def get_list(self, method="list", **kwargs):
        """ returns a key value list of items based on the specfied criteria

        """

        lg = logging.getLogger("%s.%s" % (self.ln, inspect.stack()[0][3]))
        lg.setLevel(self.log_level)

        args = inspect.getargvalues(inspect.currentframe())[3]
        lg.debug("\n****** Args *****:\n%s",
                 pp.pformat(args))

        es = kwargs.get("es",self.es)
        doc_type = get2(kwargs, "doc_type", self.doc_type)
        id_field = get2(kwargs, "id_field", "_id")
        value_fld = kwargs.get("value_fld")
        fields = kwargs.get("fields")
        sort_dir = get2(kwargs,"sort_dir", "asc")
        sort_fields = get2(kwargs,"sort_fields", get2(kwargs, "fields", [value_fld]))
        size = get2(kwargs,"size",2000)
        term = get2(kwargs,"term",'').replace("/","//")
        filter_field = kwargs.get('filter_field')
        filter_value = kwargs.get('filter_value')
        dsl = {}
        # set retutn to only return the fields specified or return the whole
        # document if not specified
        if fields is not None:
            dsl["_source"] = fields
        elif value_fld is not None:
            dsl["_source"] = [value_fld]
            fields = [value_fld]
        else:
            fields = []
        # set query parameters based on the return method "list" or "search"
        if sort_dir != "none" and method == "list":
            dsl["sort"] = []
            for fld in sort_fields:
                if fld is not None:
                    dsl["sort"].append({ fld: sort_dir })
        if method == "search":
            # query in elasticsearch breaks if the is a single open parenthesis
            # remove a single parenthesis from the search term
            if "(" in term and ")" not in term:
                search_term = term.replace("(", "")
            else:
                search_term = term
            size = 5
            dsl['query'] =  {
                "bool": {
                    "should": [
                        {
                            "query_string" : {
                                "analyze_wildcard": {
                                    "query": "*%s*" % search_term
                                }

                            }
                        },
                        {
                            "query_string" : {
                                "query": "*%s*" % search_term,
                                "analyzer": "default",
                                "analyze_wildcard": True,
                                "fields": fields,
                                "boost": 10
                            }
                        }
                    ]
                }
            }
        else:
            pass
        if filter_value:
            dsl['filter'] = {
                "term": { filter_field: filter_value }
            }
        lg.info("\n-------- size: %s\ndsl:\n%s", size, json.dumps(dsl,indent=4))
        result = es.search(index=self.es_index,
                           size=size,
                           doc_type=doc_type,
                           body=dsl)
        if kwargs.get("calc"):
            result = self._calc_result(result, kwargs['calc'])
        lg.debug(pp.pformat(result))
        return result
returns a key value list of items based on the specfied criteria