2012 in Review: goals and accomplishments

In the year 2012, I accomplished the following:

• Read in the Book of Mormon every day
• Read 25 (plus!) varying types of books
• Played three dream, very well-produced and well-received shows: The Importance of Being Earnest, The Marvelous Wonderettes, and Little Women the Musical
• Grew my existing relationships and relationship skills, and added to my circle of friends
• Attended the temple about 10 of the 12 months, including Salt Lake, Oquirrh Mountain, Jordan River, and Bountiful temples, and visited the grounds at the St. George temple :)
• Lost 25 pounds and am maintaining so far within 5 pounds :-D
• Visited St. George, Philadelphia, Bear Lake, Idaho Falls, and Disneyland
• Caught up on these friend-recommended television shows: Community, Sports Night, The West Wing, Dr. Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Gilmore Girls. Gave up on Portlandia and My So-Called Life -- not my taste right now. Started Battleship Galactica and Enterprise, but putting them on hold for now. Next up: Lie to Me
• Bought a smart phone -- getting closer to catching up to the twenty-first century!
• Was relatively successful in my Photo-a-day endeavor
• Wanted to blog 3 times a week (Monday/Tuesday, Wednesday/Thursday, Friday): didn't quite work out. Maybe next year?
• Continued working full-time and earned a well-deserved raise :)
• Experimented with new dating skills
• Prepared and taught 8 Relief Society lessons 
• Used the words "woot", "insane", "ridiculous", and "brilliant" a lot (and a lot of exclamation points)

I'm pretty satisfied with this year, and hope for good things this next. I also hope that I'll have few regrets, and that I'll see positive results to my hard work in dating, theater, and work.

The pegboard in my dining room, as it is right now

Thanks 2012. You were swell! Looking forward to whatever surprises are in store in 2013!

Death by musical

For all those that think musicals are too cheery and predictable, this one's for you:

Oh, John Larroquette, how I love him!

Happy Friday!

A gift for my mom

Seven years ago, my youngest brother, David, did a high school production of The Fantastiks. My friend Kristen directed, and Kristen's mom and dad recorded a video of the production. After the play closed, David announced his retirement from acting. He's good and enjoys so many other things, he didn't mind giving up this one pursuit. It's a bit of a shame, since he was wonderful. Not many have that elastic of a face and such good comic timing!

Couldn't find a photo from his play, but here's
one of David and I from about that time.
Isn't he handsome?!

My mom asked Kristen's mom, Pat, for a copy of the video... but what with graduation and life happening, Pat never managed to give my mom that tape. I am fairly good friends with Pat and Kristen, and every time I'd mention to my mom that I had seen them (which wasn't very often), Mom would mention her regret that she never got a copy of the performance.

Last year, I did Into the Woods, and it just so happens that the young man who played Cinderella's Prince is Pat's nephew. Pat came to the show one night, and afterwards I asked her about that recording of The Fantastiks. I mentioned that I knew my mom would still like a copy, and right away Pat said, "I'll see if I can find the tape. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could give it to your mom for Christmas?!!"

(Please note that I did Into the Woods nearly 18 months ago.)

Pat and I have been in touch quite a bit since then -- mostly me pestering her about whether she'd been able to find the tape. I felt like such a pill, and am glad that I've run into her a few times during that time and she was as concerned as I. It was blisteringly difficult not to tell my mom each time I saw her. I didn't realize before how much I'm used to telling my mom pretty much everything that happens to me.

Well, November 12, I found a Facebook message from Pat saying that she had finally found the tape! She messaged me at midnight right after she found it -- she was too excited to wait to tell me, but was afraid it was too late in the evening to call. You can imagine how thrilled we both were!! She burned the DVD right away, and a few days later I met her at work to pick it up. She asked me to watch it and make sure there weren't any problems. Oh, I had so much fun watching!! I forgot just how funny and talented David was in that play. I'm so proud of the guy. Wish he'd do a show with me. The DVD looked great.... now I just had somehow manage not to mention it to my mom, or anyone who might accidently tell her. The last six weeks have felt so long!!

When Mom unwrapped the DVD yesterday, I knew she could see how excited I was to give it to her. It was so fun to see her face as she politely thanked me for the homemade DVDs (not the first time I've given her such a gift), and slowly read aloud the title. The look on her face when she realized exactly what it was was priceless. Her eyes widened, and she immediately started to cry because she was so overwhelmed. She jumped up to give me a hug and I laughed when she said, "I was really starting to hate those people!" Her reaction couldn't have been better!

I'm just happy that seven years after the fact, she finally has her DVDs and I don't have to keep this particular secret anymore. I don't like keeping secrets! It's so much easier just to tell the truth!

I should say that David probably won the "most thoughtful gift for Mom" award. Mom has been collecting vintage copies of the books in The Wizard of Oz series, and David found her a mint condition copy. Wish he could have been there to see how thrilled she was. Silly hospital needing him to work that day (thank goodness for health professionals working the holidays -- they are sorely needed and appreciated, though their families miss them). I'm glad Mom had such a good year. We do what we can to tell her how much we love her!

Haven't had a chance to tell Dave yet that I found a copy of his play. He might not be as excited as the rest of us -- I'm sure he's in no hurry to watch himself on camera. Still, since he is retired, it's nice to have a record of his onstage genius. I'm guessing that Mom told him about it last night after he finished work. Hope he doesn't mind too much!

Happy day-after-Christmas, everyone. I hope your day was as happy and fun and exhausting as mine. There was plenty of good food and even better company, smiles, tears, imperfection, and gratitude. I'm already looking forward to next Christmas and all that comes with it :) I'd better start thinking now about what to get my mom. It'll be hard to top this one.

