Technical Writer Barbie

My manager told me today that we'll have a new technical writer starting in my office next month. I couldn't be more thrilled!

The only thing I know about her is that when asked during the interview what the biggest challenge was as a technical writer, the new girl said, "Being treated with respect by the developers. Sometimes I feel like they think I'm some kind of Barbie." My manager didn't know quite what to say to that, but I knew exactly what she meant. It's tough to be young, pretty, cheerful, and surrounded by men, especially when we do a job that a lot of developers seem to think is redundant and cushy.

I am so excited! Not only will I no longer be the lone writer (in the office -- there are others spread out over the country), the new writer is a woman! Oh, please, please be someone I can be friends with, or at least sociable with. We don't have to be best friends; I so very much need someone to talk to during the day! It's such a lovely thing to have someone to collaborate, celebrate, and commiserate with! That was my very favorite thing about the last three jobs I've had, and lately I have desperately missed that camaraderie!

Social disconnect

I guess this is going to be one of thousands of blogs, articles, and editorials lamenting the loss of personalization within our culture that came with the popularity of cell phones, instant messaging, Facebook, and whatnot.

Saturday night, my friend Nichole came over to my house. Originally I invited her over to look at my 1950s-style clothing so she could get an idea of what to wear in her latest play, The Curious Savage for the Midvale Arts Council. Then I mentioned that I have a couple of princess dresses, and all thoughts of the '50s went out the window. Instead, we dressed up as princesses, complete with tiaras.

(I refuse to accept the possibility that dressing up as a princess not-on-Halloween makes me a nerd.)

Then we watched some video on my computer of the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers production we did together last year. She had a friend call with an emergency so she had to leave about midnight --earlier than either of us would have liked --but it was really an awesome evening. Nichole makes me laugh so hard, I can be myself around her, and I really don't wear my tiara as often as I'd like (I live by myself -- who would know if I wore it to clean the house?). I felt so elated that I wasn't ready to go to bed after she left. Then I found her phone under a pile of clothes which meant she'd have to come back again anyway either that night or sometime the next day. I sent her friend a text saying her phone was at my house, cleaned up the mess we had made, got ready for bed, and started in on the dishes in my sink.

At 1 a.m. there was a knock at the door. I assumed Nichole had returned for her cell phone, so I didn't even check the peep hole before I opened it.

It was a police officer.

Apparently, Nichole and I were loud, and someone called in an anonymous complaint. The officer asked if we'd been playing loud music or something, and I honestly couldn't think of anything. Maybe we laugh too loudly when we get together? I'll concede it was very possible that we were being noisy, but I really have no idea what was wrong. Since the police officer didn't know anything specific either, and he could tell my confusion and embarrassment were real, he just told me to be quieter next time and left.

I was MAD!

I don't know which neighbor it was, but I really, really wish they had just come and knocked on my door and talked to me when I was actually being noisy. It would have resolved the situation a lot quicker. Now I don't know what to do differently, and I'm a little afraid of making any noise at all. AND I'm mad whenever I hear noise from another apartment. I live on the third floor of an apartment building, and I generally figure that "other apartment noises" are something I have to live with. Apparently, this person doesn't think so.

Honestly, I think I'm a terrific neighbor. I don't have kids crying or running around, no pets, I don't invite people over very often, I'm not even home most days/evenings. I am conscientious most of the time of being quiet during the prescribed 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. rule (often better than the neighbors below and next door to me). So for one of my neighbors to call the police when I invite my friend over at 10 p.m. on a Saturday... it kinda makes me think of that neighbor as a spoiled brat. Really? I can't have a friend over?

I haven't met my neighbors, but I have my suspicions as to which neighbor called the cops. It makes me mad that I didn't make the effort to get to know them before this. I really think if they knew how nice I was, they would have made more effort to be civil back. But to be honest, I know of at least 3 different groups of people who have lived in that apartment since I moved in, and I loathe the idea of dropping by once every six months just to see if someone new answers the door.

But I don't want to be afraid of ever making any noise. This is my home. I want to feel safe and comfortable here. And in that case, I feel like I need to do something to resolve the conflict with this anonymous neighbor and let them know they can come talk with me next time ('cause I'm sure there will be a next time).

