An atypical day

Hope your Wednesday was a good one. Mine was :) I worked from home, had a doctor appointment, went to Traffic School, and one of my visiting teachers came over. It's been a long time since a weekday was so eventful and different from normal! Here are some things I thought about today:

Note: It's ok to skip this post if you aren't into stream of consciousness or ambiguous statements).

• Woke up after dreaming that I auditioned for a play I had no chance at, but wanted to audition because I knew I'd sound great. Kind of nice to have a theatre dream where I don't wake up stressed out and frustrated because I don't know my lines ;)
• Do I get ready in the morning before I start working, or wait until noon before heading to the doctor? Fine. I'll get up 20 minutes early.
• Ugh, I loathe Diane Rehm. She is so full of herself. Ooh! She's interviewing John Grisham! Maybe someday I'll read A Time to Kill.
• Golden Grahams are the BEST!
• Turkey bacon is also the BEST!
• Dilbert doesn't actually display on my reader feed; instead, they just post a link to their website every single day. Today, I decided the comic is no longer funny enough to warrant that extra click, and removed it from my feed. Buh-bye, fellow software engineering firm employees! Time will tell whether I miss you.
• Big Fish is closing on Broadway December 29th??!! No fair, I haven't seen it yet. Norbert Leo Butz is amazing onstage!!
• I have GOT to get to NYC soon.
• I really do enjoy busywork --
• -- especially now that my iPod is fixed again. I missed you, wonderful, wonderful music!
• Hooray for a comfy chair.
• Curse you clip from Ellen that made me cry. Now I'll have a headache all day! It's nice when good things happen to good people!
• The ponytail was a bad idea.
• Flannel shirt and boots and french braid -- too cowgirlish? I don't care.
• Yellow air conditions? Aw :(
• Turn up the heat juuuust a little...
• If I finish up this section of my project, I'll only have 15 minutes to nuke and eat my t.v. dinner for lunch... it's worth it (I love finishing sections of projects)!
• It's nice that the hospital is so close to my house.
• I am by far the youngest woman in this waiting room.
• That old couple is adorable. I wonder who was on the magazine cover the husband just called "a cutie." The wife didn't even blink. She's secure in her knowledge of his affection. Lucky!
• Aaaand of course when I stand up I knock my purse to the ground and everything falls out.
• That nurse has waist-length, dark, shiny hair. I'm a little jealous.
• My doctor is a kook. I like her.
• Clean bill of health! I like that news! I need ice cream to celebrate!
• Why do I always pull up to turn left out of a parking lot at the same time a ton of cars approach me from both ways?!! The road was clear four seconds ago!!
• The girls at Cold Stone are pretty. I don't feel at all weird for telling them so. They seemed to appreciate the compliment.
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine is so funny -- I should post about it on Facebook. People need to watch it. Favorite new t.v. series this season!
• Uh-oh. Michelle is not performing the day I have tickets. I really want to see her in White Christmas, but I'm already committed to going twice and I don't think I could handle going three times... maybe I'll really like it and can get someone to gift me a ticket the third time? Then again, she hasn't seen my last couple of shows :P Too bad 'cause she'll be terrific.
• "Oh, what a night! Late December back in '63..." I wish I were in Vegas. I want to see Jersey Boys again.
• "I don't know if I'll make it, but watch how good I'll fake it. It's all right. All right! Tonight! Tonight!"
• Chocolate milk!
• Finished with my project. Now to see if I can make this look like a worksheet.
• I loathe Microsoft Word. Long live Framemaker!
• Playing with PDFs is fun.
• Oh, yeah, I should probably finish my Health Care enrollment... or I can wait until after I talk to the dentist tomorrow.
• My left eye is horrible. Do I want LASIK again, or contacts? 
• I don't want to get contacts and glasses right now. (Mental note to call the LASIK people tomorrow about whether I'm eligible for one more surgery. Fingers crossed.)
• Battery is dying and it's after 5. Must put away laptop and clean up the living room.
• How ironic to get in an accident in the parking lot outside of Traffic School (I didn't, but it was a near miss on the other person's part -- pay attention!!) :P
• Eye contact! ...And then Cute Guy sits two rows behind me. *Sigh*
• I'm early; time to write in my journal.
• I felt a lot more embarrassed about having to go to Traffic School before the teacher acknowledged that even he breaks all of the rules sometimes. Nobody is perfect. I'd like him to teach every class, please (not that I intend to be back for at least another 5 or 6 years).
• California has 8 hours of traffic school? Mental note not to get a ticket there!
• Wear seatbelts, no texting, drive courteously, no excuses for speeding, don't cross double-white lines, park 30 feet from stop signs, blinker on for 2 seconds before changing lanes, don't U-turn onto a island, stay 3 feet away from bicycle riders...
• Cool retro display in the City building! I want that pink dress.
• Sometimes I go to the Wendy's by my house just because they have those machines where you can blend specialty Diet Cokes. According to Martin-behind-the-counter, I'm not the only one. 
• Home with 15 minutes to spare. Can I eat all of this before my Visiting Teachers arrive?
• Nope. Good thing spicy chicken is still tasty reheated.
• "This baby just won't come." -- I guess that's a decent reason for one of the VTs to flake out on me ;) (She's a doula.)
• It's fun to meet new people!
• I need a vacation to look forward to.
• Hanger is real.
• I don't think of myself as a perfectionist, but this definitely hits home. Something to think about.
• Yo, all you people on Facebook who keep inviting me to events: I'm much more likely to go if you've been to ANY of mine in the last year or so, at least. *grumble* *huge eye roll*
• Now to watch The Goldbergs, Trophy Wife, and New Girl.
• Why do I automatically feel tired as soon as the sun goes down?!
• Maybe this could make a decent blog post. At least it's a little different from what I've been writing lately. Poor neglected blog.
• And now I have about three other posts I want to write, but I'm too sleepy. Maybe tomorrow? Must jot down ideas.

