Not my husband

My family spent some time at the temple together last week. When I arrived at the check-in desk, I saw that some of my other family members were waiting for my parents, and the gentleman behind the desk said:

I think your husband is already down there.

With surprise and amusement at this kind elderly gentleman's remark, I replied:

Oh, wow! That's amazing!

My older brother and his wife were behind me and thought my response was hilarious. There was no way I was going to make that man feel badly for not noticing my naked left hand ;-) Plus, what if I thought this guy he was thinking of was cute?

I went downstairs and met with some more of the family, looking around and wondering who that man thought my husband was...

... Then it hit me.

We're pretty sure it was Aaron.

You know, my brother Aaron.

(Pretty sure I've mentioned him on here once or twice...)

Aaron's about the right age and has the same last name, so it makes sense if you don't know any better... I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.

Sadly/amusingly, the man at the temple was not the first to make that assumption! The last time we had a family photo, the photographer assumed that Aaron and I were married, even though when he asked who the couples were, neither Aaron nor I raised our hands, were standing on the opposite side of the room, and -- again -- were not wearing wedding rings.

"Put your hand on your wife's shoulder!"

It's a little disturbing that we probably have to spell it out for people when we first meet. I once announced the brother/sister relationship in Relief Society when we attended a singles ward together, and he made sure to mention it during the first rehearsal for Robin Hood. The thing is, we are darn good wingmen for each other. Aaron's about the nicest person you could ever meet, and fascinates women who think that chivalry is dead and men don't ask women out anymore; he's old-fashioned, not afraid to go for what he wants, and one of the nicest, most genuine people you'll ever meet. He's more than willing to pick up the slack if I get tongue-tied around a cute guy, and I'm always happy to chat with whichever lucky lady has caught his eye. It's fun to have a "partner in crime" as it were.

I guess that's what happens when you're such good friends with a sibling who is so close in age. Aaron and I have many of the same friends and like to travel and hang out together. We're comfortable with each other, have a lot of in-jokes -- it all comes from growing up together. He's one of my best friends and favorite people in the world. If a man like him wanted to marry me, I'd be a fortunate, happy woman.

Aaron, I love you. I hope you know that you are an amazing, wonderful man, and that I am proud to be mistaken as your wife (in the least icky way possible). Hopefully someday soon you'll have actual wife and I'll have a real husband of my own for future family photos. Until then, I'll be your wingman and #1 supporter for as long as you need me -- and even after!

Peas in a pod

Thirty years later, we still are!

Happy Father's Day!

Just a few awesome videos in celebration of the awesome fathers in my life; my own, those of my friends and family, and the future fathers out there.

Despicable/Adorable Dad:


Zombie Apocalypse Dad:


Hope you all had a wonderful day! I love you!

Tony talk

The Tony Awards were on Sunday, and I must say that Broadway's big event was smashing this year! Far more entertaining than the most recent Oscars or Emmys (arguably better than the Golden Globes, though I love me some Amy Poehler and Tina Fey).

Neil Patrick Harris hosted for the fourth time, and his opening number topped them all. This guy's got skills, and his writers are brilliant.

Note: How long do you think it took him to nail that "jump through the hoop" move? There is no doubt in my mind that NPH takes this gig seriously and rehearses 'til everything is perfect.

Also, this made me laugh really hard, and made me even more sad that Go On and Smash were cancelled.


Thanks so much, Larissa and Rob, for inviting me to your Tony party. It was fun to watch with theater-loving friends, start to finish, especially friends who have actually seen the shows on Broadway -- lucky! I'm really hoping to get out to NYC sometime this year to see Cinderella, Pippin, Matilda, Newsies, and Once (as a Doctor Who fan, I hope I don't miss seeing Arthur Darville!). It would also be fun to see Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, if the original cast is still playing. So many good things going on right now.

Just for fun, because I am still lobbying for NPH and Hugh Jackman to co-host sometime:

Oh, What a Night!

For several years, this friend, this friend, her sister and sister's daughter have been telling me how good the musical Jersey Boys is. I grew up singing the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and even if I hadn't, I generally trust these four ladies. If I had stayed in New York City one more day during the last trip, I would have seen it then. I even thought about going to Las Vegas specifically to see it. Sadly, it didn't work out on those occasions.

So, I was pretty thrilled when Broadway Across America announced that Jersey Boys was part of this season. I asked my parents to buy me a ticket for Christmas (and I bought a second ticket to sell to a friend, because I was tired of going to these fancy plays by myself).

I've been waiting since CHRISTMAS to use that ticket, you guys! That's patience!

