Great Good Times

Two weeks ago, Amy W sent me a text message asking if I'd be willing to sit with her daughter, Jessie, while the rest of the family rehearsed in Sandy's Seussical the Musical. Amy had no idea how much I would need this distraction, and I was grateful to say I could help on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. When I arrived Tuesday, I found that I know a LOT of people in the cast! It was fun to see people notice me in the second row and mouth "Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?!" I love it when people are surprised and happy to see me! I had a blast sitting with Jessie. She lights up when her dad sings, and at one point laughed so hard she got the hiccups. I tried to scare the hiccups out of her and she gave me an exasperated look. My favorite Jessie moment was when I started singing "I do not like green eggs and ham!" I stopped after that line, but Jessie picked it up "I do not like it, Sam I am!" I was surprised and laughed. She is such a sweet girl. I'm glad I got to know her better. And the show is fantastic, too!

Laren got to go to ComiCon and I am SO JEALOUS! Sunday afternoon she sent me a text asking what kind of t-shirt I wanted. I had no idea, so she picked out a Supergirl shirt with a gold "S" on it. She gave it to me at lunch last week and I love it! I miss you Laren! Good luck with the new job and semester -- I know you'll rock both!

My brother Aaron was in town last week for his 10 year reunion and to introduce our family to his girlfriend, Shonni. I finally got to meet Shonni on Friday, and she's darling! She and I had a blast teasing Aaron (who teased right back, of course). Aaron and Shonni were kind enough to accompany me to see Sandy's Seussical the Musical and indulge me as I chatted with the pro team and the cast after the play. Fortunately, they aren't the sort of people to slink into the background, so I introduced them around and they took all sorts of photos of me with my friends... all on Aaron's camera, so I don't have access to them yet. It was a fun night, though. I'm glad I got them all to myself for a few hours!


I miss Peter. Today was his first day of law school in Philadelphia and I am fiercely proud of him. I hope it went well! His girlfriend, Jordyn, joined my family for dinner yesterday and filled us on on the road trip as they moved his things. She had some awesome photos, too. A few weeks ago, Jordyn's family threw Peter a going-away party. They invited us to Jordyn's parents house, and we ate home-made ice cream in their amazing backyard (complete with koi pond, sweet, no?) It was a fun way to say good-bye. Guess we all have to grow up sometime. I wonder when my turn will be....

Yesterday was my mom's birthday, and she made out like a bandit! We showered her with gifts, and all the kids worked together to provide the dinner so Mom wouldn't have to. All she had to do was open presents, play with her grandchildren, and bask in our love. At least, I hope that's all she had to do. I know my brothers didn't let her do the dishes. My mom is such a modest lady that we take her for granted a lot. We'll have to be better at that, 'cause it was nice to let her relax a smidge for a change. Oh, and kudos to Dave for the roasted garlic idea; I couldn't get enough of it or the bread!


I was invited to four baby blessings within two weeks. The first two were for my nieces, the third for my friend Rachael S's little boy, Aidan, and the fourth for Stephanie M's daughter, Peanut. Stephanie's son, Wakko, was baptized and confirmed at the same gathering as Peanut's blessing, and it was a terrific morning. I took notes at all of these events, and for Aidan, Peanut and Wakko I audio recorded the blessings as well. As I transcribed the blessings for these darling children and their parents, I prayed for the spirit so I could hear the words and reconstruct them (when I compared my notes to the transcription, I realized how extremely lousy my shorthand is). I loved getting to hear the blessings over and over again! I am grateful I get to give the recordings to their families, and that they'll have them to refer to. These are wonderful kids; I can't wait to see how they grow and those blessings come to pass!

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?

Auditions Galore

Well, I wasn't cast in Oklahoma, and I didn't get called back for Hello Dolly at Hale. Although I am disappointed about both, I can say with complete honesty I'm not surprised about Hello Dolly, and I'm not angry about Oklahoma. I got to see good friends, had another excuse to sing and feel satisfied with my performances, and made a choice to DO something rather than mope about my condo wishing I had an exciting life! Yay me!

Besides, I am looking forward to the Seussical callback next week! I've had the beginning of Dr. Seuss's "The Sneetches" memorized for quite some time 'cause I love the story, and I loved sharing it with the group at the audition. I have my fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, congratulations to all the friends who were cast! I have no doubt you and the plays will be fantastic! Good luck, my darlings!

Audition Decision

"Then from out of the blue
and without any guide
I know what my decision is...
which is not to decide."
- Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods.

Okay, the above quote isn't quite accurate. After much deliberation and discussion with friends whose opinions I trust, and who understand me and my plight, I made the decision to go ahead and audition for all three of the plays I'm interested in and then see what happens.

In fact, I had my first audition last week: some friends are producing Pride and Prejudice independant of any theatre group. This is the one that prompted me to write the "Quandry" post. How can I not audition for this play? I LOVE Pride and Prejudice!! I admit, I am very attracted to the idea of doing a non-musical play. That's where I had most of my training, and to this day I feel much more confident as an actress than a singer. Though I love to sing more than any other activity in the world, it would be nice to perform without hiding behind the music, you know? Plus, I had a lot of fun brushing up on my proper English accent. "All who fear the law ought not to be caught!"