What's on the schedule for you tomorrow? My mom, grandma and I are seeing Brigadoon at Hale Centre Theatre. Always a good time with those two ladies :D Hope you have great plans, too!

Be kind to the introverts around you

I love my people. I really, really do. But sometimes being around people is exhausting (especially if it's a crowd of people I don't know well).

Why? I'm an introvert.

In case you are not one, or just wonder what in the heck an "introvert" is, here are some graphics I think explain it pretty well. They're pretty accurate in my own personal case anyway:

by SchroJones

I love you and hope to see you soon. One CAN spend too much time alone after all ;-)

Happy Monday!

Acca-October

First of all, I posted a bunch more photos of Kristen's and Nichole's weddings on my post Bouquets=a billion. Megan=0. I had planned to post them here, but there were quite a few and it made this post crazy long; they made more sense in the other post ;)

Meanwhile, October was fun! Pockets of really cool stuff mixed with some much-needed down time. For example, in between LDS General Conference sessions on Saturday, I met up with Sharon at Kneaders and bought these delicious cookies:

Spiritual and physical fulfillment? Sounds like a good day, to me! It was pretty indicative of the rest of the month.

Check out this awesome t-shirt that Kristen surprised me with as a belated birthday gift. I love it when my birthday lasts a little bit longer, don't you? This t-shirt has the 4th Doctor from Doctor Who and also Harry Potter on it. It totally rocks!

Nichole's bachelorette party: a low-key, happy affair with just a few friends (and ice cream cake).

Updated my peg board. It has been quite awhile since the last time!

Attended my nephew and nieces' Primary program. They all had a line or two and were all very clear. The G-child was in a few small singing groups and was not at all shy about belting into the microphone. He takes it so seriously and worked so hard. The girls didn't sing much, but their bored faces were definitely entertaining. I was very, very proud!
(This photo is to show off what Zonks called my "cowboy tie." She has a point.) 

Another quick trip to the Utah Shakespeare Festival to see The Marvelous Wonderettes and Richard II. I LOVED Wonderettes. I laughed through the whole thing, and cried more than I care to admit. Sadly, it wiped me out so that I didn't enjoy Richard II as much as I might have otherwise. Oh, well.

I have decided to always sit here if I can when attending a play at the Randall L. Jones Theater in Cedar City. Comfy chairs, plenty of leg room, and my own arm rest. Yes please!

Lovely Marion manned the Gift Shop for the Randall, and took me out to dinner after the matinee.
So good to see her again!

Playing in the leaves that Grammy raked especially for them.
(Grammy looks a little spooky here, lurking in the shadows to avoid my camera.)

I had to make Zonks play -- she thought she wanted to watch a movie.
Instead, she had a great time throwing the leaves and of course forgot all about the movie.

Larissa, Tiffany, Amy and I got to attend all of the "big three" weddings this fall
(Obviously, Larissa attended her own ;) )

I love everything about this photo!!

Kellie and I as Ruth (Kellie) and Edith (me) at a Pirates of Penzance sing-along.
I need more music and more Kellie in my life!

A nine-year difference between photos. I think my baby brother is so handsome!

Linda Lee Danvers and Pepper Potts at the Superhero-themed Halloween concert by the Utah Symphony.
The costume contest was amazing. I think this has to become one of my holiday traditions!

