Ashley Brown and Roller Coasters

Just like the title states, I went on a road trip with my dad. We stopped in Chicago where we went to the Museum of Science and Industry and saw Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee in Mary Poppins. Chicago is such a beautiful city and it was great to finally visit there. It is really different from other large cities. It is very laid back and not HYPER-active. When the light turns to walk, people meandor out into the road compared to running or pushing their way through when there is a break between cars. Everything closed early too.
The Museum was pretty awesome as well. We went on a tour of the U-505. That was pretty sweet, but let me tell you, I definitely would not want to be a sailor after seeing that. Too tight of proximity and some people never even saw the sky or deck for months at a time. BLEH! We also went into a working coal mine. That was pretty awesome, until I learned that miners make 125,000 dollars a year. Yeah, and I have been studying and practicing my whole life for hopefully half of that. Hmph.
Then we went and saw Mary Poppins. I saw it in NY with Austyn, and I love Ashley Brown, so it was an excuse since it is on tour right now with the original cast. It is such a great show. As stated earlier, it is hard to descirbe shows, but it is pretty cool how the stage just unfolds before your eyes and especially to hear Ashley's voice was pretty much amazing. It is just a great show and a spectacular tour as well. Everyone should see it!! We had pretty wicked awesome seats too. Dad enjoyed it, but I do not think he cried and especially not as hard as I did.
The next day, we went to Cedar Point, which I have been wanting to go to since I was 10. So GREAT! It was even better because there were NO! lines. Every roller coaster was walk-on-able. I do not understand me and my luck...everytime I go to Disneyland or any theme park it is like that. Sixteen roller coasters in five hours. They are way intense too. It has been voted the best amusement park for 11 years and there is a reason. The roller coasters are extreme. 450 ft tall monsters and crazy angels and speeds of 90 mph and launches up to 120 mph...CRAZY. I loved it. It is also full of many famous picture spots.We then went to Kirtland, OH which was really cool too. It was nice to experience that small bit of church history and to apply all I learned in my classes to actual visuals.

Now I am here at the College Light Opera Company. Brigadoon opens on Tuesday. It is pretty awesome here. The singers, costumers and sceners are AMAZING. The orchestra is pretty nice too. The shows will overall be great, better than BYU for sure.

Krista via Kelly with Lava, Nickles and Rain on top

So, I went to the Kelly Clarkson concert with my sister Krista. I basically know by name what, four of her songs--Since You've Been Gone, My Life Would Suck Without You, Never Again and Behind These Hazel Eyes. I was expecting to sing along to these four songs and then enjoy a nice time.

OK, let me just say that it was not only FREAKING AWESOME, it was really inspirational. I knew all the songs she sang, and now I am a Kelly freak. I bought a shirt that says my life would suck without you, and wore it to my lesson. Claudine was like, "Is that a Kelly Clarkson shirt?" Um, how in the world did she know that. I bet that Evelynn listens to her (haha jk).

It was great to see Krista one last time before I left, and it was so great to go to a memorable thing with her.

The concert was inspirational because it inspired me to not give up on practicing my Hindemith. I basically was like, what is the big deal. My recital is going to suck and I might as well just let it because I will be in Boston for 2.5 months. Nevertheless, her dedication and wicked radness made me rethink it. Juries went well, but I couldn't focus so I had a few bleeps.

Moe, Chris and I went to the Nickel Arcade on State street and we had a blast. :) We wasted what 15 dollars in Nickels playing that game where you just stick in nickles and try to knock more nickles off. Haha, basically, it was one of the funnest things I have done. We got 600 tickets, so we each got an animal print slap braclet, a ring pop and a fake tattoo of an artistic bug. It was really great. :)

It has been raining almost every day in Provo the past week. Whenever it started to rain, we would hop in the PT Cruiser and go Storm Chasing up to Y Mountain. We, being inspired by Twister, would roll down the windows and let the wind and rain blow through the car. Then we would bust out with Paper Planes and Rhianna once we got to the top. Fun times.

On Saturday/Sunday we went to the Soda Springs. They were really interesting...not what we expected (which was a hot wonderful spring), and it was basically a drinkable stream that tasted like stream tonic water. The cool thing is that it was ALL NATURAL! Wicked sweet.