The best way I can think to handle it is to finally go meet all my neighbors. Bake some cookies, knock on the door and say... what? "Hi, I'm Megan. I live next door/upstairs and thought I should meet you 'cause I had a policeman tell me that an anonymous neighbor complained that I was being too loud, but I honestly don't know what noise I was making. I was surprised because I hear you all moving around all the time and thought it was just part of communal living. Just want you to know that if you ever have a problem I would prefer that you knock on my door and tell me. I will be sure to do the same for you." That sounds sooo lame. Not to mention embarrassing that I'll have to say it 5 times, four of which will be irrelevant. Maybe I should just leave the cookies in front of the door with a note... but I like to think that when they meet me they'll see I'm a reasonable, nice, charming person who sincerely wants to be a good neighbor.

Any suggestions on what to say? I don't want to be hostile, but I do want to remind them we all share a building which means we're always going to be hearing each other (I hear conversations at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning, and though I've wanted to complain I never have. I realize my not complaining doesn't make me better than they are), and although I don't necessarily want them knocking on my door every night, I'd rather they knock themselves than send a policeman.

This would all be so much easier if I knew who the complainer was.

*Shudder* This goes against everything my insecurities have ever told me about meeting strangers. I HATE meeting strangers, even if they are just "friends I haven't met" yet.

Anyway... this whole situation saddens me in so many ways. I feel like this is yet another example of the way we're just hopping and skipping over civility now. Don't talk to people directly; let other people handle our problems, or just hope they go away by themselves so we don't have to do anything. Let's be as passive-aggressive as we possibly can and assume there will be no consequences.

I'm being forced to grow as a person. I don't like it.

However, if I don't do something, I'll always be uneasy about the whole situation. Since I love my condo and I'll be living there for the foreseeable future, doing nothing is not an option.

Just hoping that the personal touch will be enough to get them to treat me like a human being deserving of some consideration, instead of "those noises coming from upstairs" that need to be silenced in the least inconvenient (to them) way available.

Help! What do I say to my neighbors? I want to like them, and I want them to like me at least enough that the police don't show up again without any warning when I'm just living my life the best way I know how!

How are you?

I really, really hate it when people ask "How are you?" without expecting or wanting an answer. A few years ago -- in protest -- I tried actually answering the question. Not with strangers, but with people who actually care. It didn't last long. I don't like making my friends sad when I don't have to :-P

But you might notice that I almost never respond "Fine." It's either "I'm happy" or "I'm okay."

I might not conform entirely, but heaven knows I don't want to be like the jerk in this strip! Haha!

Gratitude

This was the theme for our meeting at church yesterday, and for our ward for this entire year. They even made it into a bookmark a gave one to everyone:

Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful. They tend to brighten all around them. They make others feel better about themselves. They tend to be more humble, more joyful, more likable.
- Joseph B. Wirthlin

I love this quote so much that I've decided to make it my new motto. Wouldn't it be awesome if everyone adopted it?

Happy Monday!

Timely, relevant journal

My current journal has a different inspirational quote printed on each page. I find that as I write, one will pop up that really seems to relate to what I'm writing. I suppose I am only finding what I'm looking for when I need comfort or advice, but I am very grateful for these quotes. I bought the journal on a whim nearly a year ago, and here it's helping me when I need it most. That's when I know Heavenly Father is listening to my prayers.

Here are some of my recent favorites:

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.
- Carl Jung

Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
-Francis of Assisi

Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.
- Dale E. Turner

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting -- a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I hope each of you are finding answers to your questions and peace during your struggles. They're there, waiting for you, just like they are for me whenever I'm ready to listen.

Caramel

I just learned that caramel is made of toasted (aka burned) sugar. What the WHAT?!! I should bake more often... or even just sometimes (which is more than how much I bake right now, which is almost never).

This just solidifies my love of slightly burned stuff. It's so often better than regularly cooked things. Burned marshmallows, grilled/burned chicken, burned cheese, sauteed/burned garlic, and now caramel.

I'm so very, very happy right now!

Stage Kissing FAQ's

I was surprised a few weeks ago when I found out two of my theatre friends had never been required to kiss on stage. But as I consider that I haven't really had to that often either, I guess I shouldn't be. Last year, I did 5 shows, had fake romances in 4, and only kissed in 1. I gotta say, it was more uncomfortable dancing closely in those first few Kiss Me Kate rehearsals that it was rehearsing the kissing in Seven Brides, mostly because Seven Brides is generally a more innocent show and so was the kissing.

Then again, the whole idea of kissing someone who you aren't attracted to for entertainment's sake is a pretty weird one. With that in mind, I thought I'd do a little FAQ (frequently asked questions) regarding my impressions on stage kissing.

Question: Is stage kissing like regular kissing?

The first question or comment I get when someone finds out that I'll be kissing someone in my play (or has just seen me in a play where I kissed someone), is that it's so awesome I'm getting "practice." Is it fun?

And I struggle not to roll my eyes.