Well, the audition went well, I was called back for Jane, I went to the callback... and then I decided I don't really want to do that just now. While I am flattered -- the Jane in the Keira Knightly version was played by a Bond girl, after all -- I think Jane would be a bit of a stretch for me. I could do it, but I kind of just want to play a slightly more emotive role right now. Also, I'm not thrilled about being double-cast, I didn't want to pay $50 to do a show, and when it comes down to it, I would be disappointed not to audition for Taylorsville Arts Council's Oklahoma! and Midvale Arts Council's Seussical; I have been really excited about both of those plays for a while now. So, I pulled the director aside and said honestly that I didn't think the show would be a good fit for me. She was very supportive and understanding, and I sent her an email later thanking her for being so nice. She assured me we're still friends, which really is the most important thing. I panicked a bit yesterday afternoon about whether I'd made the right choice, but I believe that I have.

And now I'm even more excited to audition for Oklahoma! and Seussical. I wish I didn't have to wait 2 or 3 more weeks! Oh wait. I need to prepare audition pieces. I'll probably need those 2 or 3 weeks...

Recap: I auditioned for Pride and Prejudice and decided not to do it.
Left to audition for: Oklahoma! and Seussical.

P.S. Will someone promise to do Pride and Prejudice sometime so I can give it another go? Please?

An Adventure in Magna

Last night I saw Seussical the Musical at the Empress Theatre. I have a two friends in it, and since I have missed most of both of their shows in the last 3 years, I decided to make the effort to go.

I left work at about 6pm and grabbed a sandwich at Subway (yum!). I then drove down to Magna and parked at Magna Park, which is just a few blocks away from the theatre, so I could eat and read and have a few moments of quiet before the play. All was well until 7:13pm when I went to turn my car on... and it wouldn't start. The lights came on, there was electronic beeping involved, but no revving, no catching, nothing. Ack! I'm not going to pretend I didn't see it coming -- my car died randomly last week at a traffic light, but managed to start up again after a minute and I haven't had the chance to have it checked out -- but, really? My car waits to die until I drive all the way out to Magna?

Well, I had three options: 1) I could call AAA right away and have them take a look; 2) I could call my dad and take a look; 3) I could go to the play and deal with my car later. I opted to see the play because -- as mentioned before -- I knew it would mean a lot to my friends, and I figured one of them could give me a ride to the park and maybe use jumper cables on it. I knew whatever I chose to do would be inconvenient because, well, are car problems ever convenient? Of course not. That's why they're called problems.

So, I walked to the theatre and ended up sitting next to a creepy and chatty guy who didn't get the hint that I just wanted to read the program and feel sorry for myself. I enjoyed the play very much! I don't think I stopped smiling during the entire first act. The actors were obviously having a great time, the music is wonderful, and the costumes were fun and inventive. It was delightful seeing my friend Aubrey play Miss Gertrude McFuzz. It's her ultimate dream role, and she was gorgeous and hilarious! My other favorite characters were the Sour Kangaroo and the Mayor. Cyndi has such a fantastic, strong voice, and her frown was straight out of a Seuss book. The actor playing the Mayor had a ton of personality and didn't hold anything back! I've seen Seussical a few times, and this was the first time I saw a Mayor I'd actually vote for.

I called home during Intermission to let my parents know what was going on. My dad guessed there might be something wrong with the starter (that was my guess too) and he told me to call him when the play was over so he could come and take a look. And then, when I sat down for Act II, I had a terrible thought: what if my car was stolen or vandalized?! I'd left my stereo and iPod in there. I was pretty sure they were in the glove compartment, but what if they weren't? If someone did break into my car, they could open the glove compartment easily enough anyway. What if I had to buy a new car or repair this one because it was stripped? I spent much of the second act trying to figure out if I can afford a new car. I considered leaving so I could check on it, but by that time it was dark and I really didn't feel safe walking around historic Magna by myself in the dark. I did a lot of praying instead. I managed to pay some attention to and even enjoy the second act. Aubrey completely stole the show because she was so adorable, and I was very impressed by the tap dance number performed in the dark with just black lights illuminating the white gloves the dancers wore.

When the show ended, I called Dad and asked him to pick me up at the theatre so we could drive over to the park together. By that time I was also worried that someone might have locked the park up and towed my car! (I know, I know. If it isn't one thing, it's another.) I got to talk with Aubrey and Nolan and tell them how much I enjoyed the show. Even with all my car issues, I was glad I'd stayed to watch. It had a lot of energy and a good message over all, though if you think about it, the show is a little contraversial. Bullying? Child abandonment? Drugs? Genocide? What are we trying to teach our kids?! Thank goodness it all ends well and everyone learns their lesson. In so many ways, I wish life were more like musical theatre.

Dad picked me up and -- hallejulah!-- we found my car untouched! It still wouldn't start, though. My dad checked a few things and we both realized neither of us had jumper cables. While I was calling Triple A, the park caretaker drove by and my dad explained what was going on. The caretaker left and came back about 10 minutes later with some jumper cables, so we gave that a try. Nothing doing. At that point, he needed to lock up the park, so I called Triple A back to cancel the appointment. The caretaker, Gail (I want to say his name is Gail Weathers, but I think that's only because I saw Scream a few weeks ago; that movie is SCARY!), promised us the car should be safe and he'd open the park again at 7am. Dad drove me home about 11pm.

I got up this morning at 6:30 and Dad picked me up about 7. We drove back to the park, I called Triple A, and then we grabbed breakfast at the drive thru at McDonalds. We arrived back at my car at the same time the tow truck did. It only took 20 minutes for the truck to come! That's got to be some kind of record! I was grateful. The truck took my car to a place my dad recommended in Murray, and Dad dropped me off at work, where I am now.

I'm more than a little nervous about what the problem with my car may be and how much it may cost to fix it, assuming it can be fixed. I really hope it can be! I don't want to have to buy a new car! I do have a little money saved, so I'm hoping at worst I have to put off buying the washer and dryer for my condo.

I guess I'll keep you all posted.