Saturday was the day, and my friend Carrie was able to come with me. I love her. She's a theater nut like me, and has a great, joyful, inoffensive laugh (this is an important quality for my theater-going friends to have).

Now, one thing you need to know about Jersey Boys, is that they use special effects. Every one of my friends who has seen or heard of Jersey Boys mentioned the effects. The producers even put up a sign. I had to laugh when I finally saw it:

"Jersey vocabulary" is a special effect? Alrighty then! I was warned (obnoxiously often) about the swearing in the show, and it turned out not to be nearly as bad as I expected. Yes, it was there, but since that's the way these blue-collar kids from New Jersey talked (in the '60s and now), and I was prepared beforehand, it didn't let it bother me.

I tell you what, language or no, it was a GREAT SHOW!! I can see why it's Larissa's favorite. Jersey Boys is the story of the musical group The Four Seasons -- later Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It is told from the point-of-view of each of the four guys in the group, and takes place over a span of at least 35 years. It is hilarious, and sad, and beautiful, and wonderful. It's a good story in the first place, filled with distinct characters (played by only a handful of actors -- only three women in the cast to play ALL of the women in the Four Seasons' --well, mostly Frankie's -- lives), and when you add in the music...

Ooooh! The music!! Jersey Boys is what you'd call a "jukebox" musical, meaning that it's a compilation of existing songs put to a story. Obviously, in this case, the songs are the ones sung by The Four Seasons. It was amazing to see so many of the songs in the context of the events going on in the group's lives. Like I said, I know a LOT of their songs, and it was always a treat when they'd introduce one. I smiled when they started "Sherry", cried through most of "Big Girls Don't Cry", and cheered through "Walk Like a Man." Combined with the choreography... I LOVED the choreography! Speaking from experience, it's hard to dance in place in unison and not get seasick, and they faked playing their instruments crazy-well. Those actors looked like they were having the best time onstage. I know I did from the audience!

At intermission, Carrie said, "It's only intermission, but I already want to come again!" I had to agree. After the show, we stalked the stage door a little bit. We were slow and missed almost everyone, but were lucky to get a photo with Hayden Milanes, the actor who played Frankie Valli.

"My eyes adored you" indeed!

I called my mom almost immediately, and told her she would love the show, and strongly encouraged her to take Dad. I even said I'd buy Dad's ticket as a Father's Day/birthday present (Dad's kind of hard to shop for, so I hoped she'd take me up on it). She turned me down, but said she'd keep it in mind. I told her to hurry and decide because it's only in town until this Sunday.

I really did want to see the play again, so when Carrie mentioned she'd found a killer deal on nosebleed seats (2P in the balcony) for Tuesday, I asked if she could get two more. Then I called Aaron, because I suspected he'd love the show as much as I did.

He did! I was so happy to share the experience with someone who is as big a fan of the music as I am. There are parts of the show that feel like a concert, and we clapped (and tried not to sing) along with the performers. It's such a happy musical! Of course I had to listen to the soundtrack all the way home!

Aaron is going to talk with Mom about seeing the show, too. If all goes well, he'll buy one ticket and I'll buy the other. So nice to have a cohort in gift-giving. I really, really think they'd love it!

I even wrote down a few of my favorite quotes 'cause golly is the show quotable. Here are a few favorites **some of them may be a little spoilery**:

Man: What has he got that I don't?
Woman: Me. 

Frankie (looking at a sign for the "Four Seasons" bowling alley): It's a sign! 

Mary Delgado: Is that your real name? "Valli?"
Frankie: No, Castaluccio. Frances Castaluccio.
Mary: Kinda long for a marquis.
Frankie: That's why I changed it. "Vally." V-A-L-L-Y.
Mary: No, V-A-L-L-I.
Frankie: How come?
Mary: Because "Y" is a BS letter. It doesn't know what it is; is it a vowell? Is it a consonant?
(Yes, I'm going to continue to spell my last name with a "Y" ;-) ) 

Bob Gaudio: It was the sixties. We thought Liberace was just "theatrical." 

Nick: (repeated line) It's time to start my own group. 

Bob: He swore on his mother's grave!
Bob Crewe: He's in the music business. They don't have mothers. 

Producer: Frankie's ok, but he's no Neil Sedaka.

One of my favorite exchanges from the first act sets up a great bit in the second act:

Frankie: We pull this off, can we talk about a saxophone?
Bob: We pull this off, you can have an entire horn section.