Stage kissing is really awkward. Does it sound romantic to have people starring at you while you kiss a relative stranger for the first time? In Seven Brides we started during the 2nd rehearsal and I barely knew my costar or the director. At least that time the first kiss was dispatched in relative privacy. When I did Tom Sawyer, the entire cast was sitting in the audience and watching the first time my costar and I kissed. It was so embarrassing! Fortunately, it was totally in character that we both leaned waaay over, barely touched lips, and then sprang away from each other :)

When I'm kissing someone onstage, I'm usually thinking about a million things, and they don't include how attracted I am to my partner. I'm thinking about the audience's reaction, and how long I should keep going, where my hands are, what he's doing, and how much my feet hurt. Without the romantic feelings, kissing is pretty lame.

As for stage kissing being good practice... well, my having been kissed a lot onstage doesn't make me confident that I'm a good kisser. I think I'll stop right there.

So, to answer the question, No, kissing isn't really that fun. It sounds like it would be, but most of the time, at least at first, it's just awkward. And yet I still keep trying for roles where it's required 'cause those are usually the best ones!

Question: Do you like your costar? (platonic)

Whether I like the guy or not in real life is usually irrelevant. That being said, I have been cast opposite some really nice, professional, respectful men who didn't make the kissing a bigger deal than it was. Even if we weren't close friends by the end, we enjoyed working together. That helped me feel less awkward, thank goodness.

I have been fortunate not to actively dislike any of my costars (knock on wood). I was angry at Tom Sawyer once before a show but completely forgot about the anger while onstage. It just felt ridiculous to be mad at his character when he was acting like a 12 year old and asking me to get engaged. 

Relationships onstage are based on trust, just like in real life. Most of the time, if I had a problem I'd eventually gather the courage to talk with my costar and we've been able to resolve it. I hope I haven't done anything to make the guy uncomfortable. I have been really lucky not to have been taken advantage of while onstage. I've heard stories of men or women who have suddenly thrown in a French kiss, and if that ever happened to me I would be TICKED! I would never do that to someone. Most of the shows I do are family shows, and French kissing has no place there.

Question: Do you like your costar? (romantic)

Sadly, my costars have either been married, engaged, or otherwise unsuitable. I have never dated my costar during or after a show. That is not to say I haven't had a few crushes, but I find that I tend to develop a crush on the character more than the actual guy. (I could totally marry Will Parker.)

Actually, liking my costar would probably be distracting. I've been in shows where two people dated during rehearsals, then broke up during the run of the show; it makes everything else awkward forever after. If they aren't really good and professional actors it can damage the integrity of the show, especially if the two exes are playing romantic leads opposite each other. I generally agree that it's probably best to try dating after the show closes... I've never been put to the test on that regard though. My opinion might change if face with a theatre romance in the future ;)

But, like I've said, I have been lucky enough to develop good friendships with each. I think it's the best when I can discuss my characters with my counterpart, and even better when I'm comfortable with and trust the guy.

I does suck when I have to pretend to be in love with someone, but then I don't have anyone I actually love at home. It feels a little lonely sometimes and there's no where to direct that amorous energy! It's even more annoying that doing a show means I have less time to meet and/or date any potential beaux...

(How awkward does this photo look?! I don't remember this kiss being uncomfortable at the time.)

Question: Is it weird kissing a married guy? Have you ever had a problem with his wife? Would it be weird to watch your boyfriend/husband kiss someone else?

Yes, it is weird, at least at first. But I'm not thinking about the wife during the kiss (and I hope he isn't either, 'cause how awkward would that be?), I have too much else to worry about. Generally, though, I don't think I've ever been seen as a threat by any wife/girlfriend. They have always been super nice and supportive. I think they realize that stage kissing can be part of theater life, and their man isn't necessarily doing the play to cheat on her. There are lots of stories of romantic leads who meet and fall in love during a show and end up leaving their spouses... that makes me so sad! They couldn't separate the stage love with real love and forgot to channel their romantic energy on their spouse. I'm not pretending it's easy. Heaven knows I've yet to deal with this sort of situation.

I have no desire to steal someone else's man anyway. That's just stupid.

I would hope my future boyfriend/husband would understand if I was cast in a show where I had to kiss someone; I'd definitely talk with him about it first. If he was uncomfortable with it, I'd probably not audition. There are plenty of non-kissing roles out there.


