Sometimes I draw

I drew these on my mission, and both are of me and my companions. I think I drew Sister Hibbard and I as princesses because I missed theatre and I missed being girly. Sister Hibbard had cut her beautiful long hair at the beginning of her mission, so I drew hers long to go with the fairytale theme. She colored both drawings. We made a good team.


Sometimes I think it'd be fun to spend a day at the zoo and sketch the animals, or trees, or whatever. Or take a class. It's fun to flirt with once in awhile. I don't fancy myself as very skilled; it just feels good to see what comes out of the end of my pencil.

Peter and Jordyn on Utah Bride Blog

My brother and my sister-in-law's wedding is featured on Utah Bride Blog today. Check it out if you're interested in seeing the details. I love Jordyn's style. Everything on all of the tables were items she already owns (books, keys, etc). Such a lovely event. I'm glad more people get to see it. I think her photographer did a terrific job. In fact, I now follow her blog and the Utah Bride Blog. I love photos of happy people and beautiful places!

My Birthday Weekend

My birthday this year ranks up at the top of awesome birthdays. And by "birthday" I really mean "birthday week" because even though the birthday itself was a terrific day, it was no doubt amplified by the three days that preceded it and two days that followed.

It started on the Friday night before. I left work at about 8:45pm (because I was a total slacker that week and tried to finish everything I had to do on Friday which of course never works) and met my dear, dear friends Kate, Brandon, Sharon, and Tyler at the movie theatre to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Loved it! And it was so funny watching with this group of people. Kate laughed at me when after the trailer for Devil I said "I am NOT going to see that movie!" I'm not really a video game player, but I could appreciate the art in Scott Pilgrim, and I loved the special effects and hyper-reality. It was pretty surreal. I could see why most of my friends were seeing it a second time. I wouldn't mind seeing it a second time myself! As a birthday present, Sharon took care of my ticket. She's such a cutie! It was a fun night -- a great kickoff for the weekend :)

Saturday I went swimming in the morning and then saw a bunch of my friends in the Pirates of Penzance at Hale Centre Theatre. Pirates is one of my favorite musicals, and I was glad that my friend Carrie invited me to go with her. She was one of my favorite castmates in Kiss Me Kate and I don't get to see her nearly enough.

Sunday night my family celebrated my birthday over at my parent's house. I got to pick what I wanted to eat, which included tacos, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and a chocolate pudding/cream cheese dessert my family likes to call "the best dessert ever." Sadly, it was really windy outside, so we couldn't get the candles to light and I didn't get to make a wish this year. But everyone still sang "Happy Birthday." The gifts were wonderful and thoughtful. My family knows me so well! I sure do love hanging out with them!

Monday was Labor Day and I was thrilled to have the day off work. I spent the morning cleaning my house! I even vacuumed! My little home looked and felt so lovely! Then I spent the afternoon at my grandma's pool with my parents, my brother, and my brother's kids. The G-unit was a little frustrated that I took so long to eat lunch but when I got in the water we played and played and played! I'd never seen the girls in their swimsuits, and it's so fun to watch their personalities come through. I stayed for a while after everyone else left, so I could swim a few laps and just sit quietly. I don't feel like I have a lot of quiet time lately.


That night I was late to a barbeque at my parents' house. Fortunately there was still some food left :D

Tuesday was my actual birthday and I took that day off work, too! Mom and I took my nieces to Hogle Zoo and I LOVED it! I'm a huge fan of the zoo, and an even bigger fan of my toddler nieces. It wasn't their first trip there. All I really wanted to do was see the baby elephant and the giraffes (Breezy kind of hated the giraffes at first. I happened to be holding her at the time and she gripped me really tightly when I stood too close). We ended up seeing nearly all of the animals, took the train (which was really lame, by the way), ate cotton candy, and still had time for the girls to just wander around and play. Like lemmings, they'll follow any group wherever they're going. I had a bit of stress trying to keep track of both of them while Mom fetched us some lunch. Zonks wanted to walk around and Breezy wanted to be held. It was difficult to handle them both with just one good arm. I've decided my sister-in-law is truly amazing being able to take care of both of them at the same time. I was exhausted by the end! So were the girls. They fell asleep in the car.

That night I went to Romano's Macaroni Grill with three of my favoritest people: Kate, Steph, and Candice. I even got to meet Candice's baby! I chose that restaurant because their chocolate cake is DIVINE and it did not disappoint. Neither did anything else about that meal. Terrific food and even better company. Thanks again, Steph, for treating me!

My dear friend Rach came over to my house later that night and I finally got to show her my condo! She and I ate some of the leftover "best dessert ever" and watched the pilot episode of Pushing Daisies, which never should have gone off the air. I forgot how enchanting the show is! Rach liked it enough that I loaned her DVDs :) Nice to share something I enjoy with someone I like to spend time with!

Seriously, I don't get to see any of my friends nearly enough.

