Friday, September 28, 2012

What Movie Would Make the Worst Musical?

The Antics, with the help of a few friends, are performing a murder mystery this October at Utah State. We are writing it ourselves, so I have a lot of say in who my character is and I am writing all of my scripted dialogue myself.
I also made her a fan page on facebook! That way the smartphone carrying crowd can look up the various characters and learn more about their motives, etc.
I feel like I have given Chloe LaRue, my character, a pretty good back story! But I could use some more suggestions.
She is an aging beauty queen/actress/lounge singer who never got to be the superstar she feels she deserved to be. I am looking for a few more specifics for her resume. I have invented a few shows for her to have performed in, but I would be interested in getting some more. These need to be the quality of show that would open off Broadway and only last a couple weeks or television shows that got cancelled during season one (for good reason).

Play Examples:
How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days: The Musical
Sleepless in Seattle: The Musical
Paranormal Activity: The Musical
Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis: Doin' the Jitterbug
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: The Musical

TV Examples:
Police Divas
Name That Baby (game show host)
Sweet Heartland (for which Chloe won an Emmy. A daytime Emmy, that is.)
Cabaret: The Liza Minnelli Story, a Lifetime Original Movie

I am related to some very creative and talented people, I bet you guys could come up with some great ideas!


Monday, September 24, 2012

My Netflix Picks

When Lee is doing homework late, or I don't have a teaching job, I watch a lot of television. It's noise for when I am sick of the silence and a good background for all sorts of chores and activities. As such, I am pretty much an expert on what is what on instant queue.

My Top TV Picks

1. Sherlock
There are now two seasons available and this show is, let me tell you, blow your mind good. each episode is a movie. They are all over an hour long, which is good because there are so few of them. I cannot recommend this to you enough. WATCH IT.

2. Doctor Who
I am currently watching this series, and it is fun. I think the subject matter and language is family friendly and the aliens are goofy looking enough to not be too scary. If you want a show that has drama and action without gore, you picked the right one. Also, it is hilarious. There are several Doctor Whos to pick from on netflix, I am recommending the one that is dated in the 2000s or 2010s with Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant as the first two actors listed.

3. 30 Rock
If you haven't watching this show yet, start now. The pilot isn't great, but keep watching. The better you get to know the characters, the funnier it gets. I wasn't hooked by the first episode, but I saw the promise in it. I was well rewarded a hundred times over with smart humor, fun cameos, and brilliant performing.

4. Downton Abbey
Just watch it. Now. History is the best.

5. Parks and Recreation
Another hilarious show in the style of The Office, but with less mean people and more...diversity? The characters are great, and it pokes fun at small towns and government. My favorite character? Ron Swanson: libertarian, head of parks department, avid hunter, mustache grower, and eater of giant steaks.

Here are the rest of my recommendations in no particular order: Firefly, Dollhouse, The Kennedys, Psych, Burn Notice, White Collar, John Pinette: I'm Starvin', How I Met Your Mother, Futurama, and, of course, Shark Week.


Wednesday, September 19, 2012

What I Learned Today

The difference between the maturity of a 4th grader and an 8th grader is not that profound. They think they are very sneaky and hilarious. They think the rules don't apply to them and they like to push the limit till something gets broken.
For some reason the years between 14 and 16 profoundly impact the maturity of students. For some reason, 11th graders are light years more mature than their 8th graded compadres.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Worst Nightmare

We had an awesome weekend because the amazing Sarah Burnett came for a little visit! Sarah and her sister Becky came and saw the Antics' "Ladies Night" show. All female cast, tons of awesome improv. Both Sarah and Becky told me after the show that doing improv would be their  worst nightmare. Getting on a stage in front of an audience, having no idea what is going to come out of your mouth next, and you have to somehow make these people laugh. Apparently the most common phobia of them all is public speaking, but that is probably because not as many people know about improv.

The next morning, Sarah and Becky got up bright and early to run in the Top of Utah Marathon. Hmm...waking up and the crack of dawn to travel 26.2 miles on foot as quickly as possible, where other people can watch you puke, and there are no lunch breaks. Not only are there no lunch breaks, there is only water every other mile, and you can't take more than six hours. Oh, and you have to pay to do this. That sounds like my worst nightmare.

I'm glad that we could cheer each other on in our crazy hobbies! I promise I will never make you do improv, Sarah, if you never make me run a marathon.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A lot of firsts

This is the first fall that hasn't seen me going back to school.

