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!

Thank you for your Service

My friend Candice posted this on her blog, and I think it's a great idea. I just sent a card -- now it's your turn!

If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.
How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.

This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank yous.

A Good Week

Last week was a really good one. Of course, it was riding on the coattails of the week after I had surgery and was knocked out with drugs, so there was plenty to improve on!

First off, I called my periodontist office Tuesday and they told me I could ease into smiling again. I admit I didn't ease -- I started smiling again outright, at least for the first couple of days. After that I could feel my gums pulling on the stitches, so I reached what I feel is a happy medium, although when I practice in the mirror I realize it looks a little odd. My mouth is already crooked, so the crooked smile makes it super-crooked, and the side I'm smiling with doesn't turn up as much as the side I leave stationary. Oh well... I'm smiling with my eyes and feel happy!

Wednesday I got to see my friends in Seussical the Musical at Midvale Park. It was so fun! I sat with Stephanie M and her husband Troy, and they were sweet to let me hold their baby for a good half hour. Such a cute baby and cute parents! The play was awesome -- I've had the songs in my head ever since. Elisha and Candice and everyone were fantastic in their roles, and it was easy to tell everybody was having a ton of fun, including the audience. I am very proud of my friends on the pro team and onstage. I wanted to see the show again Saturday night, but circumstances got away from me!

Troy and Peanut

Thursday I took my friend Michelle B and her daughter, Abbie to see Beauty and the Beast at the Murray Park Ampitheatre. Michelle loves the music but had never seen the show, and she was thrilled to take her daughter. Abbie was tired and grumpy at the start -- 8pm is her bedtime -- but by the end she was standing up and her eyes were wide. The play was wonderful! Each scene just got better and better, and I cried during "If I Can't Love Her". I never realized just how lonely the Beast is, and how I can relate sometimes. After the play I found the Black family (friends from Bye Bye Birdie who were in Beauty and the Beast) to tell them how much I enjoyed the play. Another one I would have seen twice if I had the time!

Friday Michelle and her boyfriend tried to get a group together to see the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti. Since it was last minute, only they and I ended up going. I adore Michelle and Ryan, though, and the three of us had a lot of fun. Michelle and I drove to Provo where Ryan had dinner waiting, then we all drove down to Manti just as the show started. I'd never been before and was surprised at how long it was, and how much it affected me spiritually. I enjoyed the message and was reminded of a few things that I needed to hear. When the show was over, we waited around at the temple grounds, then ate some ice cream in an attempt to avoid the traffic. Ryan has been introducing Michelle to the music from Wicked, and we're all hoping to take a trip somewhere so Michelle can see the play (and us, too, of course), so we sang and talked and laughed all the way home. I didn't get home until 2am, but I loved it!

I had about six things I wanted to do Saturday, but ended up only getting to three: laundry, cleaning my apartment, and going to the temple. It was a lovely, relaxing day. Something I very much needed. I even took the time to straighten my hair for the first time since the Experiment in January. I love my curly hair, but sometimes it's nice to just brush and brush as much as I want and still have it look good. Oddly, I don't really like people making a big deal about the change. I don't know why that is.

The meetings at church on Sunday were great for me. I'm having a hard time getting aquainted with people -- many are nice, but I haven't really clicked with anyone although I've been there a good eight months. Most of the time I make an effort to sit next to someone so I don't feel so solitary, especially if that person is also sitting by themselves. In Relief Society, the lesson was on provident living (or living on a budget within your means), and the teacher had a bunch of us admit to things we'd purchased lately we probably don't really need. I said stickers for my pedicures, because I was too embarassed to admit I saw the Star Trek movie four times in the last month; it's a good movie! In Sunday School, the lesson was on the signs of the last days. I even had a few comments to make. Unfortunately, that teacher didn't see me on the right side of the room, so after about three minutes of raising my hand without him noticing me, I interrupted him. It's rare that I actually have something I want to say out loud, and I was grateful that I had insight into the topic. It meant I learned more than I normally would have. The talks in Sacrament Meeting were about temple attendence. Although I'd been the day before, I was also grateful for their words. I should go to the temple more often than I do. I'm pretty busy, but I'm not quite that busy.

Today was my brother Peter's birthday, but we celebrated yesterday with a big Sunday dinner as is our custom. Peter's girlfriend's family came, too, so I got to meet them for the first time. I can't describe how tasty the meal Mom prepared was (teriyaki chicken, rice, salad, french bread with butter, and squash cooked in italian dressing, and yellow cake with chocolate frosting and vanilla ice cream), or how nice Jordyn's family is. We had a great time chatting, getting to know each other, and watching Peter open presents. He is such a good guy -- truly a reason to celebrate. I'm going to miss him when he goes away to school in the fall!

Peter and Jordyn

This week has all the potential of being another good one, in spite of evening meetings for work tomorrow. Tonight I went to family home evening, enjoyed the speaker, met some new people, and talked with some I already know. I'd call that a success! I'm looking forward to the holiday weekend! Hooray for three days off from work!

The Summer Ahead

The Seussical callback was really fun. I was thrilled when after my dance audition Stephanie M said "I didn't know you could dance like that! I should have given you harder choreography last year!" Normally, my dancing is the part I'm least confident in, but in spite of sort of crashing into a wall I felt really good about it! (They let me try the dance again...far away from any walls...)

I had written down I'd only take one of two parts -- Gertrude or Mayzie. There were a LOT of wonderfully talented women there, so I wasn't surprised when I wasn't cast in either. I am super-excited for Candice (the Cat in the Hat) and Elisha (Pamela Anderson... I mean Mayzie), and Stephanie M's kids! They are going to have a blast working with our adorable Stephanie J and her pro team. How I love them!

