He is Risen

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. Is that strange? *Shrug* I love the celebration of life, even if it's in the form of the Easter bunny and eggs. I love the candy (a little too much, unfortunately). I love seeing everyone in their "Easter finest." I love that people who otherwise don't come to church pick at least that one time to go and show their gratitude to their Savior.

I may have said it before, but I think it's weird that we celebrate Christ's birth for two months, and the resurrection for barely a day. I suppose the one allows for the other, but His death and resurrection is just as miraculous as His birth! We got to sing all of the Easter songs in the hymn book today, and I wanted to cheer! Hooray and hosanna for the resurrection of my Lord!

Today, I am thankful to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and His atonement. He not only gave me a way to be forgiven of my sins, but He patiently teaches me how to overcome my many weaknesses so that I can hopefully be a little better every day. It truly is the greatest gift.

Happy Easter, my friends!

Who will love them as they are?

Me! Me! I will love you!

Wow. Seriously? Who can sing this well that high?!!

For a video of the original rendition, click here.

Happy Friday, my friends. I love YOU!

Liebster Award Nominations

My sweet friend over at One Crazy Girl's Kitchen nominated my blog for a Liebster Award*! I don't know that there is an actual award; it kinda sounds like a gimmick to get our friends to branch out and try new blogs... and I'm totally on board with that ;D

The Fun Rules:

• The nominee must link back to the blogger who nominated them.
• The nominee must state 11 facts about themselves, and then answer the 11 questions provided for them by the person who nominated them.
• The nominee must then nominate bloggers with less than 200 followers, who they think deserve the recognition, and pose 11 new questions for them to answer.

Random facts about me:

1. I am very wary of the chicken in t.v. dinners, unless it's breaded or fried. Otherwise, it always looks like there's fat or sinew or something on it and it's so gross!! I'll eat it, but I have to gag it down.
2. I found Keebler alternatives for Samoas and Thin Mints that I can buy year-round, but I still buy Girl Scout cookies. They're for a good cause and they're cheaper. The knock-offs are pretty good in a pinch, though!
3. The next foreign country I want to visit is Italy, or maybe Croatia. Definitely someplace Mediterranean.
4. I'm only about 100 pages into Mansfield Park, but I identify more with Fanny Price than I care to admit.
5. My Spring allergies have already started to bug me.
6. My first community play was a musical version of The Wind in the Willows. I have had a fondness for the story ever since!
7. I have plenty of Easter candy at my house, but I was still tempted to stop for a cupcake today.
8. I have all my Barbie stuff in storage in case I have any daughters who want to play with them.
9. I own exactly one item of yellow clothing, and one of orange (not including pajamas). Obviously I don't think either is my color.
10. As a teenager, I wished I looked like Catherine Zeta-Jones.
11. Eureka just isn't the same since I went out with the a guy who, in hindsight, reminds me of Sheriff Carter.

Answers to One Crazy Girl's Kitchen's questions:

1. What is your favorite color and why?   This is hard, because I bounce between blue and purple. Right now I'll go with blue, because no matter the shade I always feel pretty when I wear it.
2. Who is your greatest inspiration?   It's cliche, but my inspiration is my mom. She can do almost anything with her hands, is nonjudgmental, kind, thoughtful, service-oriented, and always trying to better herself. I wish I were more like her.
3. What is the strangest thing you've ever eaten?   Rattlesnake. My dad caught one at Lake Powell and roasted it up for us. As I recall, it tasted like chicken ;)
4. What is one talent you wish you had?   I wish that I could stand up for myself during confrontations.
5. What is your favorite movie?   I've blogged about how difficult this question is for me, but I think at the moment it's The Holiday. 
6. What is your favorite vacation memory?   To no one's surprise, it involves Disneyland. I remember the first time I went on Star Tours -- the year it opened. When the little Wall-E robot asked if it was my first ride, I replied "Yes," and then I was amazed when he said it was his too! I've had a soft spot for that ride ever since. That place will always be magical for me!
7. What is one food you refuse to eat?   I won't eat seafood, especially lobsters, crab, crayfish. Nothing that eats sea-feces is going in my belly. Nope!
8. How long have you lived in your current home?   Just a little over four and-a-half years.
9. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?   I've always wanted to live in London, or nearby!
10. What is your biggest pet peeve?   Cell phones in movie theaters. I have no tolerance whatsoever.
11. What is one thing you couldn't live without for a day?   My mind is drawing a blank. The first thing that came to mind was access to a toilet. I'd accept a port-a-potty if that's what's available. Sorry if that's TMI.

