NEW RULE FOR ALL CAST AND CREW MEMBERS OF BYU-IDAHO'S "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF"!
No more injuries allowed! No cuts, scrapes, bruises, twists, sprains, fractures, breaks, aches or pains of any kind will be permitted from now on! I don't want to hear about so much as a papercut! Exceptions will not even be made for splinters or stubbed toes!
We have now had hospitalization-level injuries 4 flipping times in the past week. Mandi (Hodel) broke her arm somewhere near her elbow slipping on the ice, Sarah (Ensemble) severely sprained her ankle during the wedding scene onstage a few nights ago, Tara (Accompanist and the director's daughter) fell stepping into the orchestra pit and severely sprained her ankle the day before yesterday, and last night Bonnie (Ensemble) fell during "Tradition" and fractured her ankle. I think I'm done with injuries. Especially with those relating to ankles. We had tech rehearsal last night, with the origonal intent of getting through the whole show. I was there from 6pm and didn't leave the theatre until 12:30 am, and we almost got done with the first act! We got through 8 out of 19 scenes total. So now, our entire rehearsal scedule is thrown off, which is especially inconvenient during this phase of rehearsal because we're bringing in the orchestra. But, never fear! The show will be ready and fabulous by the time we open in 6 days. I was chatting with Bro. Hyrum after rehearsal last night, and he made a comment about how he's not sure when we'll get a lot of things done, so I looked at him and said "We have 7 days...miracles can happen." He laughed and said "They can, and they frequently do, it's just that I would have liked to know we would have been okay without them."
The comforting thing is that I remember thinking that same thing for almost every single show I've been in, and the miracles ALWAYS happen. So, armed with my techie blacks and a headset, I shall join my brothers and sisters in Zion, and work with all my might to make them miracles come to pass! Nothing can stop us! We may be fighting conflicting schedules, lack of sleep, and a mysterious Curse of Injured Ankles, but such trifles shall be dwarfed by the glory of the miracles that had darn well better come to pass before Feb 3rd at 7:30pm. Wish us luck!
Friday, January 28, 2005
Saturday, January 22, 2005
The key to being funny is to make fun of yourself, always vote democratic and wear women's deodorant
For today's blog, I would like to share with you a little story. It was composed in the Portland airport during a 3-hour-layover during christmas break, by two lovely young women I like to call Liz and Rebekah Whittaker. Be prepared to enter a world of magic, intrigue, and weirdness and you follow the journey of "The Blind Brick Carport"! It's a timeless tale that will entertain children and adults for years to come, and it goes a little something like this:
Once upon a time, there was a brick carport. It was a very sad brick carport because it didn't have any eyes and it couldn't see anything. So it decided to go on a journey to find some eyes. But there was only one problem. It was cemented into the ground. So it couldn't go anywhere. So instead, he decided he must bring some eyes to him. He called his friend Monseiur Sofa, who had eyes, to find some eyes for him. But that was also a problem. Monseiur Sofa was also cemented to the ground. They needed someone with legs and eyes. So they beckoned Stephano, the Italian brainwasher, to brainswash them into thinking they had eyes. Unbeknownst to them, Stephano was also the notorious pirate captain, Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete, and was planning to brainwash them into giving him all their money. Stephano (actually Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete) was about to brainwash them when out of nowheres came that famed defender of truth and protector of eyeless carports cemented into the ground, Captain Pancreas! He shot insulin at Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete and broke his brainwashing powers! "Gblahgxgh!" cried the carport. "I can see!" Sure enough, insulin got on the carport and revived his sight. For you see, he wasn't really a carport at all! He was the infamous Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete's first mate, Blind-man Jink! Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete couldn't believe his eyes! Oh, what a joyful reunion that was! "Wait!" cried Monseiur Sofa, "I was sure you were my secret lover, Maria, who got untimely changed into a brick carport. This is too much for me," and he promptly exploded and killed everyone within a 3-mile radius.
The End
Once upon a time, there was a brick carport. It was a very sad brick carport because it didn't have any eyes and it couldn't see anything. So it decided to go on a journey to find some eyes. But there was only one problem. It was cemented into the ground. So it couldn't go anywhere. So instead, he decided he must bring some eyes to him. He called his friend Monseiur Sofa, who had eyes, to find some eyes for him. But that was also a problem. Monseiur Sofa was also cemented to the ground. They needed someone with legs and eyes. So they beckoned Stephano, the Italian brainwasher, to brainswash them into thinking they had eyes. Unbeknownst to them, Stephano was also the notorious pirate captain, Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete, and was planning to brainwash them into giving him all their money. Stephano (actually Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete) was about to brainwash them when out of nowheres came that famed defender of truth and protector of eyeless carports cemented into the ground, Captain Pancreas! He shot insulin at Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete and broke his brainwashing powers! "Gblahgxgh!" cried the carport. "I can see!" Sure enough, insulin got on the carport and revived his sight. For you see, he wasn't really a carport at all! He was the infamous Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete's first mate, Blind-man Jink! Peg-Leg Jagger-Pete couldn't believe his eyes! Oh, what a joyful reunion that was! "Wait!" cried Monseiur Sofa, "I was sure you were my secret lover, Maria, who got untimely changed into a brick carport. This is too much for me," and he promptly exploded and killed everyone within a 3-mile radius.
