And the winner is...

Thank you to everyone who entered my 555th post celebration giveaway! I had a ton of fun reading your memories, laughing, feeling nostalgic, and basically just missing every one of you. I am glad you entered so I could get to know you just a little bit better! I strongly encourage you all to read through them. Several actually made me laugh out loud!

I tell you what: I was really excited and nervous to finally get to do the drawing today! I printed off all of your comments, folded them up, threw them in a bucket, and picked one out at random.

And the winner is...


...Stephanie!

Congratulations, Stephanie! I will call you to find out where to direct the gift card :-D


This was so fun I may have to do it again sometime. I wish I had more money so I could have chosen MORE of you!

Thank you all for reading and supporting me!

And as has become my newest feature, here is a Happy Friday video for you to enjoy. Watch to the end. You'll be glad you did!

Happy Friday!

A Happy Halloween

Halloween this year was a great day! It started waaaay too early, with an 8am rehearsal. (We had to rehearse at 8am, because the show playing that day had a 10am call time, but more on that later.) Now, if I hadn't had rehearsal that morning, I would have worn my Sleeping Beauty costume all day. But, I did have rehearsal, so I just wore my thermal shirt with the crowns on it, and the "Miss Amazing 2008" crown that Emily H gave me for my birthday last year. (If I had thought of it in time, I would have worn the "Miss Amazing" sash too. Oh, well. I can bask in the faded glory next year!) At rehearsal, we ran a bunch of scenes, fixed some dances, and I got to try on my costume. My costume is gorgeous, by the way. I love it! Rehearsal was over at 10am, at which point I ate a banana and took a walk downtown.

My darling friends, Dot, Yakko and Wakko had graciously agreed to join me and see the show playing at the Children's Theatre that day. I was worried that something called Ghost Stories might be too scary for Wakko, but he and his older brother assured me they were never too scared. On the contrary, we all laughed hysterically. The play was awesome! I am so, so glad I went and even more glad I took those particular kids, because we had a ton of fun. The kids bought sodas and Swedish fish to share during intermission. After the play was over, I introduced them to my friend and the director of the play, Joanne, and the kids started talking about wanting to do a show there sometime which I think is a marvelous idea.

We swung past the kids' house on the way to lunch, just in case their parents might want to join us. We were a bit early, and Stephanie and Troy were still out, so we made our way to McDonalds where the boys played and we all ate and quoted some of the funnier lines from the play. We decided it was necessary to perform at least two of the stories for their mom as soon as we got home. We did so, and she laughed, though I'm sure our retelling was a little jumbled. Really, it was just funny watching Yakko, Wakko and Dot dance around. Ah... good times.

I would have liked to spend more time with their family. However, I was exhausted and needed a nap, so that's what I did before getting ready for the evening's festivities.

My friends Krista, Nancy, Arwen and I had tickets for the Thriller dance concert at Kingsbury Hall. We took Trax down, chatted with another passenger/theatre person who I run into every once in awhile, were invited to an inappropriate club by a toothless older man, and laughed at the drunk guys who couldn't figure out what our costumes were. (They "guessed" I was a Princess. Really? They weren't sure I was some kind of princess in spite of the crown and huge, puffy dress? And they weren't sure that Nancy was a cat even though she had whiskers, ears and a tail? That would be about the point I'd lay off the beer, but whatever...)

Arwen (a flapper), Krista (a little girl zombie), me (Sleeping Beauty), and Nancy (a kitty)

Before the show, some of the dancers wandered around and terrorized people outside Kingsbury Hall. Nancy wasn't terribly amused when one male zombie chased her around. It did add to the atmosphere, though.

The concert itself was amazing. They did some scary stuff, but turned most of it funny by the end of each dance. There was a dance about mummies, a ballet starring Frankenstein and his bride, a music video with the opening song from Nightmare Before Christmas, a dance about the Salem Witch Trials, a trio of Jasons, a depressed clown, and more. It was at least 2 1/2 hours long, but very entertaining all the way through. A great way to spend Halloween. The dancers even chose me to enter the costume contest at intermission. I didn't win, but was still flattered, and it gave me an excuse to take a walk to the orchestra seats from the upper balcony.

One of the many highlights of the night was meeting a lady dressed as Maleficent, the evil fairy from Sleeping Beauty. Awesome! Since I was dressed as Sleeping Beauty, I asked her for a photo:


Our ride home wasn't as eventful as the ride there, but I practiced my flirting skills and was pleased to have them reciprocated somewhat with plenty of mutual eye contact. I finally arrived home about 11:30pm. Completely exhausted, I nevertheless wasn't ready to go to bed, so I sat around in the costume a little longer and watched the Vampire Diaries and Monk. Maybe it's a little anticlimactic, but it was a nice way to end a great day!

