Spring weather in February

The groundhog saw his shadow, but the "six extra weeks of winter" doesn't seem to apply to Utah. We barely had six weeks OF winter!

I want to be thrilled that Utah is having an inexplicably warm winter. In the part of the Salt Lake valley that I work and live in, it's only snowed once and that was serendipitously on Christmas Day. I want to be thrilled that I don't need to wear a scarf, or a coat, or earmuffs when I go for a walk.

But we had a snow-lite winter last year and I'm worried Utah won't have enough water for the summer and fall... or next year if the east coast continues to steal all the Utah-like storms. The whole "I like snow in the mountains but not in the valley" line of thinking is obnoxious. If we get snow in the valley it means we're getting quality snow in the mountains, too! Good for the economy, good for our health, good for the environment. 

I'd be thrilled if this amazing 60 degree weather were happening next month instead of in February. I like experiencing all four seasons. It's unnatural not to see snow in the winter, especially in Utah, "The Greatest Snow on Earth."

(And I think that "I hate to drive in snow" is a terrible reason to hope we don't have any. News flash: NO ONE --  including an otherwise lover-of-snow like me -- enjoys driving in the snow. Get over it.)

Fortunately, I'm hearing that we're doing ok in the mountains, so I'll try not to stress too much.

Meanwhile, the trees and flowers are starting to bloom. This means that my allergies are starting to flare up. Allergies that haven't had time to recover from last year. For the first time ever, my eyelids itch. A lot. What the heck does a person do to keep her eyelids from itching?! Some kind of topical cream? The anti-histamine isn't cutting it. Boo.

And you just know that in about two weeks we'll get a freak cold snap, and all the flowers and tree blossoms will die. That's going to mess with Spring, and then no one will be happy.

I will admit that I do NOT miss the inversion that comes with cold air. But with my allergies I avoid leaving the windows open anyway... guess I can deal with that sacrifice.

You can't tell me Global Warming isn't real. 

Severus Snape, a hero

Snape is one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter book series. In every debate I had, I, like Lupin, insisted that if Dumbledore trusted him, Snape was worthy of that trust. I guessed the reason Snape hated Harry as much as he did. I even wrote 3/4ths of a fan fiction about Snape and Lily's friendship at Hogwarts (no, you cannot read it).

So, this video give me all the feels. I love it. I wish it were longer.


Isn't Alan Rickman shattering? His performance is just gorgeous. I could and will watch this video over and over again.

New Cinderella

I am ridiculously excited about the new live-action Cinderella movie! It looks so pretty and I'm thrilled that they aren't making her an action hero. Her superpower is being kind and patient. A girl doesn't have to fight to be strong -- there are other ways of getting what she wants. I hope the movie is good (I was so disappointed with Maleficent).

Post by Disney Princess.




And the official trailer:


With any luck, I'll be adding this DVD to my Cinderella collection next year... six different versions of a classic story isn't too much, is it? I didn't think so.

Jazzy January

The new year started off quite nicely. Enough Noises Off! rehearsals to keep me busy, and enough free time to hang out with friends and relax. Oh, and Salt Lake Comic Con Fan Xperience. Plus, I'm off to a good start with my goals. However, I'm disappointed we've had hardly a hint of snow. I suppose I should enjoy the spring-ish weather more but it doesn't feel particularly like winter.

New Year's Day

I ate lunch with my family, and then spent the afternoon and evening with Kate and Brandon. We watched The Man Who Knew too Much and The Man Who Knew too Little (two very different and satisfying films!), played with their baby, and decorated and ate sugar cookies with mustaches on them.

It felt a little reckless to spend $13 on a pair of sunglasses

I tend to either lose them quickly or scratch them up (in which case I never lose them). However, I adore this pair and decided to treat myself. It's been a whole month, and nothing yet has happened to them. Phew!

Hello, meals for the rest of the month

Thanks for saving me from having to cook during the first month of rehearsals!

Traditional Kiss Me Katians' brunch at Jeremiah's in Ogden

My pancakes and syrup were the last carbs and sugar I'd eat for 32 days! Perfect last meal.

Since I was already in Ogden, I swung by the Ogden Temple

Such a lovely building in a neat part of town. Hope to do a session there sometime this year!

One of my co-workers informed me that the ice machine was broken

...but when I walked past I saw what he was too tall to see. So, I grabbed a straw and broke up the ice. Short person for the win!

Sometimes I'm sad I don't work in the east coast with these ladies

We have so much in common! (Lesley is my fitbit buddy at work.)
(Sorry the newest e-mail is on the top. I know it's confusing.)