The End
Thursday, January 20, 2005
What is this?! The Beverly Jew-billies?!
If anyone is offended by the title of this blog, please excuse the humor...I couldn't decide if it was too off-color to post or not, but since it was funny, I decided to post it anyway. It's what my friend Ben turned to me and said during a rehearsal of "Fiddler on the Roof" last week. (Along with "Warsaw backwards is 'was raw!' ") But I digress. Anyways, after my lengthy unintended sabatical, I have returned to tell ya'll what the heck it is that I am doing. And this is what I am doing. I am sitting on the couch and needing to pee and listening to my Jen ranting like the lunatic Candian she is. I am also procrastinating my math homework, which I really shouldn't do because I have rehearsal in a couple hours.
Oh yes. Rehearsal. That is a large part of my life at the moment. The great Bro. Hyrum asked me to assistant stage manage "Fiddler on the Roof" and since we open in a couple weeks it's getting down the crunch. And from my experience so far I'm beginning to think he picked me because I've helped him with tech before and the stage manager for this show doesn't really do much. (Shah! Not a Christian thing to say, I know.) I'm also finally in an acting class this semester, with John Bidwell. My poor psyche is going to have a rough time of it this semester when it comes to acting. (Please excuse me while I go into theatre terminology for a moment.) Bidwell teaches method...he's all for Stanislavski as explored and explained by Uda Hagen and Michael Shurtleff. I'm also being trained by Hyrum Conrad in Alba emoting, though, which is quite the opposite of method, although still presentational in nature. (Alba's pretty deep stuff that I can't even hope to explain...check out http://keystoneonline.com/story.asp?Art_id=1135 and there's a pretty good article there. It's not a very widespread technique because so many people are so used to method, and because there are only 5 or 6 teachers in the U.S. certified to train in Alba.) Later in the spring, if I get into "Our Town," I'll be working with Omar Hansen, whose main focus is story-telling and representational acting. I think my brain might explode. BUT, I figure the best way to learn is to learn it all, and then choose which works best for me and to have all those things as resources so that I can employ them all in their proper time and place.
Being involved with "Fiddler" is tons of fun, though. I love working with Bro. Hyrum, and the cast is fabulous. We had a minor crisis yesterday...actually, it's pretty major but I'm trying to labor under the happy dillusion that it's not. Our Hodel broke her arm slipping on the ice yesterday, so her left arm is all up in a sling. The break went into her elbow so her arm is totally immobilized. So we're trying to re-work choreography and figure out how a costume can hide a cast and/or sling. We're also wondering about set peices that were supposed to be done weeks ago, and about Spencer looking Russian without being wigged because the Dean pulled him aside the other day and told him that he didn't care if he had permission from a proffesor, his hair was too long and for talking back, he has to have it extra short. Also a little concerned with Anselin, who passed out onstage last night. Oh yes, and about Marcie, the little girl who's been called in just this week to play Bielke...we still haven't heard from her or her parents and she's a youngun. But these are the adventurous little things that make show biz exciting!
My schedule's pretty easy this semester...I'm only taking 13 credits, and all but three of my classes are fine arts related (english, education, and math). Hizzah for that.
So I think that's about all I can think of to say. My Jen says that I should mention how "fabawesome" and "fantacular" she is. I think I'm going to go eat soon, because if I don't I will, in the words of Jen herself, "feel like a hammer without a head...completely useless!"
Love you all!
Oh yes. Rehearsal. That is a large part of my life at the moment. The great Bro. Hyrum asked me to assistant stage manage "Fiddler on the Roof" and since we open in a couple weeks it's getting down the crunch. And from my experience so far I'm beginning to think he picked me because I've helped him with tech before and the stage manager for this show doesn't really do much. (Shah! Not a Christian thing to say, I know.) I'm also finally in an acting class this semester, with John Bidwell. My poor psyche is going to have a rough time of it this semester when it comes to acting. (Please excuse me while I go into theatre terminology for a moment.) Bidwell teaches method...he's all for Stanislavski as explored and explained by Uda Hagen and Michael Shurtleff. I'm also being trained by Hyrum Conrad in Alba emoting, though, which is quite the opposite of method, although still presentational in nature. (Alba's pretty deep stuff that I can't even hope to explain...check out http://keystoneonline.com/story.asp?Art_id=1135 and there's a pretty good article there. It's not a very widespread technique because so many people are so used to method, and because there are only 5 or 6 teachers in the U.S. certified to train in Alba.) Later in the spring, if I get into "Our Town," I'll be working with Omar Hansen, whose main focus is story-telling and representational acting. I think my brain might explode. BUT, I figure the best way to learn is to learn it all, and then choose which works best for me and to have all those things as resources so that I can employ them all in their proper time and place.