Then we went to the Lava Hot Springs and snuck into the Spa, I presume is what it was. Anyways, the water was so hot that I thought the rocks were going to seer into my skin. Luckily they didn't, but then people showed up...workers and we freaked. Just as we were leaving, these two women started running screaming COPS! and we were freaking out. The workers of the State Spa let us into the bathroom, and then they told us when the police were gone and we bolted to the car. Overall, three hours is a tad too far compared to the two it takes to get to Filmore. The Filmore are not as hot, but they have more than one pool, and they are free. Moral of the story, don't do anything illegal.

Cost Guards and long torsos

Austyn and Dustin went on their honeymoon to the Oregon Coast. I have my whole life wondered WHY!!?. Austyn always seemed like the Hawai'i or Paris type to me, but now I understand.

The BYU Chamber Orchestra went to the Oregon Coast as part of professional concert series. This means the orchestra was sponsored and was paid (yay for BYU getting out of debt). The only bad thing was that we were on the bus a total of some 53 hours in the course of Tuesday-Sunday. It was awful and I probably slept a total of 40 minutes during that time. Needless to say I felt really sick Monday morning.

We started off in Caldwell, ID where we played at University of Idaho or whatever Albertson's turned into. It was nice to see ShaNae, Krista's friend. Um then we went to Medford, OR. Did you know there is a temple there? I was shocked. We played at the highschool there. Let me tell you about how lame High Schools are in El Paso. This theatre could have fit a broadway show. Nice... The dressing rooms were wicked sweet too. The guy's was Moulin Rouge themed with everything red and black. The giant Moulin Rouge fan was painted on the wall. It was like my bedroom in El Paso on crack.

Then we finally made it to the "Oregon Coast," and landed in Astoria. Nice quaint little town. We played in a beautifully rennovated movie theatre like most in LA/NYC. It was a really great and the accoustics were fab. That night I stayed at a Coast Guard's house (due to the Host Families plan ya know), and that was way interesting. I saw his guns and swords and played games with him and his friends. Needless to say, I swamped them in Clue. In three rounds I proved that it was Lisa in Krustylu Studios with the Plutnonium Rod.

Astoria is located on the river right by the delta. You could see Washington across the way and that was pretty cool. It apparently is the first West Coast city to have a hurricane. The winds were 140 MPH. Another cool thing is that the Goonies, Free Willy and such were filmed her.

Then we drove to Florence, OR. The drive was breathtaking. We were driving on cliffs that jetted over the ocean and just saw blue everywhere. We stopped at that famous lighthouse and played in the water, on the beach and with anemone for an hour. The water was SO cold. I thought it was interesting to note that I was in British Columbia last june and it was not as windy, frigid and the water was not as cold....weird.

The next day we went to Bandon. The coast here was beautiful as well.

We were so appreciated everywhere we went and everyone loved us. Much different then past tours...It is nice to have people excited to have you there instead of alright we will find a school for you to play at. It was nice to always play in concert halls too (except for Medford where it was the "alright" version).

The bus ride back was 21 hours long and awful. It was fun though, but awful. Imagine me in a chair where my limbs and butt keep falling asleep...wonderful.

That was the last time I played with Gina...I will miss her and I hope she loves NEC. -- Blake, Andrew, Carrie, Angela, Noelle and Gina. I love the Viola Section!!

Macbeth's dagger

Really-I do not understand people. Why do others get so upset at you when all you are trying to do is be a loving support? I don't get it. It really hurts....

