Five Things

I just finished reading "Five Things I Can't Live Without." It was a chick lit book and it wasn't all that fabulous, but it wasn't all that bad either. As always, I figured out a way to link the character back to my life, which made me both sad and hopeful. But anyways, the main character quits her job and decides to become a free-lance writer that re-writes people's online dating profiles. I think that would be kind of interesting. I also think that it must be so hard for the people that contact her. I mean, it's bad enough you are using an online dating service (I know they are not that terrible, but I don't know, for me, it just kind of represents rock bottom. Which I am very close too, so I can't really talk), but to have to hire someone because their profile sucks...double whammy. I would think. Maybe not though, online dating seems to be the norm in some places. ANYWAYS-one of the questions on the profiles is what are five things you can't live without? (Am I supposed to end the previous sentence with a question mark or a period?) I wish I could give examples of ones in the book, but I already took it back to the library and I don't remember many except that one guy was super into plants and one girl's was like, satin sheets, scented candles, other random sexy things and her dog. She was kind of a slut. And satin sheets are terrible. So I decided I would come up with the five things I couldn't live without...hypothetically. I decided to not be literal and leave out things like food, water, air, money, good health, a house, etc. No bare necessity kind of things. Especially no ants or prickly pears.

So here they are...in no particular order:

1. Music. I love music. I relate songs to nearly everything in my life. I have soundtracks and playlists for different times of my life, places, people, events, moods, etc. I miss playing the viola and creating music, and wish I had the time and money to learn to play the drums, guitar, piano and cello. Music can move me to tears, make my heart burst with happiness and long for something unknown all at the same time. When I think about my (potentially nonexistant) wedding, all I really focus on are what songs will be played at the reception. That, and how I'm going to have fireworks. Everything else falls to the wayside. Music is paired with dancing and there are few things better than dancing. Concerts are one of the few. If a first date were to be a concert, I might consider giving it up one the first date. Right now I'm listening to the Brandenburg Concerto and it makes me smile remembering playing it in orchestra junior year and how I could really only hit about half the notes (I wasn't very good).

2. The beach. Nothing calms me down or fills me with peace like sitting on the beach. Anytime of the year, I can walk onto the beach, take a deep breath and my stress and worry is long forgotten. I love the smell, the sand, the sound of the water and just the basic beauty that comes with a beach scene. I love going during the day in the summer and basking in the sunlight. Just basking. Not drinking or playing frisbee or bocci or throwing a football. Just basking and enjoying myself. Sometimes reading and maybe a walk...but mainly basking. I love going at night and watching the waves in the moonlight. The beach at night can make me cry for no good reason at all. I love it all. I was born a beach girl and will always be a beach girl. Sorry mountains, but our relationship will always be on a short term basis.

3. My laptop. I know, so superficial right? But it really is my lifeline. It houses all my music and connects me to the world. I said goodbye to my desktop senior year and havne't looked back once. I use it pretty much every day and, after serious thought, have decided it would be one of the things I would grab if my house were to ever catch on fire. It has a lot of memories.

4. My family. I don't even have enough words for how important and fabulous my family is. We are quite a strange family, with lots of quirks and abnormalities, but it works and I am so lucky to have them.

5. Books. I LOVE reading. I wish it was my job to read all day every day...while listening to music on the beach. And then I could go home and write critiques about them on my laptop. Add in a family dinner every now and then and life would be so grand. I like books because they have the ability to keep me connected to and learn about the world, while also taking me somewhere far far away from the real world. I've talked many a time about how connected I get with books and characters. It is one of my goals to have a big, ridiculous library when I settle down somewhere. I've started a mini-one already and am really quite proud.

So there you have it. The people in the book didn't go into quite so much detail, but it's my blog and I'll do it all day. What are your five things?

Oh yeah, and I've fallen down on providing song recommendations. So today's are some of my fave classical pieces:
Brandenburg Concerti by Bach (No. 3)
Egmont Overture by Beethoven
The October Sky theme
The Piano Song from Legends of the Fall
Pachelbels Canon in D