Elisha told me about her part Saturday night, and Kate mentioned later that evening that she'd talked to Stephanie J and someone else was Gertrude. I figured that was that, so I was surprised on Sunday when Steph called and asked if I'd be willing to accept a part as a Bird Girl. I asked for a day to think about it. After debating it with myself all day, Steph and I talked about it, and ultimately I decided it doesn't feel right. It was a really hard choice. Thanks Stephanie for being so understanding. I do look forward to doing another show with you in the future, and more than that I think we need to goof off together sometime! We need to plan another Girl's Night in the near future, I think.

There are a few other plays I might audition for, but I admit I'm sort of drawn to the idea of not doing a play this summer. I don't know what else I'd do, because I haven't not done a show in the summer in at least 10 years. It's oddly freeing. Take a dance class? Start relearning to play the violin? Live at the movie theatre? Sign up to be an extra on evenings and weekends? Hang out at the Gateway and write in my journal? Start working on my book or an additional blog? Play with my nephew and nieces? Learn to bake, knit, and quilt? Read a lot? All of the above?

Who knows?

Let's Go -- GNO!

Closing night was awesome because SO MANY of my friends were there! It was the only night I was nervous, isn't that weird? I just wanted them to have fun and to think I was great and I wanted it to be a really good closing performance. It went well, and all of the other cast members were totally jealous that I had my own fan club! What a way to end the run!

With Tiffanie and Z

Back row: Tiffanie, Sarah, Emily H, Debbie, Candice, and Stephanie J
Front row: Rachael, Olivia, Emily B, me, and Mandee

After the show, these lovely ladies waited for me in the lobby while I changed -- man, that costume took forever to take on and off -- and turned in my skirt and vest and zils. Thirty seconds later I realized I should have kept the zils so my friends could play with them, and then I thought, "Hey! I could make my own!" I said good-bye to my castmates. I would have been sadder about it if I hadn't known I'd see a bunch of them on Monday for the other cast's closing night and at the cast party in January.

Turns out, the ladies had met at Rachael's house and carpooled to the theatre. The plan was to go back to Rach's and hang out, so I got to drive Rach and Sarah over. Laren met us there and we talked and laughed and ate Reeses peanut butter cups, chinese pretzels, chocolate chip cookies, and clementines, and drank fizzy fruit juice and V8 Splash. I adore these women! We totally talked until after midnight and I had a great time. I cannot begin to say how grateful I am that they all came to the play, and that we got to hang out together afterwards. My friends are awesome and I don't get to see them enough! Thank you Rachael for organizing the whole thing, and thanks everyone for being there! You have no idea how much I needed that Girls' Night. You are the best.

Into the Woods and My Birthday

I saw Into the Woods at Hale Centre Theatre last night, and I must say, it was brilliant! Loved the costumes, loved the set, already love the music, and I was very impressed by the casting. Candice looked absolutely gorgeous in her orange and her pink gowns and I finally got to see her perform! Geez, she has a beautiful voice. How I love her (thanks for letting me chatter your ear off after, Candice!) I also very much enjoyed watching my friend Jon McBride as the Baker -- he is just so genuine on stage. I cried during "No One Is Alone." Such a good show.

I am going to complain for a second though, because I had the WORST seat in the auditorium! My ticket was on the South East side (door 3), row seven, right on the aisle. So, not only did I have most of the Vom doorway in my way, I had the gate above it and the stair railing in my line of sight. Awesome. And there's the fact that I couldn't see Rapunzel's face the entire first act! During "Stay With Me" I wanted to yell out "TURN AROUND RAPUNZEL SO I CAN SEE YOUR PRETTY FACE!" The stupid song was blocked so that the Witch and Rapunzel are sitting on a moving turntable, and Rapunzel kept shifting so that her back was to me the entire time... except for the end when she buried her face into the Witch's shoulder. So, yeah. I was pretty annoyed. I moved during the second act and enjoyed it much better! (The second act is the frosting anyway!)

The play was fantastic overall. I'd love to go again. You do have to love how the handsome princes totally steal the show! Ah, good times.

Mandee asked me yesterday why I never blogged about the birthday party she and Laren threw for me. Sigh. I did blog about my birthday party and posted a ton of photos, though I posted it about two weeks after the fact, so I'm not surprised she missed it. Please check out the post if you haven't seen it and you want to! I had a great time during that party -- seriously still cannot believe all the fuss you ladies made over me. I am so lucky!

Fondue is Fabulous

Once upon a time, I almost starved to death waiting for our server to stir the cheese...

Steph and Candice helped me to achieve another goal this weekend: I finally got to eat at the Melting Pot! Director Steph, dancer Stephanie and I all went to Stephanie's Stake Center to watch the General Relief Society Conference beforehand. It was soo good! We all needed those talks, especially President Uchtdorf's message about being creative and serving others in our own way. Candice had rehearsal until after 7pm, so we picked her up after the Conference and met Candice's mom and sisters at the Melting Pot about 8pm!

I was a little surprised when the hostess led the seven of us to a cozy little booth, fortunately we're all friends and didn't mind sitting so close to each other! I wasn't able to reach one of the burners, fortunately, everyone was willing to help me out so I could try both of the cheese, meat, and chocolate options. It was fun to mix and match the sauces and try new things. It was all so yummy!

Candice's mom and sisters are awesome, by the way. I had a great time getting to know them, and chat with my friends. I very much needed the night out and enjoyed the excuse to get dressed up and be social with women I adore. I'm greatful to Steph and Candice for making it happen. Thank you both, and thanks Stephanie, Melanie, Rebecca, and Liz for a terrific experience!

