The Challenge

Okay, I'm dying to do the 30 day blog challenge! However, I don't currently have regular internet at home (meaning I'm too poor to pay for it myself and my neighbors don't always have connections I can steal from, LOL). So I'm going to make it the 6 week challenge instead - try to blog for 6 weeks in a row, covering 5 things each blog.

So, here's the list:

Week 1 (Days 1-5) - Your favorite song, Your favorite movie, Your favorite television program, Your favorite book, Your favorite quote

Week 2 (Days 6-10) - 20 of your favorite things, A photo that makes you happy, A photo that makes you angry/sad, A photo you took, A photo taken over 10 years ago of you

Week 3 (Days 11-15) - A photo of you recently, Something you are OCD about, A fictional book, A non-fictional book, Your dream house

Week 4 (Days 16 - 20) - A song that makes you cry (or nearly), An art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc.), Your wedding/future wedding/past wedding, A talent of yours, A hobby of yours

Week 5 (Days 21-25) - A recipe, A website, A YouTube video, Where you live, Your day in great detail

Week 6 (Days 26-30) - Your week in great detail, Your worst habit, What's in your handbag/purse, Hopes, dreams, and plans for the next 365 days, A dream for the future

I'm going to start today, too, since I'm already behind.

Your Favorite Song

This was a super easy one for me. While there are many, many, songs I love, I only have one favorite band - the Doors. And although my favorite song within their catalogue has changed over the years, my current favorite has been my favorite for a while now.

"L.A. Woman." I LOVE it. The Doors typically had one song on each album that was longer, more epic, if you will. L.A. Woman was their final album before Jim Morrison died, and while I love the album, it's not my favorite. But the song, oh the song. When I hear the opening beats, it puts a grin on my face. When it's on the radio, my volume is cranked as loud as it can be. And when we're at the dive bar, after the Steelers game, you can bet it's on the jukebox. In fact, that dive bar gives me some of my best Doors loving experiences ever - because I'm always with other people who not only know the song, but sing the lyrics with me at the top of their lungs. I love how the music changes, beginning upbeat, then slowing down, then getting fast again. It's like a poem in the best possible way. It just makes me happy, always.

Your Favorite Movie

Okay, this one was a little bit tougher. I have many movies that I've watched over and over and can quote. I have watched Beaches and Steel Magnolias so many times I can tune in any time they're on television and recite the next line. Dirty Dancing is up there too.

But there's really only one comedy I adore. One comic movie I can watch any time and still laugh my ass off. When I lived in Virginia Beach, my roommate, Billy, and I would keep the DVD in the player at all times and we would watch snippets while we were eating.

Yup, Super Troopers. I think this movie is absolutely hilarious. I go places and want to ask for a liter of cola. I had never heard of it until someone made me watch it, and I can't even remember who that was. Every time I see a restaurant or bar named Shenanigans, I giggle. My roommate and my favorite line was "Good enough to F*ck your mother!!!" when they were shooting at the the dude who was wearing a bulletproof jock cup. "I just lost a buck...to myself." Seriously, it's a stupid, stupid movie. But I love it. And I just found out that Super Troopers 2 is going to be released this year - yes!!!

Your Favorite Television Program

Again, this one was a bit of a challenge. Do I pick Glee, which I've been obsessed with ever since the pilot previewed after American Idol last year? Do I pick American Idol, even though I'm pretty sure I'm going to hate the new judges? I definitely can't pick Grey's Anatomy despite how much I loved it since I haven't watched it in a seasons and a half.

So, I have to go with my old fave: Sex and the City

When SATC originally debuted, I didn't have HBO. Or at least regular access to it. Occasionally I'd go home from college and catch an episode at my parents' house, or somewhere else. I loved every episode I saw. After it began running on TBS, I saw them more frequently, but was always vaguely dissatisfied because I knew that they had been edited for television, both the language and the content.

Then, I discovered Season 1 at the Half-Price Bookstore. It was on sale, and I bought it. I popped in the first DVD and I was hooked all over again. I had to tear myself away from my television and remind myself that there was a world outside of my apartment. I craved the episodes, and scoured HPB until Seasons 2 and 3 popped up. Eventually, I had all 6 seasons. There's something about those four classy women that just encapsulate America and really examine what it's like to be a woman - whether in a relationship or not. I fell in love with these women, and they each have certain characteristics that I want to emulate. These DVD's are my go-to watching when I'm tired of television and sick of all of my movies. I go through them every year or so, starting with Season 1 and going straight through the movies. I'll keep them in my player and watch an episode or two at a time (well, I try to limit myself to only one or two). I was ecstatic when the first movie came out - I think they should make a new movie every two years forever. I just can't get enough of these women!!!

Your Favorite Book

Okay, my favorite series, hands down, is Harry Potter. But I'm not going to pick them. Partly because I feel like it would be cheating, partly b/c my friend Crazy Princess expressed her love for them better than I ever could, and partly b/c I would feel obligated to choose one book rather than the series (and selecting only one would be like picking a favorite child).

So, I'm going to go with an old favorite, one I reread annually: Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen really did it right when she wrote this, and I've loved it ever since I read it in high school. I can't imagine anyone NOT liking this book. I reread it at home over the Christmas break, and I race through it every time because I want Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to be together immediately. I love how shocked Mr. Darcy is by his appreciation of Elizabeth Bennet, and I love how quirky Elizabeth's family is. I adore the romantic descriptions of the English countryside and the courting traditions. It makes me want to move there and go back in time.

Your Favorite Quote

Okay, I'm definitely cheating here. I have two, and I've loved these two probably since I was in high school.

"You don't love a person because they're beautiful. You love them because their heart sings a song only you can hear." ~ L. J. Smith

This is from one of the Night World books, by the author of The Vampire Diaries. I actually think I modified it a bit (I'm pretty sure the original quote says "she" instead of "they") but the sentiment is just beautiful. I love the idea that there are soulmates, and that people are together for reasons other than physical attraction.

"Give me songs to sing,

and emerald dreams to dream

and I'll give you love unfolding." ~ Jim Morrison

Again, I just think it's beautiful. What a wonderful marriage of words, and this quote demonstrates what an able poet Morrison was. It's a mixture of whimsy, fantasy, and longing, and I just adore it.