Last week was my first experience as a teacher.

This week I had my first visit with a Chiropractor.

I've always vaguely felt that chiropractors were hookum, feel-good hippie doctors, and I'm not convinced that I am wrong. I mean, yeah, it involved x-rays and impressive looking diagrams, but it also involved some guy cracking my back and spending ten minutes on a water bed that shoots bubbles at my back. Apparently, my spine is out of alignment and my neck is very confused about how to hold itself. I am told that cracking my back and water bedding will be an effective remedy. Despite my skepticism, I did notice that afterwards that my neck felt the same way it does after Alexander Technique, so I am more or less convinced it will be helpful.

For those of you unfamiliar with AT, it is a technique that was developed by an actor around the turn of the century when he discovered that the way he walked, sat, and generally held his body effected his voice. Through further study, Alexander Technique has become like a special kind of yoga for singers, because it is so effective in  bringing about good posture, which in turns promotes good breathing, which leads rather directly to healthy vocal production.

I realize that, to most of you, AT will sound a lot more like "hippie medicine" than a chiropractor. I recognize the inconsistency of my prejudices and defend myself with the ever so mature "You're not the boss of me! It's a free country!"

I also begrudgingly admit that if I had gone to a regular ole doctor, he/she probably would have just referred me to a chiropractor to clear up my back pain. I guess I wouldn't still be struggling against my prejudice if  I hadn't seen a sign in the office that says that medicine doesn't cure people, it just covers up the symptoms. I guess these guys were still living under their hippie rocks when antibiotics and vaccinations happened.


Friday, September 7, 2012

New Perspective

I now have experienced what is considered by many to be the worst job in existence: Substitute teaching. Actually, maybe only teachers feel that way. Overall, I felt I did pretty well. I didn't lose any students and no one died.
I remember that my fifth grade class could make substitutes cry, because it wasn't just one or two of the students acting out, it was a dozen students acting out. In retrospect, that was cruel. However, all the sub needed to do was make an example of the ring leaders. Send them (us) to the office, take away recess, separate talkers from their compatriots, and give them (us) the evil eye.
I think my past dealings with substitutes have made me more prepared. I was so often part of the nightmare classroom that now those classes are no longer nightmares, they're just an excuse to cut the cute stuff and go straight for the threats and glowering.


Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Happy Birthday Lee!

I apologize in advance that our camera isn't working so we don't have any pictures. I will insert random  images from Google to make this post more interesting.

I think we are finally done celebrating Lee's birthday!
The cake I made didn't look as cute as this.
Celebrations are best when they are drawn out over several days, which is exactly what we did this last week. On Tuesday (Aug. 28) we went to the Brigham City Temple open house with our friends Amanda and Jon Jones.
Located approximately here, in my imagination.
Since it was Jon's Birthday on Tuesday and Lee's Birthday on Wednesday, Amanda and I arranged for a little surprise party to be in place when we got back to Logan. We ate cake and pizza, played games, and were successful in being sneaky. They didn't suspect a thing.

This is a rough sketch of what Lee looked like when everyone yelled "Surprise!!"
On Lee's real birthday, (Aug 29) we didn't have much time to celebrate. With work and school and meetings, we had a lot going on. We did, however, get all our meals for free compliments of Cal-Con, and Lee loved his present!
I thought you would like something you can use everyday without thinking about it or caring.
We continued our celebrating on Saturday when Mom and Dad came to Logan to take us to dinner and buy us some groceries. Mom also gave Lee a documentary mini-series Engineering and Empire. It combines history and engineering, so we have both enjoyed it quite a bit. In fact, we've watched most of it already.
We loooove it! But that might be  because HypnoToad is the narrator.

The final celebration came when Lee's family drove up to Bear Lake and invited us along. We spent Monday at the Lake, playing on the beach, and building sandcastles.
Don't twitch when the flies walk on your eyeballs, or Mom will realize this is just a prank.
We got the famed Old Ephraim pizza (a 28" monstrosity that the six of us couldn't finish.)
Approximately this big.

As is tradition, we got sunburned. Lee's back is a loverly shade of lobster pink, and I think I will have a new tan before the end of the week!

Honey, I swear I put sunblock on you!!
Now it's back to the old grindstone, but thanks to everyone that made this an awesomely extended birthday!