Manic Monday

I try not to do two Manic Mondays in a row, but last time I did that I went a month without posting anything at all! So forgive me. I decided to do something a little different with this Manic Monday post. I'm posting groups of three things from various categories. I might do this every once in a while.

1. People I Want to Meet

#1 Stephen Sondheim

 Gypsy, West Side Story, Into the Woods, Company, A Little Night Music, Sunday In the Park With George, Follies. He was behind them all. I want meet him and see what goes on inside that brilliant head of his.

#2 Patti LuPone

 Because she's amazing.

#3 Adele

THAT VOICE! Ugh, I'm jealous of her baby, because that voice sings him to sleep every night.

2. Favorite TV Pairs

#1 Liz and Jack (30 Rock)

For one thing, I am very sad that this show is over! Liz and Jack made it seven seasons as just friends, not romantic entanglement. Their unconventional mentor/mentee or sister-ployee/work-orcacle relationship is what made this show so great.

#2 Sheldon and Amy (The Big Bang Theory)

Such a weird, brilliant couple. Whenever these two are together, you're in for some laughs.

 #3 The Dowager Countess and Isobel Crawley (Downton Abbey)

I love these two little old biddys, and the way they can have caddy disagreements with such propriety.

3. Lead Characters In Musicals That I Must Play

#1 Diana Goodman (Next to Normal)

 A bipolar depressive woman with delusion episodes.

#2 Elphaba (Wicked)

The story of Oz as told by the Wicked Witch.

#3 Kathy (The Last 5 Years)

A woman telling the story of her relationship. She starts her side of the story at the dissolution of her marriage. Her husband starts his story at their first date. The only time their stories intertwine is at their wedding.

4. Places To Go

#1 London

West End. Big Ben. Red Buses.

#2 Myrtle Beach

I'm not sure why, but I've just always wanted to go to Myrtle Beach (South Carolina).

#3 The Alps

Just to I can twirl around and sing "The hills are alive!" And they look pretty too.

Manic Monday! Finally!

 

A long overdue, but hopefully worth the wait Manic Monday post!

1. Here She Is Boys! Here She Is World!

Those are my three favorite Mama Rose's (Patti Lupone, Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters). I have been trying to find a song to sing for solo musical theater but I am very, very, VERY picky. I've wanted to do Rose's Turn from Gypsy, for a while. My excuse was always, "I can't find a good enough karaoke version of it", which is partially true. The totally real, no sugar coating version? This song SCARES ME. I'm afraid the audience won't get it. I'm afraid I won't due justice to it. I'm afraid I'll end up sounding like a screaming fool. But you know what? It's my senior year. It's my turn damn it! And I'm gonna do this song.

 

2. Tina Friggin Fey and Amy Friggin Poehler

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler need to host every award show. All of them. I'm serious. I know the Globes were a while ago, but they were so funny that I just had to blurb about it. My favorite lines of the night?

TINA: The Hunger Games was one of the biggest films this year, and also what I call the six weeks it took me to fit into this dress!

AMY: Ang Lee was nominated for Best Director for The Life of Pi, which is what I'm gonna call the six weeks after I take this dress off!

*high five*

 

3. Silver Linings Playbook

Sometimes, I go to movies by myself. This time, I didn't intend to, but it just sort of ended up that way. Anyway, Silver Linings Playbook is a very good movie. It's funny, intense, romantic. I would definitely see it again (with or without anybody else).

 

4. Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards

I won what is called a Gold Key award for this colored pencil drawing that I did last year (I might post the color version later). A Gold Key indicates that my project is advancing from the state level to the national level, to compete against works from across the US. I wouldn't say that I expect to win anything at the national level, but I am very tickled to receive that kind of recognition.

 

5. Jazz Choir

Our jazz choir has been thrown a loop these last couple of weeks. Our amazing director found out that she had a blood clot in her leg. It was pretty serious, but she's had surgery and is doing okay. We had to run State Contest on our own (with the help of a few adults). We've been working hard and trying to keep improving and moving ahead, but we sure would like to see her back and healthy!

Large Group Speech

Another part of my senior year has come and gone. Large group speech starts in November, pretty much once the fall drama production is over. It ended this Monday when the All-State Participates were announced. I've been in speech all four years of high school (one of only two females in my class who can say that) and I'm going to miss it like crazy!

Update

I am behind.

It is almost next Monday, and I haven't even posted a Manic Monday post for this week.
I haven't posted a recipe for two weeks.

The low down is, life gets crazy. And then, it gets crazier.

My New Year's resolution is to be healthier. Work out more, eat less junk, that type of thing.
Which quickly became ironic, because a week into the New Year, I got strep throat.
Strep throat would be at the top of my list of Worst Diseases. Why? I can't sing. Not even in the shower. But I'm better now! So my resolution is (sort of) back on track.

We started a new semester in school and my classes are overall more difficult than last semester. However, I have taken much more difficult class loads in the past, so it shouldn't be too trepidatious.

I am in a play!!!! We're not having a spring play at my high school, so when our community theater asked if I would be in their dinner theater production this March, I jumped all over the chance.

Still no decisions on college. No decisions on a major either. I'm getting there, but it's getting close.