Anyway, if you get a chance to go, and swearing doesn't bother you, GO SEE THIS PLAY! If this blog post hasn't given you good enough reasons (hey, it's just my opinion), watch this clip from the Tony Awards the year that Jersey Boys was nominated for -- and won -- Best Musical:

My favorite Calvin and Hobbes

Richard Thompson is right: Calvin and Hobbes is the best comic strip ever, for so many reasons. It will always have a special place in my heart, due to my experience with young, precocious brothers and nephews and their friends, and the hours I've spent pouring over the C&H anthologies at my parents' house.

My very favorite gag showed up in my reader feed this morning:

I think about this every time I'm bored in a meeting and want to start screaming. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to yell this out at least once a week. In the last few months it's felt more like five times a day... Miraculously, I've so far managed to avoid doing it.

Thanks, Calvin, for so accurately representing me, today. You rock!

City Rep Family Reunion

During my teenage years, I did a lot of plays with what is now the Utah Childrens Theatre. It's been known by quite a few names during the years in between, but back in the day, we regulars just called it "City Rep."

Thanks to Facebook, I've become reacquainted with many of the old City Reppers. A bunch of us got together and decided it was high time for a reunion. Between us, we invited at least a hundred people (and family) to join us for an afternoon potluck in the park; maybe about 20-30 of the players showed up. I'm grateful that I recognized every single person (there were quite a few on the guest list that I didn't know)!

It ended up being an awesome event. Most of the founding Parker family was there, which legitimized the whole thing in my eyes. It was fun to hang out with these people who knew me as a teenager, and realize that our friendships felt about the same, even 10+ years later! We're older, but essentially still the same folks we were. I love these people. I enjoyed catching up with them, and making plans with some of them!

We might have to do another one in a couple of years :) Maybe these photos will encourage even more folks to come, too!

Couldn't resist decorating in the old "jester" colors: purple and green!

Best smiles ever!

Just for fun, here is one of Karissa and I (above) from back in the day -- we were so little! What a difference nearly 20 years can make!

Good times during May

And now for my wrap-up of the month of May:

Celebrated the first birthday of a little friend of mine, and got to spend some time with her lovely mom!

Celebrated my nieces' birthday, and got a major sugar overdose at their Candyland-themed party

The girls and their gorgeous mom
(You wouldn't believe how many photos Aaron had
to take to get a good one of the girls together :-P)

Their dad decorated the candy-covered cake

My sister-in-law goes all out; her dad made these party favors for the other kids.
These ain't no stickers and plastic rings in a bag, yo!

Mom rented a cotton candy machine, which was a great idea...
except that it was really windy that day, so a bunch of us
ended up looking like this: 

Sugar-cobwebs? Sounds yummy to me!!

Celebrated my awesome mom on Mother's Day, and treated her to dinner -- twice!

I'm older now that my mom was when she had me.
Still, I think I look a lot now like she did then!

Fun-filled Sunday afternoons with the family.

The Trampoline Game: name as many colors as you can
"Mauve! Chartreuse! Peach!"
(I kid you not, my brothers used all of those options.
They credited crayons.)

Watching Kim Possible -- the bored/frustrated faces do not do
 justice to how much we enjoyed the five episodes we watched!

Witnessed one of my dearest friends get engaged to a guy who is darn near perfect for her. I love them together!

"I love you, baby! And if it's quite all right, I need you, baby! ... I don't know any more of the words..."
- Rob

 Saw (and loved) Star Trek Into Darkness. A great villain makes such a difference,
and this movie had one!

Tiaras and pajamas and Thoroughly Modern Millie

Peter finished school in Washington D.C. and he and Jordyn finally moved back to Utah. Everyone is home now! Hooraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Adam, Jordyn, Peter, and Dad at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
in Washington D.C. (photographed by Aaron on their most recent trip)

Took a few sick days and worked a bunch more from my bed while dealing with a sinus infection. One of the unfortunate side-effects of the true introduction of Spring and being allergic to so many plants :P 

I like that my hair kind of looks like Miracle Max's wife (Madeline)'s here.
Or Bellatrix Lestrange...

And, of course, more Robin Hood rehearsals. Aaron had to drop out,
but the rest of the cast is making sure I don't feel too lonely.
We moved to the amphitheater where we will perform and it's
quite the change from the rehearsal room.

Director Liz and AD Meemer protect themselves from the rain while the rest of us just deal.
(It took my script four days to dry out.)

Gisbourne v Lockley
(I love that Sir Guy is in black, and Robin Hood in blue and red -- of course the hero is in superhero colors!)

"They spared no Norman nobleman who traveled through Sherwood,
and the legend grew of an outlaw who was known as Robin Hood."

"As your ladies-in-waiting, we're waiting!"

C'est tout!

On with June... and summertime and plays!!