Meanwhile, Candice's play opens tomorrow, and her first performance is on Wednesday, I believe. Break a leg, Candice! You'll be brilliant and I can't wait to come and cheer for you!



PS. Yes, my hair is straight in this photo. It's been six months since the last time I straightened it, and I felt a little Marcia Brady-like on Saturday, so I gave it a shot. Good times!

Spoiled by my Girlfriends

I am still reeling over all that happened on Tuesday and Wednesday night. I can't say anymore that my 30th birthday was "blah"!!

Mandee and Laren had both let slip that they were planning something for me. I can't fault either of them, since I tend to have a big mouth sometimes and accidentally stumbled into it both times. So, since the secret itself was blown and I knew something was up, they made darn sure that I had no idea what was actually going to happen. Laren told me very emphatically that there was no party. Since I'd wanted a surprise party my whole life, I was happy to just go along and marvel at their ingenuity. And golly -- I wasn't disappointed!

Laren picked me up about 5:30pm and drove zigg-zaggedly so I'd have no idea where we were going. She had warned me ahead of time that I'd want my camera, so I took the opportunity to take the only photo of Laren I got that night:


Our first stop was director Steph's house. Steph opened the door and gave me a huge hug and invited Laren and I to sit in the chairs on the front porch. She then presented me with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers*! Oh how I love flowers! Then Steph told me to look inside, and I saw that she had hidden a little bottle blue hair gel in there! Yay! How perfect that the woman who made sure I see the Star Trek Experience before it closed also helped me in my desire to bluify my hair. I really appreciate that she doesn't want me to have any regrets! She said that using this stuff I could either just streak a few curls at a time, or use it as a gel which would turn it all blue at once (it washes out). I wish I had put in a streak then and there, but I chickened out. I did put some in about 10 minutes later though -- loved it! It was the perfect way to start the evening.

*Editor's note: As of Saturday 9-20-08, these flowers are still alive and lovely.


Next, we went to Mandee's house. Mandee said later that she made sure to be otherwise occupied so that her husband, Scott could be the one to present me with a pink rose; she really wanted a man to give me flowers! Then Mandee gave me a STACK of gifts! I was so surprised! Each one was lovely and hand-picked for me. I nearly started crying as I opened them. Scott had baked an awesome chocolate cake drizzled with caramel -- dude! I could have eaten two or three slices! But we were apparently on a time table, so we each just had one before we were off again!


Emily H's daughter Grace greeted us at the door, followed directly by her mother. Yay! I hadn't seen Emily since Birdie closed! I love her new haircut! Emily started off by saying that she is Miss America for Halloween every year, and then she proceeded to crown me "Miss Amazing 2008". It was hilarious! She dressed me in a crown a "Miss Amazing 2008" sash and presented me with a certificate. I couldn't believe it when she gave me even more gifts -- the crowning was already so wonderful! I will definitely be putting up the candle and the photo of her, Kate and I from Birdie, and using that photo album. It was just too perfect that it was Emily who thought to make me to be a princess! Loved it! Love her! I was only too happy to acquiesce to Mandee's command that I wear the crown and sash for the rest of the evening.


Emily's husband -- also named Scott -- kindly agreed to put their kids to bed so she could come with us to our next stop: dancer Stephanie's house! Stephanie's kids were sick, but they poked their kids in and said "Hi" while she brought out her gifts. I was delighted by the pumpkin spice candle and absolutely beautiful orange roses. Seriously, I couldn't have been any more touched. She is such a sweetie, and I was grateful for some time with her, too! Stephanie then pulled out two of my favorite movies: Sense and Sensibility and the Keira Knightley Pride and Prejudice. That's when everyone told me we were going to go back to Mandee's house to watch one together! Hooray! I got to hoard those four fantastic women for at least two and a half more hours!


Disaster struck as we left Stephanie's house, though. There's a light pole that the city decided to put in an awkward place in Stephanie's driveway, and Laren hit it with the front of her car! Emily said her husband might be able to help repair it cheaply -- he's good with that kind of thing -- but we all felt guilty about it. It was the one dark spot of the night.

Another surprise was waiting when we arrived at Mandee's house: Emily B. and Tiffanie were there! It didn't expect that at all, since Emily B. lives in Utah County and Tiffanie and I had emailed that afternoon saying we needed to see each other soon. She's so devious! After a few moments of chatting, Laren called everyone but me into the kitchen. While I sat by myself for the first time that night, the doorbell rang. Someone yelled for me to get it. I was shocked again when I opened the door and there was Rachael (Wretchel!!) with her baby Sabrina! Holy granola! I flung myself into her arms I was so surprised! Before long, the doorbell rang again, and before I could get to it, Amy had opened the door and peeked in! She and director Steph had come together. I don't know why I just couldn't believe that so many women that I love and admire had all come together to celebrate my birthday with me! And more incredible was that they all brought gifts! I have chocolate and yummy-smelling candles to last my new apartment for a good couple of months. That's a good start to a comfy home! Emily B. also gave me a Princess coloring book, just so I could color them all blonde! Oh my goodness, I laughed about that for awhile. Just brilliant. Everyone just seemed so happy chatting together. Most of us hadn't seen each other since the play had closed, and everyone wanted to hold the baby. I regret not getting a photo of everyone there together. It was so comfortable and easy-going and fun. I felt relaxed and loved and happy; what more could a person want?