The next day I went to work and experienced some hardcore post-birthday blues. I admit this milestone is a little depressing for me. I'm having a hard time saying my age out loud. I might just start telling people I'm 28. I'm still youthful, and that was a crummy year so I should get to do it over!

But I digress! Kate invited me to be her plus-one at the annual Hale Thank You party on Wednesday and we had a marvelous time, despite the fact that she was worried about school and I was worried about work and being old. We met up with Karrie Ann and enjoyed the performances, the food, the games (which we thankfully didn't have to participate in), and best of all the renewing of friendships. Kate introduced me to absolutely everyone she talked with. More than once I had to stifle the impulse to go all "rabid fan" on people. I see all the shows and those actors are seriously talented! And nice people!

Thursday and Friday were forgettable, but Saturday was NOT! I met Kate for lunch and we hung (hanged? did some hanging?) out at Fashion Place Mall for awhile and ate some frozen yogurt. Then I went to the Jordan River Temple that night, and spent some time with my Heavenly Father. It was the perfect cap to a great week.

There you have it: one of my top 5 favorite birthdays ever. Thank you everyone who participated and sent me good wishes! I have very high hopes for this year. It'll be exciting to see what happens!

Wise words from President Monson

Next week is the semi-annual General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In preparation, they held a meeting on Saturday night just for the women. How I love hearing from the prophet and the General Relief Society presidency! I feel very blessed to have access to these wise, faithful people who can offer council that applies to me. What better in this crazy "anything goes" world than to hear sensible, inspiring, relevent advice for navigating it all!

The following are my favorite quotes, all from President Thomas S. Monson's talk. Simple concepts, but I always need the reminder:

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

"I consider charity -- or the pure love of Christ -- to be the opposite of criticism."

"Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life. May we recognize that each one of us is doing her best to deal with the challenges which come her way. And may we strive to do our best to help out."

A Christmas Carol Callback

The callback was a lot of fun interspersed with severe disappointment and hideous nerves. All in all, I thought it went well. I arrived about 20 minutes early and found a HUGE mass of people crammed into the backstage/rehearsal hall. I felt grateful that the pro team had the foresight to get the octet vocal callback done the Saturday before! As it was, I know suspect they were still reading people at midnight.

But I wasn't there quite that long. I had a chance to dance pretty early on. It was a pretty crazy dance. I stood in the back and felt like a dope... until it finally sunk in that I and everyone else was supposed to be silly and just have fun. So I did! I tried to relax and not worry too much about my dignity. We had a chunk of music where we got to do whatever we wanted. I hoped we would get that! All I wanted to do was the "dying swan" and I did! And I think I got a laugh (it's possible the others were laughing at something else).

When we finished dancing I sat and chatted with my besty and some other fun people. Then they called all of the adults into the music rehearsal hall. We filled the entire room. I watched the candidates read for solicitors and the Old Joe scene. It took awhile and yet didn't feel like it was very long. I thought about the talent in the room, and about how I have a week's worth of conflicts which is a little excessive when the run is only 3 weeks long. I decided that since my chances weren't as great as they should be I should cast off my fears and play as much as I could.

About 9pm the pro team left the room to talk about us, and I hadn't done anything since about 7:45. I happened to be sitting on the front row (very unlike me) when Anne came in and requested three volunteers -- a bass, an alto, and a soprano. Well, I ran to the front of the room and picked the alto part! We ended up taking another guy into the dance rehearsal hall and taught him the tenor part along with the quirks Anne wanted. It was awesome! This way, even if I wasn't cast I still got to sing the song one more time! I regret choosing to sing alto. I didn't love it. Next time I am going to rock the soprano.

Not long after that I was told I could go home. I didn't get to read for any parts, but I don't mind. I left feeling very satisfied with my efforts and realistic about my excellent chances (except maybe for the conflicts, but I am not about to skip my family vacation, even for the Hale).

After the callback, I "rewarded" myself with a meal from Carl's Junior. I used to love their food but Wednesday's burger, fries, and shake were very disappointing. Sad. I'm all junk fooded out. Get me a salad STAT!

They made most of the casting calls yesterday and they didn't call me. So, it seems it didn't work out this time. BUT a lot of my talented friends were cast and I could not be more thrilled! I am even considering actually paying for a ticket to see the show. I am just so proud of them! They deserve their success!

I have come out of the experience feeling grateful and happy. I needed a good audition at the Hale. I feel really good about my talent and hopeful about auditioning there in the future. I really do want to work with Anne sometime!

Meanwhile, I have another audition tomorrow morning. And if that doesn't work out there are several other shows coming up that I want to take a shot at. Although, I will miss the lovely down time I've been enjoying!

And, just because it makes me happy everytime I watch it because I adore every person in it so much, here's a rough rehearsal video from the time I actually did Carol at Hale. Good memories!