I survived the end of the world!

There has been a lot of hullabaloo the last couple of years about the Mayan calendar. Many people speculated that the last day on the calendar -- December 21, 2012 -- would be the last day of the world.

I admit, when the day came and went and nothing special happened, I was a little disappointed.

This doesn't mean I expected the world the END. That seemed a little excessive, and during all the fervor my Christian brain often recalled these verses:

28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
- Mark Chapter 13, King James Bible

Even so, I wanted something exciting to happen! Something meaningful! Something out of the norm!

Well, maybe it did. After all, it was the first day of an almost 2 week vacation from work! I had so much fun that day.

Richie and his tiny bottles

• I slept in -- woooooot!
• I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 3D Imax, and was very disappointed I missed the deadline for the 9 minute Star Trek Into Darkness preview (it was only for the first 3 days after the movie opened). Thoroughly enjoyed The Hobbit, though I think I'll skip the 3D and fast-speed frames for the next film!
• During the movie, I asked a guy in front of me to put away his phone. The stranger next to me thanked me... and after the movie gave me his card and told me to call (I didn't).
• I shopped at the mall for some clothes to wear in a family photo. Since I was hungry, I stopped by Hot Dog on a Stick. They had the calories listed for each item, and since it was fewer calories for two corn dogs then for a corn dog and an order of fries, I bought two corn dogs.
• I ate the corn dogs while walking around the mall, and NONE of the kiosk workers bothered me. I almost ran into a few and they still didn't talk with me. Guess the corn dogs were intimidating ;)
• Went to Barnes & Noble and bought a caramel apple cider at the adjoining Starbucks. Soooo gooood!
• Got stuck in traffic a lot.
• Ran the entire show for the first time at Arsenic and Old Lace rehearsal. This was also the day that Lt. O'Hara started bringing in the essential oils he has started selling. He even gave me a few to try to help me recover from the cold that lingered for three weeks. Every one who walked in the room asked why it smelled so good... was nice the rehearsal room didn't smell like stinky actors for once!

Nothing earth-shattering, but a darn fun day. Thanks, Mayans for encouraging me to look for the unexpected wonderfulness in what was otherwise a regular day.

Just for fun, one last opportunity to post this topic-appropriate song:


How did you celebrate the "End of the World?" Hope you had a good day, too!

"Merry Christmas" movies

There are several movies and Christmas specials I like to watch this time of year. Some of them aren't necessarily "Christmas" movies, but there's something about them that put me in the mood. I've managed to watched many of them already (which is good because Christmas is in 4 days), actually I watched a bunch of them before December -- yep, I'm that girl! There's still hope I'll manage to watch the others within the next week. Yay!

If you'll indulge me, here are the Christmas-mood-inducing movies I've already watched this year:

Miracle on 34th Street (the 1940s version)
A movie about faith and believing. Edmund Gwenn is the best Santa ever. Totally deserved his Oscar! And little Natalie Wood is the perfect little cynic. The two of them together just make me smile (though I must say that Santa's explanation of how to emulate a monkey is terrible).

White Christmas
A movie about romance... and cheesy musical numbers. This is one of my all-time favorites. I want so badly to be a part of this musical some day. I may need to watch the movie again before New Years. (Done! ... maybe I need to watch it a third time...)


The Santa Claus
Another movie about believing and childlike wonder. Scott goes to the North Pole, meets elves, and still can't believe he is Santa Claus. It's cool to me that in this movie the child convinces the adults that Santa Claus is real, instead of the other way around. The ending is just too adorable!

While You Were Sleeping
This is one of those "not-a-Christmas movie" movies, because it's a movie about family!! The scene where they're all sitting around opening presents, and Mary gets excited about her Dad giving her earrings for pierced ears? Yep, that's Christmas. Also, the random conversation around the dinner table: "These mashed potatoes are so creamy." The lines are brilliant because they are honest and comfortable and full of love and acceptance. No wonder Lucy falls in love with the Callaghans! I do, too!

Elf
A movie about finding joy in everything, and loving people for who they are. I've actually only seen the second half of this movie so far this year (thanks, Riss!) Buddy doesn't have to chance to make a difference -- he is himself, and somehow it is exactly what the people around him need. Love, love, love.

Love Actually
Let's say this one is about unexpected, wonderful surprises. This movie has everything: death, disappointment, innocence, hope, an aging pop star, a couple of paper mache lobsters, terrible speaking of the portuguese language, a song by The Pointer Sisters, and love in many forms. I even love that a few of the stories don't end happily.  I can never decide which storyline is my favorite. Right now, I think the two favs are Sarah's crush on Carl, and the way Sam and his stepdad. Such sweet, simple stories, but so meaningful.


Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
A movie about accepting who you are and letting your light shine... figuratively, of course, though Rudolph's light is literal :)

Charlie Brown Christmas special
A movie about the true meaning of Christmas in spite of a commercial world. Every time Linus starts quoting Luke 2, I get teary-eyed. This is the first time I noticed that Linus knows that section because Lucy forced him to memorize it. That makes sense! I love those kinds of details in storyboarding!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the 1960s cartoon)
Another movie about the true meaning of Christmas and the joy that comes from doing the right thing. Oh, the grinch. Let's be honest, don't some of us sometimes just want to chuck the whole holiday? So many obnoxious people being jerks, and horrible traffic, and stressing about gifts. It always feels so nice when I finally hit that groove and realize that Christmas is about being with people I love.