When I finished opening the gifts, Laren sat me in a special chair where everyone could see me, and explained that she had told me this wasn't going to be a party, because I and all the women there are Goddesses, and this was a gathering of the Goddesses. She said that since it was my birthday, I got to choose where we'd all go together for dessert. I choose the cheesecake factory, so after some hemming and hawing, we left Mandee's house. Tiffanie, dancer Stephanie, and Emily H. needed to get home, so I heaped good-byes and thank yous on them as much as I could. Really, there was no way to exactly convey how happy they had made me!

Laren wasn't able to stay at the restaurant, but she gave me a gift card to cover my dessert! The group at the Cheesecake Factory included Mandee, Amy, Emily B, Rachael and Sabrina, director Steph, and Mandee. What a fun group of ladies! We had a quite table near the back where Sabrina could sleep, and the rest of us could chat and laugh and flirt with our charming and energetic waiter. They made sure the waiter knew it was my birthday so he could flirt outrageously and try to make me blush in the low light. I had everyone try an appetizer I like, the avocado eggrolls. Soo good! Everyone laughed at my reaction when our waiter and a bunch of other servers sang "Happy Birthday" and brought out my slice of caramel turtle cheesecake. I saw they were coming, and people from other tables were looking around, so I waved and smiled enthusiastically so everyone knew the servers were singing for ME! My birthday! Yaaaaaaaaay!

from left: Emily B, Steph, me, Mandee, Amy, Rachael



It ended too soon -- about 11pm -- and Mandee drove me and a huge stack of gifts home. I put all of the flowers in water, organized all of the other wonderful things into boxes to transport to my condo, and placed a huge bag of peanut butter M&Ms into my purse for work. I had a hard time sleeping that night. You know how sometimes you don't want to sleep because you're so happy you don't think even your dreams can compete? That's how I felt. It was such a great night!

I felt like the Hale Centre Theatre anniversary party on Wednesday was another extension of my birthday! At least, that's how my friends made it feel for me. Candice invited me to be her date, and Kate invited director Steph. I met Candice and Steph at Candice's house, and the three of us drove over together. Kate was running a smidge late and told us to start without her, but we had a tough time getting to the buffet tables because we kept running into people we knew! We first ran into Dave and Patti as we finally made our way into the hallway leading to the rehearsal rooms. That's when we had our first look at Patti's purple hair. She looked fabulous! I accidentally dyed my hair purple once and it did not look nearly as cute as Patti's. I am totally in awe of her bravery!

We grabbed some turkey, yams, rolls, butter, salad, potatoes and gravy (those mashed potatoes were so creamy!) and found a table. The three of us sat with Patti, Dave, Michael Hutch and his date, and Kate arrived after not too long.

I would now like to take the opportunity to say that Steph, Candice, and Kate looked absolutely stunning. They are beautiful women even on their worst days, but it was so fun to have all of us dressed up, and accidentally color-coordinated in black, cream, and gold. I really do need a copy of the photo we took with Patti. I wish I'd taken my own camera to the party, too. I seriously love these women. Seriously.

Before long it was time for the entertainment, so we all trooped into the theatre, and sat on the back row where we could heckle and talk and laugh at unintentially hilarous speeches without bothering too many people. It was awesome to see scenes from the shows run during this last year: I teared up when Kate, Brad Charon, and the octet sang "What Child is This?" from A Christmas Carol; we all laughed as Bredesen pretended to try to kill himself with a fork and a pillow in a scene from Lend Me a Tenor; I felt chills while the northern and southern armies from The Civil War the Musical sang "By the Sword/The Sons of Dixie"(the South was outnumbered during the number, but they did have brooms while the North was unarmed...); my friends and I laughed hysterically as Mary Parker Williams tried to convince the rest of the cast of The Curious Savage that the bathroom was on fire; we marveled at Danny's trampoline skills and jivved with Kate and the Big the Musical cast during cross the line; and looked forward to seeing Candice in Into the Woods while Josh Richardson and Brian Hague sang "Agony". Then we were in for a treat as four actors chosen at random used bumper cars, sticks, and whatever they could to pop the balloons on the other contestants' cars and hats in an attempt to win $500. The last one to have one balloon unpopped was the winner, and boy did they work for it! It was so, so funny!

The program ended with all of us singing "Happy Birthday" to the theatre. Except, I realized at the second verse that Patti, Dave, Candice, Steph, and Kate were all singing to me, and even sang "Happy Birthday, dear Megan". I nearly started crying. It was a very emotional moment for me. The lights finally came up; Candice and I slowly made our way to the German-chocolate cake. Sally Deitlein served us both, and I thrilled when she told me I remind her of Bernadette Peters. If only I were as talented as Bernadette! I felt pretty cool. Candice and I ate cake and chatted and wandered around trying to find Kate and Steph, who we'd lost before going for the cake. After we found them, we decided none of us felt like karaoke or dancing, so we went instead to Applebee's. We made up one of the two tables filled there. The server mentioned she was kind of bummed there weren't more people there, and we said that since it was the Hale party that night, there hadn't been a show which would probably explain the lack of post-show diners. We tried to make up for the lack of any other customers by being as wacky, loud, and fun as possible (so, basically, we were just ourselves). My friends made sure everyone knew it was my birthday and that the servers all sang to me and brought ice cream! Oh, how I loved the attention! I loved having those three women all to myself; I don't see them nearly often enough.

The best part of the evening was that everyone who hadn't been able to attend my surprise party was at the Hale party, so I really did get to celebrate with everyone! I couldn't have asked for more. There wasn't anything else I wanted.

