2008 was Pretty Great

Last night I got to celebrate New Year's Eve with a bunch of strangers mingled with people I very much adore. It was my friend, Laren's, birthday, and she invited me to a party at her house. Well, with the mixture of people from her ward, family members, friends her roommates invited, a few folks from Bye Bye Birdie, and me, the place was pretty packed by midnight!

I arrived at the party at about 9pm, after having worked a few hours earlier in the day, seeing the movie The Tale of Despereaux (which I loved) and taking an early evening nap. Laren gave me a huge hug and I wished her a happy birthday, and then she reunited me with her sister Sharon, and introduced me to her cousin Hannah, and a bunch a people who were singing a PlayStation 2 karaoke-type game. Would you believe they talked me into singing a couple of songs? The only other time I'd ever tried to do karaoke I dissolved into laughter after about 3 words because I felt so self-conscious; the friend I was supposed to be singing with was pretty annoyed. It helped last night, though, when I realized everyone would be singing along anyway. I sang "Uptown Girl" with Sharon, and "Material Girl" with Laren. SO. MUCH. FUN. Yeah, we rocked.

While checking out the food situation, I ran into a friend from a play I did last year, and while I was telling her about doing Little Women, two Little Women cast members walked in! Talk about freaky. I ended up chatting with Dee Dee and Elisha and the men who collected around them for a good portion of the night. You know, when I wasn't watching people play Guitar Hero or talking with Birdie friends Mandee and Scott.

At one point, we gathered pretty much everyone in the house into the not-terribly-large kitchen and sang "Happy Birthday to Laren". Then she started passing out colored sparklers and herding everyone outside. There must have been 50 of us on that square of patio! We lit the sparklers before the new year, but waited on the noisemakers and bombs until midnight. It was pandemonium and sheer awesome. I had a great time. Thanks for inviting me, Laren! If not for you, I would have spent the new year at the movies by myself and wouldn't have made such good memories. I adore you, dear. Hope it really was the happiest of birthdays!

Today I got up later than I should have, got more dressed up than I should have, and drove over to my parents' house. Mom cooked up a splendid dinner, and then the two of us went out and saw Yes Man while the men stayed home and watched football. The movie was hilarious! Jim Carrey was a little off-the-wall, but not so much so that if it were reality and I had witnessed his antics I would have been put-off. My mom and I laughed a lot -- out loud. Good times. We might go see Australia later tonight, but the only showing at the nearest theatre is at 8:30pm, and I do have to work tomorrow and Saturday. Yay, I'm an adult!

As I reflect on 2008, I realize that 2009 has a LOT to live up to. 2008 was really good to me! Highlights include:

cruise in the Caribbean
Little Women
maintaining my goal weight and earning the accompanying rebate
LASIK
Washington D.C.
Bye Bye Birdie
Girls' Nights
opportunities at work
Las Vegas and the Star Trek Experience
The Utah Shakespearean Festival
my condo
30th Birthday party
announcement of the impending twins for my sister-in-law
Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve at home
Babes in Toyland

That's an impressive list, and so much those events just fell into my lap. I am really grateful for the people who made it happen and who made the year as fun as it was. I've grown a lot, and learned a great deal about who I am and what I want. I do have quite a bit to look forward to this year, and am looking forward to seeing how it all works out. I haven't made any year-long resolutions, but I do have a few things I'd like to accomplish this month. I feel they are realistic goals, which is probably the most important thing.

Good luck 2009! Hope you're better than just "fine". Thank you 2008, you were great! (Please forgive the cheese. I couldn't help it.)

Sashes aren't silly!

Still one of my favorite lines ever; it just makes me giggle anytime I think about it. We sisters all joked all the characters needed to put our favorite lines on the back of our Little Women jackets. DeeDee/Beth's would have been "It might have something to do with your face, sir."

Of course, it may not be funny out of context.

Oh well!

Elisha, Carly, DeeDee and I as the March sisters in Midvale Arts Council's Little Women the Musical