Friday, November 21
Wednesday, November 19
Seven Things that I Love
Kate tagged me over a week ago to list 7 things that I love. Sorry it took so long, my friend! I may be a little lazy, but I usually get around to these things.
1. Sunday evening at my mom's house. I really, really look forward to Sunday evenings. I love hanging out with the family, watching the previous week's DWTS with Lindsey, helping prepare dinner if I arrive early enough, watching Gunner's parents try to get him to eat in spite of all the fun stuff to play with at Grammy's house, eating a home-cooked and delicious meal AND dessert, watching Desperate Housewives and chatting with Mom. Sunday evenings are warm, comfortable, and peaceful. I don't know what I'd do without them.
2. People to play with. As much as I enjoy living alone, I am thrilled that I have so many friends I can call up to hang out or just talk to. My friends are all so different from each other, and all have talents and strengths I admire. It's fun to play with them!
3. British accents. So, I'm kind of obsessed with the British, and I think it starts with the various accents. I love speaking with a British accent myself and hearing others speak in a British accent. There are so many dialects! I love that British accents usually means we're all dressed up in period clothing, or watching some hilarious comedy, or swooning over romantic Austen-esque figures. Most of my movie-star crushes are British. British accents are just so dashing!
4. A body that works. I love that I have this healthy body that allows me to run, and dance, and work, and sleep, and eat. Thus far, I haven't been plagued with any type of chronic illness, and I feel very blessed. I can do so many things that I want to do, and any limitations are my own doing. I'm sure could be a much better dancer if I just worked at it.
5. Butterfingers. My new candy obsession is the Butterfinger. It's crunchy, it's peanut-buttery, it's wonderful. I have two more snack size from the bag I bought for trick-or-treaters (I didn't get any treaters, so I had to eat them myself). Maybe when they're gone I can quit cold-turkey? If not, I'll have to start buying full-sized ones...
6. I can work and support myself. Growing up, I really wanted to avoid working for a living. However, I am proud to know that I can do this. I don't have to rely on someone else to take care of me. I like my job; it covers my cost of living and allows me to grow and continue to learn. How lucky I am that I live now and not during Jane Austen's time when an unmarried woman didn't necessarily have that option.
7. Stories. Movies, television, live theatre, music, books, scrapbooks, memories, conversation -- I love a good story in any form. I love getting to know people through their stories. I love getting to know myself as I dissect my reactions and emotions about a story. I love performing and sharing stories with others. I remember people's names so much easier when I know a story about them too. It really is the quickest and best way to form friendships.
1. Sunday evening at my mom's house. I really, really look forward to Sunday evenings. I love hanging out with the family, watching the previous week's DWTS with Lindsey, helping prepare dinner if I arrive early enough, watching Gunner's parents try to get him to eat in spite of all the fun stuff to play with at Grammy's house, eating a home-cooked and delicious meal AND dessert, watching Desperate Housewives and chatting with Mom. Sunday evenings are warm, comfortable, and peaceful. I don't know what I'd do without them.
2. People to play with. As much as I enjoy living alone, I am thrilled that I have so many friends I can call up to hang out or just talk to. My friends are all so different from each other, and all have talents and strengths I admire. It's fun to play with them!
3. British accents. So, I'm kind of obsessed with the British, and I think it starts with the various accents. I love speaking with a British accent myself and hearing others speak in a British accent. There are so many dialects! I love that British accents usually means we're all dressed up in period clothing, or watching some hilarious comedy, or swooning over romantic Austen-esque figures. Most of my movie-star crushes are British. British accents are just so dashing!
4. A body that works. I love that I have this healthy body that allows me to run, and dance, and work, and sleep, and eat. Thus far, I haven't been plagued with any type of chronic illness, and I feel very blessed. I can do so many things that I want to do, and any limitations are my own doing. I'm sure could be a much better dancer if I just worked at it.
5. Butterfingers. My new candy obsession is the Butterfinger. It's crunchy, it's peanut-buttery, it's wonderful. I have two more snack size from the bag I bought for trick-or-treaters (I didn't get any treaters, so I had to eat them myself). Maybe when they're gone I can quit cold-turkey? If not, I'll have to start buying full-sized ones...
6. I can work and support myself. Growing up, I really wanted to avoid working for a living. However, I am proud to know that I can do this. I don't have to rely on someone else to take care of me. I like my job; it covers my cost of living and allows me to grow and continue to learn. How lucky I am that I live now and not during Jane Austen's time when an unmarried woman didn't necessarily have that option.
