Nineteen years...why did it have to take nineteen years?

When I think back to my childhood, there were more than a few pop culture influences.

Take, for instance, American Gladiators. I loved this show, maybe because it was unusual to see grownups running around and acting like the maniacs that we kids were all the time. My little gang of neighborhood kids set up Gladiator-style challenges and obstacle courses in backyards and garages and pummelled each other with Nerf weaponry and dreamed of being on the show. Now that I am eligible (age-wise, anyway) to compete on the new show, the experience looks like my worst nightmare. I guess some childhood dreams are best left behind in childhood.

Another favorite past-time was watching movies.

I feel now that I must state for the record that I was not one of those kids who lived their childhood indoors. From 9 AM until 9 PM on nearly every summer day, I was outside, running around and riding bikes and playing in the dirt. But sometimes you want a break from all of the fresh air and just want to see a movie. So sometimes we did.

There were a few classics that were guaranteed to provide fun and excitement on a rainy afternoon. Adventures in Babysitting was fun (though it had some scary scenes). I think that Mannequin was my first treasured ro-com. The Goonies rocked. But the best movies to watch were always in the Indiana Jones trilogy.

When I was ten, I thought that Indiana Jones had the most exciting life ever. Now that I am twenty-whatever, I still think that Indiana Jones has the most exciting life ever. Granted, if he were a real person, he might come under attack for his slash-and-burn archaeology style. However, because he is not technically real, we can overlook his flaws and focus on his fabulousness (and that great hat).

The Last Crusade was our favorite of the three movies, but Raiders of the Lost Ark was a strong contender, too. The Temple of Doom was creepy--to this day, I don't think I have ever watched the scene where the guy has his heart dug out of his chest (though the parts that I have seen are so firmly ingrained in my mind that they will never go away--thank you, George Lucas).

We had a few favorite scenes that we would always rewind and rewatch over and over and over again. The melting-face scene was a favorite, as was the forget-your-sword-I'm-just-going-to-shoot-you episode. "No ticket," always got a big laugh, and I've had more than one occasion where I've wanted to say, "I wrote it down so I wouldn't have to remember it!"

My favorite quote from all of the movies is, "Snakes....why did it have to be snakes?" It can be modified in so many ways to fit your particular situation. (For example: "Misplaced modifiers...why did it have to be misplaced modifiers?" Doesn't it strike terror in your heart?)

Years ago, I heard murmurings about a potential Indiana Jones movie, and I followed internet gossip as the movie wasn't going to be made and then was going to be made and then wasn't and then...was. A script was approved, filming was scheduled, and then...a release date. This weekend! Yesterday, in fact. I would have gone, but I was tired, and I want to be awake and refreshed when I join Indy for one more adventure.