leaf blowersJack mentioned these and I couldn't agree more. I live right across the street from a Wells Fargo bank and every morning, this guy uses a leaf blower around their entire property. Even when he's on the other side of the bank, I can still hear that damn thing.
It wouldn't be so bad but he's there like clockwork at 6am and the leaf blower he uses is one of the noisiest ones I've ever heard. You'd think I'd be used to it after living here for almost 4 years but I'm not. Whenever he uses it, I have to shut the window and even then, I can
still hear it.
2.)
Loud motorcyclesI live downtown in a highrise apartment building. My building is surrounded by other tall buildings and there is a stop light four stories down from my window. Because of that, these idiots on Harleys and crotch rockets feel the need to stomp on the accelerator when that light turns green. Their bike's engine noise reverberates among the tall buildings which makes the racket ten times louder. They all obviously get a kick out of it because during the warmer months, it happens all day, every day. I can usually sleep soundly but those motorcycle engines wake me up almost every damn time.
I love winter months because no one rides motorcycles and I can actually get a solid 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
3.)
People who talk loudly on cell phones I refuse to believe that they're having a hard time hearing the person on the other end. I think they talk loudly because they have low self esteem and want other people to hear them talking so they give the impression that they're important and have a lot of friends.
4.)
Idiot children on Xbox LiveMost of the younger kids who play on Xbox Live are decent and tolerable. But every now and then you'll run into some kid with voice higher than a girl's who will not shut the f**k up! He talks incessantly and even sings into the mic. These types of kids are almost universally reviled by most gamers. Thank God Xbox Live has a MUTE feature!
5.)
Sirens late at nightKiller Bees mentioned this and I totally agree. Living downtown and near a hospital, I hear sirens all the time. I've learned to tune 99% of them out. What I don't get are the ambulance, police car and fire truck drivers who feel the need to blare those sirens and horns at 3am. There will be NO traffic at all and they'll have those sirens at full blast.
6.)
The sound of my building manager's voiceThe woman who manages the building I live in is an elderly lady and her voice is one of the most grating I've ever heard. Imagine Fran Drescher at 70+ years old and you'll have a good idea of what she sounds like.