The Boy with the Black Bag

Okay, okay...I know it is a kinda cheesy title, but I thought that it would fit, especially since I just got back from seeing Confessions of a Shopaholic again. I have decided to write a few things that this hilarious but touching movie has made me think up:

What is it that we truly need? Yes, things such as shows, trips, movies, music, clothes and accesories are all wonderful things, but what does one truly need? Things such as shows and trips, in my opinion, are classified under the category of lasting - meaning that they are not just an item of present fashion, it creates a lasting memory that you can always remember and relive when you listen to the soundtrack or play the piano score (in that kinda way) or look at pictures. Buying movies and music are almost at that level, but in a different way. You can watch a DVD over and over again and have a song blasting in your car as you drive with the windows down, but do they create memories? not so much. Clothes and accessories express the individual that you are - Daniel Vosovic stated, "At its rawest, fashion is material sewn together in a sequential method. But it's so much more. Fashion creates a mood, captures a moment. It evokes something that you never knew was inside you. Fashion is one of the most underrated stimulants one can encounter.: However, times pass and they are no longer "fit" in the new progressing world of ever changing opinions. So, what falls into the department of needed? Family? Friends? Education? The simple things in life? When was the last time you drove listening to a song that really touched you and you had the window rolled down enjoying the sounds of the world combined with the breeze washing through your hair against your sunglasses with the emotion protruding from the speakers of your car? Five minutes, max. It honestly is amazing! and one of my favorite things to do in life.

Procrastination: Doing wha you want now and waiting later for what is most important is very tempting. This form of greed comes in many costumes (and don't worry...I suffer from this EVERY day!). The first costume is that of assignments, which is typically associated with the word. Many people, including myself, say that they work well under pressure. It is true that yes, one works better when there is a crunch because they can be focused and can rely on the hard core aspect of it all...but is it worth the stress? I do not think so. It is truly annoying when the computer freezes and you have to type that 10 page research paper over again. I personally feel that it is the greatest feeling to have things finished. It would be nice to work on something over a long period of time and...GASP...finish early. The second design is that of money. Once again many people (my hand is raised as well) think, "Oh, I get paid next Friday so I will have money to pay off this credit card debt, or my friend, or my mother..." When the next Friday rolls around...dang! I have to buy books for school, my instrument really needs new strings, I need to get my oil changed, I want to go do ____, I need to buy food, I need____... when you spent that money and now you no longer have it for the things that you REALLY need because of the urge to actually get what you wanted...therefore you have to reach out to the same people/plastic pal to get the money to buy such and such. Therefore, a long list of paybacks are alligned and you end up to your eyeballs in debt that you have to pay off...then you remember you asked your mother for $100 here for helping you out months ago that you still need to give her, and then...oh yeah, I need to save for the road trip I need to take for my job and that trip to FL I promised my sister I would take her for her birthday. That is why it is important to go back to the first question I posted and ask this question...besides the "What is it that I truly need..." it should also entail "is it worth the sacrifice?" Then, always make sure you have money left over so that when unexpected things come up, your bases can be covered and life can be enjoyable. Dollar Movies/Redbox and Pasta are great substitutes from the expensive things of life that quickly add up on a bill.

Anyways, I have rambled on for a long time...but I just love talking about my opinions, though no one really reads this blog because it is interesting.... hahaha. :)

The Good 'Ol Frank Sinatra Song

Sigh! New York. What an interesting place. As usual, I decided to not do anything touristy besides going to Times Square (all the time) and 5th Avenue. Other various places that I went to were Chelsea, Upper West Side, Flushing, Washington Heights and walking to and from those. I am now an expert when it comes to the subway consisting of the lines 7, A, C, E, 1, 2 & 3.

The red lines (1, 2 & 3) make a very interesting noise when they start up...kinda EXACTLY the intervals of minor 7th resolving down a half step...was Leonard Bernstein inspired by this for his historic West Side Story. Nope... but what an interestingly disturbing tribute to that.

I went and saw 9to5: The Musical (which just broke the record of Drama Desk Nominations with 15!). It was so great! Dolly Parton came and started the show with some remarks, which was a great surprise to the entire audience (who rose to their feet with roaring applause...me included). I always find it difficult to describe a show to someone who has not seen it, especially the sets, lighting and choreography. The Choreography was really sweet and matched the music REALLY well - but not necessarily the time period. However, look at Wicked - the same thing happens there. The sets were great! and I loved the center thing that would unfold and turn into a trap door...pretty wicked sweet. The lighting design was HYSTERICAL! The whole entire show was so crazy, fun and humorous. I do not think that I have seen a show that I have laughed so hard in in my life. So good... I got to meet Megan Hilty (again), Stephanie J. Block, Marc Kudish and Allison Janney!!! Yay for all four of them being nominated. In Family Guy, there is an episode where Peter takes a Giraffe from the Zoo and names it Allison Janney. Because of this, Christopher bought one at the nearby Toys-R-Us and had her sign it. :) It was really great! Megan Hilty stole the show with her Office Scene (you know, the famous "I have a gun out there..."). I can't tell you how dead on she was as Dolly Parton. Stephanie's transformation for a shy, insecure girl was believable and Get Out and Stay Out was amazing. Allison Janney was an awesome actress...she couldn't sing very well, but at least it was in tune! Her operatic aria was quite hysterical. Very good.