The Muppet Christmas Carol
My favorite version of this story of redemption, charity, and forgiveness. Who would have thought that Michael Cain and Kermit the frog would be such perfect foils? The music is wonderful, the characters spot on, the addition of Gonzo as narrator/author Charles Dickens -- the whole thing is just magic!

The Phineas and Ferb Christmas Special
This is a new favorite I'll need to watch every year! This one is about serving others and making the people around you happy (and figgy pudding). Who can resist a villain who, as it turns out, doesn't hate Christmas enough to actually put his plan into effect? Fortunately (unfortunately?) fate intervenes and Phineas and Ferb -- and Perry, of course -- must save the day... Another show with terrific dialogue and a great moral. Check it out. You won't be sorry.

Meet Me in St. Louis
I watched this entire movie for the first time this year, and didn't love it, so I probably won't put it in the rotation. It's another not-Christmas movie, though it features the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" sung by Judy Garland. It's another movie about family and doing what's right for them in spite of your personal goals.


Sleepless in Seattle
A movie about hope and shooting for your dreams, even when other people think they're ridiculous. The friendships in this movie make it for me. Rosie O'Donnell and Meg Ryan? Victor Garber and Tom Hanks? The chemistry is brilliant!

Yet to watch this year:
The Holiday
This is my favorite chick-flick, and I tend to watch it anytime I'm feeling sorry for myself over my dating life. It's about love coming from unexpected places, having the confidence to stand up for yourself, and taking chances when the opportunity comes. As an added bonus, Kate Winslet and Jack Black make a surprisingly convincing couple. Wish there were more of them scatting, or playing silly games in the video store!

A Christmas Story
Yet another story about family, childhood and traditions. I love the dichotomy between the parents and the kids. Christmas is so very different depending on your age and place in the family. Poor Ralphie has so much angst and his parents have no idea... and then they come through totally unexpectedly. Wonderful!

Wil Vinton's Claymation Christmas
A family classic! This one is purely about the music. In 20+ years, I think my family has only not watched this one together on Christmas Eve twice, and once was because we were on that cruise.

The Nativity Story
A story of the events around Jesus Christ's birth. It's not perfect, but the portrayal of Joseph the carpenter is so sincere and sweet, and the wise men are delightful.

A Garfield Christmas television special
Silly, wonderful, family fun. Love their goofy traditions. They make my family's traditions seem a little more normal :)

What are some of your favorite Christmas movies and shows? Do any of these qualify for your list?

12/12/12

Today is December 12, 2012, or 12/12/12. It's the last time this century we'll have triple-digits on the calendar. I stayed up until 12:12 a.m. so I could experience the moment -- surprisingly like so many others in a day that I feel should be special but was really just ordinary -- and at 12:12 p.m. I was eating lunch at Trio with favorite former co-workers Beth and Michele. Not a bad way to spend two good minutes, and many others before and after!

The rest of my day will of course be spent working and then at rehearsal. Do any of you have anything special planned?

Happy 12/12/12 everybody! Guess it's time to start thinking about the next major holiday ;)

Check out the expiration date on this fancy car
 -- pretty sweet!

Sing it loud for all to hear!

As Buddy the elf says,

The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear!

Well, since I'm not doing a Christmas show this season, I'm simply enjoying the carols cycling through the radio stations, and blaring at every store I step into! Sure, the very first Christmas-themed song I heard was the obnoxiously-manipulative "The Christmas Shoes" (listen at your own risk), but on the positive side, it was nice to get it over with, and so many of the other songs are so wonderful! I love the hope and joy and excitement in the music set aside for this time of year, whether playful or inspirational.

One of my favorite things about Christmas carols, though, is how casually and naturally the spiritual and fun songs are played together. Maybe the season has become increasingly commercial, but how can anyone misunderstand the true reason of the season when so many artists have their own version of "O Holy Night?" I heard two different versions back-to-back on the radio this morning!

This video of The Piano Guys' "Carol of the Bells" has become a new favorite -- how wonderful all-instrumental music can be, and I appreciate their using a melancholy-sounding instrument for such an exciting song. It works!

This performance of "Ding-dong Merrily on High" made me cry the first time I saw 5 Carols/Jingle Jacks at CenterPoint Legacy Theater earlier this month. So darn cool! I had to go back and see the show again... especially because the reprise is seriously, insanely funny (everything goes wrong -- I can't even describe it!) The first time, I laughed so hard I cried, and the second time, I laughed so hard my face went numb. Oh, man. I wish I had a free night to go again. If you have a chance to see it, DO! It's terrific! (We all know I don't often plug shows that I'm not in, so please take my word for it!):
(The song starts at 5:20)

Love! Love! Love!!

And then there are horrible versions, like a calypso version of "Feliz Navidad" I heard once... possibly the second-worst track ever recorded, next to "The Christmas Shoes" (I really do hate that song), and just so darn fascinating.

Oh, and it's fun to find variations of "Rudolph", like "Randolph the Bowl-Legged Cowboy", which I can't find on YouTube... maybe I'll create my own video ;)

Meanwhile, I definitely have my favorites, and it's fun to hear new renditions that pop up each year. Jimmy Fallon and The Roots' cover of "All I Want for Christmas is You" has become my go-to video whenever I need an infusion of Christmas spirit:


Happy Christmastime, everyone! What are your favorite versions of your favorite carols?

I might explode anyway...

"Don't you understand how Cho's feeling at the moment?" she asked. 

"No," said Harry and Ron together. 

Hermione sighed and laid down her quill. 