Being involved with "Fiddler" is tons of fun, though. I love working with Bro. Hyrum, and the cast is fabulous. We had a minor crisis yesterday...actually, it's pretty major but I'm trying to labor under the happy dillusion that it's not. Our Hodel broke her arm slipping on the ice yesterday, so her left arm is all up in a sling. The break went into her elbow so her arm is totally immobilized. So we're trying to re-work choreography and figure out how a costume can hide a cast and/or sling. We're also wondering about set peices that were supposed to be done weeks ago, and about Spencer looking Russian without being wigged because the Dean pulled him aside the other day and told him that he didn't care if he had permission from a proffesor, his hair was too long and for talking back, he has to have it extra short. Also a little concerned with Anselin, who passed out onstage last night. Oh yes, and about Marcie, the little girl who's been called in just this week to play Bielke...we still haven't heard from her or her parents and she's a youngun. But these are the adventurous little things that make show biz exciting!
My schedule's pretty easy this semester...I'm only taking 13 credits, and all but three of my classes are fine arts related (english, education, and math). Hizzah for that.
So I think that's about all I can think of to say. My Jen says that I should mention how "fabawesome" and "fantacular" she is. I think I'm going to go eat soon, because if I don't I will, in the words of Jen herself, "feel like a hammer without a head...completely useless!"
Love you all!
Monday, January 10, 2005
Don't be so glum, friend!
Greetings, all! After a lengthy absence, I have returned to bloginate once more! So very much is on my mind, however, that I kind of doubt that there will be anything of real substance in this entry. I've been a little overwhelmed this week.
I think the word "overwhelmed" has too many negative connotations. When I say I'm overwhelmed, it doesn't necessarily mean bad stuff is overwhelming me. It's just that oh so very much has been going on that I'm not sure what to make of everything. So by the word "overwhelmed" I mean that I am experiencing ecstacy, despair, confusion, outrage, happiness, pensiveness (is that a word?), meloncholy, annoyance...you name the emotion, I've got it tumbling around in me somewhere. It's a little bit exhausting.
I'm a-thinkin that all this emotion is making my contacts a little dry. Please excuse me while I remove them. I think this is the end of my blog.
I think the word "overwhelmed" has too many negative connotations. When I say I'm overwhelmed, it doesn't necessarily mean bad stuff is overwhelming me. It's just that oh so very much has been going on that I'm not sure what to make of everything. So by the word "overwhelmed" I mean that I am experiencing ecstacy, despair, confusion, outrage, happiness, pensiveness (is that a word?), meloncholy, annoyance...you name the emotion, I've got it tumbling around in me somewhere. It's a little bit exhausting.
I'm a-thinkin that all this emotion is making my contacts a little dry. Please excuse me while I remove them. I think this is the end of my blog.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
The next Sister Heyborne?
SURVEY SURVEY SURVEY!!!!!!!
This is the great question...who should marry up-and-coming LDS star, Kirby heyborne? Liz or Rebekah?
Let's review the facts:
1. Kirby is mid-20's age. I am 19. Beckah is 16.
2. I am single. Beckah is not.
3. I live closer to Utah.
4. Beckah offered to let me settle for having an affair with him, but that's immoral.
5. I claimed him first.
6. I have my Young Women's medallion.
7. We could have children named Kirbisabeth, which is way fun to say.
Okey, dokey. It seems that the indicators obviously point toward Liz being the best candidate as Sister Heyborne. But Beckah insists. So what do you think? Now is your chance to have great influence. Make a comment on this post to respond to this little survey cajodie.
This is the great question...who should marry up-and-coming LDS star, Kirby heyborne? Liz or Rebekah?
Let's review the facts:
1. Kirby is mid-20's age. I am 19. Beckah is 16.
2. I am single. Beckah is not.
3. I live closer to Utah.
4. Beckah offered to let me settle for having an affair with him, but that's immoral.
5. I claimed him first.
6. I have my Young Women's medallion.
7. We could have children named Kirbisabeth, which is way fun to say.
Okey, dokey. It seems that the indicators obviously point toward Liz being the best candidate as Sister Heyborne. But Beckah insists. So what do you think? Now is your chance to have great influence. Make a comment on this post to respond to this little survey cajodie.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Happy Christmas, everyone!
I have made a marvelous discovery! I almost didn't make it in time. You see, I usually take a little longer to get into the Christmas spirit every year. If you start too early, by the time Christmas actually comes around, you're sick of it. This Christmas, I didn't get into it until about 8:30 last night. And all it took was a little good old-fashioned SERVICE. I felt ridiculous, not to mention awful, to have not done some of that before. It was like one of those lightning bolt moments, you know? One of those times when you're in the middle of doing something good, and all of a sudden this little voice pops into your head and says, "Hello? Duh! Isn't this what it's all about anyway?!" It was fabulous. I feel refreshed.
This Christmas was wonderful! The traditional Wolff family Christmas was the usual memorable affair, with singing and presents and food and people arguing about politics in vehement German. It was great to spend some time with my Oma and Opa...after the visit, I asked Dad whether I'm just getting older and noticing it or whether Oma and Opa are getting funnier. He said he thinks they're getting funnier. They just have so much personality, and they're so funny, and the best part is they don't even know it! Observe the following conversation I was privy to during a visit. All this is said with endearing heavy German accents.