The next day, we saw Blithe Spirit front row!!! Talk about a dream fulfilled. I did not have the opportunity to meet Angela Lansbury or Christine Ebersole after the show was over, but to have them less than five feet away from me was good enough!!! Angela was down right side splitting when she would dance around the stage during the seance. HAHA! Christine's slapstick was so funny...man it was a good show. The costumes were fab...fab fab fab. Christine's drape making her a ghost was not only classy and chic but eluding as well. Oh I loved it.

I also got to visit with my sister, her husband and my new nephew, Brody. They are a joy in my life and I loved every second with them!!! I miss them so much already. It was so great to play games, have fun, watch youtube videos, Suze Orman, AFHV, eat, drive, help the baby stop screaming, die in a heat wave...sigh.

I HATE PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL

Okay, enough is enough. Why is it snowing April 15? What is everyone trying to do? Taxes are do so the whole world is stressed out to the max. BYU is in the middle of finals. Hmm...maybe it should snow to make everyone relax...how about not. It snowed three inches in two hours. I went to target to get some glasses for a party I am having tonight. I was gone for fifteen minutes and I had so much snow on my car I had to use my snow scraper to get it off and sit for five minutes before I could see out my windows with my air on full blast hot hot hot...I started sweating... Then, it took me thirty minutes to get home. You would think that people know how to drive in snow, but I personally think people make even worse decisions when their vision is impared. Why do you think you can swerve from the far right to the far left because you missed a turn? Um...we can't slam on our brakes! And what is this rule about how in traffic, you don't walk behind a car? I almost killed a guy because I was turning and he was walking behind a Suburban... I could not see him with the snow and tinted windows. Then to top it off...he flips me off and starts cussing up a storm. Not only do people here not understand traffic rules of patience and curtesy, pedestrians do not know their rules either (talk about devotional hour...but that is for another time). As I parked my car in the closest BYU parking lot (which is five minutes away from the nearest building at a sprint and includes at least fourty stairs) a girl started screaming at me - she litteraly rolled down her window and said you took my spot you b******. Why in the world was she yelling? there were at least fifteen spots around I could count. Big deal...sorry I didn't see you backing up to take this spot... As I walked down those annoying stairs by the Bell Tower, the clock started BLARING the annoying come-come-ye-saints-out-of-tune-overtones...which of course made me feel like Frollo in the hunchback of Notre Dame because I was deafened by the sound. Then to make it worse, a girl was walking up the wrong side of the staircase with this massive umbrella that could have protected an entire family of 4 and their grandmother trailing behind with a walker. Why was she caring such a massive umbrella? Even Rhianna would have been jealuos of this ella ella ella...She was wearing an ugly all pink velour jogging suit...please! so she gave me a look like uh...get out of my way. Well there was nothing to do because there were four people behind me holding hands with their significant other talking and laughing and being gay in the not typical happy conditions. So she was stubborn and wouldn't walk down the stairs so I hopped to the opposite side of the stairs making me slip and almost face plant it. Then the umbrella hit me in the face as she walked merrily on her way to a camel toe convention. As I finally made it to campus and was walking past the museum of art, another too cheerfully blissed couple was not paying attention and forced me off the side walk into a foot deep hole... because I had been out before it started snowing, I was wearing vans...needless to say they got drenched as did my socks so I am sitting here in the PIVA with my shoes off hoping David Day doesn't come in and chase me with a knife as he did in my dream...

Nevertheless I am having a party tonight. At least I can look forward to something.