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 Spiritual Hug and a Physical One

I haven't been to an LDS Temple Open House since the Bountiful Temple Open House, so I didn't know what to expect. My ward passed around sign-ups a few weeks again for everyone who was interested, and I put my name down. They said the church was doing it differently this time, where people don't get tickets, just group reservations. Since I hadn't been in so long, I very naively assumed that when I got to the temple I'd see my ward members gathered in a big group, and I could just go join them. With that in mind, I didn't call our group coordinator ahead of time.

When I pulled up to the parking lot yesterday, a volunteer asked me if I knew which parking lot my ward was supposed to be in. That was when I found out that information, along with the tent I was supposed to meet my ward in, were in the reservation information, and since I hadn't called my coordinator, I had no idea. The volunteer asked me which ward I was in, and when I told him he said, "Uh-oh, that's one of the new ones." Even he had no idea where I should go. He said to try to get ahold of the coordinator (which I was not able to) and in the meantime sent me to the South parking lot.

I never was able to find my ward's group. Instead, I picked a tent and watched the short video on temples and the history of Oquirrh Mountain with a bunch of young families. I felt really awkward for a few minutes and then thought, "Hey, why do I think I don't belong here? I could very well be a single sister in this family ward." It wasn't like anyone was giving me weird looks. They were more concerned that their kids might bother me, and I didn't mind those cute kids one bit.

It ended up being a really cool experience, going through with the family ward. I took my time wandering around and explored everything I had access to because, really, when am I going to get out to this temple again? I loved that there was a young family in front of me. The mother and father kept pointing out neat paintings and the stars on the windows to their two little boys and I thought, "This is what the church and the temple is all about -- teaching your children about the gospel so that they'll go to the temple, make their own covenants with the Lord, and be sealed to their own sweethearts and children one day." For some reason, that hadn't hit me until then. It made me even more excited to teach my own future children about temples!

When we reached the sealing room, where couples are married, we were instructed to find a place to sit. (But first, I tripped on the carpet and very ungracefully managed not to fall on my face. My three-inch wedge-heel shoes hadn't been a problem until that moment! Everyone in the room was gracious and grateful I wasn't hurt.) A middle-aged couple talked about the significance of the room and what it means to them to be sealed to their family for eternity. They let us sit quietly for a little while, and I took the opportunity to pray quietly. During my mission, I described feeling the spirit as an "intangible hug", and I felt one as I sat in my chair in the sealing room. Heavenly Father was aware of my needs and knew what I needed to feel at that moment. It was wonderfully reassuring.

After finishing the tour, I walked around the grounds outside the temple for a few minutes, then decided to grab my camera from my car and take some photos of the front of the building. It felt so good to be there I didn't want to leave! It would have been nice to be there with my ward, but I'm glad I was able to stay and look around.

The Open House will continue until August 1. Go if you have the chance. You don't have to be a member of the church to go inside during the open house. For more information about the open house, click this link. For more general information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click this link.

On my way home from the temple, I realized that I very much needed a real hug. I didn't want to go home just yet. Luckily, I was driving past Stephanie M's house, so I stopped by. She is so nice about me dropping in unannounced! She gave me many hugs, and recommended that I hold her baby. She's right -- holding a baby just makes you feel good. I was stunned that as soon as he saw me, her son Wakko came over and gave me a hug. I don't think he's ever done that before and it was awesome! He and Yakko joined Stephanie and I for a little while and we talked about lightsabers, a subject on which I am somewhat knowledgeable! Thank you so much for making time for me, Stephanie. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you and your family! I'll definitely be bugging you all again... very likely with no warning again.

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?

Calling on Some Friends

Last night, I decided to forgo my usual Wednesday t.v. watching and visit with some friends for a change. Since she's on bedrest until her baby is born and I'm not much of a cook, I've been loaning my LOST DVDs to Stephanie M. She'd never watched the show, but she loves it now! I'm kind of jealous she hasn't had to wait 5 years like I have to find out what's going on, but I'm really just glad that she has something to do during some of her sitting around time.

I stopped by her house yesterday after work to drop off season 3, and we and her kids just ended up chatting for a couple of hours. It was nice! She even showed me little Peanut's nursery! It's a cute room; she has a bajillion baby blankets. While I was in there, Stephanie stepped out for a minute, and I had a mini-conversation with her youngest son, Wakko, about how nice his mom is. He started it. I wonder if Stephanie knows how much he likes her. As it is, I think she was a bit confused when she came back in and Wakko thanked her for teaching him how to be healthy. It didn't make a lot of sense out of context.