Once upon a time, in high school, my boyfriend was cast as Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing. I saw the show every night, and I had to laugh when I realized how many people watched to see my reaction during his kissing scenes. I laughed, because I was watching the guy playing Don Pedro, because he was obviously not okay with his girlfriend (who was playing Hero), kissing my boyfriend. I didn't particularly mind. I knew my guy pretty well and trusted him. I knew that, at the end of the play, I was the one he cared about. I hope I would feel the same way about my spouse. It's possible I won't. Again that's something we'd have to talk about before the audition.

Question: Do you want to costar with your future husband someday?

I can see pros and cons. Honestly, it might be weird to costar with my spouse. I don't like to watch public displays of affection, and knowing it's "real" because the actors are married or dating doesn't especially heighten the experience for me as an actress, because in my mind the person and the character are two separate entities. It's actually a little distracting to think about. However, it would be nice to kiss my own husband instead of someone else's for a change. We could jump right over the initial awkwardness, hopefully we'd have good chemistry, and maybe we'd even have a similar idea for our character arcs. That would be nice...

Question: How many shows have you done where you've had to kiss a guy?

Six out of fifty-plus: Tom Sawyer, The Three Musketeers, Oklahoma!, Brigadoon, Little Women, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Between rehearsals and performances, and having to kiss more than one man in a couple of those, I've had my fair share of stage kissing.

So... there you have it. The questions most frequently asked, and the answers as honest as I can give them. Hope you all learned something! 

Tangled and Rapunzel

Hope you're not tired yet of my Disney posts. I saved you from a super-long super-boring travellog, so I hope you'll forgive me. Especially since it's possible more are coming if my mood calls for it. 

I know that Tangled came out over a month ago, so this blog post is more than a little late, but there's something that's been on my mind...

I've seen the movie three times (twice in 3D) and I absolutely love it. I have been waiting years and years for Disney to make Rapunzel into a movie, and I was really excited when I discovered two years ago that it was in the works.

Then I saw the early previews and my heart sank. Why the heck were they calling it "Tangled?" Why did they replace the prince with a thief? Are there chameleons in Europe? I was so worried they were going to mangle the fairy tale the way they did "The Frog Prince." Granted, Disney has a history of rewriting fairy tales for entertainment value (such as my favorite Sleeping Beauty), but as charming as The Princess and the Frog was, I didn't really like it. So, in spite of glowing reviews from my friends, I saw Tangled for the first time with quite a bit of trepidation.

And within 5 minutes I was in love. I thought that the rewrites were very well thought out, and I even managed to overcome the initial gag reflex over all of the modern speech ("For the first time in, like, ever..."). Then of course, the voice cast was brilliant. Who knew Zachary Levi could sing? Just a fun, uplifting movie. I am thrilled to finally have a blonde Disney princess who is strong and independent and brave. 

I'll be honest: I wish I could find a magical solution that could make my hair so strong and tangle-proof. While she was walking through the forest with her hair dragging on the ground, I kept thinking "That is so unrealistic... oh wait... it's magic hair! Lucky!"

**SPOILER ALERT**

However (I hate that there's a "however", but there is), I wish that the writers had taken the ending just one step further. At the end of the movie, my question was not "Do they get married?"

I want to know what happened with the power of the Sun flower. 

Flynn cuts Rapunzel's hair, leaving it brown and her powerless, or so they think. But then, she is able to heal Flynn's mortal wound with her tears. I have no problem with this. In the original tale she could heal with tears, too, and in this version at least we have an explanation why that would be. What I want to know is if that was a one-time deal. I want to know if this became a trait of the royal family. Was one of the reasons she was so beloved was that she was a great healer? Did her children and their children have this power in some form? Or did it just go away? Was the power truly gone (which would be a true shame, especially since we never knew why the power dropped to the earth in the first place).

Oooh! Maybe they'll explain it in the sequel, 'cause you know Disney loves a good sequel! Okay, maybe I won't worry about it so much.

**END OF SPOILER**

Here is the original story of Rapunzel as told by the Brothers Grimm. I'm pretty sure you'll see rather quickly why the screenwriters decided to change it up. It's no fun portraying a mom as selfish or the dad as spineless, and why can't the prince just bring enough rope to take her away by the second visit? I will say, though, that my friend Joanne Parker wrote a marvelous theatrical adaptation about 15 years ago based on the original story, and it was perfectly palatable to children, so it is possible.

If you haven't seen the movie yet, GO! Even my nephew liked it, so I guess the ploy worked to market to the boys! I already bought the soundtrack, and I can't wait until the movie comes out on DVD :^)

Winter hair dilemma

Every winter I resolve to cut my hair "next fall."

