January

So, apparently, there was this whole month that went by, and I was so busy that I barely noticed it. Oops!

Then I started writing a blog about the missing month, and didn’t finish for more than half another month. Double oops!

The New Year rang in with a fireworks display inside a snow bank at the Varney house. It was pretty fun. Especially when I lit a giant fountain that started spraying sparks toward all the spectators.

We didn’t really have time to breathe before we jumped back into every day rehearsals for Disco Inferno. Have you ever opened a show, sat back and thought “Well, it’s fun, I guess. And I got a paycheck.” That was Disco Inferno. It was a TERRIBLE script, and the experience of working on it wasn’t much better, due to some special people who continually act like they’re in high school theatre.

As soon as DI opened, I was in rehearsals for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which is going to be a fantastic show. Brilliant direction, perfect cast, great source material. I’m excited.

I also jumped back into rehearsals for Urinetown, which was incredible. Even though I got left out of the program, meaning I got NO credit for the music direction, I was still very proud of the show and especially the cast. Despite a crew member who seemed Hellbent on destroying everyone’s morale all the time, they really pulled it off.

My birthday happened, and I spent the whole day in rehearsals and then I had to go to the school masquerade ball. My department was in charge, so my classes provided entertainment. The theme was comics, so we did a number from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and a dance to “Spider-Pig.” Lauren came after Disco was over, and she dressed as Batgirl. I was Charlie Brown in his Halloween costume. We were pretty much the only adults who dressed up. LAME. Some of my friends forgot my birthday, too, and hardly anybody gave me presents. This gives me hope, however, that nobody will make a big deal out of my “milestone” birthday next year.

The week after my birthday, I took 25 students to UTA at UVU. While they had fun going to classes, I had fun catching up with old friends. Maybe I also had fun doing stupid dares by doing things like carrying a mannequin by the crotch through a room of high school students.

That’s about it for January. February is almost over now, too, so I should probably start writing a blog about it. Someday…

Random Thoughts on a Thursday Afternoon

*I started writing this on an actual Thursday afternoon. November 19, to be exact. Then, for some reason, I didn’t finish it or post it. When my brother was complaining on Facebook that he doesn’t have anything to do while he’s supposed to be working because I don’t post as much lately, I decided to throw him a bone.*

I need to finish grading some quizzes, but I KNOW that I won’t be able to get them all done before I have to leave, so I’m not going to do them now.

As I’ve been working today, I’ve been watching last night’s Glee. I’m so torn on this show. I started out loving it, but lately, it’s getting more and more lame. Last week’s episode was great, because the subject of special needs kids is something I’m passionate about. This week’s SUCKED, though. The only thing that keeps me coming back to the show is the creative way they use music, but I’m so sick of the over-processed computer voices that I can’t handle it much longer.

My kids in school have stepped it up lately. They’re finally getting it. Also, some of the kids I can’t stand are transferring out of my class next term. WOOT!

Ew. Glee is using emotional manipulation.

We went and saw This Is It the other day, and I’m more of a Michael Jackson fan than ever before. I kind of wish that he would have lived and come to Salt Lake on his tour. NOT a fan of the new “Thriller” segment he was going to use, though. Gag.

I’m getting married in exactly one month. That means we can get our marriage license any time now. It also means I need to hurry and get the announcements to the printer this weekend so they can be mailed next week.

Today is my last day of class until the Monday after Thanksgiving. WOOFREAKINHOO!!!!! I’m going to be SO productive. I’m going to record a show, do a bunch of wedding stuff, start moving into the apartment, clean my car, and try to do as much Christmas shopping as possible to get that out of the way.

The other night at Urinetown rehearsal, I was in the middle of conducting a song, and suddenly, I saw a metal folding chair move a few inches in the middle of the room. I looked around, and NOBODY was looking but me. They all had their faces buried in their music. I was very startled.

The next night, at Disco Inferno rehearsal, Eleanor (the SCERA’s ghost), threw my watch off the piano. It was sitting about 8 inches in from the left side, and suddenly it flew off and landed just left of the piano. CREEPY. People saw that one, though.

I love lighthouses. The real deal. Not decorations. The actual towers. Every time I’m on the coast, I want to visit at least one.

I just sneezed and pulled a muscle in my arm. UGH. Getting old stinks.

***

That was where I left off in the original. Here are more random thoughts, at nearly 2 AM on a Wednesday morning.

I really wish I had a better sleeping schedule. Right now, I really wish I was asleep, but lately I’ve been up working every night until at least this time, so my body does not want to sleep right now.

I didn’t get to half of my to-do list for Thanksgiving break. Don’t get me wrong- I got a TON of stuff done. Just not as much as I had hoped.

I don’t know how people collected addresses for invitations before Facebook existed.

It’s really hard trying to decide who to invite to your wedding reception. I wish I didn’t know as many people and have as many friends. If you had told me in high school that in 10 years I’d be saying that, I would have laughed at you.

The printer couldn’t get the invites done any earlier than tomorrow (EEK!), and this causes stress. We’ll be hand-delivering as many as we can this week to make sure people can get them and have two weeks notice for the reception. And that’s IF they’re ready tomorrow, and not Thursday, as the printer guaranteed would be the latest.

One last invite related thought – today, while I was being uber-productive, I was catching up on SNL episodes and saw a commercial for Blue Boutique. Pretty darn sure the font they used for everything was the same font as our invites. UGH.

Also while I was being productive tonight, I watched The Brothers Bloom. What a lame movie. I usually like independent movies, but this one stunk (despite a great cast). However, there was one exchange that made me laugh really hard, and almost made the movie worthwhile:

Penelope Stamp: [drunk] I think you're constipated.
Bloom: Constipated?
Penelope Stamp: Yeah. You're constipated. In your ******* soul. I think there is a great, humongous wad of poop up your soul's ***.

I know it’s pretty juvenile, but man, I laughed.

I never really liked the movie Major League. However, I LOVE Major League II. Especially the character of Rube.

I cleaned out all of my financial records for the last 10 years, and I now have a basket full of papers waiting to be shredded. This will go well with the shopping bag full of check stubs and receipts that are waiting to be shredded from when I cleaned those out last year.

Oh! I think I’m finally tired enough to go to bed. Going now.

(Happy, Glenn?! :P)