Einstein on geniuses

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." — Albert Einstein.

[added 3-16-2011] I just realized that this was my 500th post! I am surprised it came so quickly, but glad that at least I quoted something intelligent.

Also, I just learned that I happened to post this on Einstein's birthday. Good times!

How Many Steps to Kevin Bacon?

Today, I discovered that Daniel Radcliffe's costar in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Rose Hemingway, toured in Mama Mia! -- and is now married to -- a local boy named Geoffrey Hemingway. Geoff and I did two community plays together back in the day, which means

I AM ONLY THREE STEPS AWAY FROM DANIEL RADCLIFFE!

Um, can I tell you how excited I am about this? I realize that being this excited makes me a really, really big dork, but I am! My love for Harry Potter and Harry Potter-related minutia knows no bounds.

And my love for The 10th Kingdom makes me giddy that I am also only three steps from John Larroquette, who has one of my favorite cinematic conversations EVER.

While I was at it, I decided to see how many steps I am from Kevin Bacon. This was spurred by learning that my new coworker was actually in Footloose and is in fact one of the dancing feet in the opening credits. Well, I've never done anything with Kevin Bacon, but I when I was an extra on Touched By An Angel, Ross Malinger was one of the guest stars. Ross starred with Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle, and Tom and Kevin Bacon starred in Apollo 13.

You know what this means? If you've done a show with me, you're at most four steps away from Daniel Radcliffe, John Larroquette, and Kevin Bacon (and at most three steps from Tom Hanks).

Does anyone else think that's as crazy-awesome as I do? I sure ain't famous, but it's kinda fun to pretend!

Past and future Tag

I haven't done a Tag post in about two years, and I think it's time I do! Watch out for you name below...

20 years ago......
1: In 6th grade and I ate lunch with the boys, who were impressed I could drink a whole carton of milk without having to take a breath.
2:  Got the top score in Math Olympiads, even beating out future High School Valedictorian Mihir Bhayani. Boo-yah!
3: My family toured the sites along the east coat.

10 years ago......
1: Finished my mission in Arizona; 10 years ago this month I was serving with Sister Crook in Prescott Valley, AZ.
2: Continued my education at BYU.
3: Was an extra on an episode of Touched by an Angel. Valerie Bertinelli is a total doll!

5 years ago.......
1: Working at a customer service/telephone job I hated with people I loved.
2: Living in a one-bedroom apartment, the first time I'd ever lived alone.
3: Saw Wicked on Broadway from the front row.

3 years ago......
1: Living with my parents while saving for a home of my own.
2: Performed two dream roles -- Amy in Little Women and Kim in Bye Bye Birdie.
3: Met one of my core groups of friends (hooray for my Birdie chicks!).

1 year ago.......
1: Working at a temp job that I loved.
2: Performing in Kiss Me Kate and rehearsing for The Secret Garden.
3: Took my first cruise to the Western Caribbean.

This year so far......
1: Auditioned for two plays -- The Scarlet Pimpernel and Urinetown.
2: Been to Disneyland.
3: Fell in like with Zumba.

Yesterday......
1: Worked.
2: Had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with my visiting teachers and their other teachee.
3: Checked out Peter and the Sword of Mercy from the library -- finally!

Today.........
1: Had a pedicure with a few Kiss Me Kate ladies.
2: Found out my darling Marilynn is pregnant.
3: Successfully answered all of Kyra's FrameMaker questions.

Tomorrow........
1: Call my hairdresser for an appointment.
2: See a movie -- maybe The Adjustment Bureau.
3: Start rehearsing for my next audition.

In the Next Year.......
1: Go to NYC.
2: Play another of my dream roles onstage.
3: Get washer and dryer hookups installed!

I tag Larissa, Zanny, and Elisha! Please humor me, ladies!

I knit! I'm a knitter!

Okay, maybe the title is an overstatement. My wonderful, awesome, amazing-at-every-craft-she-attempts mother took on the task of teaching me to knit. I've wanted to try knitting for awhile, and in fact had my first lesson 10 years ago. Sadly, it ended in my throwing the ball of yarn across the room after 5 minutes. What? Did you get the impression somewhere that I am patient?