It's so long that anytime I put on a scarf, or coat, or even my seatbelt, I have to pull my hair through, and with the dry, dry air that accompanies December, January and February here in Utah, every time I pull I feel my hair go rigid with static. By the end of the season, my hair is so brittle and damaged by that blasted static that I wish I had followed through to cut it to my chin in November and avoided all the sadness and trouble.

I wish it again this year already.

Except... my hair is my best feature. I love it long! It takes forever to grow and even though it looks cute short, it doesn't look cute in between long and short. And I don't especially like wearing it in a bun (which would protect the ends better) because I don't think it's flattering frame for my face. I do use some wonderful products, but they can only do so much. I try to keep up maintenance and trim it every 6 weeks or so, but it's the tradeoff of having long, lovely locks that I'm never going to have perfectly healthy, non-split ends.

I may have to swallow my pride and bun it anyway for regular days and only let my hair down (haha!) on special occasions.

Plenty of time to feel pretty later.

BTW, does anyone else think it's silly that while so many men enjoy long hair on their girlfriends/wives and discourage them from changing it, those same men also complain that it takes women too long to get ready to go anywhere? Does anyone else see the connection here?

Zumba, zumba, zumba

Today I attended my first aerobics class. My friend Sylinda and I decided to try Zumba and we liked it! I'm glad I didn't know beforehand it was an hour long, and that I didn't start out going full out (as is my inclination) because I never would have made it. But, as it turns out, I have a little bit of stamina! I made it through the entire class and I was tired and happy at the end of it! I'm really, really proud of myself!

I like Latin dancing, and I like Bollywood, so I enjoyed Zumba itself. It made me smile that the room was full of women. I guess it is sort of a girly sort of exercise. Then again, I realized pretty quickly that nobody was watching me so I felt comfortable to look as goofy as necessary (because, frankly, I always feel pretty goofy when attempting any kind of rhythmic and graceful movement, whether it's aerobics or choreography or any other sort). I just ignored the mirror, watched the instructor, imagined that I looked as cool as she did, and hoped that soon enough I would have her abs and arms... that would be a dream come true! So... I guess that means I'm gonna keep going! Here's hoping it helps me get into shape!

Been working with Jane Fonda and Dancing with the Stars Cd's at home, and to be honest during the class I kept thinking I was in a 3D video or something. It wasn't that different from working out at home. However, I'm excited to keep going and get to the point where I CAN go full out and have a ton of energy.

It's kinda fun making my New Year's resolutions come true!

A Pirate's Life for Me!!

Lately I've been somewhat disenchanted with the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. It was my favorite when I was in high school, but the last couple of times I've gone I've been bored. Maybe it's the Captain Jack Sparrow incorporation. Maybe it's just that I'd rather ride the Indiana Jones attraction instead. I don't know.

It IS fun to go on with a group of friends, though. On this last trip, I sat in the front seat, and sang the song as loud as I could... at least, as much of the song as I know. I used to have the whole thing memorized but now I only remember half of each line, and probably not the in right order, like so:

We pillage and plunder and ravage and loot, drink up me hearties-- Yo Ho!

Something and something we're really a hoot, drink up me hearties -- Yo HO!

... Oh well.

Seriously, it's a great song. I think we should all learn it and on Talk Like a Pirate Day we should dress like pirates and parade down 4th South and sing it at the top of our lungs.


Oddly, although I'm bored with Pirates I've grown fond of the It's a Small World attraction, and I'm a little sad we didn't ride it this time. At least we got some cool photos of the lights!

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to listen to a podcast about jewish pirates, which is what got me thinking about this whole topic in the first place.

No more Radio shows :(

My latest play, The 1940s Radio Hour closed about a month ago. Sadly, I didn't get to perform on the actual closing night because I flew out to my cruise that day. It sucked to realize that everyone else would continue without me, though I'm glad that Jen Crabb -- who filled in for me closing night -- had such great reviews from the rest of the cast! I don't like to be replaced, but I do like to know the show was well taken care of :) After all, we all knew when I auditioned that I wouldn't do closing. However, I did get to perform nine times, and on my closing night I definitely wasn't ready for the experience to be over!

I think I've mentioned before that this show is a bit unique in that it isn't a "standard" musical. The music didn't really play a lot into the plot -- unless you read between the lines -- in fact, there wasn't much of a plot. It was more like watching the goings-on behind the scenes and onstage during a radio show (because unless you were part of the live audience, you wouldn't normally get to see what's going on, including silly hats and manic dancing, and embarrassing pants dropping, all of which occurred during the course of our show).