Notes about work

1. It's weird to me that most of the office is gone before or right after 5pm. Then again, I have a hard time getting there before 9am most mornings.
2. Sometimes I can't tell if the office Dwight is insulting me or commiserating with me. I'm pretty sure it's the former, and if it is I wish he'd keep his unsolicited thoughts to himself. There is a reason technical writers and not engineers are in charge of documents meant for publication.
3. If you're going to claim that editing a PDF is too hard for you and you choose instead to print a 118 page document and edit it by hand, have the courtesy to write legibly.
4. And be more specific than "fix" or "rewrite" or "yuck." (Seriously--those are actual review comments I got this week. What needed to be fixed? What information am I missing? What is so "yuck" about the default administrator's name? Help me help you help our customers!)
5. Whoever put the carnival-style popcorn maker in the break room is a genius.
6. Anything I assign a timeframe to will take 8 times longer than that (1 day=8 days). This is why I should always start early. I almost never do. So it's my own fault when I'm overwhelmed and stressed...well, most of the time it is.
7. My boss is awesome. That is all.
8. I hate it when people try to force their personal pet peeves on me as though they are "correct." I don't like to use "have" in professional writing, but I'm not about to rewrite every sentence that contains that word just because I don't like it (If it's poorly written, that's another matter). This isn't even counting "grammar nazis" who are only aware of 4 or 5 rules they remember from high school but insist on correcting everyone who breaks them. Sometimes it's appropriate to end a sentence with a preposition. Even in business writing.
9. It's nice to know I'm not the only writer who feels lonely sometimes. I miss having peers in the next cubicle.
10. However, I get more done not having another writer in the next cubicle.
11. Plain celery seems to make my tongue fall asleep. (Yes, this is work related.)
12. You may not have seen or read the e-mail, but I did respond to your question. Yesterday.
13. It's frustrating to copyedit the writing of someone who is outsourced from India or China. I can understand them, but the writing is still terrible. English is a tough language to navigate, even when it's the primary language, let alone a secondary one and speaking is a lot different from writing.
14. I know that I mostly like my job when -- even after all this complaining -- I don't mind working through the weekend once in awhile. In fact, I'm annoyed about all the non-work stuff I have to do that keep me from working.
15. #14 Doesn't make me a workaholic. I don't work weekends if I don't have to but it's nice to have the option if I need it.
16. It's nice to be able to stay late because I don't have to rush to rehearsal or a performance.
17. It's nice to know that I'm needed because there is always so much to do :D At least, I hope that's what it means!

And there was much rejoicing!

I don't know if you've noticed, because I've never been consistent, but there have been a definite lack of photos on my blog lately. I've been having issues with my scanner since... geez last winter(?) that I've been too lazy to put much effort into (printing and copying parts worked fine, but not the scan function), and a few months ago my computer stopped recognizing my camera. I've been getting aroung the camera issue by downloading photos on my parents' computer and using a photo-sharing site, but that took an undesirable chunk out of my family time and was annoyingly cumbersome. I've been grudgingly doing without the scanner.

To make a long story short (too late), last week my adored besty Kate took a look at my computer. After she confirmed that the computer and camera both work fine independently, she offered some suggestions. I bought a memory card reader to work around the photo problem, which solved the camera problem brilliantly. I was even able to use the reader for another memory card and retrieve some videos I had missed! And night-before-last I uninstalled and reinstalled the scanner software -- twice. I have done it before, but Kate recommended I replace all of the related software, too. Last night when I turned on my computer there was an upgrade available and after I installed it MY SCANNER WORKED!!!! I scanned a photo that's been ready and waiting for nearly a year! The software works a bit differently than it did previously, but as long as it keeps working I am happy to adapt to the change.

(Meanwhile, yesterday I discovered that my DVR has some new functions, and some of the old functionality has been tweaked in a way I am not thrilled about. Sigh... I was so used to the old way! The new way is so glitchy!! Stupid skipping to some pre-determined spot in the show when I rewind instead of playing where I actually stop...grrr.)

Does this mean I will be posting more photos? No idea. Maybe. I kind of like the idea of a photo-a-day blog, or at least a photo to go with each blog, even if it doesn't relate. I'm not really a photography-enthusiast but I like keeping records -- visual, auditory, and written. I am just excited that it's an option again! I love it when my technology tools work with me! It's so frustrating when they don't!!

Not a mind reader (a.k.a. Do they want me in their show?)

I auditioned for A Christmas Carol at Hale Center Theater on Saturday. I've been pretty traumatized in past years by the audition process for this particular show and production team, but I decided this year to audition for me instead of worrying about the outcome. I worked a lot on my mindset so I could just enjoy singing a song that I love to sing and reading a line in a British accent because I love affecting an accent. I rehearsed really hard the three days beforehand, and in spite of the fact that I changed my mind Friday night and decided to sing "Far Far Away on Judea's Plains" rather than "The First Noel", I felt good and ready. (Check out this version - gorgeous!)