Opa: Is the heater off again?
Oma: Ja, I turned it off.
Opa: Why?
Oma: Because it's been on all morning and we don't need it.
Opa: It's 64 degrees in here!
Oma: Hans, I know. That's why you go outside and sit in the sun.
Opa: But it's cold!
Oma: I know. Hans, go sit in the chair outside and read your paper.
Opa: (as he goes outside to read his paper in the chair in the sun) So cold...why don't we use the heat?
They are just the funnest, most wonderful people. They pretend to argue like that at least 15 times a day, but they're still so much in love with eachother, after almost 50 years! There's just something about that that makes you feel kinda warm and tingly inside, you know?
After the visit in California, Beckah and I flew back to Boise and then drove to cozy little La Grande. What's Christmas without family, so we decided to invite the whole Gardner side to our place! Aunt Stacey and Uncle Chris came with their kids and stayed for a few days, and Bill and Sherry came with their crew just for the day today. Our expected 23 guests were cut down to 17 or so, and I don't know what happened. The men discussed it, and besides, those are details that just don't seem to be discussed around here. We went caroling and spent hours baking and doing dishes and laughing and singing and sneaking into the garage to snitch the homemade candy that's setting out there. Of course, I see no harm in this, as we cooked for a lot more people than actually came. The 25-pound turkey is going to take us a little longer to consume, though...
I think the greatest thing about this Christmas has been realizing what a great family I have. I always knew they were pretty spectacular, but they're also fun and smart and egocentric and altogether endearing. I always used to be a little scared of Chris and Stacey...Big, tall, wide Uncle Chris with the bushy red beard and eyebrows, with his jeans and flannel shirts, and Aunt Stacey with her beautiful nails and blonde hair and whacky jewelry. I've come to know that Uncle Chris is just a big teddy bear and that Aunt Stacey is oodles of fun packed into 5 feet and 5 inches with the greatest laugh and a wonderful spiritual side. Uncle Chris and I had a nice talk...he reminiscing about BYU-Idaho and me telling him which things were the same and which were different. He told me how he and Stacey got married when they were young and the next day started school at Rick's. I said I couldn't understand how people could do that and that I don't want to get married in the middle of school. Chris replied "Well, you get married anytime you want to, sweetie pie," and then told me that marriage is a wonderful thing. He also said something that I'll never forget...he said "Well, you know, life is just such an adventure and I didn't want to do it alone." Yeah. That's what it's all about.
What else can I say? I love Christmas! This year was just about as close to perfect as I can imagine Christmas to be. There were deeply spiritual moments, hilarious moments, tender moments, and moments when all I could do was just look around and think "This is what it's all about. This is why I'm here. This is an eternal family. How blessed can you get? How on earth did I land such a wonderful family?" I'm so excited to be married and have a family of my own and carry on these traditions and start some new ones! I'm so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a member of this family!
This Christmas was wonderful! The traditional Wolff family Christmas was the usual memorable affair, with singing and presents and food and people arguing about politics in vehement German. It was great to spend some time with my Oma and Opa...after the visit, I asked Dad whether I'm just getting older and noticing it or whether Oma and Opa are getting funnier. He said he thinks they're getting funnier. They just have so much personality, and they're so funny, and the best part is they don't even know it! Observe the following conversation I was privy to during a visit. All this is said with endearing heavy German accents.
Opa: Is the heater off again?
Oma: Ja, I turned it off.
Opa: Why?
Oma: Because it's been on all morning and we don't need it.
Opa: It's 64 degrees in here!
Oma: Hans, I know. That's why you go outside and sit in the sun.
Opa: But it's cold!
Oma: I know. Hans, go sit in the chair outside and read your paper.
Opa: (as he goes outside to read his paper in the chair in the sun) So cold...why don't we use the heat?
They are just the funnest, most wonderful people. They pretend to argue like that at least 15 times a day, but they're still so much in love with eachother, after almost 50 years! There's just something about that that makes you feel kinda warm and tingly inside, you know?
After the visit in California, Beckah and I flew back to Boise and then drove to cozy little La Grande. What's Christmas without family, so we decided to invite the whole Gardner side to our place! Aunt Stacey and Uncle Chris came with their kids and stayed for a few days, and Bill and Sherry came with their crew just for the day today. Our expected 23 guests were cut down to 17 or so, and I don't know what happened. The men discussed it, and besides, those are details that just don't seem to be discussed around here. We went caroling and spent hours baking and doing dishes and laughing and singing and sneaking into the garage to snitch the homemade candy that's setting out there. Of course, I see no harm in this, as we cooked for a lot more people than actually came. The 25-pound turkey is going to take us a little longer to consume, though...