"Well, obviously, she's feeling very sad, because of Cedric dying. Then I expect she's feeling confused because she liked Cedric and now she likes Harry, and she can't work out who she likes best. Then she'll be feeling guilty, thinking it's an insult to Cedric's memory to be kissing Harry at all, and she'll be worrying about what everyone else might say about her if she starts going out with Harry. And she probably can't work out what her feelings toward Harry are anyway, because he was the one who was with Cedric when Cedric died, so that's all very mixed up and painful. Oh, and she's afraid she's going to be thrown off the Ravenclaw Quidditch team because she's been flying so badly." 

A slightly stunned silence greeted the end of this speech, then Ron said, "One person can't feel all that at once, they'd explode." 

"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have," said Hermione nastily, picking up her quill again. 

- JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Thank you, JK Rowling, for so eloquently explaining why girls sometimes seem "crazy." I especially like that last sentence, as a reminder that not all of our worries are about boys, though they do seem to be the most confusing part, don't they? :)

I needed the reminder today that I am normal.

The Ride of the Rohirrim

I saw this tag on two friends' blogs this morning. It's been awhile since I've done a "tag" post, and we all know I like seeing what happens when I put my iPod on shuffle, so I thought, "What the hey?"

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. Write down the song name and (if applicable) the movie it came from, no matter how silly it sounds.
4. If you read this blog, then consider yourself tagged. Have fun, and I’d love to read your answers if you do it, so please leave a comment so I can go to your blog!

Here goes...
(Note: I had to skip at least 40 tracks from the Harry Potter book series. Maybe I need to move them to a different part of my iPod.
Note 2: This took forever, because I listened to every song all the way through. I forgot about some of these gems!)

If someone says "Are you okay?" you say... Isengard Unleashed (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
This will get those nosey folks off my back!

What would best describe your personality? Work This Out (High School Musical 2)
Heaven knows I tend to be positive!

How would you describe yourself? Walkin' Back to Georgia by Jim Croce
I have this album on my iPod 'cause I updated my mom's iPod and she wanted this one. I hadn't listened to this song before. It was sweet.

What do you like in a guy/girl? Joseph's Dreams (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
This made me smile. Strong leader, dreamer, faithful, confident (not arrogant), hard worker, family man? Sure, why not?

How do you feel today? Don't Write Me Off Just Yet (Music and Lyrics)
Conflicted and hopeful and inspired and vulnerable. Appropriate shuffle!

What is your life's purpose? I Heard it Through the Grapevine by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Oh gosh, I hope not.

What's Your Motto? I'm an Indian Too (Annie Get Your Gun)
Now you know ;-)

What do your friends think of you? Mercy's Arms by Marla Bulleigh
I love this beautiful song. Seems a little arrogant to imagine my friends think this about me, but I hope at least that I don't make things more difficult for them.

What do your parents think of you? Once Upon a December (Anastasia)
Guess we are always children in the eyes of our parents. In my case, a child who still thinks she's a princess.

What do you think about very often? This is the Night by the cast of Glee (Lady and the Tramp cover)
Um, I'll pretend this isn't true. But it is. (This tag and my shuffle luck is starting to freak me out. Thank goodness the next question is silly.)

What is 2 + 2? We'll Meet Tomorrow (Titanic the Musical)
I like it. Implies that the answer is a given. Or maybe I just need more time to think about it...

What do you think of your best friend? Company (Stephen Sondheim's Company)
Yes! "Deep talks, long walks. Telephone calls. Thoughts shared. Souls bared. Private names. Photos up on the walls. With love... That's what it's really about!" Perfect!

What do you think of the person you like? Patterns by Simon and Garfunkel
Another song on my mom's list that I had never listened to. "The pattern never alters until the rat dies... In darkness I must dwell." That's bleak. I should think better of the guy I like.

What is your life story? Somebody to Love by Anne Hathaway (Ella Enchanted)
No comment :P Except for: Anne rocks this song.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by the Andrews Sisters
Yay! This is my favorite so far. I just want to play, play, play forever!! 

What do you think when you see the person you like? Dead Puppies by Ogden Edsl
Whaaaaa--? I will now! Just kidding. THIS is my favorite! 

What will you do at your wedding? Hello, I Love You by the Glee Cast
I hope my husband will already know my name by the wedding. He WILL be the guy to make me sigh!

What will they play at your funeral? O My Father guitar solo by Michael Dowdle
Oddly appropriate, but a little depressing. 

What is your hobby/interest? Don't You Remember? by Adele
Yeah, guys. It's not like I've made my favorite hobby a secret (click the link for one of my favorite YouTube videos)!

What is your biggest fear? Now or Never (High School Musical 3)
Gah! Stop being accurate, shuffle button!

What is your biggest secret? It Takes Diff'rent Strokes (Theme from Diff'rent Strokes)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Guess the secret's out now!

What do you want right now? Any Dream Will Do (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
Yeah, up for pretty much anything at the moment.

What do you think of your friends? Gaston (Disney's Beauty and the Beast)
I certainly do think very highly of you all!

What's the worst thing that could happen? Mix Tape (Avenue Q)
This makes me think of this. I shan't editorialize further.

What is the one thing you regret? Brimstone and Treacle (Mary Poppins the Musical)
*Shrug*

What makes you laugh? Wait (Grey's Anatomy musical episode)
No, this song makes me cry.

What makes you cry? The Medallion Calls (The Pirates of the Carribean)
No, this makes me laugh. It's the music that's playing when we meet Captain Jack for the first time (when he's sailing into harbor on the sinking ship).

Will you ever get married? I've Just Seen a Face (Across the Universe)
Prognoses looks good!

What scares you the most? What Makes You Different by the Backstreet Boys
Interesting. 