7. Stories. Movies, television, live theatre, music, books, scrapbooks, memories, conversation -- I love a good story in any form. I love getting to know people through their stories. I love getting to know myself as I dissect my reactions and emotions about a story. I love performing and sharing stories with others. I remember people's names so much easier when I know a story about them too. It really is the quickest and best way to form friendships.
Tuesday, November 18
What am I Eating?
Ingredients in a Fiber One Oats and Chocolate bar:
Chicory root extract, chocolate chips with confectioners shellac (chocolate chips [sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, detrose, milk fat, soy lecithin], ethanol, shellac, hydrogenated coconut oil), rolled oats, crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, malt, salt), barley flakes, high maltose corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, canola oil, honey, glycerin, maltodextrin, palm kernel oil, tricalcium, phosphate, soy lecithin, salt, non fat milk, peanut oil, cocoa processed with alkali, natural flavor, baking soda, color added, almond flour, peanut flour, sunflower meal, wheat flour. Mixed tocopherols added to retain freshness.
(It really was tastey. I promise. Thanks for sharing Emily A!)
Now I have a few questions:
1. Should I be worried that there was shellac in this product?
2. What is chicory root extract and why is there so much of it in here?
3. Should I be looking up ingredients like phosphate and alkali and tocopherols, or will it just scare me that I ate them?
4. Why did they have to add color, and
5. What color was it before?
See, this is why I don't generally read the ingredients in my processed, pre-packaged food. While I am excited that the first ingredient wasn't sugar, this food has made me think. I don't like thinking when I eat. I just want to enjoy my snack!
Chicory root extract, chocolate chips with confectioners shellac (chocolate chips [sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, detrose, milk fat, soy lecithin], ethanol, shellac, hydrogenated coconut oil), rolled oats, crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, malt, salt), barley flakes, high maltose corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, canola oil, honey, glycerin, maltodextrin, palm kernel oil, tricalcium, phosphate, soy lecithin, salt, non fat milk, peanut oil, cocoa processed with alkali, natural flavor, baking soda, color added, almond flour, peanut flour, sunflower meal, wheat flour. Mixed tocopherols added to retain freshness.(It really was tastey. I promise. Thanks for sharing Emily A!)
Now I have a few questions:
1. Should I be worried that there was shellac in this product?
2. What is chicory root extract and why is there so much of it in here?
3. Should I be looking up ingredients like phosphate and alkali and tocopherols, or will it just scare me that I ate them?
4. Why did they have to add color, and
5. What color was it before?
See, this is why I don't generally read the ingredients in my processed, pre-packaged food. While I am excited that the first ingredient wasn't sugar, this food has made me think. I don't like thinking when I eat. I just want to enjoy my snack!
Monday, November 17
Your Choice
Go vote for your favorites if you like. I mostly just enjoyed reminding myself of the fun and movies I watched this year: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Baby Mama, Iron Man, and Prince Caspian, among others. Good times.
Meanwhile, if you haven't been watching Pushing Daisies on ABC Wednesday nights at 7pm MST, please do this week! It's an entertaining, weird, brilliant, yet ABC may cancel it if there aren't enough viewers this week and the next. Help me keep it on the air!
(If it helps capture your interest, stars include Lee Pace, Chi McBride, Swoozie Kurtz, Ellen Greene, and Kristin Chenoweth. Give it a chance!)
Friday, November 14
A Day Off
Tuesday was Veteran's Day, and consequently, I didn't have to work that day! Hooray! I cannot tell you how much I needed the break. I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed with the deadlines coming closer, plus the stress of the move, finding and getting comfortable in a new ward, rehearsals every night, and life-changing news from several members of my family. The last couple of months have been hectic. I'll freely admit that I'm pretty jealous about my free time, so not having any free time at all is added stress. I probably could have used a whole week off, but I was grateful for the day.
I started the day by staying in bed until 11am. I woke up at my regular time and dozed a little -- I find lying in bed to be so relaxing, don't you? When I finally dragged myself out, I cleaned my condo from top to bottom. It felt so good! My home has been sorely neglected in the cleanliness department for the past couple weeks, and with work and rehearsals getting intense at the same time, I don't know when the next chance to deep clean will be. Hopefully I can maintain so it won't need as much work next time...