I loved having the chance to develop a character who's more like me than most I've played lately. Ann was a grown-up! She was a career woman! She had a complicated relationship! She didn't say much but she observed everything. I admit, I felt old and boring much of the time, but I sure did have fun experiencing all the antics going on around me. It was probably lucky I came to understand Ann so well, because I felt like I improvised a lot. I never knew how the conversations between my implied romantic lead, Luke, and I would go, and I laughed a lot at all of the glitches and random things people on stage came up with! "Blue Moon" was never the same, and I think I laughed harder and harder each performance! At least, I hope I remained in character for all of those.

It was funny, though. I always got to the end of the show and felt like I -- both me and my character -- had changed from who we were in the beginning. It was an emotional journey for my character, and it was a lot of work for me. It's hard to be onstage for two hours with few breaks! It was a cool opportunity as an actress, and I gave it my all! 

The music I got to sing was a dream! The songs I already knew were favorites, and the songs I didn't know quickly became favorites. I had to buy all of the songs on iTunes so I could have my own soundtrack to listen to :) C'mon, how often will I get to sing "Baby It's Cold Outside", "Have Yourselves a Merry Little Christmas", "Chiquita Banana", and a jazzy "Jingle Bells?" I'm still a little guilty about strong-arming myself into "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy." My character originally wasn't in the number, and I made my peace with it, but asked to get to sing it once during a music rehearsal. After that, director Rosalie was determined to put me in the number, even though it's only 3 part harmony. I'm so grateful! I loved, loved, loved to sing it! Doing that choreography made me feel so sexy!

Haha! Like I said, it was fun to watch everyone else onstage. We all knew our characters and we all reacted so differently to the action, as represented in the above photo, where our bombshell Larissa performed a very scandalous ice cream commercial. Somehow, it wasn't difficult making everything fresh and new each performance -- everyone tried hard to stay in the moment!

I'm going to miss this cast and show. The audiences seemed to enjoy it, and I know we on stage did, too! It's nice to work with a small group that gets along so well. I hope my next show is as fun and as good an opportunity to stretch my skills!

And now I'm taking a break for the time-being. There are a few shows I'm considering, but those auditions won't be for awhile. Nope. For now I'm going to spend time with my friends, start working on my goals for this year, keep an open mind and see what happens!

Blog Readers

It is weird that I feel more comfortable writing things on my blog than I do on Facebook, and that I haven't published my blog address on my Facebook page? I feel like the more I discover that people I know read my blog, the less I can say on it for fear of offending or just letting slip more than I want to. The world is a lot smaller now than it was 10 years ago, and the more detailed I get, the less privacy and the less freedom I have to say what I really want to; for that reason, I feel more comfortable writing to my core group of "knowns" and the wide world of internet strangers than to people I have had good times with in the past but don't often get to see anymore. (Wow, that paragraph is terribly messy. Sorry, dudes.)

And yet, sometimes I wish more people read my blog, 'cause I'd love to have a huge following and crazy offers from people to put ads on my blog so I can live off the proceeds of writing, like Single Dad Laughing and Seriously So Blessed. Of course, then I'd need to find some niche and a more unique perspective. To be honest, I'm just not that focused.

This just makes me wonder: why do I write? What is my ultimate goal? Do I even have one?

I don't know that I really have a goal. And even if I did, I probably wouldn't do anything differently. In which case, I should probably just let my FB friends know that this space exists. I should have more confidence in the balance of my Facebook friends. I know them all in varying degrees of closeness, but I do know them all, and they're navigating this same interweb with their own philosophies that once in awhile might sync with mine. Heaven knows, I love to read friends' blogs and find that we have more in common than I previously thought!

I just like to write. I like to have a centralized place to put my thoughts down, and record happy times, and post videos and quotes and comic strips, and see photos of my friends smiling back at me so they're easier to find when I need them in the future!

So, my dear readers -- those I know about and those I don't:

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts, the inane, the enlightening, and the ridiculous! It is wonderful to know that you care enough to Follow, or Subscribe, or just check in once in awhile. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day!

Hugs and love,

Miss Megan

Who's the cutest girl?

Dot Warner: Once upon a time, a brave knight married a beautiful princess... and they had two sons. But they wanted a daughter, too, so they planted a garden...

Yakko Warner: And out of the prettiest flower came...

Dot Warner: Me. 

Yakko Warner: So then mom and dad took you home, and every night at bedtime, they'd come in and ask "Who's the cutest girl?" and you'd say... 

Dot Warner: I am. 

Yakko Warner: And they'd ask "How did you get so cute?" and you'd say... 

Dot Warner: I was born that way... 

Yakko Warner: And they'd say..."tell us your name, young lady?"... and you'd say... 

Dot Warner: "Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the Third" but you can call me Dot.