I think the greatest thing about this Christmas has been realizing what a great family I have. I always knew they were pretty spectacular, but they're also fun and smart and egocentric and altogether endearing. I always used to be a little scared of Chris and Stacey...Big, tall, wide Uncle Chris with the bushy red beard and eyebrows, with his jeans and flannel shirts, and Aunt Stacey with her beautiful nails and blonde hair and whacky jewelry. I've come to know that Uncle Chris is just a big teddy bear and that Aunt Stacey is oodles of fun packed into 5 feet and 5 inches with the greatest laugh and a wonderful spiritual side. Uncle Chris and I had a nice talk...he reminiscing about BYU-Idaho and me telling him which things were the same and which were different. He told me how he and Stacey got married when they were young and the next day started school at Rick's. I said I couldn't understand how people could do that and that I don't want to get married in the middle of school. Chris replied "Well, you get married anytime you want to, sweetie pie," and then told me that marriage is a wonderful thing. He also said something that I'll never forget...he said "Well, you know, life is just such an adventure and I didn't want to do it alone." Yeah. That's what it's all about.
What else can I say? I love Christmas! This year was just about as close to perfect as I can imagine Christmas to be. There were deeply spiritual moments, hilarious moments, tender moments, and moments when all I could do was just look around and think "This is what it's all about. This is why I'm here. This is an eternal family. How blessed can you get? How on earth did I land such a wonderful family?" I'm so excited to be married and have a family of my own and carry on these traditions and start some new ones! I'm so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a member of this family!
Friday, December 24, 2004
Ah, how I have missed the Macintosh!
Ladies and gentleman, after much debate, I have decided on a name for my website! And the winner is...****drumroll**** Alexis with "www.tyrannosaurusvex.com"! (Sorry, Ma, "Jurassic Fart" runs a really close second.) I am really excited about the webpage...I stayed up until the wee small hours of the morning working on it. It still has a few glitches, and it's not the prettiest page in the world. But hey, dang good for a first try and it still serves it's purpose well. Bravo! Hey, um, I don't remember any of the other things I was a-going to blog about and I'm kind of hungry, so this will have to do for now. Remember, men don't jump over moons, cows do. Love to all of you!
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
I'm justa bloggin fool!
Holiday greetings, all! I've spent the last couple of days here in the San Fransisco bay area, visiting me mum and her side of the family. Beckah and I got to fly here from Boise all by our grown-up selves, which trip was filled with adventures of all shapes and sizes. The most memorable things from the flight were the ugliest dog we have ever seen being stuffed (like, literally, stuffed) into a carry-on bag and a really funny guy who kinda looked like Albert from the Strokes, and he was so happily excited about the littlest things. ("They weren't taking a flight, they just went to the airport to have a picnic!!!!! And to watch the airplanes! Isn't that great???!!!!!!!") Other announcements, I've got good news and bad news. Bad news first...for all you Medford-and-surrounding-area-ites, I don't know if I'll be able to make it out there to visit this Christmas! I want to cry! I'm still trying to find a way, but I just don't know if it will happen, and if it does, I don't how. Wah. Meh. Gah.
Good news! Actually, I don't know if it's exactly good news, but just a fun announcement, and I'm really excited about it, so I share it with you all now. By the end of this Christmas vacation, I will have my web-page posted and running! There will be a link on there to this blog, so I plan on keeping it up. Other features will include:
Quote-page
Pictures
Movies
Fun links
and lots more! I will post and e-mail everyone the address as soon as I've decided it. I don't know, Ma, I'm starting to have my qualms about "www.jurassicfart.com"...well, it's still really funny. OKAY! Here's the deal! Mission for all of you!
What do you think of the name
www.jurassicfart.com ?
Approve? Disapprove? Do you have any other funny ideas? I'm trying to stick with the dinosaur theme. Post a comment and let me know!
Tootles all!
Good news! Actually, I don't know if it's exactly good news, but just a fun announcement, and I'm really excited about it, so I share it with you all now. By the end of this Christmas vacation, I will have my web-page posted and running! There will be a link on there to this blog, so I plan on keeping it up. Other features will include:
Quote-page
Pictures
Movies
Fun links
and lots more! I will post and e-mail everyone the address as soon as I've decided it. I don't know, Ma, I'm starting to have my qualms about "www.jurassicfart.com"...well, it's still really funny. OKAY! Here's the deal! Mission for all of you!
What do you think of the name
www.jurassicfart.com ?
Approve? Disapprove? Do you have any other funny ideas? I'm trying to stick with the dinosaur theme. Post a comment and let me know!
Tootles all!
Monday, December 13, 2004
Think about it, won't you?
This blog is devoted to several ponderable questions. All are simple things that I'm surprised have taken me this long to think about. I haven't found the answers yet, so if you do, make a comment and let me know.
#1) Do twins share a placenta while in the womb? Or do they get separate ones?
#2) Can fish get rigamortis?
#3) Is Hugh Jackman's wife the actress who plays David's mother in Disney's "Newsies"?
#4) Was the voice of Ursula in Disney's "The Little Mermaid" done by a man?
#5) What's the point of a bee having a stinger if they die after stinging you anyhow?
#6) Why has America for centuries thought of tomatoes as vegetables even though everyone knows they're fruits? Why is they fact that they're fruits weird to us?
