About August

The summer passed too quickly, as usual. Autumn began the last week of August (as evidenced by allergy issues), but that doesn't mean I didn't make the most of the month! A quick trip to the Shakespeare Festival, family photos, getting into shape, and rehearsals for Is He Dead? dominated the month, and yet I managed to pack in plenty of other summer-time adventures (and use up the better part of three tubes of sunscreen).

Food, glorious food

Even though I did the Personal Trainer Food meal plan for most of the month, I ate out a LOT. I discovered that a lot of places have delicious salads (though that's never the first thing I want to order). It was interesting getting creative with foods this month. For example, my road trip snacks usually include Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, trail mix, and caramel corn. That didn't work on this diet. But the stuff I ate was both healthy and tasty. It's nice to know that's possible.

Road trip snacks

Do not read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy while on a diet.
Food is a major part of EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER and it all sounds amazing!
(If anyone wants to make a vinegar pie, I'd be happy to taste-test it. I'm so curious.)

One of my dinner dates was late and I ended up staring at this loaf of sourdough bread for 20 minutes.
It was week 3 of the diet and I wanted desperately to eat it. I resisted.
It was my second-greatest victory of the diet.
(The first was surpassing my goal weight.)

Thankfully, Kristen made it and we talked for hours and hours. How I love this little sister of mine. I'm glad she had a few moments free for me before jetting back to London for school.

One of my co-workers brought a TON of cucumber to share.
I took a  bunch and decided to try making cucumber chips.
I sliced the first batch too thickly and cooked the second too long.
They still tasted okay.

Gina's birthday party with an exceptional group of women. These beautiful, funny, thoughtful, strong women have seen me through a lot, and I want to keep them forever!

Thank goodness Mom didn't make this until after the diet was over.
Mom's pie is the best anywhere, and her fresh peach is truly glorious.

Sandy Arts Council's 30th Anniversary party

Nichole invited me to be her date to Sandy Arts Council's 30th Anniversary party. We chatted with friends, ate delicious food (well, I didn't have cake, but the veggies were great), viewed scrapbooks, costumes, and set pieces from previous productions, and saw the final dress rehearsal for Shrek. The play was fantastic. Sandy spares no expense, and the casting was perfect. Finally, a Fiona who understands the quirky character, can dance, and had brilliant comedic timing!

Larissa was a truly darling white rabbit, Queen, tap-dancing rat, and Duloc dancer!

Post family picture photos

After our family photo session with Xan's Eye Photography, a group of us went to Sonic to eat and hang out (I had a Diet Coke). I couldn't resist a few shots of our littlest Smyth. PJ has us all wrapped around his finger, as he should ;)

Summer's wedding

My cute friend Summer was married to her loving hubby in a gorgeous, lavish wedding. She was my double and my sister in Little Women at CenterPoint, and my Liesl in The Sound of Music last year. She is impossibly sweet and impossibly talented. I adore her and am so happy for her!

Can you spot the praying mantis in my hair?

Smelling the cake, since I wouldn't eat it

The view from the wedding, with my friend (noted author) Rebecca Ethington.
She and her sister kept me entertained!

Mom's birthday

Grammy and her grandkids :)

I gave her a bookmark that looks like the Wicked Witch of the East's legs from The Wizard of Oz.
I love that it made her laugh!

Neither this kid nor I care much for frosting. He eschewed the fork and ate the upside-down piece of cake off the frosting.
He is my hero. 

For some reason, PJ does not smile at me very often. It feels like a victory when he does, but I don't mind if he wants to be serious. His resting baby face is adorable, with or without injuries.

Cast party for 1776

We finally had our cast party for 1776, a month after the show closed. I was impressed by the variety and quality of the pot luck, and enjoyed catching up with the people I liked the most (well, of those who came -- a lot of people missed it). We played three rounds of Werewolves of Miller's Hollow, and I played all three in spite of my adversion to strategy games. I was a werewolf twice -- we killed all of the villagers in the first game -- and only survived the first round (always a relief to die and then find out who everyone else is while I watch the rest). When I was killed in the last round, I was the Hunter and took a werewolf out with me, so I call that a win -- the villagers won that round, thank goodness. These are fun people. I hope I get to work with a lot of them again!

Director Michelle Groves

Can you tell who are werewolves and who are villagers?

Random merriment

One day at 7-11, I decided to pay for my enormous Diet Coke with exact change. I pulled these coins out of my wallet and realized my knowledge of their value was no longer instinctual (I was mostly thrown by the absence of any nickels, which was what I needed). It was a sad moment.
Obviously the Parking Token isn't useful in most transactions, but it's worth $10 if you're trying to exit the underground parking lot at Temple Square.

Lunch at Kneaders where Wendy P insisted on taking a photo of me (and subsequently sent to a bunch of her guy friends to encourage them to ask me out)

I found this note in my old copy of Farmer Boy. I have little idea what any of the context is, but it's from Megan Dunyon and was probably written while we were in Junior High. I miss her.

I saw Katie in Murray Arts' production of Camelot. It was her first play in 15 years and she was darling.
I hope we can do a show together in the near future. We haven't been onstage together since before my mission!

I missed this barbecue, but I wanted to share this photo of my bishopric.
I really like these men. They are good at their jobs and nice, genuine people, too.

I killed my fitbit by wearing it while swimming (stupid, stupid choice).
Awesomely, customer service replaced it free of charge. I kept in the habit of walking a ridiculous amount during the interim, but I'm still surprised that it only took me 2 weeks to forget how much walking it takes to get 10,000 steps!

Rehearsals for Is He Dead?

We're in the thick of things, now. We've blocked the show and are working on characters and motivations. I love rehearsing a non-musical. There is more time for scene work and growing as an actor. Plus, our director is fantastic, and the other actors are both hilarious and great to work with. I'm grateful to be a part of it.

"Oh, Father. I can't bear it. How can I make a beggar of you?"

"Everything you've got is mine - bought with my money."

"Her mind is wandering again."
"Wandering? It's practically abroad!"

Director Ryan ponders what to do next

Starving artists

And now it's really autumn. Time for allergies. Time for cooler weather. Time for Salt Lake Comic Con and my birthday. I'll take the good, I'll take the bad, I'll take the rest and... you know ;)

Happy September!