I'll be back tomorrow with a mind-blowing Manic Monday post. In the mean time, Happy Sunday! Kick back, relax, get your homework done, and eat popcorn for dinner. That's what I'll be doing!

(Last) Manic Monday! (of 2012)

I know that it is technically already Tuesday. Today was another busy day! Happy New Year everyone! Here are some of my favorite things from this trip around the sun.

1. Favorite Album/ Song

I absolutely love fun., and I have listened to their album "Some Nights" A LOT this year. I love every song, but my favorite from the album and from the year 2012 would have to be "Out On The Town". The song starts with the lyric, "I set all my regrets on fire". That should be everyone's New Year's resolution. Resolutions are about what we want to accomplish in the future, but accomplishing goals can be difficult unless with let go of the mistakes we've made. We can't step into the future until we stop treading in the past, so let it go and start over with a fresh new year! (I get a little too philosophical late at night)

2. Favorite Movie

I did not allow myself to decide my favorite movie of 2012 until I saw "Les Miserables". I went to it this morning, and while it was very good, my favorite movie of the year would have to be "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". It's a coming of age story of friendship, and growing up, and learning to love being alive. As a teenager, I found it very relatable. Most teen movies pure cheese; they're about perfect kids who don't think they are perfect enough. This one was much more genuine. In the end it left me feeling hopeful about the future that I have ahead of me, and yet content to live in the now.

3. Favorite Show That I Went To

I went to four musicals this year. "Rent" at the Fifth Avenue Theater in Seattle, "Billy Elliot",  "Les Miserables", and "Beauty and the Beast", all at the Des Moines Civic Center. Though they were all FANTASTIC my favorite was, hands down, Les Miserables. I've wanted to see it for so long. As a musical theater fanatic, I wouldn't physically be able to die until seeing this show. The story is moving and the score is powerful. During the final song when (spoiler alert) Valjean is dying, I cried. And I cried all the way to the end and through the curtain call. I mean, I cried during other parts of the show (during the song "I Dreamed a Dream", Fantine's Death, "One Day More", Eponine's Death, Gavroche's Death) but at the end, it was a good half hour of uncontrollable sobbing. When people talk about theater magic, they're talking about shows like Les Miz.

4. Biggest Personal Accomplishment

My biggest personal accomplishment this year was being accepted into the Iowa All State Choir. I have tried out all four years, and to make it my senior year was a good way to end. It was an unforgettable experience. I am fortunate and very, very glad that my hard work was paid off.

5. Best Adventure

Trip to Seabrook. It was fun and relaxing and I got to see all of my distant relatives (distant in proximity, not in relation). Oceans are great, and this trip introduced me to the book "The Help", which is the best, and one of only three books, that I read this year.

6. Best New Restaurant

As a rural Iowan, I don't have convenient access to a variety of restaurants. Zombie Burger is not a new restaurant by any means, but this year marked my first dining experience there. It was when I was at musical theater camp. The day of the showcase, sessions started later than usual, so we had to eat lunch before we got to the Civic Center. A couple of friends from camp who knew the area took me to Zombie burger and a fun t-shirt store called Raygun. It was great fun and a great meal!

7. And the Oscar Goes to...

Me. Because I am the best Wicked Witch EVA!!!!! (not only do I become philosophical late at night, but I also lose any trace of humbleness)



Peanut Butter Fudge Sandwich Cookies

Since September of this year, Saturday night has been a Game Night for a group of friends and myself. We get together from about 6:00pm until midnight and play games like "The Game of Things", "Catch Phrase", "Know It Or Blow It", or "Scategories". We try not to play mainstream board games (ex. Monopoly, Sorry, Scrabble), and our rule of thumb is that if you bring a mainstream game, it must be a special version (ex. Lord of the Rings Monopoly, Disney Sorry) And sometimes, I bring treats.

Christmas etc.

Christmas was great! Not just because of the presents (which, I'll admit, were pretty sweet), but because of all the gifts from God that I received as well.

1) First and foremost, all of my family had safe travels from Seattle, Brooklyn, Illinois, Minnesota, etc. to Iowa and back.

2) We had a white Christmas!

3) I got some pretty cool stuff for Christmas. I got a torch from William Sonoma and an adorable apron from Anthropologie, and other assorted kitchen supplies. Plus, some stuff for college.

4) The most amazing thing happened this Christmas. My Grandma Joyce has had Alzheimer's for a while now. For the most part, she doesn't remember the grandkids, and with her own kids it's a little hit and miss. I can't imagine what it would be like in her shoes. Always fishing to remember who people are, and always having people tell you where to go or what to do. Luckily, she always recognizes my Grandpa, and she still has very sweet, loving disposition. Anyway, on Christmas she wasn't remembering us, and she had just awaken from a nap so she was a little confused. So we started singing  Christmas songs with her, and she knew every word of every song. We all sang together, every song we knew.  It was such a fantastic experience for all of us. She got to participate with our family, and for me, it was a glimpse back at the way she used to be. Sharp as a tack (honestly, she knew the lyrics better than I did).  She may not remember it, but I always will.

5) My sister, our friend Ally and I went prom dress shopping with the ladies in our family (including my Aunt from Seattle!) I found a beautiful dress! (it's from Stacey's Bridal/Prom. They have fabulous dresses!