Nominees (in alphabetical order):

All About Evey

Expressionism

Guy Smiley's Guts

Life Would Be Boring

Questions for nominees:

1. What was your favorite toy as a child?
2. What do you do when you are sad?
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
4. Beavers or ducks?
5. What was the last book you read, and what did you think of it?
6. Which sports do you follow, if any?
7. What is your favorite food to pig out on?
8. If you could have a conversation with absolutely anyone -- living or dead -- who would it be?
9. What is one talent you wish you had?
10. Where is the most exotic place you've ever been? (The definition of "exotic" is up to you!)
11. Why did you start blogging?

*A quick google search turned up the following blog post about the Liebster Award's origins. I love this idea!

Dazed and drowsy

I've mentioned before that I'm not a morning person, right? Well, I've been assigned to a new project at work, and it involves 6 a.m. meetings on Wednesdays. Thank goodness I can call from my bed! The meeting averages from 15-25 minutes. The first week, I tried to fall asleep again afterwards, but I couldn't sleep. Since then, since I knew I'd be tired anyway, I've just gotten up, showered, eaten, and headed to work early (and left early -- yay!).

Last week was hard. I had to take two power naps just to make it through the work day... and then I fell asleep at the doctor's office. I was really worried I'd nod off driving home at 5 p.m. I made it home and immediately fell asleep on the couch.

I have this tulip-scented candle that I love. When I woke up from the nap, I lit the candle, ate dinner, and then settled down on the couch again to take care of some stuff. I brought my purse with me and plopped it on my coffee table. I looked down at my laptop for a few minutes... and then I glanced at the purse...

... My purse strap was on fire!

This is kind of amazing, because the candle is in a bowl, so the strap had to have fallen a good 3 inches in that thing. Anyway, I somewhat calmly grabbed the purse and ran it to the sink, where I was able to douse the fire. Later I thought of how I might have handled it more efficiently. Honestly, I'm just thrilled I caught the fire and put it out so quickly.

Guess I've learned my lesson: no more open flames when tired. At least it's decent story!

Before you ask, Yes, I have tried going to bed earlier, but going to bed does NOT equal falling asleep earlier. *Sigh* Hopefully this arrangement won't last past the summer. If it does, I'll deal. I'm an adult -- that's what we do!

Please tell me I'm not the only one these things happen to... and cross your fingers that I can get a decent amount of sleep next Tuesday!

The beauty of love

I love this video. It's a reminder not to let my stress weigh me down, and to look for and create kindness, because that is what will truly make me happy.


Happy Friday, my friends!

Why I like walking to the grocery store

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.

- Hal Borland

On this, the first day of Spring 2013, I thought I'd list why I sometimes choose to walk to the grocery store.

1. An excuse to spend some time outside in the beautiful Spring sun before it gets too hot!
2. It's a 15 minute walk each way, and I could use the exercise.
3. I love my neighborhood. Maybe I wouldn't want to walk around after dark, but there are enough stores and greenery to remind me why I moved here! My bank's in walking distance, too!
4. It forces me to be choosy about what I can buy, so I end up spending less. Sorry Diet Coke and paper towels. You'll just have to last until I remember to pick you up on the way home from work, 'cause I do not want to carry you home.
5. An excuse to listen to some music for a bit. I don't do that nearly enough -- at home I turn on the t.v., and in the car I listen to NPR. Focusing on just music is a nice change. 
6. Sometimes, maybe I dance during the walk, too.

Kinda nice to kill so many birds with one stone*.

How are you celebrating this lovely springtime weather?


*No, I don't kill birds with stones. It's an expression ;)

An out-of-the-ordinarily musical weekend

Last Saturday was the result of weeks of preparation. I had two singing events, and honestly I've been more than a little stressed about them. I wish they hadn't been scheduled for the same day, but I worked hard, I got through it, and I even had fun. Woo-hoo!

Ragtime audition at Hale Centre Theatre
I hadn't auditioned at the Hale in over two years, but I love this play so much that I knew I would regret it if I didn't try. I chose to sing "The Most Amazing Thing" from Little Women because I'm comfortable with it and could infuse the song with personality; it was tough to choose which 16 bars to sing (it really needs 32). Since I was hoping for a shot at Evelyn Nesbit, I picked an outfit ahead of time that I thought was reminiscent of a 1900s chorus girl. Between the short dress and boots that encourage a little swagger, I felt confident and attractive, which is always a good step (after preparation, of course). Wish I'd remembered to take a photo of the outfit. I received a ton of compliments on that polka-dotted dress.