This has probably been the best birthday week in my own 30 years! If only everyone could celebrate this way, no one would ever not look forward to that milestone! I was surrounded by people I love, and I was reminded of all that I have and am and am grateful for. Future birthdays sure have a lot to live up to!

Thanks again to all who made it what it was. Thank you Laren and Mandee for putting together and executing such a mind-boggling and surprising evening, to Candice for inviting me to the Hale party, and to everyone who came to both events and let me know how much you care for me. I truly am blessed to know each of you.

Let my 30th year commence!

More Vegas Memories

I've been home from Vegas for a week already! Fortunately, that's not nearly enough time to forget our adventures -- not that I could or want to!

Steph picked me up from work on Thursday, and on the way to get Candice, we saw a random sculpture garden on 90th South. They looked like solide metal, but then a buyer picked one up and walked away... so it must have been hollow.

We chose to fly to Vegas because none of us were excited about the idea of driving all the way. Besides, the last time I drove to Vegas it took 12 hours to get home! Lousy fires in Southern Utah last year... Anyhoo, no sooner had we stowed our carry-ons and belted into our seats, but Candice proudly handed Steph and I our activity books! She had made Steph a 2008 Election book, and printed a "I Heart the Hoff" book. They were hilarious! That Candice, she thinks of everything.

We were excited to reach Vegas, pick up our rental car, and check into the Excalibur -- my first time staying on the Las Vegas Strip! We ate a late dinner and went to bed somewhat earlyish, because we knew the next day would be a busy one.


Friday morning we slept in a bit and it felt good. Fortunately, we were all up and pretty much ready to go when the fire alarm went off. We looked confusedly at each other for a moment, then grabbed our purses and took the 5 flights of stairs to get outside, where we found just one other room had evacuated with us (and it looked like a couple of them hadn't gotten out of bed yet). We thought it odd that no one else was outside, so we checked with the information desk -- yeah, it was a drill they didn't announce beforehand. Grr. So, we went back to the room to grab a few more things, and ate breakfast at the Round Table breakfast buffet.

Then we headed to the Star Trek Experience! Hooray!! (See the post below entitled "They Beamed Me Up!" for more details).

We left the Star Trek Experience later than we should have, and were really rushed to change and then get to the Winn hotel in time for Cirque du Soleil's "Le Reve". We were in danger of missing it and having our tickets given away. Luckily, we made it with two minutes to spare. I must say I am very proud for all three of us for being as patient and calm as we were! The show itself was A-MAZ-ING!! They perform on a water-logged stage for the most part, and there were syncronized swimmers and acrobats that grabbed other acrobats out of the water, lifted them into the air and dropped them from crazy heights. It was awesome! I didn't get the story at all, but who cares when the delivery is that awesome?

After the show, we walked around the Winn which has the Minolo Blahnik store and Cartier and a bunch of those fancy designers I only hear about on the Oscar red carpet or New York's Fashion Week. It was so fun seeing Candice just light up at the Minolo Blahnik store. She never would have believed they'd even let us in the store. Well, not only did they not throw us out, the saleslady let her try on a pair and walk around in them! Hooray! I love seeing my friends so happy! Then we went to the Venetian for some delicious gelatto. I don't really know how gelatto is different than ice cream -- that's how middle-class I am. But it was yummy, and we were all glad to just sit and rest our feet for a few minutes.


Saturday we all wanted to see the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. Candice and I decided to be brave and actually TOUCH the stingrays! They were soft, and I had the feeling they might have been a little squishy, but I really didn't want to test that theory out. I marveled at the elegance of the jellyfish -- they really are hypnotic -- and I admit I was a little afraid of all the sharks. It was amazing to have them swim over me, along with all sorts of wacky little fish. At one point, I felt a little like I was living "Finding Nemo". We saw Dory-fish and turtles and sharks. Oh my!

After a quick trip to In-n-Out Burger, we stopped by the Coca-Cola Factory and tried a bunch of different soft drinks from around the world. Most were pretty bland, but I swear the one from Italy was liquid death! That's really the only way I can think to describe it. Oh, well, maybe it was black licorice that had fermented too long, or something. I tried twice just to make sure it was as horrible as I first thought and yeah, it was. Gross! We also stopped by the M&M Factory, but ended up only staying just long enough for a few more souvenirs.

Then we raced back to our hotel room, packed up, turned in our rental car, and said "Good-bye" to Las Vegas!


... Except Las Vegas didn't want to let us go.

Apparently, you have to check in with Delta at least 45 minutes before the flight. We arrived about 35 minutes early, so they wouldn't let us on. Say what?! It's not like the plane had LEFT! And we didn't even have to check-in any bags!! Not only was the news crummy, but the people behind the counter didn't even pretend to be nice about it. Can we say Customer Service training? Candice arranged for us to get on the next flight home... which was at 6:30am the next day... and would be $150 more EACH. Grrr. We were so tired already it never occured to any of us to rent a car and drive home. Steph booked a room for us that night, and we took a cab back to the hotel. The lady at the check-in desk felt sorry for us, so she gave us a discount. Thank you nice lady!!

So, what do three fun-loving gals do on an unexpected night in Las Vegas? You guessed it! Thunder Down Under was even in our same hotel!

Just kidding. We went to the Tournament of Kings jousting show instead, but there were a couple of questionably-dressed men in the show. We were seated in the Ireland section, so we cheered for our champion, even though he didn't win ANY of the events. Humph. The food was pretty good, though, when they let us eat it (seriously, who decided it was a good idea to make the audience sing, bang on the tables, and raise our mugs every twelve seconds during a dinner show? I don't get it). We had a good time cheering and being generally silly... I think we were getting tired. Well, not getting tired, we WERE. We went back to our room after the show and were all asleep by 9:30. So much for the night life!!

