Nerves of Steel

I have none. I'm auditioning today for my best friend. How hard is that? I know she's one of my biggest fans but it is still nerve racking. I've spend a lot of time helping others find their songs for the audition so I haven't had time to pick a new song. I'm singing a song that I have sung before at auditions that has previously helped me get cast. But I'm nervous. I'm nervous that I'm going to start singing and go really flat during my belt. I haven't gone flat during my practicing but I have a fear of it happening tonight. It's hard to audition for people who think highly of you and your talents. (I know that sounds big headed) But I have had a lot people comment on my singing abilities and it's not just something that comes out of me naturally. I work really hard for it and it's not always (it's rarely) perfect. So I just need to suck it up, get over myself, relax and have fun. Then there's the reading...Relax, and Have Fun!

P.S. to all of my friends auditioning for Seussical, Break a Leg! To all of my friends going to call-backs for Oklahoma, Break a Leg too!!

My Favorite Part of Easter

I'm the Director

I was asked to direct one of the short plays for my stake. Each play is about 30 minutes long - so no big deal. That's why I said yes. I have time to direct one 30 minute play. Time is not the issue. The issue is we have too many directors. The Stake Activites chairperson is the Producer. And at our first meeting she said that if she has suggestions we have to use them. Not happening. (she's also one of those people who has seen plays/musicals so she thinks that means she's a master at all things theater) She thinks that it would be best to have each director have an assistant director that is also in the play. It's a 30 minute play, why do I need an assistant director? Yesterday was our first rehearsal and I think it went well...except...everyone was directing! I was giving blocking and others were saying "wouldn't it be funnier if we did this" or "wouldn't be better if it was done this way" or "should we do that now instead of later". AAAAHHH!!!! It was getting really annoying. I only had one person ONE PERSON who was smart enough to talk to me privately if they had an idea or suggestion. Everyone else (not everyone else in the cast, just about 5 other people) would tell direction from the sides. Now when we meet next, I'm going to have to be mean and give my speech of "I'm the director! I was asked to direct you in this show. When I give you a direction, do it. Don't do it how you think it should be done. If you have a suggestion, talk to me privately. But you also have to accept the fact that I might not use your idea because I like mine better." I hope the next rehearsal is better.

Past Few Days

It has been a busy past few days. Here are some things that happened. I'll go into more detail later about my J&JDOF when I can get some pics from Steph.

1. Stayed at the Hotel Monaco in Salt Lake with Stephanie. We had a nice room with two beds and weird smelling shampoo. Great mini-bar that I was not allowed to touch.
2. Dinner with Hutch Thursday night at The Melting Pot. Really nice to spend some time with him.
3. Glen Gary Glen Ross
4. Shopping in Park City
5. Sitting through a musical that is usually funny with the slight inuendo but was instead shoved in your face.
6. Food with Mel. Good to see you! Very excited you're auditioning for Seussical.
7. Crafting in Liberty Park! Steph almost had to have a smack down with a teenager buying drugs with a ring he was holding for a "wedding".
8. Steph M's baby shower. What a fun party! It was sooo good to see everyone and Steph you look great!! I even enjoyed the Poopy Diaper game. I'm really good at that game. Oh my goodness and the cookie salad!! Heaven!!!
9. No sleep
10. Only having to straigten and dust my house a bit since we recently cleaned it.
11. Make my 2 day homemade lasagna
12. No sleep
13. Watched "Taken" with Liam Neesom. He didn't watch it with me, he was in it. Great movie! My child will NOT be going to Europe by herself. Ever.
14. Watched "Amazing Grace". If you haven't seen, see it! Wonderful movie!! I have it if you need to borrow it.
15. Ate Mexican food - I love Mexican food
16. Played a game in Primary.
17. Went to the Draper Temple dedication at my stake center. Wonderful dedication. The talks were great! I especially loved (and cried) President Monson's talk about the little girl who knew she would see her mother again. I also bawled through the song "The Spirit of God". I couldn't sing the first verse at all. I had the thought that members all over the world were sining that song and it overwhelmed me.
18. Bushes came over for dinner and a rousing game of Rock Band. Everyone did a great job! Especially Spencer! He can play on Expert level. It's fun to watch him play. He can rock out, play on expert and not miss very many notes.
19. No sleep
20. Stayed home from work to try to get some sleep. If you hadn't notice I'm not sleeping well at night. Not sure why. I get too hot, then too cold, can't get comfortable, etc. Last night we washed our sheets and sprayed febreze and it didn't help much. I think tonight I'll work out before bed so I'm tired but end the work out with some yoga. Thanks Cherie for that suggestion!
21. Now I'm at work.

It was a fun weekend to think of all of it at once. I think the weekends are never long enough. It's hard when work gets in the way of a good weekend. :) heehee!!

Moochies!

Best. Cheesesteak. Ever.

Heather, Rebecca and I went to Moochies (232 E. 800 So.) for lunch after my friend Cherie told me how good it was. It was also featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network. It's incredible. The most authentic cheesesteak you can get outside of Philly.

Here I am enjoying my wonderful cheesesteak!!

Rebecca is enjoying her yummy bottled Coke.
Heather is having Ham and Swiss. She doesn't like cheesesteaks.

My Favorite!!

I know Steph posted this on her blog awhile back but it is my new favorite Mormon Ad. It reminds me of watching Hutch and Mark (our friend) play with Duncan.

Allergies, Yuck!