Of course, I was nervous for the audition. I warmed up and practiced a bit too much the morning of and worried that my voice would sound hoarse. Luckily, I was first in my group so I got to do my thing and then sit and watch the rest of those ridiculously talented people. I feel that I sang as well as I could considering my nerves and the unfamiliar accoustics in the room; it was adequate but perhaps not impressive. I am proud of the line reading though! I read one of Mrs. Cratchit's lines, and I know I nailed the accent and diction. I sat down feeling rather pleased. When we were done the Pro team told us to wait outside to find out whether we were called back. So, I chatted with a Kiss Me Kate acquaintance who had been in my group while another group went in. It seemed to take ages, but finally the production team called out the names of the lucky people called back.

My name was the first one she called out!

I was surprised and happy and grateful -- the outside observer might call it blase (blah-zay) because I didn't express a huge thrill of excitement and relief. This was my 7th audition for this show in the last 8 years, and only my 3rd callback. I did the show once, and the next year I didn't even get a callback, so when I say I was surprised on Saturday, I mean it. Getting called back at Hale is no small feat! At the same time, I can honestly say my world would not have ended if my name had not been called. I could NOT have said that last year (which is why I skipped the audition last year).

Anyway, they called me back for 4pm that same day, which as far as I know they have not done before. Sooo, I ran home for some dinner and to finish watching A Tale of Two Cities which turned out to be a big mistake because I wanted to cry at the ending (in a good way; I'm excited to read the book!) I returned at 4 and joined about 50 or 60 other people in the music rehearsal hall. Right away I found several people I know -- it's so awesome how small and supportive the theatre community is!

The production team members introduced themselves, and then turned the time over to the brilliant Anne Puzey to teach us "Deck the Hall" -- the hardest song in the show. Luckily, since I've done the show before I felt pretty solid after just a few runthroughs. I was sitting in the midst of a bunch of boys while we learned and I held my own and was even able to help another girl who wanted to try the alto part (I love being able to hear all the harmonies!) I even remembered most of the dynamics and specifics Anne taught us.

Once we were somewhat/pretty confident, Anne started calling us up in quartets to see how well we can hold our own and blend with others. She kindly gave each group at least 2 chances to sing together; the first time with her playing the piano and the second A capella. After the first runthrough she gave us all some directions, like when I sang alto she told me to sing lighter and the soprano to sing louder. I tried both the soprano and alto parts, but I was afraid of singing too loudly as a soprano so I ended up being really soft. Don't think I was impressive as a soprano. However, Anne had me sing the alto part in two groups and for the most part I felt successful!

As you can imagine, listening to 50 or 60 people sing multiple times can take awhile, but we were only there about two hours, at the end of which the director told us all to return on Wednesday to dance. I have no idea if we'll be singing again or if they'll ask me to read for a part. Honestly, everyone at that callback was so fantastic I have no idea who they liked enough to cast. They could cast almost any person there and have a gorgeous show. I'm just following along to see what happens!

I left feeling good about myself and hoping that I get to work with Anne sometime in the future; I honestly feel like a better singer after that experience. It was one of the more fun callbacks (pre-callback?) I've been to in ages. It probably helps that I have no expectations. I want to do well, but even if I do there is no guarantee I'll be cast. I'll just go have fun tomorrow, be grateful for the experience and the opportunity, and hope for the best.

I'll keep you posted!

(This post was typed exclusively one-handed. Try it; it's harder than you'd think and takes FOR-E-HEH-HEH-VER! I am officially giving my injured primary wrist a break. I am so totally ready for it to be well again!)

Free contacts for LIFE!!

My cousin Bryce works for 1-800-CONTACTS and posted the following message on his blog. I think some of you might be interested:

Click this link if you want to be entered to win free -- yes, FREE -- contact lenses for your whole entire life. Best part is - no purchase necessary.

Free Contact Lenses For Life

I don't wear contacts anymore, so I'm projecting all my good vibes on those of you who do. Good luck!

Whatever you do, doin' it better as a TEAM!

From childhood and into my early teens, Reading Rainbow was one of my favorite t.v. shows. I have always loved to read, and I thought it was cool that the show used so many different methods for teaching. Even now, I get excited whenever I recognize a book in the bookstore as one highlighted on the show. Does anyone remember the name of the book with the phrase "meanwhile back at the ranch" where a woman goes into town and all sorts of crazy stuff happens, and at her ranch home really mundane stuff like a frog crossing the road happens? (Seriously, if you know the name, let me know. I want a copy.)(I just looked it up: Meanwhile Back at the Ranch by Trinka Hakes Noble. Awesome!!!)

Once in awhile this song from the "Teamwork" episode pops in my head. I love it. What better way to teach about teamwork than to make a music video? Musical theatre rocks for so many reasons! (Meanwhile, I'm impressed by how good a dancer LeVar Burton is):

Admission: Twenty years after I first saw this episode, I still know almost the entire song by heart.

Post-show receiving lines...blech.

I hate it when I go to a play where I kind of know the people I know, but not well enough to carry a comfortable conversation.