The next day we woke up at a scary hour like 4am, but we made it to our flight with plenty of time to spare! We made it home, and now I've been home a week. I'd post more photos, but I have pretty much already posted all I have! I need to get copies of Steph and Candice's shots. They have so many good ones!

Thanks again Candice and Steph for a brilliant time! You two are awesome travelling buddies!

(And still in my head I hear Monica Gellar shouting "Anni-VEGAS-ry! A-NEVADA-versary!")

They Beamed Me Up!!

So, the trip to Las Vegas was one of the coolest vacations ever. Pretty much everything we did ended up being a little crazy and a lot of fun. I am so lucky to have Steph and Candice as my traveling companions this time around!

The main reason we went was so I could visit the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton before it is torn down in September. I am so so so glad we did! Candice was worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. It was different than I expected, but in so many ways it was better.

First, I love theme parks, and it didn't hurt I'm a fan especially of this theme. The powers that be wasted no time getting us in the groove, and a Ferengi was wandering through the ticket line greeting people and posing for photos. I admit, I felt more than a little shy and silly. Thankfully, Steph and Candice weren't about to let him walk past me! They both took photos of me with the shyest Ferengi I could have imagined... I'll post a photo once I get them from their cameras! We bought tickets for the two rides, the History of the Future museum, the backstage tour, and special photos on the bridge of the Enterprise 1701-D (that's the ship on Star Trek: The Next Generation) and a Borg chamber. The museum was where we first met the Klingon Commander wandering around. I tell you what, he seemed to have a crush on our darling red-headed Candice! He had definite opinions about the politics on our planet, and couldn't believe that we make it to the 24th Century.

Me and Steph with the Klingon Commander


Looking out at Deep Space Nine

We started by wandering around the museum, which was made up of a timeline starting in the 1950s and then outlining events through all 5 (yes, there are 5) Star Trek series, and props and costumes from the movies and shows. It was neat to see how they all came together. Next, we experienced the "Borg 4D" attraction. Unfortunately, the 4D feature was broken, so we just watched the video in our super-comfortable chairs. You could tell the places where stuff was supposed to fly out at you. Oh well. It was still fun.

Next, we had our photos taken, and I tell you what, it was AWESOME getting to sit in the Captain's chair! We weren't allowed to take any of our own photos, but I took the chance to wander around the bridge and take a look at the plaque and everything. So fun! Then we had our photos taken in a Borg chamber. I couldn't stop smiling for that one, so I look sort of dumb, but Stephanie had a great freaked-out look on her face. It was classic!

Candice, me, and Steph on the bridge of the Enterprise. Make it so!


Next we did the Klingon Adventure, which was my favorite part of the whole day. They actually BEAMED ME UP ONTO THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE! Okay, not really, but it was an AWESOME special effect! One minute we were standing in front of some doors for the motion simulator, and the next we were in the transporter room. They rushed us onto the bridge of the enterprise where an officer was sitting at the navigation console and Commander Riker was on the viewscreen (he was in Engineering with Geordi) telling us the plot line for the adventure. I totally started crying because it was just so cool! I really felt like I was living the adventure! The navigation officer took us to a "shuttlecraft" flight simulator where... oh shoot. I just remembered I wasn't supposed to talk about it. Crud. I really hope this doesn't affect the future timeline.

Seriously, it was awesome.

I'm glad we finished the Klingon Adventure before doing the backstage tour, because they revealed all the secrets of the two rides and a lot of the other work that had gone into the whole Experience. I loved getting to wander around and see all the detail they'd put into hallways that we'd just run through during the Klingon Adventure and the Borg 4D thing. I signed a non-disclosure statement promising not to reveal any secrets, so I won't. However, I will say that all of us in the group thought it was supremely cool to see the motion simulator from the outside (we actually got to watch while the ride was going on).

Sitting at the bar in the Captain's Lounge


What next? Oh! We ate dinner at Quark's Bar and Grill. Candice recommended the Holy Rings of Betazed, which turned out to be onion rings stacked one on top of the other and served with three dipping sauces. Then I had Moogie's Famous Pasta (pasta in a cream sauce with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes) and a Frozen Hirogen to drink (a smoothie with pineapple, strawberry and banana - yum!) Candice and Steph had similarly cleverly-named foods and drink, and we watched part of the movie Star Trek: First Contact which was playing on a big screen nearby. There was no sound for the movie -- the restaurant was too loud anyway -- but I watched the movie for the umpteenth time last week, so I could pretty much fill in the blanks when needed...often word for word.

We were running a bit short on time, but we all needed souvenirs before we left. I, of course, bought for my selfish Trekker self, but Candice and Steph found wonderful items for their loved ones. They were so great. I had a hard time choosing my purchases, but anytime I tried to apologize they'd say "we're here for you!" I hope they someday get an idea of how much I appreciate them. I know for a fact I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun without them. We ran into the Klingon Commander again in the gift shop, and he was surprised to find out I had been the instigator for the entire trip (the "Captain" as it were, as evidenced by my photo on the bridge). We all said our good-byes and then we had to leave.

Boo. I found my dream job and they're tearing the whole place down. Does anyone know anyone with a billion dollars who would want to invest in making millions of Trekkies and Trekkers happy? I'd be eternally grateful. Unfortunately, my own brilliant money-making idea won't be ready in time.

Sigh.

Anyhow, I'll post more photos on my Star Trek Experience whenever Candice, Steph and I get together to exchange photos.

