Friday Five: What's Red and Blue and Purple All Over?

Those of us who are in the United States have just been through quite a topsy-turvy election. During the campaign we heard a fair amount about red states and blue states, when in fact most of us live in some shade of purple. And so... a lighter look at those confounding colors:

1. Favorite red food

2. Tell us about the bluest body of water you've ever seen in person.

3. It's movie rental time: Blue Planet, The Color Purple, or Crimson Tide?

4. What has you seeing red these days?

5. What or who picks you up when you're feeling blue?

1. Tough question: there aren't a plethora of red foods in my diet. Seasonally, I'd have to say tomato soup, with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side. Since it's coming on winter here in the land of the Frozen Chosen, that's my red food for the day. For spring/summer, Beloved and I are genuinely fond of a nice deep bowl of salsa and tortilla chips, so that would be the other half of this seasonal buffet choice.

2. The bluest body of water I've ever seen would have to be the Schwansee near Hohenschwangau, Germany. Hohenschwangau is most famous for its two castles, Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein - the latter was the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Beloved and I actually swam in the Schwansee for a while when we were touring Bavaria for our honeymoon in August 2004. The water was bluer than blue at a distance, but clear as glass when you were in it. We swam out about 100 feet from shore, far past being able to touch the bottom, and yet we could see our feet while we were treading water. Cold, too: the Schwansee is one of several Alps-fed lakes, so we were swimming in mountain snow runoff. Definitely a memory I'll cherish the rest of my life.

3. None: I'd choose THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER in a heartbeat. BUT I also liked Red Dragon, Red Dawn, Red Planet, The Thin Red Line, the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, Blue Velvet, Blue Thunder. Not a lot of Purple movies out there, and I haven't seen The Color Purple or Purple Rain.

4. What has me seeing red these days is living in Big 10+1 country. Growing up in Nebraska, I bleed Husker Scarlet & Cream, and missing out on all the regional broadcasts of Nebraska games so I can watch Ohio State pummel another Big 10+1 pansy into submission is VERY frustrating. My family is coming to visit this weekend and we are likely going to miss the Nebraska-Texas A&M game. GRRRR.

5. First thing I do when I'm feeling blue is tell my best friend and roommate. After Ike listens for a bit, he usually walks away in search of more cat food or a sunny spot to lay down - at that point I usually talk to my wife. :-) Music is always a great mood altering force for me, especially Storyhill, Rich Mullins, Stevie Ray Vaughan or Billy Joel. Sometimes I'll just go outside and work; must be living among these Norwegians - they think you can solve any problem by working harder! I find that making time for friends, good food, reading good literature, listening to good live music or other artistic endeavors generally tends to hold off blue periods as well; there's truth to the saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Have a great weekend, everyone!