Do I seek these acquaintances out and tell them how cute they were and how much I enjoyed the show? What if they want to talk more than I do? Or if I'm talking with someone I do know well and the quasi-friend comes over and looks at me expectantly like I'm supposed to talk with them (if they're talking to a good friend I just wave and continue past). If I don't talk with them and they see me leave will they be offended? Am I even good enough friends to try to be casual? What I say "Hi" and they don't really remember me? I just feel so lame when I am totally friendly and they act like, "okay, okay, good to see you and buh-bye!" It makes me loathe theatres that send their castmembers into the lobby after a play. It's always so awkward. I don't even like doing that when I am one of the cast members, 'cause you can see that EVERYBODY is uncomfortable. Doubt plagues me. Maybe there is no solution. Blech.

Tonight I saw The Pirates of Penzance at Hale Center Theatre and LOVED it! The dialogue was slow and a little muddled, but the singing and costumes and characters were great. I cried during "Poor Wandering One" because Mabel's voice was so lovely. I can't imagine singing like that. She was the only one I talked with afterward. I just heaped praises on her. There were other people I probably should have talked with, but I didn't see the one I really know well, so I sort of snuck out and hoped no one noticed.

Though HCT did a fantastic job with the silly material, I will admit that I just love the play. In fact, the worst production I ever saw was another version of TPOP. I felt sorry for that little production. They tried so hard and had some brilliant moments. Since I already know the story and all the jokes I decided just to enjoy it and have fun with it ! I may have been the only person in the audience (granted, there were only about 20 of us) who laughed at all. But I did end up having a great time! The cast noticed, too, because during the finale one of the pirates grabbed me from the front row and took me into the middle of the stage to waltz with him. Awesome! Of course, the cast was standing in the way of the exit at the end, so I told them all how much fun I had. I did not lie and tell them the show was good. Individuals, yes. As a whole, not so much.

During Seven Brides, it was so weird to me whenever a stranger would come to me and tell me how well I had done. Weirder still were those who couldn't praise me enough! It was nice, but every time I would think, "Oh my goodness! That's right, I'm the lead!" It was crazy every time. I didn't mind the people who just tried to sneak past without saying anything. They always looked so embarassed. That's just sad. Here we've worked so hard to entertain and help everyone enjoy the evening and it ends with a moment of awkwardness. I hope it doesn't end up ruining the whole evening.

Hmm, I've kind of allowed my awkwardness tonight ruin my evening. Uncool! I loved the show! Next time I see those acquaintances I'll tell them so. And they'll know I am even more sincere because I had to go out of my way to tell them. Yeah, that's what I'm going to to!

I feel better.

Goodnight, my someone...

No man is perfect, just like no girl is perfect. Whenever cynical people try to commisserate to me that there are no more good men in the world, I remind myself of all of the good men I know-- married and unmarried-- and I hope that someday I can find one who wants to spend his life with me (a not-currently-married one, of course).

A friend forwarded me this thought, and since I in my romantic-realist-hopeful state of mind love it, I want to share:

When a Girl is Quiet

When a GIRL is quiet ... millions of things are running in her mind.
When a GIRL is not arguing ... she is thinking deeply.

When a GIRL looks at you with eyes full of questions ... she is wondering how
long you will be around.

When a GIRL answers 'I'm fine' after a few seconds ... she is not at all
fine.

When a GIRL stares at you she is wondering why you are lying.

When a GIRL lays on your chest .. she is wishing for you to be hers forever.

When a GIRL wants to see you everyday... she wants to be pampered.

When a GIRL says 'I love you' .. she means it.

When a GIRL says 'I miss you' .... no one in this world can miss you more than
that.

Life only comes around once; make sure you spend it with the right person ....

Find a guy .. who calls you beautiful instead of hot.
who calls you back when you hang up on him.
who will stay awake just to watch you sleep. Wait for the guy who ... kisses
your forehead.

Who wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats.
Who holds your hand in front of his friends.

Who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares about you and how lucky he
is to have you.
Who turns to his friends and says, 'That's her!!'

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel..."

Thank you to all of the good men in my life for reminding me that I deserve to be treated with love and respect! I hope to share my life with a man like you someday.

Thank you to the loving, supportive couples I see everyday that remind me that the hard work of dating and the hard work of marriage are totally worth the benefits. I hope to be just like you someday!

Goodnight, my someone...

*Hopeful*

Shakespeare Time!

I decided almost last minute to take a little trip to the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City to see as many plays as I could! Three weeks ago, my cute mom and grandma were kind to accompany me. I learned that they don't much care for Shakespeare -- how can that be when I adore it so? -- but they and I loved the trip just the same!

We drove down on Thursday afternoon, and arrived in time for some dinner before the first play. We chose Chili's, which was the location for our most random and embarassing experience. Mom, Gram and I have birthdays fairly close together, so I thought it would be fun since we'd be in town for three nights to each claim one as our honorary birthday and have a free dessert. To be fair, my mom's birthday had been the week before, so at least that wouldn't have been a total lie. Well... we totally botched it at Chili's, because when the waitress asked whose birthday it was, I said Grandma's (because during my plan earlier I'd assigned her the first night) and Mom said it was hers. So, it was fairly obvious it was no one's actual birthday. The waitress had been super-nice before then, but treated us strangely after that. She did bring us some free cheesecake. We didn't expect the singing though! Gram about died when three employees came to sing, and Mom and I -- after our initial shock -- joined in. She was smiling and laughing, but she really wasn't happy. I felt badly about the whole thing. If I had remembered the singing I would have claimed the birthday as my own or kept my mouth shut!