I wore my own old glasses to be the alter-ego to Supergirl (I didn't know until too late that she wears a brunette wig instead of glasses to hide her identity). Carrie didn't notice until intermission that the frames did not hold any lenses :D

Halloween was great! Someday I hope to be a part of a cool group costume; meanwhile, this one of my family circa 25 years ago is pretty sweet!

How was your October? Hope it was busy, happy, and healthy!

Next up: November, snow, Pie Night, Thanksgiving, Holiday time from work, shopping, a few plays, the Nutcracker, and who knows what else? Any ideas for fun things I should do?

Enjoy the last little bit of Autumn. Winter is coming in fast!

Video: The Origin of Love

My friend Dennis created this video. He invited a bunch of his friends, including me, to submit photos of ourselves*, and asked that we hold up an 8x12 inch piece of paper so he could add words to it.

I admit, I had no idea what the finished product would be.

This is so beautiful. I hope that you watch, and I hope that you tell someone today that you love them.


I love YOU! Happy November!

*True to form, I sent in my photo on the very last day of the deadline, because I could never remember to get a photo when I was around anyone. I meant to while I was in Disneyland... whoops! Thanks, Larissa, for coming over especially to snap my photo for me!

Halloweeeeeeeeen!

Kristen instant messaged me during the afternoon of Halloween and asked what I was dressed up as. Um...well, I worked from home that day, so at that point I was still in my jack-o-lantern pajama pants and "Anybody want a peanut?" t-shirt :P Boy, I love being comfortable and sitting on the couch once in awhile while I work!

Fortunately, Aaron invited me to join him and Heidi at a couple of Halloween parties. So when I finished working, I went all out! Shower, beaded dress, pink tutu, glitter hairspray (a little pink and a little blue), glitter face goo, sparkly false eyelashes, pink wings, and a tiara later, I was a fairy princess of which I wasn't too ashamed :D

Can you believe I found this dress at Desert Industries?
It's covered in sequins and beads.
It's the only time I've ever been that lucky there!

Of course, I wasn't nearly as cute as Aaron and Heidi, perfectly dressed as Prince Phillip and Briar Rose from Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Those two are so much fun; I like that they're both willing to go all out.

We Smyths have nice legs ;D

We went to two parties, and I had a great time. Their friends are cool! I couldn't resist a photo with Heidi's friend Erica dressed as an eyeball (a costume she made herself).

The hat and gloves KILL me! Such a perfect, weird, macabre touch!

We saw quite a few trick-or-treaters, decorated cookies, Aaron and Heidi went through a homemade haunted house on someone's lawn (I don't do haunted houses), ate delicious and creative treats, and talked and laughed ourselves silly.

I'm awfully glad I didn't decide to stay home, watch movies, and eat candy (since I've never had a single trick-or-treater). Thanks for a memorable night, Heidi and Aaron! Can't wait to play again with you soon!

What did you do for Halloween? Did you dress up? What were some of the best costumes you saw?

Pumpkin pals: Happy and Skittery

By the pricking of my thumbs

Something wicked this way comes.

- William Shakespeare, Macbeth

One of my very favorite autumn treats is pumpkin seeds. Baked and salted and crunchy... *drool*. This year, instead of begging for seeds from my more industrious friends, I bit the bullet, bought my own pumpkins, and gutted them myself.

Eeeeeew!

It was more work than I had hoped, and about as much as I'd expected. It wasn't my first time, but it's been a long time. I didn't get as many seeds as I wanted; that's my own fault for getting relatively small pumpkins. Next year, I'll buy larger ones ;-)

I debated whether to go to the trouble of carving them -- I really, truly, only cared about the seeds -- and decided to go ahead and do it. Looked up some simple patterns, bought a package of 50 tea lights (guess I won't need to buy any for about 20 years), and went to work.

I'm pretty proud of how they turned out!

Meet "Happy" and "Skittery"

I liked the idea of carving a "shadow" into the back.
Next year I might go ahead and do a second face...

First jack-o-lanterns at my new place. I admit, I enjoyed lighting the candles and seeing them glow from my balcony!

And the seeds? They were -- and still are -- delicious! I put some canola oil and salt on them, and baked them for 22 minutes. Yummmmmmmmm! I have enough to fill about a 16 oz. container. If I'm really judicious, they should last for a week. Then just another 51 weeks 'til I can carve some more... any sooner than that, the pumpkins aren't likely to last to Halloween night, or so I hear (it's only been four days, and Happy and Skittery already look pretty pathetic. Oh, well).

I already can't wait for next year!