The night before the audition, I prayed that I wouldn't humiliate myself, I would sound good, have fun, feel glad that I tried (regardless of the outcome), and that at least one of my really good friends would be there to chat with beforehand, and to come into the audition with me. I am so grateful that my prayers were answered! The first person I recognized was my Elisha, and many others came in and out to help me feel loved and talented and awesome. It was tough for me not to be intimidated by some of the talented folks there. I kept reminding myself of the roles I've played lately. I've had some awesome opportunities and fun parts, and that's got to count for something, right? Plus, those people are so nice I was glad to see them in spite of my competitive spirit!

The actual audition went by fast. I decided to sing some high notes I hadn't been planning on, and was glad that the accompanist/music director is familiar with my song. I smiled inwardly about 10 seconds in when both the producer and director put their heads down in sync and started writing! It could only be good or bad.

Turns out it was "not this time" and I wasn't called back. It's okay. I accomplished all of my goals and I am satisfied. I'm a little surprised by how peaceful I am about not being called back. I guess I'm just glad for a little more free time... and that I get to audition for some other shows that are coming up (there are at least 4 others I'd like to audition for this summer).

Meanwhile, a bunch of my friends and favorites were called back and my fingers are crossed! I love Ragtime; the music and story are beautiful and I hope to be a part of it someday. Can't wait to see this production, whoever is cast (although I'll be more excited about some choices than others)!

St. Patrick's Day Party
When Eve first approached me about singing at our ward's St. Patrick's Day party, my initial response was, "Probably not, but I'll think about it." The idea was to have several people in the ward sing a few songs as background entertainment. More "cabaret" style, less "karaoke." A few days later, I wrote an e-mail intending to say "No," and on a whim said "Yes" instead!

Eve asked that I prepare three songs, and encouraged me to sing at least one with another person. I knew my darling friend Kristen would be there, too, so I asked if she wanted to try a duet and and I am so glad she said yes! I love singing with her. She's another one I try not to be intimidated by -- that girl can sing! Her solos were beautiful. We sang "In His Eyes" from Jekyll and Hyde and I think it went well.

I thought it might be fun to ask Nichole and Larissa if they wanted to sing "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" -- sort of reprise it from when we sang it together in the 1940's Radio Hour. The main snag was that we didn't have an alto... so I decided to learn it. I'm sure no one would have complained if I had sung the top line with Larissa -- our harmony would have been louder for sure! I'm pretty proud of how well I did, except that by the time we sang the song my voice had rebelled from all of the practice and wouldn't hit many of the lower notes anymore, especially not as loud as they needed to be. Ah well, it gave me an excuse to hang out with two of my favorite people while we practiced and performed! I could tell that the audience really enjoyed it -- if a slight lowering of the chatting was an indication ;-) As a bonus, I now know all three parts to the song. So, if anyone needs me to fill in sometime, let me know!

My third song was "In Love with a Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific. I chose that one because 1) it was upbeat, and 2) I already knew it... and then I had to get used to a new minus track. *Eyeroll* It a fun song to sing though. After I was done, DJ Rob (also Larissa's boyfriend, which might be the more important title) asked me who "the wonderful guy" is, to which I responded something like "no guy, just a wonderful song!"

I wish the party had been on a different day because sit would have been nice to focus on the audition. Learning three songs on top of it was less enjoyable than it might have been otherwise. On the other hand, it's good to grow my skills and work hard, and I'm glad to have these songs in my repertoire.

Lindsay and Emily -- awesome fans/friends

Karaoke really isn't my thing and I was very nervous about this event. It's another one I'm glad I did, in spite of my initial feelings. I loved singing with my friends. In the end, we're not sure how much the audience actually listened to -- we ended up feeling more like background noise -- heaven knows I shouted myself hoarse talking with people between and after my songs! A bunch of my friends came to support me and meet new people. It was cool to see each other outside of our normal spheres and introduce them to some of my other friends. I don't go to a lot of parties, but if more were like that I might try harder :-)

If you want a little info on the venue and the other performers, check out Eve's blog.

In addition
I also managed to finished The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and appendage videos. I found out too late that if I pay attention to the "featured videos" at end of each of Lizzie's vlogs I'd get Lizzie's, Lydia's, Maria's, and Gigi's videos all in the right story order. I missed out on quite a bit. Nevertheless, I watched them all and might need to start over! I even introduced them to my mom and to Lindsey. It's killing me that the story isn't finished yet. I'm not nearly as excited about finishing Arrested Development as I am in seeing how the vlogs handle the last two chapters of Pride and Prejudice.
(I discovered they are produced by the Vlog brothers. Awesome -- or should it be DFTBA: don't forget to be awesome? -- and totally makes sense.)