Our first play was Much Ado About Nothing, and it was hilarious! I love this play anyway (as evidenced by the fact that I use one of the lines as my blog description). It is one of the best comedies ever and the slapstick and the take on characters was delightful. Plus, it's always fun to see the plays in the Adam's Theatre, which is patterned after Shakespeare's original Globe Theatre.

Friday morning we slept in, then found a pretty cool antique shop and poked around for a bit. For some reason, I was attracted to all of the tin-made objects. I kept coming back to tin posters and boxes and funny little characters. I bought a Saltines tin to store my crackers in, and a tin poster of the first Harry Potter movie. Perhaps not seemingly the most exciting of purchases, but I am quite excited about them!

That afternoon, we saw a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. This is another story that I already love and they didn't disappoint me too much! Mr. Darcy was completely darling, as was the dad, and I loved the sisters. I wished that Elizabeth had been more likeable, but I was still happy when *SPOILER ALERT!* they got together at the end.

That night, we saw Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and it was brilliant! The concept was to put the movie on stage, using only four actors to play all of the characters. It was madcap silliness at it's best! It was closing night and the actors were pulling out all the stops. The lead character -- played by acting genius Brian Vaughn, who I met the last time I saw the Festival -- even broke character at one point and started laughing. You could just tell they were having a marvelous time! In any other show the break in character would have been distracting and unfortunate, but it worked in this one! I love being present for moments like that! There is truly nothing like live theatre! Isn't it wonderful?


Saturday morning, we slept in again, and then spent some time at the indoor pool and hot tub in the motel :) It was the first time I've used my swimsuit since the cruise in January! I swam a bunch of laps and floated around a bit. I like being in the water. It's so peaceful. Well, I should specify that I like calm water. The ocean and I don't get along very well :P

We also checked out a little Arts Festival on the lawn of the Randall Theatre. It was kind of lame -- mostly jewelry -- but fun to see what people were doing. There were some rocking chairs I quite liked, but even though Mom reminded me my birthday was coming up, I declined. My home is already quite stuffed! It was nice to just walk around outside, though.

That afternoon, we saw Great Expectations the Musical, and we all agree it was our least favorite of the trip. There are some Dickens' stories that end somewhat happily, but this one ended ambiguously, and the lighting was dark and moody. Bleh. I wanted to like it, but it didn't work out. Ah, well. I always adore Emily Trask (she played Estella) and the man who played Pip had a marvelous voice! Not a waste of time by any means, it just wasn't my cup of tea, I guess.

I should mention here that I ran into TONS of people I knew during my three days there, and saw even more (Hi Jann! Hope you liked 39 Steps!). It was crazy! I couldn't cross the street without stopping to talk with a dear friend (Hi Karrie Ann!) It was kind of funny. My world can be a wonderfully small one sometimes. Either that, or we just all had the same good idea at the same time!

I took the above photo because I thought it funny that we all had black flats on! Different styles, of course, but it's kind of fun!

We had dinner that evening at Rusty's Steakhouse, which seems to be our custom. Yummm, barbeque! We did not claim it to be anyone's birthday. We'd learned our lessons. I'm pretty sure Mom and Gram's looks would have killed me if I suggested it again...bwahahahaha!

Hahahahahahahaha!

We saw an energetic Celtic-themed Greenshow, and then settled down for The Merchant of Venice. The last was the best, or at least it was my favorite! Just so, so good. I studied it a lot in high school and college, but had never seen it performed. The acting was masterful -- it was a lot funnier than I remember, and more tragic. Tony Amendola of The Mask of Zorro fame was heartbreaking as Shylock. Even when the wind in that outdoor theatre rendered the hearing of the actual words impossible, I could feel the emotion oozing from him (it's cool they don't use microphones, but they might have helped, especially for the female actors). I would like to have seen it a second time to catch everything going on. It made me wish I had also seen Macbeth, but that was the one I missed.

It also made me want desperately to do a Shakespeare play! The irony is that auditions for the only one I know of for the near future took place while I was gone. Ay me! I'll be keeping an eye out! Someone do a Shakespeare comedy so I may be in it! Pretty please?

I know I say it after every visit to the festival, but next time I really am going to see all six plays! We drove home Sunday morning and just like that the vacation was over. It was a good one, though! It went by way too fast!

Audition tutor

My friend Toni called me and asked me for my help. She has been taking vocal lessons and singing in choirs for years, but she wanted to try something different: she wanted to audition for a play.

As we know, I have no small experience in auditioning, but when she asked me to watch her sing and give her pointers on "emoting" convincingly it made me nervous. Nevertheless, I met her at her house last Tuesday and watched her sing her song about 10 times.