Does anyone like you? Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler (Footloose)
Inconclusive. Or maybe this means that someone does, but I either don't notice or am not interested. Poor hypothetical guy...

If you could go back in time, what would you change? The Love of My Life (Brigadoon)  
Haha! It sure wasn't the guy I wasted the most time on!

What will you name this post? The Ride of the Rohirrim (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
Ah! Full circle. That's nice :-D

Thanksgiving weekend

Was it just me, or did Thanksgiving weekend totally rock? Oh man, I had just the right amount of "family" time and "getting things done" time. I could have used a smidge more "friend" time, but happily the time I had was quality!!

Forgive the travelogue nature of the rest of this post, and for the somewhat random inadequate photos. I was more concerned with enjoying myself than with documenting the moments. We can't all multitask our fun the way Aaron does!

Tuesday
I baked a pecan pie and a pumpkin pie, and they both turned out very well. This is amazing, because I made them both from scratch and with almost no help from my mom. If, as a missionary leader on my mission once said, the only prerequisite for getting to heaven is the ability to bake a pie, I am IN!

Wednesday
PIE NIGHT! My family's at-least 15th annual celebration of pie and friendship. For some reason, this party stresses me out, so I didn't invite as many friends as I have in years past. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the group that came. I have some of the most terrific friends in the world. I need to spend more time with you all! Maybe next year I'll feel brave enough to include a few more :-)

My nephew took this photo of me with my
pretty pumpkin offering. I don't know why
my hand looks so huge!

A selection of pies. I have a new favorite from this year:
buttermilk coconut
*Drool*

Thursday
Thanksgiving Day was an especially good one, in spite of the fact that I didn't feel very well (mostly an annoying headache). I watched the parade and then headed over to my Mom's house to join the other 25 or so folks for lunch. We had to have 3 tables! I sat at the "we don't have any kids" table. The actual kids' table was adorable, though. It's weird to me that kids that young apparently don't need any supervision.

Just kidding! We supervised them plenty

Tablemates

After dinner I caught up with the cousins and took a nap. Then my family and grandma saw Rise of the Guardians. This is pretty significant because it's only the second movie my nieces have ever gone to see in a theater. Usually, someone (my mom) ends up staying home with them while everyone else goes out. I'm glad that no one was left behind this time. Plus, it was a pretty good movie, even if the title is cooler than the concept. One cousin was interested until he heard the words "Santa Claus" and "the Easter Bunny". Still, it was entertaining and funny and had some really neat ideas. Good times!

Friday
I had this day off from work (yay for paid holidays!), so I decided to treat it like a true holiday and do things I don't often get to do. This included sleeping in, walking to the bank, walking to the movie theater, seeing Lincoln AND Wreck-It Ralph (both excellent in their own ways though I didn't like Wreck-It Ralph as much as I'd expected and liked Lincoln more than I expected because I didn't know quite what to expect), and using a coupon to purchase chicken littles at KFC during my walk home. After that, I watched the last two episodes of Gilmore Girls. I'm sad it's over. You were right, Sharon and Rach: I loved it! I also watched Miracle on 34th Street. The Christmas season has officially begun!

Saturday
Since I had been lazy the day before, I wanted to be productive on Saturday. The goal was to clean the house sufficiently so that I could start putting up Christmas decorations. I have a small house, so this wasn't too daunting a task. However, I decided to pull absolutely everything off the glorious shelving unit in my living room and thoroughly dust the shelves and the stuff. One thing lead to another, and before I knew it I had spent five hours reorganizing and putting the shelves back together. I am so very, very happy with the end result!

"Shelves in the closet? Happy thought indeed!"
(No, these shelves are not in a closet.
Just a Pride and Prejudice quote that I love.)

Before I knew it, it was time to get gussied up for my cousin's wedding reception at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Note to self: Do not schedule a wedding reception at the JSMB on a Saturday night during the holidays. You will have a tough time fighting the holiday shoppers and Temple Square light views for a parking spot. It was a gorgeous reception, though, and so fun seeing the family all dressed up. My cousin and his bride looked so very stylish and happy. Hooray for big changes and big parties to go with them!

Since we were already in the neighborhood, my parents and grandma, Aaron and his friend Becca decided to view the lights, too. It was crazy-crowded, but the lights were beautiful, and again, it was fun to feel fancy and dressed up for once. It made this tradition feel just a bit more special. Luckily, it was a warm night!

Aaron and I

We all loved this tree!

My evening didn't end there! A bunch of our friends were performing in Quick Wits that night, so I joined Larissa and her friends as we cheered and laughed at Melissa, Rob, and Russ and Co.'s antics. I am thoroughly terrified of having to improvise cleverly, and I admire those who can. Holy granola -- my friends are funny!! Made for a long day, but what an ending! I'm glad I went!

Sunday
After so many busy days in a row, I was exhausted, so I slept in until later than I care to admit. After church and some other church-related activities, I went home and decided to finish cleaning and start putting up decorations. I vacuumed, watched the latest episode of Once Upon a Time, then White Christmas, and before I knew it I had put up ALL of my lights and decorations! I mentioned that my house isn't very big, right? I must say, I am absolutely delighted with the Santa station above my television

and thoroughly in love with my tree. Last year I bought some new ornaments on clearance, and those sparkly pink stars make me smile every time I see them.

Next year I may buy a taller tree (probably fake), but this one is perfect right now.