But I thought I'd give it another shot, and mentioned it to my mom who jumped on the opportunity to teach me something domestic. I'm great with a computer, I'm great onstage, but arts and crafts... well, I AM interested in trying my hand at many different versions (such as the titular knitting and quilting and perhaps sewing) but it's never been a priority.

To make a long story short (too late!), Sunday night after I helped my mom locate, update, and attach a spreadsheet to an e-mail (we help each other -- it's a lovely symbiotic relationship), she gave me a roll of yarn and some needles and proceeded to explain how to knit. Like me, she teaches best by showing, but when she handed over the needles was able to help me figure out what the heck I was supposed to do. I was grateful for her patience, especially because it quickly became obvious I am NOT a natural. My left-handedness doesn't even seem to be an issue at the moment; my mother is not left-handed, and neither are most patterns, so I wanted to learn to do it right-handed. Mom taught me a basic stitch (knot?) and I slowly, badly, laboriously started working my way down the row.

Knitting is HARD! I knew it would be. I am just SO EXCITED that I am actually doing it.

I don't know any of the terms yet (obviously), but I sort of have the general idea. Once I get this a bit better, Mom said she'll teach me "pearling" which basically means the back and front don't look the same, like in a sweater.

For now, I'm working on the basics. When I get a bit better, I'll unravel the whole thing and start over. I love the royal blue yarn color, and I really would like a scarf made from it... just maybe not with the big holes and missed loops currently sported within said scarf.

I'm knitting! I'm learning a skill! I'm so happy!

p.s. Sometimes, in my head, I pronounce it "kuh-nitting" just 'cause I think it's funny. True story.

No Scotland this year

About six months ago, I blogged about a really cool opportunity to go to Scotland to see the last Harry Potter movie and finally meet some fellow Harry Potter fans (known to ourselves at the "Prats") that I met online eight or nine years ago.

I've come to the conclusion it's not going to happen for me.

I'm lousy at planning and apparently can't say "No" to other cool opportunities, and consequently won't be able to afford it.

If I had locked my savings in October against other splurges, I could definitely go. But, I didn't. I had a friend invite me to Disneyland for New Year's weekend and I said, "Yes, please!" And then a friend invited me to New York City with her to see Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Sutton Foster in Anything Goes, and two or three other plays too, and I said, "Are you kidding me?! Yes, please!" I couldn't bear to let those opportunities pass by, not to mention good times with people I adore!

I have been saving, but I've been having a great time spending, too!

And in addition to the wonderful, vacationy stuff, I really, really want to buy a washer and dryer in the next couple of months. Plus, I need to have some repairs done on my car which will cost about $1000 (boo).

The sad thing is, that I kind of let a tentative plan to tour Greece and Italy slide because of the Scotland opportunity, and now I'm not going to Scotland either. I may not achieve my "goal" of a stamp in my passport this year.

However, I don't regret going to Disneyland AT ALL, and I am so, SO excited for NYC! And if I take smaller vacations, I could go on more, like actually seeing all of the plays at the Utah Shakespearean Festival this year, and visiting my friend Suzy who I haven't seen in years, and playing at Disneyland during the Halloween season, and my older brother's in-laws have been inviting me to visit them in Georgia for years...

It's a lot to think about.

Scotland is out, which is too bad because it would have been AWESOME to see Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed (and maybe even get a photo with him -- eep!) and then go to Scotland for the movie. Even now, in the back of my mind, I'm hoping for a miracle so that it still works out. But, when I checked airfare in October, the cost was $1379 plus tax, and it's started to go up, so it probably won't. I'll just have to plan a trip there another time, and make it stick.

On the upside, one of my Harry Potter Prats lives in New Jersey, so I might get to meet her when I go to NYC anyway!

I love planning vacations. Always awesome to have something to look forward to! Just wish I had unlimited funds and vacation time available so I could do it all RIGHT NOW!

I love to be home!

HOME!

homehomehomehomehomehomehomehomehomehomehomehomehomehomehomehomehome!!!!!

I left my house at 9am today, and returned at 8pm after having worked... how long is that? 10 hours plus a half hour commute both ways? Work was crappy today.

But I got home and I was so happy to be there that I actually cheered! Home! Then I grabbed a pillow and hugged it for a few minutes. Suddenly I wasn't tired anymore. I was energized and peaceful and content. I was exactly where I wanted to be.

I love my house.

Home.

My favorite place in the whole, whole world.