Ponder these 6 questions, research them, examine them, and then let me know, only because I think it will be more fun for you to do than for me to do. Plus it's finals week.
#1) Do twins share a placenta while in the womb? Or do they get separate ones?
#2) Can fish get rigamortis?
#3) Is Hugh Jackman's wife the actress who plays David's mother in Disney's "Newsies"?
#4) Was the voice of Ursula in Disney's "The Little Mermaid" done by a man?
#5) What's the point of a bee having a stinger if they die after stinging you anyhow?
#6) Why has America for centuries thought of tomatoes as vegetables even though everyone knows they're fruits? Why is they fact that they're fruits weird to us?
Ponder these 6 questions, research them, examine them, and then let me know, only because I think it will be more fun for you to do than for me to do. Plus it's finals week.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
"U.S.S.R.--Unfortunately Some Shouldn't Replenish"
I have come to the conclusion that I am addicted to the theatre. It's been 3 days --count 'em-- one two three days since my performance of "Once On This Island" and I can already feel myself getting those crazy post-production blues again. It's like, when I'm not in a show or doing something theatrical, it seems as if there's this part of my life that's all, like, void of meaning and stuff. In high school and C.P.T.A. it was different because as soon as a show was over I knew there was going to be another one in a couple of weeks and I knew I was going to be in it. (That sounds disgustingly prideful, but in high school, you just work your way up there as a senior and C.P.T.A. was so small that at times the whole troupe auditioned and we were still short the cast members needed.) I guess I'm feeling it a lot now because I know the next show won't be for another month, and I have NO idea whether or not I'll even be involved in it at all. That's one downside to being a freshman at BYU-Idaho, where there are lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of talented people. On the other hand, we have different fingers. There's also this point: At a school like this one, there's always something theatrical going on. Scenework, theatre council, improv, etc. etc.
Speaking of which, I'm having a huge dilemma. As soon as I saw the first "Comic Frenzy" show of the year, I thought to myself "That's gonna be you up there some day. That's your goal. By the time you graduate, you will have been in BYU-Idaho's improv team, the one and only 'Comic Frenzy.' " As I get to know these improv kids, however, and as I watch the shows and see them work, I can't figure out if I'm any less intimidated. They hold auditions at the beginning of every semester for new members, and I auditioned in September, but obviously wasn't one of the 2 people to get in. The problem is this. I want to audition for the sake of auditioning and to make sure to get myself out there and be seen and everything, but I'm afraid I'll get in! The idea of actually being in "Comic Frenzy" scares me more than the auditions do. Maybe it's a committment thing and I'm afraid I'll get too stressed and busy, or maybe it's the fear that no one else will get my sense of humor, because apparently it's really bizarre and there are few people in the world who seem to laugh at the same things I do. I plan on auditioning on this condition...that Jen, Lex, and Jenny come to every single show and laugh loud and hard, because they share my humor.
There is one thing and one thing only I would like to say. (Oscar-winning moment, Liz!) Theatre is simply an irremovable part of me. (start underlying dramatic music here) It is what makes up the core of my very being...it courses through my veins like an irreplaceable life-force...I could no more remove theatre from who I am than I could remove a limb from my very body...without theatre I am incomplete...theatre fulfills me, makes me whole as a healing elixir resores meaning, life, and energy. It is the blood in my veins, the marrow in my bones, the saliva in my mouth, the earwax in my ears. The voids in my life and the pages of my day-planner are filled with the agonies and ecstacies of the stage. TAKE AWAY THEATRE AND TAKE AWAY LIFE! IT IS IN ME...FILLING EVERY PARTICLE OF MY BODY AND SOUL! I AM THEATAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Where's my cape?)
I'd like to thank Brant for the closing line of my monologue, JD for the seeminly unfitting title of this blog, and no one for the underlying dramatic music, because Jeff wasn't here and because it doesn't really exist on the written page anyway.
Disclaimer: I like theatre a lot. Actually I love it. And I would be very unhappy without it in my life. But just to keep myself from getting struck by lightning ("thou shalt have no other gods before me"), it's a little farther down the list of priorities than all that. The Gospel, the Atonement, my family, my friends, and the words of the prophets come a little bit before theatre on the list.
Speaking of which, I'm having a huge dilemma. As soon as I saw the first "Comic Frenzy" show of the year, I thought to myself "That's gonna be you up there some day. That's your goal. By the time you graduate, you will have been in BYU-Idaho's improv team, the one and only 'Comic Frenzy.' " As I get to know these improv kids, however, and as I watch the shows and see them work, I can't figure out if I'm any less intimidated. They hold auditions at the beginning of every semester for new members, and I auditioned in September, but obviously wasn't one of the 2 people to get in. The problem is this. I want to audition for the sake of auditioning and to make sure to get myself out there and be seen and everything, but I'm afraid I'll get in! The idea of actually being in "Comic Frenzy" scares me more than the auditions do. Maybe it's a committment thing and I'm afraid I'll get too stressed and busy, or maybe it's the fear that no one else will get my sense of humor, because apparently it's really bizarre and there are few people in the world who seem to laugh at the same things I do. I plan on auditioning on this condition...that Jen, Lex, and Jenny come to every single show and laugh loud and hard, because they share my humor.