What were you up to last weekend?

A modern-day Elizabeth Bennet

Well, we all know how much I love a good fanfiction or even just a clever take on a well-loved story, and this week I was introduced to my latest obsession: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries!

It's a modern take on Pride and Prejudice, filmed entirely in 3-6 minute video blogs. Lizzie starts the project for her graduate degree thesis, intending to chronicle her families lives for a certain number of weeks. It's fascinating to see they way they've updated the story. It's set in the United States (the girls live in a small town, and the big city is L.A. instead of London). The ball at Netherfield is now Bing Lee's birthday party, there are only three sisters -- Lizzie, Jane, and Lydia -- but the other two from the book are referenced, Jane is a low-level fashion designer trying to pay off student loans, and the way Lizzie reiterates previous conversations (affected by her and her friends dressing up and doing impersonations) is just hilarious.

I must say that the casting is PERFECT! When we finally meet Bing Lee, I can see why Jane likes him so much. And Mr. Collins is a hoot! Charlotte, Jane, Lydia, Caroline, Lizzie... they're all great. I hope we get to meet some of the others, too, like Mr. Darcy ;)

I'm about halfway through, and I cannot get enough! Lucky for me, Lizzie only has to film a few more videos until she finishes the story (I think the current one is #95), so I can just watch them all straight through! No waiting for me! It is a commitment to watch them straight through ; it's at least 7 hours total. I've been told that the ones in the 70s and 80s are the best. The way I'm going, I'll get to watch those tomorrow!

If you're curious about it, take a look at the first episode:


Also, because I can't get enough of Lydia (and want to high-five her every time Lizzie leaves her hanging), here's the first video in Lydia's own vlog, filmed while she is staying with her cousin Mary, and Jane and Lizzie are staying with the Lees.

(I love the multiple nods to The Lord of the Rings movies in the Baby-sitting episode.)
Oh, it looks like there are more than the original 7! I'll wait to watch them, 'cause I am guessing they relate to Lydia's later adventures, and I'm not there in the Lizzie videos yet.

Are you at all interested in watching this series? Do you have other "fanfiction-esque" series on your must-see or must-read list?

This weekend is going to be a bit crazy for me, and also fun. I hope the same for you!
Happy Friday, my friends!

We three keys unlock Megan's car

(Please tell me you sang my post title to the tune of "We Three Kings!")

I have had my car for nearly 12 years, and it wasn't new when I got it. In recent years, my key (#1) stopped opening the passenger-side door and trunk, but since it still worked in the driver-side door -- the door I use the most anyway -- I didn't stress too much about it. It was annoying, but not overly so.

However, about two weeks ago, the lock on the driver-side door started resisting. The key went in, but it took some effort to get it to turn!! It would take me five or more minutes to pry that #1 sideways and finally open the door. I'm sure more than one person thought I was breaking into the car -- one guy actually asked me outright, but since he was a friend-of-multiple-friends he was kind enough not to call the police.

I've been saving up money for home improvements and I didn't want to have to spend it on getting the stupid, hateful, stuck locks replaced >:( This whole situation was so frustrating!

When the problem first started, I was afraid that #1 would break in the lock. It didn't, but it didn't take very long before it looked like this:

Obviously, #1 wasn't very useful in this state.

So, I started using the spare key (#2), but it didn't seem to work much better. On the advice of another friend, I decided to make a few copies just in case #2 bent, too. That friend also mentioned that the copies would be cheaper if I bought templates without the black plastic covering the end (illustrated above). With that in mind, I decided to borrow the spare key from my parents' house (#3) so that maybe the lock-copying guy would assume #3 was the kind of key I wanted.

I gave #3 to the lock-copier... and we immediately discovered that his 3D holo-dealie couldn't recognize it OR #2. With difficulty, I refused to see this complication as a sign. The manual process worked fine, and the copier told me to test the copy to make sure it was okay (since the holo-dealie wouldn't recognize it). With trepidation, I put the copy from #3 in the lock... and it turned more easily than it had in weeks! I gleefully ran back into Home Depot and requested more!

I'm sure many of you have guessed by now that it was the key -- not the lock -- that had been my problem all this time. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. Well, maybe I did, but since #1 was the original key -- the one that had seemingly worked fine for 12 years even when the locks seemed to fail -- I assumed it was the right one! We took a closer look at #2 and #3 side by side. #2 was copied from #1. It was obviously worn down; REALLY worn down. It makes a little more sense now why #1 would sometimes fall out of the ignition while I was driving. Wow.