It may seem a little early to put decorations up, but I'm opening a play not long after New Year's and pretty soon I'll be busy with rehearsals. I thought it might be a good idea to enjoy as much Christmas as I can at home before then. There are few things I like more than sitting in my living room, watching a movie, with nothing but the tiny lights twinkling about me. I doubt I'll be in much of a hurry to put them away -- they may stay up until my show starts, at the very least. I'm a big fan of stretching out the holidays as long as possible :-D

Before I knew it, it was time for bed and I had work to look forward to again on Monday. Thankfully, Christmas is coming soon and a nice long break to go with it! Can't wait!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you have plenty to look forward to during these next couple of weeks! What traditions (old and new) are you the most excited about?

A guilty pleasure

Confession: I liked the Twilight books. I have also enjoyed the movies.

Actually, I enjoyed the movies more, because I didn't have Bella's obnoxious "self-deprecating" point of view monologuing about every character and situation. I didn't notice "poor writing" in the first book as much as the fact that very little happened in the first 300 pages, but I loved all the action in the second 200! I read all of the books in a relatively short period of time. I liked most of the characters and was very invested in the Bella/Edward/Jacob triangle. I still maintain that Jacob is the better fit, but I am satisfied with the way that worked out. (Maybe I just wish I had a Jacob in my life. I wouldn't ever trust that the "perfect" guy was in love with normal, imperfect me. The best-friend-who-mutually-adores-me is what I'm hoping for.)

Sure, I don't feel the need to see the Breaking Dawn: Part 1 film ever again (loved the wedding dress, but hated the birth scene), but I'll need to see Part 2 at least once more -- maybe twice or three times -- before it leaves the theaters. It. Was. Awesome. I cried during the battle, and again at the end. Such a good ending for the series. And, again, better than the book, which was slightly anti-climactic.

I'm admitting all of this, because I've been embarrassed about my enjoyment for the last, oh, several years. I'm sad that it's become cool to bash on Stephanie Meyer and the Twilight books (click the link; it's awesome). I'm sad that I've chosen to be embarrassed. I fully acknowledge that they aren't as good as the Harry Potter series, or The Lord of the Rings, or The Hunger Games, or plenty of other young adult books that I liked and are considered "acceptable" by the masses, yet I like Twilight anyway. I'm not necessarily a superfan, but, yes, I like it.

A while ago, I told my brother David that I had been watching Merlin -- basically the King Arthur Legend but Arthur, Merlin, and Guinevere are teenagers. So, sort of like a medieval Smallville. It stars Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as King Uther; he's wonderful! David asked me if it was any good, and I had to acknowledge it might be cheesy and imperfect, but I love it anyway.

This forces me to finally accept what I've known for awhile now:

Something doesn't necessarily have to be good in order for us to love it.

What's wrong with that? Don't we all have "guilty pleasures?" We feel guilty for a reason, but they still make us happy.

I have a girl friend who loves terrible shark movies, and a guy friend who is a fan of the Jem cartoon. Knowing this allows me to feel a little less silly about my own vices.

Have you seen UHF? It's a terrible, hilarious, brilliant 80s movie. I love it. Or maybe that doesn't count, since it's considered so bad that it's good. Hmmm...

Phew! I feel so much better now that that's off my chest!

So, out with it: what are your guilty pleasures? What "cringe-worthy" media are you embarrassed to admit you love? I promise not to make fun of you... to your face anyway ;-)
Just kidding! My blog is a safe place, and if you can love me with all of my guilty pleasures, I can love you and yours.

Pre-Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner

My singles ward had a big Thanksgiving dinner/activity last night. Seriously, the turnout was ridiculous. There are about 600 people in the congregation, and at most weekday activities you can expect somewhere between 50-200 people. Last night, at least 400 people showed up. I took a photo, but couldn't fit the entire room in the frame. Wow.

See what I mean?

I arrived about 15 minutes after the start time, and waited in the food line for 40 minutes. I quite enjoyed the live concertina/fiddle music as I slowly moved through the line, and chatted with friends and people-watched. Of course, the food was cold by the time I got to it, but there was still plenty of turkey, salad, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, nuts, rolls, and a myriad of desserts for all of the people who waited behind me, or wanted second helpings.

As I sat at my table, looking at the traditional food in front of me, I rebelled a little. I thought, "This is weird. I'm having pretty much this exact meal again in three days. Why am I eating this tonight, too?"

Don't get me wrong: I quite like "Thanksgiving" food, and am often sad that we don't really eat cranberry sauce or candied yams any other time of the year. I'm the girl who has asked for corned beef and cabbage for my birthday because I like it too much to only have it once a year on St. Patrick's Day. However, it felt silly to me to have the same meal twice in one week. Why not space the turkey dinners a bit and have the ward Thanksgiving activity six months early (in May?) so that it's more of a treat?

My guess is that the Thanksgiving dinner is just a good excuse to get everyone together. I talked with several people who said they only plan on attending two (of the at least 200) activities during the year, and one of them is Thanksgiving. Also, some people don't have anywhere to go on the actual Thanksgiving, and this way they still get a meal. In addition, we really can't have too many opportunities to be thankful for all that we have.

A segment of the insanely long, slow, wrap-around line

Still... I didn't have any problem saying no to dessert, because I know I'll be eating pie for the rest of the week.

And, let's face it: food is almost always better when made by family, especially my mom. While yummy, the meal I ate yesterday just doesn't compare to the real celebration.

It'll be nice to eat a warm meal, too!

Oh, man! I love Thanksgiving food!! Especially the pie!

My favorite is spending time with adored people I don't get to talk with nearly enough. It's fun to chat while we prepare and eat the meal, clean up, and head to a movie or play board games. Nothing like family time.

Then, on Friday, I plan to SLEEP IN and putter about my house. It's going to be glorious!