There is one thing and one thing only I would like to say. (Oscar-winning moment, Liz!) Theatre is simply an irremovable part of me. (start underlying dramatic music here) It is what makes up the core of my very being...it courses through my veins like an irreplaceable life-force...I could no more remove theatre from who I am than I could remove a limb from my very body...without theatre I am incomplete...theatre fulfills me, makes me whole as a healing elixir resores meaning, life, and energy. It is the blood in my veins, the marrow in my bones, the saliva in my mouth, the earwax in my ears. The voids in my life and the pages of my day-planner are filled with the agonies and ecstacies of the stage. TAKE AWAY THEATRE AND TAKE AWAY LIFE! IT IS IN ME...FILLING EVERY PARTICLE OF MY BODY AND SOUL! I AM THEATAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Where's my cape?)
I'd like to thank Brant for the closing line of my monologue, JD for the seeminly unfitting title of this blog, and no one for the underlying dramatic music, because Jeff wasn't here and because it doesn't really exist on the written page anyway.
Disclaimer: I like theatre a lot. Actually I love it. And I would be very unhappy without it in my life. But just to keep myself from getting struck by lightning ("thou shalt have no other gods before me"), it's a little farther down the list of priorities than all that. The Gospel, the Atonement, my family, my friends, and the words of the prophets come a little bit before theatre on the list.
Friday, December 10, 2004
Good thing it ricocheted...
Good morning, life! It's great to feel like I'm back in reality again. Last night was like an episode of the Twilight Zone. It all started with Jen's indigestion, but it's far too complicated to re-hash the entire story, so if you were there, you know what I'm talking about, and if not, you'll just have to get the story from me later. I don't feel like telling it AGAIN.
My date was fun. We went to Roy's house and had dinner with the other couples, then played scripture pictionary, and Roy taught me q-basic computer programming. It didn't even strike me how nerdy that was until about half-way through the date when I thought. "Hey, I'm on a date and the guy's telling me about computer programming. And I'm actually interested! I'm a big nerd." But it was cool. Nothing phenomenal happened, really. (Except that walking home, I swear to you, I saw Albert from the Strokes! I don't know what he'd be doing on BYU-Idaho campus, but I'm actually seriously entertaining the possibility that it was really him. That's how much this guy looked like him.) But it was fun.
Our apartment did make a new friend last night. Our good buddy, "Couch-Jason" brought a friend over named Piper, and he's really cool. He's got a fabulous sense of humor and is quite Scottish. Between him and Jason, I'm always laughing, but I never really know why...they confuse me a lot and half the time I never know what the heck they're talking about, but it sure is funny. (I'd like to make a quick comment here...until recent years, I've always worked hard to suppress my laugh. But I've decided to give up and when something strikes a funny chord with me, I just let loose with the loudest, most obnoxious laugh in the world. Someone once told me that my laugh reminds them of the horrible annoying lady on "Return to Me" that Bob gets set up with.) Anyway, after a fun-filled evening, we decided to adopt Piper as our own to join Jason. (We're slowly gathering young men into the iron clutches of our dorm...mwa ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!!!!) "And he shall be our Piper."
Another announcement...at last, we are approaching the end of the semester! Actually, I shouldn't say "at last"...it feels a lot more like "already?!" Today will be dedicated to cleaning the dorm top to bottom for the notorious white-glove clean-checks tomorrow morning. ("You'll stay up - till this dump - shines like the top of the Chrysler building!") I went to bed last night with the firm resolution to get up today full of energy and motivation to clean. And this morning, I got up at around 10:30 and I'm not sure what I've been doing all day, because it's 1:00 now and all I've done to clean is fold my pajamas. After I'm done blogging, I suppose I better start cleaning.
Next week is finals week, and will be jam-packed with studying, final projects and papers, tests, packing, making travel arrangements, helping Jen and Aleisha and Kara move, trying to use up our meal plans, and sitting around saying "What the heck! I can't believe it's already Christmas break! What am I going to do without you guys for 2 and 1/2 weeks?" Thank goodness for msn messenger! Wouldn't you agree, Beck? ;)
One last subject and then I've got to burgle and be betty for at least an hour or two. A strange phenomenon has occured since coming up to BYU-Idaho for me. I must be a horrible person, or at least have some complex need for something less than noble. Since coming to BYU-Idaho, I have developed a habit of swearing. I only say the d-word and the h-word and occasionally the a-word, (see, I'm trying to break the habit) but still. Of all places in the world to pick up that habit! Although I know a lot of guys here who picked up a habit of swearing on their missions, which is just as weird if not weirder. I still get irked at the other foul words. And when I swear, it's not part of my normal everyday lexicon. It's only in certain circumstances. When the bell tower goes off, if I get mad at cast or crew I'm working with, or if a night like last night happens and the only thing I can think of the express my confusion and disorientation is "Jen, what in h**l is going on right now?!" I apologize to those who may think less of me with this startling revelation about my character. Believe me, I don't think it's the noblest of characteristics. But here's the worst part...to be completely honest, there's a side of me that finds it really funny. And that side of me is kind of bigger than the side of me that thinks it's awful. I feel guilty, but not about swearing. I feel guilty because swearing itself doesn't make me feel too guilty.