And, of course, I'll have more info on the rest of the trip! Hooray!!

Safe and Sound

Hi all! Candice, Steph and I returned safe and sound, though a good 12 hours later than expected. I had a fantastic time, and am just so grateful for the two of them planning pretty much the whole trip!

More details to come, I promise!

Good-Bye "Bye Bye Birdie"

Bye Bye Birdie closed on Thursday night. I admit, I'm exhausted and excited to get to spend time doing other things, like working and sleeping and all those things posted in "Still Awake", but I already miss the show, the cast, and the whole experience.

At Kate's advice, I auditioned for the play in March, a little dubious that the pro team would actually consider me for Kim. After all, I'm 29 years old... nearly twice as old as the character. To my surprise and delight, I got the part anyway, and even better, Kate earned her dream role as Rose Alvarez, which meant that we finally got to do a show together!

Music rehearsals came first, which make me nervous especially when I have solos, which I did this time. Fortunately, our fearless music director, Candice, is patient and talented and knew what she wanted. I don't sing high soprano very often -- I pretend I prefer to sing Alto, but most of the time I'm just worried I won't hit the required high notes -- so I was always worried Candice and Steph would trade looks when I missed the A flat in "One Boy" like "why did we cast her again?" Fortunately, if they did I didn't see it, and by the time we actually opened that note (and the B flat in "Hymn for a Sunday Evening") was no longer a problem for me. I even hit a high C in warm-ups a few times! I can now cross that dream off my list -- woo-hoo! Thanks Candice!

Then came two weeks where I didn't have any rehearsals, because the rest of the cast was working on "The Telephone Hour" or "The Shriners' Dance" or "Kids" -- numbers I wasn't in. It's hard to be excited when you aren't involved.

My next scheduled rehearsals had choreographer Stephanie teaching me and the other teens/twenty-somethings-pretending-to-be-teens the choreography for "Lot of Livin'" and "One Boy". I felt like since I was a lead and in the front I had to be perfect right away, but I wasn't. I decided to put my pride and worries about being a lousy dancer aside, and instead of being frustrated I should just work harder. Thanks to Stephanie, dance captain Sarah/Nancy Rei, and Karl for running "Lot of Livin'" with me until I felt I had it right! The choreography was really cool, and ended up one of my favorite moments in the show.

After that point, I had at least 4 rehearsals a week... until I went out of town. My parents and I visited my brother Aaron in Washington D.C. over Memorial Day weekend and it was awesome! I'd been to D.C. once before, and really loved it; my feelings haven't changed. However, I got sick the second day there, and even now am not quite myself again. Ah well, it was a great trip.

I returned home and jumped back into the four rehearsals a week thing. I missed blocking most of the first act and all of the second, but with the help of director Steph and my co-stars I was able to catch up pretty fast.

Then June hit -- and rehearsals came every day! We started running the show with all of the blocking, singing, dancing, costumes, and lines more or less memorized. We didn't have the set until the Saturday before we opened, but even then we didn't hit too many snags.

That last week, I started to feel a little complacent. I felt like opening wouldn't be a big deal -- just like a rehearsal except there would be people watching. I was kind of sad that I wasn't more excited. Yeah, that problem was solved during the dress rehearsal! Some people in the cast had invited friends and family members, and they laughed at all the right places and even some we didn't expect, and it was so fun!

Opening night was electric, and it continued through Saturday's performance. I love to perform! There's just something about being in control of what I do (not necessarily anything else that may happen but oh well), and hearing the music, and dancing, and hearing laughter and applause, and just getting to be a spazz but not a freak 'cause it's within the confines of the show... it's hard to describe. I just love it!

Monday's performance was more than a little hectic, what with the videotaping, and Austin/Hugo, Mandee/Ursula, and Sarah/Nancy Rei all being sick. We made it through, though, and my cousins, Mom, and friends there all said the show was great. Isn't it wonderful that if the audience doesn't know that we're goofing up, as long as we keep smiling and doing our best they don't notice? They love the play for what it is, as they should. It may not have been our best performance, but it was still enjoyable. That's all we can ask for, and I am so glad they could come that night!

We had Tuesday off, and I ended up hanging out with Birdie cast members anyway. At Kate's insistence, Brandon escorted me to Midvale Art's Council's production of Honk! and we sat with Amy and Jason W, director Steph, and friend Kari Ann. Good times! The show was entertaining and creative, and the best parts were my friend Ricky as the villainous french cat, and the show-stopping number "Warts and All" where a chorus of frogs reassure Ugly that one day someone will love him for who he is. Good times.

The show on Wednesday went well, but what with all the performing, going out afterwards, and working during the day, I was starting to feel exhausted. By Thursday, I was looking forward to closing. I'd miss the show and especially the people, but I'd been in rehearsals or performing since I auditioned for Midvale's Little Women the first week of January and I need a break! The folks already cast in other shows and going straight into rehearsals again are in my prayers.

My fear of being too tired to perform that night proved to be unfounded, as just driving to the SLCC made me feel totally jazzed! (It didn't hurt that Peter Brienholt's "Birken Street" came up on my iPod shuffle. I love that song.) I had my make-up done early and was ready for mic check when I saw Kate and Brandon performing "Rosie" on the stage. I watched for a minute, curious as to why director Steph was videotaping, and then decided to go work on my uncooperative hair. I had curled exactly one section when the song ended and the entire cast ran onto the stage, freaking out. I thought "What the heck? It's a good song but..." and then everything clicked into place and I ran onstage to see Kate and Brandon standing on the platform making out and everyone else applauding! He had proposed and I'd totally missed it (but Kate did not miss it even though she was completely surprised, which is way more important than my selfishly wanting to witness it). It was a perfect moment. I am thrilled that I've been able to watch their courtship these last few months and get to know them both better during this show. They are darling separately, and even cuter together. I am so excited for them!