Sunday, I had invited my family to lunch for Tuesday's holiday, but it turns out most of them had to work. Luckily, Mom and Gram were both free, so they joined me at the Training Table for some "All-American" cuisine. I was pretty excited to finally walk across the street to eat at the restaurant, which I'd been wanting to do pretty much since I moved in. It's not necessarily that I'm a huge fan of the Training Table; mostly I just think it's cool the restaurant is literally across the street from where I live! Having my mother and grandmother there was a total bonus, and we ate our onion rings, cheese fries, and burgers (well, I had a chili dog -- YUM!!) and chatted about whatever popped into our heads. It was a pleasant way to pass the time.
After lunch, Mom and Gram decided to do some shopping, but I really just wanted to sit around for awhile, so I did. I had a bunch of movies on my DVR I needed to watch and delete. I managed to get through The Da Vinci Code and most of Armageddon before I had to run to Albertsons for much-needed groceries, and Dancewear Unlimited for footwear for the play. And of course, on the way back home I found a dance store much closer to my place than the one I'd found in the phone book. Boo. Next time I'll know where to go!
I had time to make myself a quick dinner before rushing off to rehearsal, which was where I spent the rest of my evening. True to form, I stayed up much too late, and was really tired the next morning, which was Wednesday but felt like a Monday. What kind of people schedule a holiday for a Tuesday? The rest of the week has felt a bit off. Oh well. Like I said, I really needed the break from work -- the last bit of free time until after the play opens. It was a great day!
Meanwhile, it was Veteran's Day. Did I take the time to call my dad and thank him for serving my country? No, I did not, and I feel badly about that. I am grateful for all those living and who have passed on who defended my country, the people they love, and the freedoms we enjoy. I do my part, too, in my own small way, but I am proud to know many who have and are serving. I hope they enjoyed the day as much as I did.
I started the day by staying in bed until 11am. I woke up at my regular time and dozed a little -- I find lying in bed to be so relaxing, don't you? When I finally dragged myself out, I cleaned my condo from top to bottom. It felt so good! My home has been sorely neglected in the cleanliness department for the past couple weeks, and with work and rehearsals getting intense at the same time, I don't know when the next chance to deep clean will be. Hopefully I can maintain so it won't need as much work next time...
Sunday, I had invited my family to lunch for Tuesday's holiday, but it turns out most of them had to work. Luckily, Mom and Gram were both free, so they joined me at the Training Table for some "All-American" cuisine. I was pretty excited to finally walk across the street to eat at the restaurant, which I'd been wanting to do pretty much since I moved in. It's not necessarily that I'm a huge fan of the Training Table; mostly I just think it's cool the restaurant is literally across the street from where I live! Having my mother and grandmother there was a total bonus, and we ate our onion rings, cheese fries, and burgers (well, I had a chili dog -- YUM!!) and chatted about whatever popped into our heads. It was a pleasant way to pass the time.
After lunch, Mom and Gram decided to do some shopping, but I really just wanted to sit around for awhile, so I did. I had a bunch of movies on my DVR I needed to watch and delete. I managed to get through The Da Vinci Code and most of Armageddon before I had to run to Albertsons for much-needed groceries, and Dancewear Unlimited for footwear for the play. And of course, on the way back home I found a dance store much closer to my place than the one I'd found in the phone book. Boo. Next time I'll know where to go!
I had time to make myself a quick dinner before rushing off to rehearsal, which was where I spent the rest of my evening. True to form, I stayed up much too late, and was really tired the next morning, which was Wednesday but felt like a Monday. What kind of people schedule a holiday for a Tuesday? The rest of the week has felt a bit off. Oh well. Like I said, I really needed the break from work -- the last bit of free time until after the play opens. It was a great day!
Meanwhile, it was Veteran's Day. Did I take the time to call my dad and thank him for serving my country? No, I did not, and I feel badly about that. I am grateful for all those living and who have passed on who defended my country, the people they love, and the freedoms we enjoy. I do my part, too, in my own small way, but I am proud to know many who have and are serving. I hope they enjoyed the day as much as I did.
Wednesday, November 12
Coffee Break
I love this:
1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer
3. You must write that song name, no matter how silly it sounds
4. Include the Artist Name
5. Put any comments in parentheses
6. If you're reading it, I tag you to do it
How would you describe yourself?
"Isengard Unleashed"
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
How do you feel today?