Anyhoo, that's the update on the life of Liz. Ta ta for the present, and remember that men don't jump over moons, but cows do.
PS: Hoorah! For today is Friday, which means FOOD CLUB TONIGHT! This entails eating food, acting like hoodlums (which means flipping our collars up and lighting matches on our hips), and talking about all the cool people we know! We invited Piper and Jason to join our Food Club, but Jason's got himself a little lady-friend now, so I wonder if we're going to see him as often as we did before. Sadness. But there's always food!
PPS: In the title of this blog...is that how you spell "ricocheted"? As in to bounce off of something?
My date was fun. We went to Roy's house and had dinner with the other couples, then played scripture pictionary, and Roy taught me q-basic computer programming. It didn't even strike me how nerdy that was until about half-way through the date when I thought. "Hey, I'm on a date and the guy's telling me about computer programming. And I'm actually interested! I'm a big nerd." But it was cool. Nothing phenomenal happened, really. (Except that walking home, I swear to you, I saw Albert from the Strokes! I don't know what he'd be doing on BYU-Idaho campus, but I'm actually seriously entertaining the possibility that it was really him. That's how much this guy looked like him.) But it was fun.
Our apartment did make a new friend last night. Our good buddy, "Couch-Jason" brought a friend over named Piper, and he's really cool. He's got a fabulous sense of humor and is quite Scottish. Between him and Jason, I'm always laughing, but I never really know why...they confuse me a lot and half the time I never know what the heck they're talking about, but it sure is funny. (I'd like to make a quick comment here...until recent years, I've always worked hard to suppress my laugh. But I've decided to give up and when something strikes a funny chord with me, I just let loose with the loudest, most obnoxious laugh in the world. Someone once told me that my laugh reminds them of the horrible annoying lady on "Return to Me" that Bob gets set up with.) Anyway, after a fun-filled evening, we decided to adopt Piper as our own to join Jason. (We're slowly gathering young men into the iron clutches of our dorm...mwa ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!!!!) "And he shall be our Piper."
Another announcement...at last, we are approaching the end of the semester! Actually, I shouldn't say "at last"...it feels a lot more like "already?!" Today will be dedicated to cleaning the dorm top to bottom for the notorious white-glove clean-checks tomorrow morning. ("You'll stay up - till this dump - shines like the top of the Chrysler building!") I went to bed last night with the firm resolution to get up today full of energy and motivation to clean. And this morning, I got up at around 10:30 and I'm not sure what I've been doing all day, because it's 1:00 now and all I've done to clean is fold my pajamas. After I'm done blogging, I suppose I better start cleaning.
Next week is finals week, and will be jam-packed with studying, final projects and papers, tests, packing, making travel arrangements, helping Jen and Aleisha and Kara move, trying to use up our meal plans, and sitting around saying "What the heck! I can't believe it's already Christmas break! What am I going to do without you guys for 2 and 1/2 weeks?" Thank goodness for msn messenger! Wouldn't you agree, Beck? ;)
One last subject and then I've got to burgle and be betty for at least an hour or two. A strange phenomenon has occured since coming up to BYU-Idaho for me. I must be a horrible person, or at least have some complex need for something less than noble. Since coming to BYU-Idaho, I have developed a habit of swearing. I only say the d-word and the h-word and occasionally the a-word, (see, I'm trying to break the habit) but still. Of all places in the world to pick up that habit! Although I know a lot of guys here who picked up a habit of swearing on their missions, which is just as weird if not weirder. I still get irked at the other foul words. And when I swear, it's not part of my normal everyday lexicon. It's only in certain circumstances. When the bell tower goes off, if I get mad at cast or crew I'm working with, or if a night like last night happens and the only thing I can think of the express my confusion and disorientation is "Jen, what in h**l is going on right now?!" I apologize to those who may think less of me with this startling revelation about my character. Believe me, I don't think it's the noblest of characteristics. But here's the worst part...to be completely honest, there's a side of me that finds it really funny. And that side of me is kind of bigger than the side of me that thinks it's awful. I feel guilty, but not about swearing. I feel guilty because swearing itself doesn't make me feel too guilty.
Anyhoo, that's the update on the life of Liz. Ta ta for the present, and remember that men don't jump over moons, but cows do.
PS: Hoorah! For today is Friday, which means FOOD CLUB TONIGHT! This entails eating food, acting like hoodlums (which means flipping our collars up and lighting matches on our hips), and talking about all the cool people we know! We invited Piper and Jason to join our Food Club, but Jason's got himself a little lady-friend now, so I wonder if we're going to see him as often as we did before. Sadness. But there's always food!
PPS: In the title of this blog...is that how you spell "ricocheted"? As in to bounce off of something?
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