It was fun! First of all, Toni has a gorgeous voice and picked a great song. She choose to sing "How Could I Ever Know" from the Secret Garden musical. I had never really heard her sing like that and about fell on the floor during the first runthrough. Second, she has the perfect look for Savior of the World. I told Toni that it was very likely the director would be rooting for her as soon as she walked in the door; all she had to do was seal the deal. I felt that the play she had chosen was a good fit for her vocally, physically, and would be a good "first" show. She was honest enough to say she wanted a lead, but would be thrilled in any role. More importantly, she just wanted a good first audition experience. The dear woman was terrified.

I enjoyed my role as an "audition coach." I drew on suggestions given to me by my own experienced directors and coaches and taught her things like to choose a point at the wall above the center person's head as the main focal point, but don't feel like you have to stare at it the whole time, either commit to using her arms or leave them relaxed at her side, and try not to move her feet too much. I wanted her to mostly focus on the words of the song and sing as though she is really apologizing to someone that she can't be there for them. It's possible I gave her too much information and overwhelmed her, but she kept asking for more, and I did see a lot of progress during each runthrough.

I am pretty sure I did give her too much information about the actual audition process, especially since I haven't auditioned for Savior for years so I didn't really know what to expect there. I could only give Toni some general info, like what to expect when you walk in the room, and that there would be an audition form for her to fill out with her experience and conflicts.

Toni did make me perform the song a few times to give her a better idea of what she should be doing. I couldn't look at her while I did it, and I felt really weird having her mimick me. Plus, I was painfully aware that my voice is not as trained as hers :P But, it felt good to sing the song, to feel the emotions, and pretend that I was auditioning. I may believe myself to be a better actress than I am a singer, but I felt I did a good job (to be fair, I did play this character recently, even if it wasn't a musical version of the story). I made sure to use all of the techniques I'd been giving to Toni. Didn't want to wash out my own advice!

She called me after the audition on Wednesday and reported that she didn't think it had gone very well. Her voice hadn't sounded the way she expected it to and she was so nervous she was sweating. Then the director had Toni sing it a second time and tried to direct her a bit which really freaked her out. She didn't get a callback and left feeling really discouraged. As far as I know she hasn't heard anything yet, but I don't know how long the casting and decision process usually takes for this show. Toni is still hoping for a part in the ensemble and I hope she gets one. I tried to reassure her and told her I thought it was fantastic she did something out of her comfort zone. I remember my first audition and it was a huge mess. Then again, I've gotten some of my favorite roles after what I thought were bad auditions.

The whole experience made me want to audition for a play. I don't know that I'm really ready yet to jump into another one -- I'm enjoying my freedom -- but I'd like to audition for a couple versions of A Christmas Carol and a show at the Childrens' Theatre. Let's face it: I could definitely use the practice. I usually do okay at callbacks, but getting there is often a challenge. It's just so easy at an audition to be intimidated by a production team and my competition. It's so easy to beat myself up because I sound inexplicably different at the audition than at home. It's so easy to focus on the potential outcome rather than just enjoying the opportunity to perform (my own current albatross).

Why subject myself to that stress? So I can overcome my insecurities and get better at it so that some day it isn't stressful anymore. To remind myself that talented and capable people sometimes aren't cast, even if they are willing to be any part at all, because of something that is completely out of their control. Also, because I never know what someone's looking for. Like I said, I've been cast after some pretty lousy auditions. And, finally, because I love to perform and I should take advantage of more opportunities to sing.

So, I'll start auditioning again here pretty quickly. Wish me luck -- I mean, "Break a leg!"

...Four hundred!

This is my four hundredth post! Crazy, no? That just seems like a lot. And some of you (or maybe just me) have read them all.

Well, to celebrate, I'm going to list 400... okay, just four things I am really, truly grateful for:


1. My religion: It keeps me grounded. Some look at the Mormons and all they see are things we "can't" do. But I am a free agent and I choose to act in the way prescribed by Jesus Christ. I know that my life would be insanely different if I didn't know what I know and if I hadn't made the choices I have and continue to make. There are so many horrible things going on in the world; if I didn't recognize how blessed I am I'd lie down on my floor and not get up for weeks at a time. I am very thankful for my faith.

2. My family: Sometimes I can't believe I am related to these people. My parents are highly motivated, can do almost anything they want to with their hands, and extremely supportive, and never forget to remind me that they care. My brothers and sisters-in-law are confident, compassionate, talented, smart, funny, honest, and love me for who I am. My nieces and nephew are a complete joy. My extended family are endlessly concerned about my goings-on, and the always the first to wish me the best in everything I do. I am thankful for their influence on my past and present life experiences. I can't imagine trying to navigate this world without them.

3. My friends: Holy cow, where did I find these people, and can they really adore me as much as I them? My girl friends especially blow me away with the way they persevere through difficult times, listen without judging, and pour joy and comfort on me. I am not always very good about keeping in touch, or following through when I think of calling or visiting, but I am always glad they are a part of my life. I am thrilled to have so many strong women at my fingertips!