What are you looking forward to the most about the holiday weekend? Will you have both Thursday and Friday off, or do you have to work at all? Are you going out of town?

Whatever you're doing, I hope it truly is a happy Thanksgiving for each of you!

Steer clear of the elderberry wine!

If you saw my status on Facebook last night, you already know that I'm involved in a new show. However, I never feel like anything is official until I've posted it on my blog, so here goes:

I'm in a new show!

I'm going to be playing Elaine Harper, the love interest, in the Monday, Wednesday, Friday cast of Arsenic and Old Lace at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre, January 14 through February 9.

This is a funny play -- I've seen it twice in the last year and I'm really excited to be a part of it. Here is the basic premise:

Spinster sisters Martha and Abby Brewster have a hobby of "providing a kindness" to the lonely old men who come looking for a room to rent: the sisters poison the men, and then bury the bodies in the basement. On the day of his wedding, their nephew Mortimer discovers the secret and does his best to manage the situation... but things get out of control when his older brother -- an escaped prisoner convicted for murder -- shows up at the house.

It's a dark comedy for sure, and full of weird moments and great characters. I laughed a LOT during the callback on Monday, and I can't wait to learn what the directors have in mind for all of us. It's going to be crazy and fun!

I am a little nervous that most of my friends who were also cast are performing on the other days... guess that means I'll have to make more friends and hope they are as talented as the others! I just wish I had heard from more people in the other cast so far. I can't wait to get started and meet everybody (or at least see an initial cast list) on Saturday.

One of the coolest things about this play is that anytime I mentioned to someone who knows it that I was thinking of auditioning, they got really excited and immediately talked about how much they love the play! Even people I didn't know enjoyed theater love the movie.

It just cracks me up that I and two of my best friends will have all played this same role within a year. Ha ha! With the amount of repeating that goes on in the valley, it was bound to happen! I'm excited to make this character my own and see what they and the rest of you think :)

Start planning and book your tickets now; the holidays are busy and January will be here before you know it. Click here to purchase tickets.

I must say, CenterPoint has been very nice to me this year. First Earnest, then Little Women, and now this? I am thrilled and so very grateful!

25 books in 2012!

On November 1, I achieved my Goodreads goal to read 25 books this year! Earlier this year I was so worried that I wouldn't make it, and now I have. It feels so good!

Here are the books I read in the second half of the year:
(For the first half and a description of my goals, review this post.)

Ladybug Girl, David Soman (childrens')

Ladybug Girl at the Beach, David Soman (childrens')

Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee, David Soman (childrens')

Ladybug Girl Dresses Up!, David Soman (childrens')

You Already Know How to Be Great, Alan Fine (self-help)

Little Women: Vocal Selections, Jason Howland (I couldn't find the musical script/book in the Goodreads database)

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire #1, George R.R. Martin (adult fantasy/fiction)

The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien (classic)

Created for Greater Things, Jeffrey R. Holland (inspirational)

I'm Bored, Michael Ian Black (childrens')

A Clash of Kings: A Song of Ice and Fire #2, George R.R. Martin (adult fantasy/fiction)

Go Forward with Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley (biography)*

Okay, I feel a little like including those childrens' books is cheating, but a book is a book and I want a record of them because they are adorable. Plus, the Game of Thrones books are 500-700 pages long which has to count for at least two books each, right? AND I've been listening to the Harry Potter books on my iPod at work. Right now I'm about two-thirds of the way through #7, The Deathly Hallows. That means, in reality, I've read at least 32 books! Oh, and my continual reading of The Book of Mormon. Man! I am on FIRE!

To celebrate reaching my goal, I'm reading The Scarlet Pimpernel just for fun.Then, I'm going to tackle the third Game of Thrones novel, which is 900 pages long. After that... maybe a monster book like Dracula, or World War Z, or Northanger Abbey. Who knows? By that time it'll probably be the new year, so I might be in a different mood anyway!

I have a little time to decide what reading goals to make for next year. They'll probably be less strict so that I can reread a few favorites -- it's been a long time since I read The Belgariad and I miss those characters -- and also so that I stretch myself, but don't feel as stressed as I was this year... would that defeat the point? I don't know. I need to work that out.

Hooray! I did it!

Hope your goals are going as well, this year. Care to check in?

*Fun fact: Go Forward with Faith was published on November 1, 1996 -- I finished it 16 years to the day after it was published. Whoops and woo-hoo!!

Veterans' Day

Happy Veteran's Day!

I am so thankful for those who have and are sacrificing their safety and comfort in order to secure and protect the freedom the rest of us take for granted. I am proud to be a daughter and granddaughter of brave, hard-working veterans. Their love and example means the world to me.

My handsome Naval-veteran dad and
his gorgeous young wife

My terrific WW II vet grandfather and me

God bless our serviceman, and God bless the United States of America. I am so lucky to live here!

November tybbling 2012

And now it's time for another session of random, mostly-unrelated thoughts that I don't have enough to say about to give their own posts:

• I've known for awhile that the planet of Endor in Star Wars: The Revenge of the Jedi was originally supposed to be populated with Wookies, and then it was decided to half-size the Wookies in favor of something more family-friendly. However, it wasn't until yesterday that I realized how similar the names "Wookie" and "Ewok" are. I should be embarrassed by how excited I was by this yesterday, and yet, I'm not embarrassed. Just happy!

• I spent a lot of money this summer, mostly on new clothes to fit the new figure, gasoline for rehearsals and performances, and eating out. I had to dip into my savings to pay off my credit card and I don't like that at all. So, this month I've been trying to be really careful about what I spend, and bought hardly anything non food or gas related. I still spent more than I should have. Bleh. Budgeting is hard, but I'm proud of myself for continuing to try.