I have not been bothered by allergies (hayfever, pollen, etc) since I got married. I thought maybe there was some magic that happened when I got married so I would never have allergies again. I've had them most of my life. Once the spring/summer season hits my eyes and nose go crazy. It has been a nice, relaxing, allergy free past few years. Well, the magic has been lost. I ran out of fairy dust. My allergies are killing me! Since I haven't had allergies in a few years I don't have allergy medicine. I've been taking the stuff they have here at work but I'm going to have to break down and buy my own. I will admit that I have not missed the itchy eyes and irriated nose. I'm sad to have them back.
Apparently I'm griping a lot lately. I am happy. Just tired already of allergies. :)

Thank You For Not Smoking

For the longest time I thought the health of our society was starting to improve. You constantly see non-smoking ads; made by adults and teens. You see study after study proving that smoking will cause lung cancer, emphysema, and other life ending problems. So why am I still seeing people start smoking and continue smoking?

There were two reasons I was thinking about this over the weekend. I just found out (apparently I live under a rock) that our President Obama smokes like a chimney. I was also looking at pictures of the new film New Moon and just about every actor was smoking. It's amazing how un-cute Robert Pattison can look while smoking. I know that it's an addiction and that it is the hardest thing to stop doing. But are they trying? Why did they start? I know you're probably asking why I care and why I'm being so judgemental. It's because our children look up to these people. They tell themselves, "they smoke and are doing just fine." I've seen kids take straws and pencils and pretend to smoke like it's cool. Worldwide, between 80,000 and 100,000 kids start smoking every day. EVERY DAY!! Approximately one quarter of children alive in the Western Pacific Region will die from smoking. Among young teens (ages 13-15) about one in five smokes worldwide. These statistics are from 2002. That's 7 years ago. The numbers are probably higher now.

Please please please help others to understand the health issues and risks that are involved in smoking. If you smoke, please please please quit. There are many places and websites you can go to that will help you every step of the way.

I'll get down from my soap box now.

Frustrations!! Grr!!

I'm the type of person who will plan things out and when it doesn't go the way I want it to go, I break down. As it was yesterday while I was sitting in my new painted bathroom crying.

Yesterday was a crazy day. Well, the past week has been crazy. I've been trying to paint and decorate my bathroom and paint and install my new front door and trying to get my house clean. It seems like there is no end in site. When I got home from work Hutch's sister and her fiance were coming over to use our computer. Since I hadn't met her fiance I stayed in the computer room with them and visited while she did her homework on the computer. Then the phone rings and it's my visiting teaching companion telling me that she made an appointment for 6:30 (it's about 6:26 when she called) so I rushed Tif and Yannick out the door and did my visiting teaching. After I got back home from visiting teaching I left again to stop at a friends house. They were not home. I then went to the store to get stuff for dinner. I flew back home and started dinner. It's about 8pm or so by now. While I was out I had Hutch call the guy we're going to ask to install our new front door (I wanted to get it put in on Saturday morning) but he is out of town until Saturday. While dinner is cooking I go into the bathroom and start pulling up the tape. Doing so I realize what a bad painter I am. Not only is the paint uneven and splotchy at places but I should have pulled the tape up sooner so now the paint is starting to come up with the tape a bit. My blue stripe is not a clean line because the paint leaked under the tape. On top of all of that I realize that I haven't started painting my front door red yet (primer is done though), my house is a disaster, the dishes need to be done, Hutch is sick, and we are having an Elders Quorum party at our house on Saturday. I lost it. There's just too much! By today I wanted to have the first coat of paint on the door done and my bathroom already put back together so tonight would just be cleaning. But that's not going to happen. After I settled myself down I walked out of the bathroom and turned off the light, not going in it or near it the rest of the evening. I go back into the kitchen and finish dinner. It's about 9:15 when it's done. I only ate a little because it's too late to eat much. I go to bed, dreading what disasters will take place the next day.

So today's plan will be to get the rest of the tape off of the walls in the bathroom and to NOT care what it looks like. To put my bathroom room together and to clean my house. If people go into my bathroom and analize the shatty job, they will be kicked out of my house. The door will have to be put on the back burner (AGAIN) because there just isn't enough time for a girl to get everything done. So is life. And it sometimes sucks!

Music Help Needed

I was just recently asked to sing at my Ward's Relief Society birthday party on the 17th of March. It was actually told to me that I was in the program but they had forgotten to ask me. Silly people! I was asked to sing "In Our Lovely Deseret". I cannot for the life of me find any version of that song except for the Hymn book version. Does anyone have one? I don't care if it's a solo a full choir version, SAA, SA, TTBB, TB, or anything!! I can alter the Hymn version a bit to make it more fun then the same thing over and over again but that takes time so I thought I'd ask everyone if they knew of a version. Please either email me or reply to this blog if you have any information.

I Love Being Mysterious!

At work I'm listening to Monty Python and the Holy Grail on my Zune (listening not watching - I do actually work sometimes) and emailing my friend Cherie. She is hilarious. So with Monty Python and Cherie I am having bursts of giggles come out of me and my co-workers are wondering what is going on. I love being mysterious!

I Am The Creative Type

Happy Birthday Emily Hill!!!

Happy Happy Birthday Emily Dear
Happy Days Will Come To You All Year
If I Had A Wish Then It Would Be
A Happy Happy Birthday To You From Me!!!

Love you Emily!!!

Day At The Zoo

Happy Birthday Jessie!!!

Happy Birthday on March 3rd Jessie!! I love you tons and I miss you like crazy!! I wish I could be there with you to share your birthday and to eat everything you want. :) Here's my heart...well, you know the rest.
I LOVE YOU!!