Yakko Warner: And they'd ask..."Can we call you Dottie?" And you'd say... 

Dot Warner: No, just Dot. Call me Dottie and you die. 

- "Wakko's Wish", Animaniacs 

Oh, little girls are the cutest! I grew up with four brothers, and little girls mystify and terrify me, and yet I hope I get one of my own someday... I sure do love playing with and hearing stories about those that belong to my friends!

Fun Fact of the Day: Tortuga

Guess what I learned on my Caribbean cruise (well, one of the many fascinating facts)?

The island of Tortuga, referenced in pirate lore (and by "pirate lore" I mean the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie)?

Yeah, it's Grand Cayman. 

No wonder that had so many pirate-referenced souvenirs and attraction names and such. 

It was definitely my favorite destination. I'd love to go and just spend a week at a resort down there!

Seriously, everyone should go. Beautiful.

Still trying to re-acclimate to the snow and freeeezing temperatures. I sure do love my coats and hats and gloves and scarves right about now!

A Funeral for a Friend

During my very few years in this life, I have had very few friends who I have been close to die. Today I attended a funeral for one of those few, Mrs. Susan Thompson Dayton. I met her about 20 years ago when her family moved into my neighborhood. She was my dance teacher, one of my Young Women counsellors, my Bishop's wife, and mother to boys who tortured me during my pre-teen and teen years.   She looked like Snow White, and was more gracious and loved than that fairy tale character could ever have been. What was remarkable about Susan was that she was always busy and always serving people. One of the speakers asked us to think of a time when she served us, individually, and then we had to tell the person next to us what that service was. Mine was that she helped me get ready for my very first dance audition. She choreographed a routine, and when I was cast she helped me be my best little 8 year old dancer self. She was a doctor's wife, a mother of five boys, the state PTA president, a member of the World Organization for Women, on multiple stake Relief Society presidencies, etc, etc... I consider her life and I hope to accomplish at least a tenth of what she did. As I listened to stories of her life and lessons and wisdom she taught those around her, I found myself wanting to be better than I am. To reach outside of myself more often, work harder in everything I do, and to be more faithful in the church. I am determined not to forget today's inspiration.

Good-bye, Susan. Thank you for leaving this world a far better place than you found it and for encouraging me to do the same. I will miss you! 

New Year's at Disneyland!

I went to Disneyland with a group of friends over the New Year's weekend and it was AWESOME!! My feet are tired, my legs are sore, my back hurts... and it was totally worth it for the company of five insanely fun women who I would vacation with at any time and any place.

Note to anyone who goes to Disneyland in late December and January: take warm clothing. Even though the days were sunny, the wind and cold forced us to buy hoodies and wear more layers than we anticipated! We played a game every day called, "How many layers is Liz wearing?" I think the most was nine...

While we bought hoodies that first night, we spotted Wayne Brady of Whose Line is it Anyway in line buying a scarf. We didn't want to bother him, and weren't able to get a surreptitious photo, but I must say he's even better looking in person!

The first day, Thursday, we split our time between Disneyland and California Adventure (DCA). We were really excited when we saw this next to the Pinocchio ride in Fantasy Land:

It wasn't a ride, just a line to meet Rapunzel and Flynn, but we made plans to check it out the next day!

We did get to meet Tinker Bell and all of her other pixie friends from the new movies. None of us had seen the movies, so we didn't really care about anyone but Tinker Bell. I may have to watch one of them anyway, just so I can be glad I have photos with all of them...

Friday was New Year's Eve, and we were right to anticipate crazy long lines wherever we went. Disneyland was insane that day -- so much so that they reached capacity around noon and stopped letting people in! We entered the park at 7:30am and left at about 1am. It was a long day, but so fun.

For starters, we all bought tiaras and spent the day walking about like princesses! I kept forgetting about my Cinderella tiara and clotheslining myself with my waterbottle... Meanwhile, if we had made a commission for every person who told us we looked great, or asked us where we'd purchased them, or every little girl who pointed at the "princesses", we could have paid for our admission into the park that day. Disneyland should totally hire us as walking billboards!

Carrie's friend Josh joined us while we waited in line to see Rapunzel (the two hour wait was totally worth it). Flynn and Rapunzel were darling! Her hair was draped all over the room. I smiled so big when Flynn declared "This is the best room I've been in all day!") The photos were really cute.

Karrie Ann has a habit of carrying around a notepad and writing down funny or clever things that people say, and I am proud to say that she wrote down a few of my quotes! (I've known her for almost four years and never made the notebook before!) My favorites are:

Everything I say is NOT hilarious! (The rest of the group responded, "Yes it is!")

and

Just so you know, I plan on getting ice cream later, and then complain how cold I am.

