this week in pictures...

This is what has been happening between taking midterms, spending time with family and visiting with friends.

 

 

 

Rent had some fantastic vocals, Utah Repertory Theater Company did a good job in a cool atmosphere.  Love this show always.

On our way to Rent, Toni and I checked out the Granery, this funky little space downtown in the middle of the street.  Boxcars, music, food carts, and this super painted piano are just of the things you can experience.

Something's Afoot at Pioneer Theater Company was entertaining but predictable because I found it too similar to Clue. The vocals and scenery were great though.

This week they filmed a commercial for Walgreen's sponsorship of the Olympics in my backyard.  Lots of fake snow was created and a helicopter was somehow involved.  More importantly Ted Ligety, Alpine Skier, and 2006 Olympic Gold Medalist was there.

Finally saw World War Z.  It was well made and a very intriguing story.  I thought it was kind of creepy, but not because the Zombies were gross, but because of the scientific implications.  This was the first time I thought a Zombie story was kind of plausible and bio-terrorism had a interesting and twisty role. 

Oh yeah, and the government shut down.  I believe it is due to very petty reasons caused by both parties.  I would like to see what would happen if all of the schools, hospitals, and police force shut down...oh wait, a World War Z, type scenario perhaps?  I am bothered at what is considered essential versus non-essential... like how the CDC is closed.

A reminder ...

about the importance of NO DAY BUT TODAY... (by Adam Pascal)


"Truly experience the moment you're in... If you're always looking to the

next thing, nothing will ever satisfy you."






good thoughts.

Empire State of Mind: Give My Regards to Broadway!

Oh Broadway.  I have loved musicals for as long as I remember.  When I was 14 I spent several days of my vacation to my Aunt's house in Washington watching old recorded Tony awards.  My 2 favorite musicals of all time are Rent and Lion King, so of course I had to see them both while in NYC. 

Our hotel was in the center of the theater district.  I wish I could have watched 2-3 shows a day while I was there.  Stars performing on our block included Alan Rickman, Nick Jonas, Ricky Martin, James Earl Jones, Jerry O'Connel, Audra McDonald, Matthew Broderick, Candice Bergan, Will Swenson, Adam Pascal, and Stockard Channing...just to name a few :).  Unfortunately we only saw Alan Rickman's father and Matthew Broderick's car, but it was awesome to just be in the area.

For my birthday Camille, Toni, Laura, and I went to see Rent.  It was so much fun.  The man who played Roger was the same guy who played Angel in the cast I saw in Seattle.  The Angel in this show was just sensational.  It was a wonderful way to spend the evening.

On Sunday afternoon Camille headed to the drag-queen extravaganza "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" while Mike, Laura, and I hit up Lion King.  It was a site to see, and although I had recently saw it in Salt Lake, this version is a must-see for sure.  Love the music, the message, and of course the costumes are pretty mind-blowing.

Christmas Bells are Ringing....

4 things I love right now:

1.  Sewing is coming along a lot more naturally then I thought.  I have made some stockings and am working on 2 quilts.  I just wish it all went a bit faster.

2. The Christmas Lights this year at Temple Square seem exceptionally amazing.

3. The Student section at Utah State.  Read the Sagebrush Spot if you want to read about the recent chaos that has occurred. 

4.  Rent.  I went and saw a local community production.  It had some great individual vocals and a story I will always love.

no other chance, no other way

I have had a million and a half topics I have wanted to blog about for the past 2 weeks. This is my 200th post so for some reason I thought it needed to be profound. For my 100th post I listed 100 random things about me. I am not going to be that dramatic this time. In fact I probably won't be very dramatic at all, or profound.

I am just going to write about something that has been running through my head quite a bit the past month or so, sorry if it doesn't make complete sense.

It is a line from Jonathan Larsen's Rent. One of my favorites but I believe it is misinterpreted. I want to note what it means to me.

"Forget regret, or life is yours to miss."

To me this doesn't mean you should do whatever the hell you want, no regrets.

To me this means you should forget doing things in your life you know deep down inside you will ultimately regret. Why would anyone want to spend any part of their lives regretting something they did or didn't do? So yes forget (doing something you) regret, or you will miss out on life. Rules and morals aren't their to put limits on you. They increase your freedom. I truly believe that, I have witnessed the difference in my own life and seen people who decide to "screw the rules" spent a lot of time missing out on all of the wonder life has to offer.

Life is short enough already. Spend it living it, not regretting it.

Seattle Day #4

So my 4th day in Seattle started off more casually. Actually we slept in til 1130 and then spent the afternoon getting the alternator replaced in Toni's car. While we were waiting for the car we went to a little ghetto diner across the street called, Germina's (or something like that). It was one of those sit yourself down, would you like pie with that kind of places. Charming with excellent food (I got chicken fingers). Then we wandered back to the mechanic and decided that we might as well get manicures at the nails place attached to the mechanics garage. Yes, attached...

After we finished the car and nails we ran to the store and by Toni's work, and then we got ready for Rent. We picked up Mandi, grabbed a bite at Starbucks, and then I died and went to heaven.