It's pretty amazing to me that I chose to make the new copies from #3 -- one that had seen far less action and was intact -- before I even knew the key was the problem. I am so grateful for that tender mercy, and that I don't have to replace the locks on my car. The key I'm now using works brilliantly in all of the locks! ... Well, the driver-side still sticks a little and takes a minute to jimmy, but hopefully that resolves itself in the next few days.

Just goes to show that the simplest solution is probably the best one... at least in a situation like this! Next time I'll try the obvious correction instead of immediately assuming the complicated and expensive one.

Another crisis averted!

Just need to remember to give my parents' copy back to them :P

Neighbor notes

Having been away for much of the winter -- and the previous fall, summer and spring -- I forgot how noisy my downstairs neighbors are. I am not exaggerating when I say that as soon as I try to take a nap or read or do anything that is easier when it's quiet, they immediately turn on the t.v., or their grandkids come over to play, or they start some home improvement project that involves a hammer or similar tool that results in a "banging" sound (keep it clean, kids). Oh, and someone snores at night in the bedroom below mine.

Pretty sure I don't hear absolutely everything, but it's amazing how clearly certain sounds bleed through the floor.

I honestly have no idea how much they hear of my activities. I assume that if I sing at full volume (like I did Monday evening) they can hear me. After all, I heard them sing "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" for a good 10 minutes earlier that same evening. Someone did call the police on me once, but I'm pretty sure those people moved out not long after.

Happily, I haven't had any trouble with my next-door neighbors for years. Woot!

I think that since I'm so rarely home during the day or evening, and even then don't often have people over, my neighbors probably have no idea how loud they are. Even so, I'm not inclined to complain. After all, it's their home, too, and I'm sure they aren't trying to be annoying. Plus, they have been kind enough to help me out a few times when I locked myself out of my condo and needed to use their phone, or that time the zipper on my dress got stuck at 11 p.m. I'd feel badly knocking on the door at 11, but judging by the noise, they were up anyway :-P And they thought the whole thing was hilarious! Such friendly people.

Feeling pretty lucky in my neighbors right now. They aren't bad enough to warrant complaints, and they don't complain about my stuff. Just letting them live and let live.

But if I ever find out who likes to cook the meals that smell up the stairwell, all bets are off!

(Not really. Some of it smells pretty good, but it is STRONG!)

Uncle Drew

My brothers introduced me to this video and we laughed our heads off!

Don't underestimate the elderly. They know what they're doing ;)

February happenings

At some point, I want to start printing a book of my blog for each year, like Rach does (since apparently I've given up on scrapbooking). I haven't quite taken the time to figure it out, yet. With that aim in mind, I want to keep records of some of my photos here.

I don't often think to take photos when I'm not in a play or on vacation, but here are a few non-Arsenic-related photos from January and February:

Rocking out to Disco Addiction with lead
singers Keri and Amy January 26

One of the many massive snow storms in January
-- this one was January 27

Seeing the touring company of
Dreamgirls with Carrie and Liz
February 5

The ducks returned briefly to the canal near my condo

University of Utah gymnastics team v Stanford
with Bridget and Justin February 23

Oscar party with co-host Todd
February 24

The other Oscar party co-host, Liz

Speaking of the Oscars, these interviews with Jennifer Lawrence crack me up!

Lastly, I don't want to lose this link to 50 Life Hacks to Simplify Your Life (you're welcome).

And this list of 38 Things You Will Never Read Again in Your Life that I hope to read again sometime in my life.

Happy Monday!

*updated* That's What Makes You Beautiful x 4

I save this video for rainy days. Five friends having a good time fooling around on a piano together... and a gorgeous song with a great message. Always cheers me up.

Here is the same song again. The teenage boys in it make me laugh and then miss my brothers (sorry, guys, but I'll always think of you as you were in junior high and high school)! I hope these young men never lose this sense of whimsy, sweetness, and bravery, and that they find young ladies who will appreciate them!

And if you care to listen to the song one more time, I suggest you go back and watch this version from the cast of Anything Goes. Why not?

Lastly, here is a version cobbled together from episodes of Downton Abbey, which prompted me (after a stunned silence) to respond, "Whaaaaaaaaa-?"

Isn't it great how one song can inspire and entertain so many people in so many ways?

YOU are beautiful, my friends. Happy Friday!