I won't deny that I have on occasion...

Guilty pleasures. Kind of a weird phrase to use. Why should I feel guilty about something I take pleasure in? Why am I ashamed of the things I enjoy? The things I enjoy doing are part of my personality, and I will not be embarassed by them. So here's a list of the "Top Five Things I Enjoy and Refuse to Feel Guilty About Even Though They Are Quite Mock-Able."

5. Julie Andrews
I should say that I am not even a little ashamed of my love affair with Julie Andrews. Since the first time I saw Mary Poppins, I have followed her career closely, and after I saw The Sound of Music, I resolved to play Maria in a stage version at some point in my life. If I could be anyone else in the world, well, I'd have to think about it, but I think I would be Julie Andrews. Even the fact that a lot of her movies are lame cannot dull this love. I saw the Shrek sequels purely because of her involvement.

4. Figure Skating
I don't even follow figure skating very closely, but I just love watching it. The skaters are so graceful, and their movements are so smooth, even though they're flying across the ice with the great potential of a messy fall. Their athletic ability astounds me. When I was little I wanted to learn, and taught myself a few very basic things (read: I can skate backwards), but that dream quickly died when I discovered... gymnastics. (I really think there's an athlete somewhere inside of me, although my experience on a high school basketball team would be evidence to the contrary.)

3. Shirley Temple
There are probably a lot of people who have no idea who Shirley Temple is, but even as an adult I love this little girl's black-and-white 1930s films. She is completely adorable. When I was younger I would ask my mom to curl my hair just like Shirley's, which was rarely successful. My third grade speech was the story of her life. I own most of her early movies on VHS. She's just so loveable, and I hope my future children will love her as much as I do.

2. Michael BubleI have to say that I just love Michael Buble's music. I love singing along while he croons everything from jazz standards to Christmas carols to original songs. I love his backup band and I would simultaneously play the bass while singing harmony and exchanging smiles with the man himself. Step one: Learn more than a C-major scale on the bass.

1. High School Musical
For all I've said about not being ashamed about things that you enjoy, I am legitimately embarassed by my love for High School Musical. When the first movie came out, I was skeptical. Really? A musical about high school? But I watched it. And loved it. And bought the soundtrack. And sang along while dancing in my room. This also goes for the two sequels, which I didn't even really like, but was inexpicably drawn to all the same.