Stephanie's daughter Dot made me cookies (I think to thank me for bringing LOST into their lives). If you ever get a chance to try her Death by Chocolate cookies DO IT! I ate two at their house, and three more when I got home. I seriously considered eating more before bed. Yeah, they're that good. Thanks again Dot!

Before I forget: Mandee, will you email me the recipie for the dish you took to Stephanie's family last night? Hope you don't mind they shared with me. It was tasty! I love Mexican food.

I left the house about the time the newest episode of LOST was supposed to be on, but I couldn't resist stopping by Emily H's house, since she's just down the road from Stephanie, and I adore her. I worried I might interrupt her putting her kids to bed, so I called first. Turns out the kids were already in bed, so I got to spend an hour with Emily, catching up and laughing together. She and her husband are expecting a baby boy and are still looking for names so I suggested a bunch -- some more serious than others. I'm glad I don't have to name a person anytime soon. That just seems like a lot of responsibility. There are so many factors involved!

Then I went home, ate more cookies, and watched LOST on DVR. It was a good night!

Thanks Stephanie and your family and Emily for letting me interrupt your evening. I enjoyed spending time with you and plan to bug you again soon!

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!

A Glorious Saturday

Saturday was glorious. Not extraordinary by any means, but glorious nonetheless.

It started out with my Mary Kay consultant, Shannon, picking me up at 9:15am to take me to a pampering session. Her sister and mom were there, with at least 50 other women and consultants. We played with the products while the director talked about Mary Kay business opportunities and how great the products are. She didn't have to talk fast to convince me -- I love the stuff! I bought way more than I should have... well, actually no. I bought pretty much what I'd planned to buy, but since I hadn't written down the list ahead of time I was pretty surprised at how much it was! They had a couple of games where we could earn raffle tickets, and we also earned tickets when we asked questions. I ended up with about 23 tickets and managed to win the first prize -- sunscreen! Wah-hoo! It was SPF 15, but hey, that good enough to put on for driving in the car. They even fed us lunch. Not a bad way to spend a morning and more of the afternoon than I expected. By the way, Shannon's trying to expand her business, so if anyone's looking for some Mary Kay products, I'm happy to give you her number. She's darling.

I wanted a pedicure, but I despise having to talk to the manicurist while they're working. I really just wanted to read, so I went to US Nails at Fashion Place Mall, which ended up being really overpriced, so I prolly won't go there again. Meanwhile, the manicurist didn't talk to me at all. He did talk with another lady who apparently worked there, but didn't do any work while I was there. She just talked really loud in a grating voice and accent. I could tell at one point the two were arguing, and I like to think he was telling her to stop talking because she was annoying the customers, which was true. Meanwhile, my toes are now a wonderfully garish shade of red. The manicurist even complimented me on the state of my feet -- I guess some people don't keep them as clean as I do... ick. I'd be more disgusted, but then I put my hands in people's mouths as a job every summer during college, so I guess I have no place to talk (hehe, no pun intended).

I read on a park bench in the Mall for a long time. Then I grabbed some food at Chick-Fil-A and kept reading. Then I went to Murray Park to read some more. I'm reading Stephanie Meyer's The Host, and I quite like it. Ms. Meyer's plot lines always surprise me; I try to guess what's going to happen, but I never can. It's an intruiging premise, I like the characters, and I'm just thrilled to be reading for fun again! I also took about an hour to try to catch up in my journal -- emphasis on the word "try", but I did get a good chunk done.

It was nice just to hang out at the park. I spread a blanket up next to a tree so I could lean on it. I happened to be next to the riverbank, and spent some time watching the ducks. I do like to be outside. Don't necessarily like hiking though I will do it but I don't mind camping and 4-wheeling. But I digress. I actually took some video of the ducks 'cause they were cracking me up.

Oh, and I have to post this, because I think it's hilarious:



Why is there a hair dryer in the restroom at Murray Park? I dried my hands with it anyway, but I wondered who had messed up: the manufacturer for printing hair instead of hand dryer on the label, or Murray Park for installing hair dryers in the restrooms...

Before I knew it, it was 6 o'clock and time to get ready for the Bye Bye Birdie cast party! Yaaaaaaaaay! I've missed my Sweet Applians! I got to choreographer Stephanie's house about half an hour late, but there was still plenty of food left! I was so happy to chat with these people I got to spend two-and-a-half months growing to love. I miss them -- it's been so long. Still not quite used to not seeing them all the time! Everyone looks gorgeous and happy and if I type anymore I may start crying. Thanks Stephanie and Kate for putting together the event, and to Stephanie, Steph, and Candice for letting me be a part of Taylorsville's Bye Bye Birdie family!

When I got home, I finished writing the journal post I'd been working on, and watched a few episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I stayed up much too late, but what do you do? I'm young, I'm single, and I don't have church until 1pm.

See what I mean? A glorious day.