• I miss this baby...

• ...and am grateful for some awesome fun times last weekend in Idaho Falls with her mom, one of my favorite mission companions. I miss you again already, Suzy!!

Please forgive my fashion faux pas. Or, reassure me that
it's fashionable to wear clothes that don't match :-P

• Doing South Beach again this week 'cause I've gained a few pounds since the closing of my show (also have had no willpower; white hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies at 11 pm are AMAZING!!). If I don't do it now, before Thanksgiving, I probably won't again until January, and I really don't want to wait that long. I forgot how difficult that first Phase I week is. I want bread and chocolate ALL THE TIME. It's a little sad to go out with my friends and see them eating the stuff I'm eschewing, but why should they deprive themselves just because I am? I made my choice and I want to see it through. I had hoped I'd only need a week, but I should probably keep it up a few more days. It's nice that no one else has noticed the extra pounds, and I still get compliments all the time on how I've kept the weight off. Woot! I'm definitely trying!!

• I recently discovered rootbeer float-flavored dessert sugar-free gum and can't decide how I feel about it. It tastes pretty good, but it kind of makes me wish I were just drinking a Diet Coke. Also, it is terrible for blowing bubbles, which is the thing I usually like most about gum. (For the record, so far, Strawberry Shortcake produces the best bubbles.)

• Finally caught up on all the work I missed while I was sick during September. Phew! So nice not to be behind anymore!

• I voted and feel satisfied that I made informed and good choices. I'm so happy the election is over and we can all go back to our regular lives again! Plus, I'm excited that the government can get back to the business of governing, instead of spending all their time stumping for votes. My prayers are with them!

• I stayed off Facebook for a few extra days to let the fervor die down a little. Maybe I'll log back in tonight (at which point I'll be deluged by posts complaining about the weather). I really missed it. I loath not knowing what my friends are up to. 

• When the fall television season started, I put ten new shows on my Hulu queue. Seven weeks later, only three of those shows remain in my queue: Go On, Ben and Kate, and The Mindy Project, although the jury's still out on that last one. Sorry Revolution, The New Normal, The Mob Doctor, Elementary, 666 Park Avenue, Nashville, and Mockingbird Lane. Most of you were pretty good, but just not enough that I wanted to keep you around. Ah, well. I already watch plenty of television.

• Working on season 6 of Gilmore Girls and I really like it! It's cool to see the way Lorelai and Rory's relationship keeps changing along with the other changes in their lives. I have struggled with a few of their choices, and Lorelai drives me crazy sometimes, but at the end of the day they love each other and that's what matters. Now I understand why several of my friends say they wish they live in Stars Hollow!

• I'm glad it's snowing today, though the morning commute was a pain. It feels a bit more wintery (hooray for scarves and sweaters!), and makes the fact that Thanksgiving is two weeks away seem less crazy!

C'est tout! What's on your mind today?

Happy Friday!

Star Wars and Disney

At this point, it's no secret that Disney purchased Lucasfilm from George Lucas, and are planning to release a new Star Wars film in 2015.

Yaaaaay! As a teenager I read a lot of Star Wars books and I'm so excited to see what they do! I do hope they don't try to continue the Luke/Leia/Han story, and focus on events later in the future. They wrapped up the second set of movies so nicely, why mess that up? Plus, I'm a little nervous about other actors trying to take on those iconic roles.

Actually, this video gave me hope. Sure, it's from an interview in 1983, but it's nice to know that later movies were always an option!

(Also, I love that when this interview was broadcast, no one had seen Return of the Jedi, yet. It was fun to watch the clips and pretend I was seeing them for the first time. Now I want to watch it again.)

I'll stop worrying until we actually get news about story, casting, etc. This is all new!

I WILL say that I'm annoyed that everyone keeps referring to Princess Leia now as a Disney princess. Princess Leia is what Disney princesses WISH they were... and I say that even as a big fan of the Disney princesses. Leia was fighting for a bigger cause than her own personal dream. She was rescued a few times, but did her share of rescuing, too. She fought her own battles. And in the end, she DIDN'T end up with a prince.

Okay, I admit this made me smile.
Wish I knew who the artist is.

I know, I'm taking this too seriously. I can't explain exactly why this rubs me the wrong way. It just does.

That being said, this video is hilarious.

"I kissed my brother."
"Ew, you ho!"

Haha! No princess's life is perfect, I guess!

SYMIHC: The History of Underwear

I think I've mentioned before that I listen to the Stuff You Missed In History Class podcast. The subjects are fun and interesting, and I like the easy-going, conversational style of the hosts and guest hosts. The subjects vary quite a lot (sports, wars, people, and so forth for quite a few different countries and time periods) and they love getting requests from their listeners. I have learned a lot while the show helped keep me awake through many a work day and road trip!!

Since I just did two plays where I was required to wear a corset, I found this recent podcast fascinating. Funny how the history of underwear can be so fascinating!
(I should warn you that this podcast is quite a bit longer than usual. It's about 50 minutes long, but most are between 20 and 30 minutes.)

If you're at all interested in other historical topics, here are some of my favorite podcasts, many of which can be downloaded for free on iTunes:

• How the Underground Railroad Worked
• How the 1916 Shark Attacks Worked
• The Birth of Frankenstein and the Vampyre
• Rival Queens: Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I
• Victoria and Albert
• Who was Rosie the Riveter?
• How the Great Wall of China Works
• Mutiny on the Bounty
• Was Satchel Paige the greatest pitcher in history?

Now, go learn something!