"Three Young Ladies Drinking Whiskey Before Breakfast"
Irish Pub Songs
(Dude. That's hilarious.)
What is your life’s purpose?
"Magical Mystery Tour"
The Beatles
(Ha ha! Am I succeeding?)
What is your motto?
"Great Balls of Fire"
Jerry Lewis
What do you think about very often?
"I Could Have Danced All Night"
Marni Nixon
My Fair Lady
(I LOVE staying up late!)
What is your life story?
"Mr. Cladwell"
Urinetown, the Musical
(So, what we've learned is, I'm too trusting, and a little slow on the uptake?)
What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning"
Arr. and performed by Michael Dowdle
50 Favorite Hymns
What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Jet Song"
Russ Tamblin
West Side Story
(I do like the idea of dancing Fosse-esque at my wedding...)
What will they play at your funeral?
"Just That Kinda Day"
The New Main Street Singers
Mighty Wind soundtrack
(I guess I don't want people to be too bummed... or maybe this is how my philosophy on life was viewed? At any rate, I wish I were this carefree!)
What is your hobby/interest?
"I Could Have Gone to Nashville"
Nunsense
(:^D)
If you could do anything right now, what would it be?
"When Somebody Loves You"
Toy Story
What do you want most of all?
"You've Got to Be Carefully Taught"
Jason Danieley
South Pacific - in Concert
What is your greatest fear?
"A Candle in the Window"
Linda Eder
The Civil War
What is your darkest secret?
"Joseph's Dreams"
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
What is your favorite thing in the world?
"Take Me as I Am"
Jekyll & Hyde
If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?
"When the Foeman Bares His Steel"
Tony Azito, Linda Ronstadt
The Pirates of Penzance
What is your theme song?
"Cirith Ungol"
Howard Shore
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The next time you hear this song (aside from now, that is), you must dance.
"The Crime of the Century"
Lynette Perry
Songs from Ragtime
(Whee!)
What will you post this as?
"Coffee Break"
Jeff Blumenkrantz & Victoria Clark
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
(And everyone who sees the post title goes into collective apoplexy. Sorry!)
1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer
3. You must write that song name, no matter how silly it sounds
4. Include the Artist Name
5. Put any comments in parentheses
6. If you're reading it, I tag you to do it
How would you describe yourself?
"Isengard Unleashed"
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
How do you feel today?
"Three Young Ladies Drinking Whiskey Before Breakfast"
Irish Pub Songs
(Dude. That's hilarious.)
What is your life’s purpose?
"Magical Mystery Tour"
The Beatles
(Ha ha! Am I succeeding?)
What is your motto?
"Great Balls of Fire"
Jerry Lewis
What do you think about very often?
"I Could Have Danced All Night"
Marni Nixon
My Fair Lady
(I LOVE staying up late!)
What is your life story?
"Mr. Cladwell"
Urinetown, the Musical
(So, what we've learned is, I'm too trusting, and a little slow on the uptake?)
What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning"
Arr. and performed by Michael Dowdle
50 Favorite Hymns
What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Jet Song"
Russ Tamblin
West Side Story
(I do like the idea of dancing Fosse-esque at my wedding...)
What will they play at your funeral?
"Just That Kinda Day"
The New Main Street Singers
Mighty Wind soundtrack
(I guess I don't want people to be too bummed... or maybe this is how my philosophy on life was viewed? At any rate, I wish I were this carefree!)
What is your hobby/interest?
"I Could Have Gone to Nashville"
Nunsense
(:^D)
If you could do anything right now, what would it be?
"When Somebody Loves You"
Toy Story
What do you want most of all?
"You've Got to Be Carefully Taught"
Jason Danieley
South Pacific - in Concert
What is your greatest fear?
"A Candle in the Window"
Linda Eder
The Civil War
What is your darkest secret?
"Joseph's Dreams"
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
What is your favorite thing in the world?
"Take Me as I Am"
Jekyll & Hyde
If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?
"When the Foeman Bares His Steel"
Tony Azito, Linda Ronstadt
The Pirates of Penzance
What is your theme song?
"Cirith Ungol"
Howard Shore
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The next time you hear this song (aside from now, that is), you must dance.
"The Crime of the Century"
Lynette Perry
Songs from Ragtime
(Whee!)
What will you post this as?
"Coffee Break"
Jeff Blumenkrantz & Victoria Clark
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
(And everyone who sees the post title goes into collective apoplexy. Sorry!)
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