We staked out a place in New Orleans Square overlooking the river for the New Year's fireworks and the subsequent Fantasmic show, which I had never seen before. The countdown was so fun! Disneyland handed out freeee plastic hats (that we ended up not wearing because our tiaras were so awesome) and noisemakers, and we cheered and found out how crappy the noisemakers were, and kissed each other's cheeks, and laughed and laughed and laughed. Good times!!

We split our last day between the two parks again, starting with DCA, where we made sure to take a second spin on the Toy Story Mania, which I had NEVER been on before! I know it's new, but I've been going to Disneyland for 30 years, so having a new ride was sah-weeeeet! Loved it! We got to do pretty much everything that we wanted to do, and were still back at the hotel room early. We spent a lot of time sleeping on the drive home!

Honestly, I am grateful that I was with a group that I felt so comfortable with. I was such a spazz those first few days I was a little afraid that everyone would be sick of me before too long, but that never seemed the case. I didn't know any of them very well before the trip, but I sure do love them now!

You'll notice that I don't have any photos of all of us together, or at the castle, or with Mickey, or with Rapunzel. We decided to just take all of those photos on one camera and then share them later so that we didn't have to ask anyone to take the same photo with six cameras. It worked well, except I didn't get any of those photos on my camera. So, I hope we get together soon! Can't wait to see how they all turned out, and to hang out with them again!

Aaand now, after nearly two weeks of vacations, I'm thrilled and relieved to be home with no immediate plans to go out of town again. No plans to do another play anytime soon, for that matter. Nope. Just gonna catch up on my t.v., and try to work up a fitness routine, and work, and read, and see all those friends I've been neglecting. I'm going to be a busy girl.

It's nice to be home after such wonderful vacations! I'm a lucky girl!

Best and Worst 2010 and Tentative Resolutions

A quick review of my personal Bests and Worsts from the past year:

Best

• Two trips to Disneyland - one in April and one in December
• Two cruises to the Western Caribbean during winter months - one in January and one with my family in December
• Five plays - Kiss Me Kate, The Secret Garden, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and the 1940s Radio Hour
• Dream role of a lifetime, in a production where everything miraculously came together - Milly in Seven Brides. I really don't know if any other theatre experience can ever top that one.
• An extraordinary best friend - you know who you are! I don't know what I'd do without you, dearest!
• A new sister-in-law who completely rocks
• Two great new jobs - a temp job and then a permanent one
• Able to touch my toes for the first time in memory... which I cannot do, again, at the moment, but will get back to lickety-split now that I'm recovering from my latest illness!

Worst

• Laid off from a job after over three years
• Sprained wrist persisted for 6 months
• Sick at least 4 months total
• My bathroom scale reports I weigh more than I ever have, including my mission
• The highest number of dates I had with any given guy this year was two.

Except for the first and last items on the "Worst" list, I was grasping at straws a bit there. This really has been a terrific year. I learned a lot about myself while achieving a lot of goals, realizing some of my out-of-reach dreams, forging, growing, and maintaining terrific relationships with family and friends, and I was blessed far more than I could have hoped. I realize that I live a charmed life in many ways. Heavenly Father answered all of my prayers -- usually not in the manner I was expecting and thought I wanted -- but He answered them all and I am very grateful.

Meanwhile, I still have a lot to learn, and more that I want for myself. With that in mind, I have several improvement efforts I'm pondering for 2011:

• Start fleshing out some of my creative writing ideas.
• I kind of want a dog... but due to HOA restrictions I'd have to move first. Maybe I should improv my human-canine relations by playing with dogs more and getting used to them slobbering on me (ew).
• Be less "nice" professionally. I get walked on a lot because I don't want to step on toes. How ironic is that?
• Finish the hookups to and buy a washer and dryer for my condo. Two and-a-half years of dragging my laundry to my mom's house are more than enough.
• A stamp in my passport for Scotland, and possibly some other locations.
• Some hard-core, somehow-still-be-myself flirting with the opposite sex that leads to more than two dates with the same guy...preferably a guy I'm interested in.
• Take a tap class and a Zumba class... and maybe ballet.
• Voice lessons? 
• Attend a session at an LDS Temple at least once a month EVERY month.
• Read more than one non-fiction book this year, not including the Book of Mormon which I'll be reading every day anyway.

So, 2011, good luck living up to 2010. Somehow, I think you can do it! Can't wait to see what this year brings to me, and what I bring to it!

Happy New Year, my darling friends!