A Saturday afternoon of gabbing, tasty food, clothes-swapping, and beautiful-baby ogling

Girlfriends are the best!

My sister-in-law organized a step challenge

My siblings and Lindsey's family all bought either fitness devices or step counters. The competition was fierce and fun. In a weird turn of events, I won with 359,564 steps!

I am calling it. Megan is the Step Champion for January. Good job, Meg! You can choose to pick the challenge for February or receive a pair of socks picked out by your nieces. Either way, let's have the Feb challenge announced by tomorrow to begin Wednesday. Good job everyone.

And, of course, rehearsals with a group of very talented individuals

I'm excited for the show to really come together now that we've finished blocking!

February will be filled with more rehearsals and opening weekend for my show. Hoping for more lunches with girlfriends, the odd date or two (uh, odd happenstances, not odd men, I've had enough of those for awhile), good food, a lot of snow, and bonding with my cast mates. Looking forward to it!

Megan reads Yes, Please!

Yes Please by Amy Poehler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, Amy Poehler. You're like the big sister I never had (and a lot like one of the sisters-in-law I DO have). Listening to this audiobook made me feel like we were simply chatting about Amy's experiences and opinions on life. She has strong feelings about a lot of things, and we agree on a lot of things. I laughed out loud more than a few times. Plus, listening to her, and Patrick Stewart, and Carol Burnett, and Kathleen Turner, and several others read her words was just fun. I could have done without all the swearing, but it's evident it's a part of who she is, and for the most part it's pretty charming. It was nice getting to know her better!


View all my reviews

Personal Trainer Food round 2: 32 days without sugar or carbs

Finished my second round of Personal Trainer Food (PTF) last night. I'm happy to say it was a successful endeavor. I didn't cheat, and the jeans I was forced to buy in November are nice and loose again. Woot! Back to the skinnier pants!

My last PTF meal (this time):
Buffalo chicken sticks with ranch sauce
and yellow squash with pepper jack cheese 

My first cookie in over 32 days. Delicious.
Totally worth the wait. Thank you, Larissa!

I did a few things differently this time:

1. I stuck to it for the full 28 days and then some. PTF sends 28 days worth of food. Last time I did the diet, I squeezed it between my Utah Shakespearean Festival trip and the Salt Lake Comic Con, so I only got through 25 days. This time, I really, really wanted to be faithful until I'd eaten all the food. What with two Fast Sundays, dating, Salt Lake Comic Con Fan Xperience, and a couple of family dinners, the 28 days was stretched out to 32 (I ate approved food during those events). Those last couple of days I found myself planning what junk I'd eat as soon as I finished, but I'm happy to say that I'm not in a big hurry to go overboard with carbs and sugar again. It helps that I already have some events planned where I know I'll be eating sugar. I've waited this long that a few more days doesn't seem horrible. Anticipation is the best part, right?
2. I weighed myself at the beginning and end. PTF tells you not to do that because it's such an imprecise method for measuring fitness (they recommend you measure yourself and pay attention to how your clothes fit), but since I didn't the last time I had no idea how much progress I had made. I was curious. This time, I know that I lost 7.7 pounds in 4 weeks, and 2.8 in the extra four days. That's a total of 10.5 pounds! Now to keep it up.

A few things I want to remember for next time:

• Dijion mustard is delicious with beef. Mustard has a lot less sugar than ketchup, and far less than barbecue sauce. I thought it could be a permanent change, and then I walked past a barbecue joint and remembered how good the sauce is. Moderation in all things.
• Cheese is a decent late-night snack. It isn't the same as chocolate, of course, but still a delicious treat.
• KALE CHIPS ARE DELICIOUS! I might like kale chips more than I do potato chips. Must try more flavors (the curry version was enough to convert me).

• Most Mexican restaurants have fajitas. Hooray!
• People will be more supportive if I call it a "challenge" rather than a "diet." It doesn't sound as judgey. I don't expect people to eat the same things I do. I encourage them to eat however they like and hope they'll give me the same respect. It's so lovely that my friends and family support me as much as they do. I know it's uncomfortable when I talk about missing certain foods or ask to smell restricted stuff!

My dedication to eating healthy has been renewed and reinforced, and I don't plan to give up on my fitbit fascination in the near future. My clothes fit again. I feel better about myself and more in control of those two things at least. The new year is off to a good start.

Already looking forward to the next time, most likely in late March or early April. Anyone want to join me? It isn't at all easy, but it works and, as I've said before, the food tastes good.