Of course, that put me over the edge, and I really did cry. I felt guilty missing the vocal warm-up, but joined the cast again when I'd pulled myself together.

The show was fantastic. We had a large and appreciative audience, and every scene I went out and thought "Wow. I am so lucky to get to sing this song, or perform with so-and-so, or do this dance one last time." Loved it. I am so glad we had 5 whole performances! I had a ton of fun; it was a great final show.

After, I chatted with the friends who had come to see me, and then had to pack up ALL of the stuff I'd brought for the show: all the costumes, the mirror, the curling iron, the make-up, the teddy bear, the blanket, the multiple pairs of shoes, and I don't know what else. (I had to return the purple dress -- sadness!) When I had all my odds and ends gathered, I was greatful I hadn't had to lug it around every night!

There were multiple changes of plan for the post-show cast gathering, but we all managed to reach the Denny's in Midvale about midnight. As stated before, I was exhausted, so I only stayed long enough for some photos, chatter, and hot chocolate. I wish I hadn't been so tired; I would have liked to stay, but I’d asked enough of my poor physical self and needed to give it a rest.

So, it's over! Well, not entirely -- we still have the cast party. I'm glad that we decided to postpone the party for a few weeks. That way, we'll be really, REALLY excited to see each other because we didn't see everyone yesterday! It's good to miss people I love because I appreciate them so much more.

Thank you everyone for making Bye Bye Birdie the wonderful experience it was! I'll see you soon!

A terrific cast



My gorgeous onstage family, the MacAfees: me, Mother (Emily), Randolph (Jimmy), and Daddy (Jason). Emily thinks she's the odd man out with her dark hair, but I think we all look quite nice together...


Me and my teenage girl posse singing to my "One Boy" Hugo (Austin)


Hugo picks the worst possible moment to be jealous: I am so glad we did this section in slow motion! Though knowing that everyone would keep going slowly until I said my line stressed me out a bit... and made me feel powerful...


Never fear, we used fake cigarettes. When I blew into one end, smoke came out of the other. Thanks Candice for finding them for me!


Emily, me, and Kate: peas in a pod

"Birdie" Backstage

Anyone who has done anything involving a group of people performing for another group of people, such as a play, dance recital, or sport, knows that sometimes the drama going on behind-the-scenes is just as fun as that going on in front of the crowd. There are millions of little things that go into making a show what it is, and consequently millions of opportunities for craziness.

For awhile now, I've considered bringing a video camera to rehearsals and performances and to record some of the wacky and sometimes stressful goings-on. Well, I don't own a video camera (although my digital camera takes limited amounts of decent video recordings), but I've been making an effort during this show to write in my journal random things I don't necessarily want to forget. Such as:

"June 3, 2008: The scene where Conrad (Karl Rosengren) tries to kiss me is tricky, because I do ALL the talking, and Karl's part is all visual... While the rest of the cast ran some other scenes, Karl and I set up away from the group, worked on the scene, and then rehearsed it about a bajillion times. Karl's wife, Susan, took some photos of us that she jokes she's going to blackmail Karl with. Ah well, it's not the first time I've been the "other woman" in these theatre relationships..."

"June 11, 2008: Music director Candice mentioned during notes the last two nights that I sound out-of-breath in my first song 'How Lovely to Be a Woman'... she suggested I try practicing while walking on the treadmill or something, which I will try as soon as I have a few minutes..."

"June 18, 2008: After the second run-through, I decided to take up the pro team's request to help out with cleaning and painting props (I've never done that in a show; I always hope someone else will go!)... Everything was dusty and cobwebby and gross... Laren asked the firemen if we could use their hose to clean everything off, and I'm glad they said "yes" because it saved us a lot of time! I helped Karl and Maida paint two benches yellow, and a table green with Amy H..."

"June 22, 2008: Kate, Emily and I created a space just for ourselves. The backstage area is just one big, long room that feels more than a little like a bomb shelter, and with 60 and more members of the cast, it can feel more than a little claustrophobic. To give us some privacy, Kate and Laren create a "room" for Emily, Kate and me by putting up a screen, covered shelf, and our costume rack up as three walls. Consequently, we have a place to make our many costume changes away from wandering eyes, and we have a place to sit if we need some quiet..."

"June 22, 2008: I realized this weekend that unless I interact with someone onstage directly, I really have no idea what anyone else is doing. I'm pretty involved with my own character's story... This is why I'm glad I got to watch while Autumn rehearsed as Kim: I got to watch the show!... Everyone has grown so much since March when we all auditioned. We've become a family, and it's been great to see how committed to each scene that each actor is (wow, that's a lousy sentence). Everyone gives so much energy and personality and thought into every minute. It's easy to see they are having fun, and that makes it even more fun to watch... That makes me want to work even harder -- I don't want to let them down!"

"June 22, 2008: The big stressor during the show last night was with our darling Austin... who plays my steady, Hugo Peabody. He has appendicitis and is going in for surgery next Friday, but last night he had a flare up and was in so much pain we worried he couldn't perform... Fortunately, Austin was able to perform last night, and is going to the doctor today..."

Do you see how this could be a cool documentary? Waaaay cooler on video than my lame attempts to capture the experience in print. I am super excited when I get a video of the stage performance, but even that and the photos don't quite get the essense.

Ah well, enjoy it while I can. Two shows left!!