4. My health. I hear the physical ailments that people close to me are dealing with -- cancer, seizures, serious allergies, so many others -- and I am so grateful I just have hay fever and the occasional cold to hamper me. I can do nearly anything I want to. I am active. I am sometimes reckless. It's often said that we're not really thankful for something until we lose it. That's not me this time. I hope to enjoy my good health for as long as it lasts, which will hopefully be years and years and several years more.

There are other things I'm grateful for, of course, but these are the top 4. Thanks for reading a celebrating this milestone with me!

Kim Possible - my hand twin

So, my arm is still encased in the brace. The wrist is not healing fast enough! I must acknowledge it's my fault, since I cannot stop typing, and writing manually, etc. It hurts all the time. I am pretty tired of the pain and restriction.

Meanwhile, the brace makes me feel a bit like a superhero (hence the ever-present "Wonder Woman" theme is in my head). Granted, it's also my kryptonite, since hitting someone with this arm would probably cause me more pain than I could inflict upon a villian.

To make myself feel better, I am seriously considering putting on my Sleeping Beauty costume -- tiara and all -- this weekend and pretending to be the Princessinator, a la Kim Possible:
(Such a good episode!)

I need just come up with a time when I'll be hanging out at home for a while... sometimes I like to be crazy in public, but maybe not this time ;D

Say it OUT LOUD

It's sometimes dangerous for me to go to anything remotely chick-flicky. Today I saw Eat, Pray, Love and felt sorry for myself because I am not in a romantic relationship. Last week while I was visiting teaching one of the girls reminded me of "The Secret." If I tell myself I'm happy being single, the Universe hears that I'm happy being single and I stay that way. If I want to be married, I need to say it out loud, hope for it, acknowledge it. So tonight I went swimming and said out loud all of the things I want. And I'm going to keep doing it. I may not remember to stretch or work out or not drink Diet Coke every day, but I am going to do this. I love my life and I'm ready for more. No more feeling sorry for myself. More being honest with my desires!

Dress code observations

The way people dress at work kind of makes me chuckle everyday. Since I started in April, I've noticed that most people -- especially the men -- wear a lot of shorts. Shorts and either flip-flops or sneakers. Often they are cargo shorts. Or pretty short shorts (above the knee). They also wear a lot of t-shirts. T-shirts that have, oh, the Punisher logo or something else you might buy at Hot Topic or the like. I tried wearing shorts once, but even though I paired them with heels and a cute sweater it just didn't feel right. I don't even like wearing capris to work, though many of the women do. So, I usually wear some variant of jeans or a skirt with a plain t-shirt. Still, seeing the men in their cargo shorts and video game or t.v. show t-shirts makes me chuckle (especially when they guy who claims he doesn't watch t.v. wears a DHARMA Initiative t-shirt. Does he know that's from LOST?).

I've been wondering what they'll start wearing when the weather gets cooler. I assume pretty much the same except they'll replace the shorts with jeans or something.

This week has been interesting, though. Last week one of my project manangers sent an e-mail warning us that a lot of the bigwigs from all of the different branches will be here this week. So, we've all stepped it up. I decided not to wear jeans. Instead I'm wearing cute skirts and pants from Banana Republic that I bought 6 months ago and hadn't worn yet. Can't bring myself to wear any heels except my cork sandals. I don't like my feet to hurt at the end of the day. Flats are fine. And the boys are wearing either non-holy jeans or khakis paired with polo shirts and any shoes other than sneakers or flip-flops. It's weird going into meetings and not seeing any sort of design other than strips on a shirt. I didn't even know one of the men even HAD a shirt without a design on it!

Hmmm. Do I need to wrap this post up with a point? One other than "Isn't it funny how we all dress differently when the bigwigs come into town?" I tend to dress up a little more at least once or twice a week anyway.

No, I think what I really want to say is I think it's nice we have the freedom to be ourselves at work. We may dress casually, but not offensively or really weird. Some shorts are short, but not too short (same with skirts), and fortunately the guy who rides his bike to work brings clothes to change into so he's not wearing his biker shorts all day. Since we don't have clients come into our branch very often, we don't have to impress anyone with our clothing. We just let the work speak for itself. We can dress up when needed, but it isn't necessary on a day-to-day basis. It makes for a non-threatening, comfortable atmosphere, and I am grateful.

Meanwhile, I've started going through my closet and throwing out clothes that I don't wear anymore, or shouldn't wear because they're sadly too small. It's hard because some of them are really cute and I'm not excited about shopping to replace them but I need to do it anyway. Good-bye pretty flowered dresses. Good-bye uncomfortable heels that I almost never wear because you're uncomfortable. Good-bye still-cute sweaters I only wear once or twice during the winter. I should really get rid of my jean jacket since I almost hate the thing and avoid it whenever possible. Hard to give away things that I've had forever, but if I'm not wearing it I should let someone else wear it, right? Right. I hope someone does!