I have posted many times my feeling for this show. In case you missed it, click here for a short history. This cast was fantastic (I doubt there has ever really been a cast that wasn't) and consisted of the guys who played Collins and Angel in the final cast and of course my all time favorites from the original cast--Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal.

Those 2 on stage together is Rent magic.

What I learned from seeing it this time:
1. I am Mark. He is my favorite character as well, but one line that Roger says to Mark in the song, "Goodbye Love" that hit me with peculiar force was, "You're always preaching not to be numb, when that's how you thrive...You pretend to create and observe when you really detach from feeling alive..." I am not going to explain what that means to me, but I will say some light bulbs went off.
2. You are what you own. In the song "What you own" that Roger and Mark sing, they talk about how when you are living at the end of a millennium, you are what you own. It's straight up truth. When it really comes down to it, what you've done-who you are...that is what is important...that is all you can take with you. YOU are what you own. So you better make yourself the best person you can be. That is what the Gospel teaches us, that is how Christ lived his life. President Hinckley had a lot of thoughts that emphasized this point. If we are what we own we should be excellent, become excellent people and be excellent to each other (thanks bill and ted). Pres. Hinckley also said this, "Let us all try to stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better. Make the extra effort. You will be happier. You will know a new satisfaction, a new gladness in your heart" (Source is called "Quest for Excellence" and it is found here). That sounds like a great recipe for success to be excellent since "you are what you own" in the end.

Ok can't lie, I am impressed I connected Rent and the Gospel.

So after the show we stood with a bunch of anxious fans trying to get autographs and pictures, and then we headed to an Irish Pub called, Fido (fi as in fit minus the t sound, and doe...not fido the dog).

Hung out there for awhile with some awesome girls from the hospital and then went for a 2 am dinner at a lovely place called the 13 coins restaurant. It is a very classy restaurant that serves gourmet food 24 hours a day. I got the blackened chicken which was spicier than sin.

Finally about 4 am we made it to bed. It was a wonderful day!

P.S. The opposite of war isn't peace...it's Creation.

RENT DAY

I mean Seattle Day #4. Ok so really it was all things RENT and it was AWESOME.

See how I am typing a lot of capitals....yeah maybe I should go to bed and type tomorrow :)

I heart RENT.

at starbucks before the show

25 words for 525,600 minutes

A couple of Sundays ago, the teacher in Relief Society played the song "Seasons of Love" from RENT, and told us the story of a soldier/POW who was only allowed to wrtie 25 words in a letter to his family. She challanged us to describe our last year in 25 words so I thought I'd share my 25 words.

I'm a daughter, friend, nurse, woman,

humanitarian, believer.

Lover of people, aggies, truthfulness, God.

Seek light, have faith, measure in love.

No day but today.

President Monson once said, "Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now." (Finding Joy in the Journey)

What brought you to where you are now??

Day#4: Today we got on the bus to head back to NYC. After a long bumpy ride involving motion sickness details I will spare you I was grateful for a chance to relax. After we recovered my life-long dream of going to the mecca of RENT... the LIFE CAFE was realized. We even got seated on the Jonathan Larsen bench!!! I was so happy inside :)

5 things I am grateful for:
1. Going to life cafe.
2. dramamine (that I didn't take and should have)
3. forms of transportation that aren't tired cut up blistery feet
4. music. I realized when we were back in NYC that I had hardly heard any music for days.
5. mike for being a good person and for being a great host.

I don't own emotion, I rent.

I just had the opportunity to watch a live recording of the last ever show of RENT on broadway in NYC. The show ran 12 years, and I have had every word memorized for those 12 years. I feel the need to explain why I like the show so much, so if you aren't interested in RENT at all, don't bother reading on.

One day when I was 13 years old, I was watching the Tony awards and saw a performance that just struck the right note. It was called "Season's of Love" and was from a new show named Rent. They talked after about how the writer had died on opening day and how this show was revolutionary...then they awarded the show with the overall best musical award, along with many others. I was intrigued and the next day at the Murray library I saw the CD was available to check out. I remember my mom saying something about the hearing how inappropriate the show was so I let it be, but later that week I was so curious I stopped checked it out anyway. My friend Meagan and I instantly fell in love with it. We both loved broadway and this was the perfect new edition to our obsession. My life as a Renthead began.

I remember sneaking over to the library at lunch in high school to check out the CD over and over... "no day but today" became my personal mantra. My friend Doug was also in love with the show, and I remember my Aunt Frances and cousins loving it as well. It is hard to describe why, but the rent philosophy revolutionized my world. The music has been with me through a lot of interesting times...like when Dan, Laura, and I almost died on the highway in Idaho...it reminds me to take a breath and be human. It reminds me of what is really important.

My favorite messages:

no other path, no other way, no day but today...forget regret or life is yours to miss...to being an us for once, instead of a them...viva la vie boheme...the opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation...actual reality: act up fight aids!...will I lose my dignity? will someone care, will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare...you'll never share real love, until you love yourself...give into love or live in fear...I don't own emotion, I rent...to people living with, living with, living with, not dying from diease...when you're living in America at the end of the millenium, you're what you own...525,600 minutes, how do you measure, measure a year--measure in love- Seasons of love.

Thank you Jonathan Larsen.