Introducing....

GEORGE CRAIG JOHNSON

7 lbs. 14 oz.
19 1/2 in.
Born February 27, 2009 at 3:05 PM in Ft. Collins, CO

Flashback Friday

In honor of "Baby Brother"'s imminent arrival, today's flashback consists of 2 pictures:

EMILY

REBEKAH

The Soundtrack of my Life

Every once in awhile, I hear a song and just go "YES!!!!" It will speak to me in a way that no other song (at least in that moment) does. Here is one from a couple of years ago. The first time I heard it, I was sitting in the balcony of the Ellie. (The Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver.) I was watching the pre-Broadway engagement of Disney's The Little Mermaid. (The first time...I saw it twice.) Prince Eric's song in Act 1 absolutely went right to my heart. Here are the lyrics:

Where did she go?
Where can she be?
When will she come again
Calling to me?
Calling to me...
Calling to me...

Somewhere there's a girl
Who's like the shimmer of the wind upon the water
somewhere there's a girl
Who's like the glimmer of the sunlight on the sea
Somewhere there's a girl
Who's like a swell of endless music
Somewhere she is singing
And her song is meant for me

And her voice
It's sweet as angels sighing
And her voice
It's warm as summer sky
And that sound
It haunts my dreams
And spins me 'round
Until it seems
I'm flying...
Her voice!

I can sense her laughter
In the ripple of the waves against the shoreline
I can see her smiling
In the moonlight as it settles on the sand
I can feel her waiting
Just beyond the pale horizon
Singing out a melody too lovely to withstand

And her voice
It's there as dusk is falling
And her voice
It's there as dawn steals by
Pure and bright, it's always near
All day, all night
And still I hear it calling...
Her voice

Strange as a dream...
Real as the sea...
If you can hear me now
Come set me free...
Come set me free!

(Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Glenn Slater)

When I heard that I, of course, starting crying. When music speaks directly to my heart, I can't help but cry. It's a hereditary trait. I thought, "I want someone to sing that song about me. I want that song to be ABOUT ME!!!" It's an absolutely gorgeous song, beautifully performed by Sean Palmer, who is still playing Prince Eric on Broadway.

Music is such an integral part of my life...it's part of the fabric of my existance. My soundtrack!

Fare thee well, Rocky Mountain News

So, it's official. The Rocky Mountain News is closing its doors. Tomorrow will be the last issue of a 150 year legacy. I'm really sad...but not for the reason you may think. I love the Rocky Mountain News because of the comics. They have the best comics. Way better than the Denver Post! Luckily for me, I've been able to find most of my favorite comic strips (that are not already in the Loveland paper) online. I've got one more left to find online. Okay, that's not true. I found it, but I have to subscribe to the website for $15.00 per year. I just need to decide how attached I am to "Pajama Diaries".

I will miss some other things in the Rocky, and we're not sure if we're going to subscribe to the Post. It's sad to see Print Media going the way of the rotary phone and analog TV. Times they are a-changin', but what's so wrong with a newspaper? For heaven's sake....what are they going to wrap Fish and Chips in? What are we going to line our bird cages with? And what am I going to read while I eat breakfast?!?! What will people do if they don't have an umbrella? See! Newspaper has more value than just the news! Sheesh!!!!!!!! What is this world coming to?!

I think I'm going to boycott news of all kinds. Hmmm...you might think that will make me ignorant, but I say that will make me HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!! The news is just too darned depressing these days. Like I've said many times before, if it's not mentioned in the comics, I don't know about it.

Signed,

Ignorance is Bliss

Wordless Wednesday

A "South Pacific" Preview

Okay, so it's not really a preview...the show is in full swing. I've been in 3 of the first 5 performances. But here's a picture that I just got today:


Come see the show!!! My remaining performance dates are:
March1, 7, 15, 21, 28, April 4, 5, 11
(303) 682-9980

The Blog of Oscar Randomness

So...last night was the Oscars! One of my favorite nights of the year! Last year, I had the laptop out and I typed in my thoughts on my blog as the night went on. Well, I don't have that laptop anymore...I'm actually not sure what happened to it. But it was on the verge of dying anyway, so whatever. So, I did this the old fashioned way. I dug out a spiral notebook and took notes. Please enjoy my random thoughts on the Oscars. Some of them won't make sense if you didn't watch the show, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

*~~*~~~*~~~*~~

• Hugh Jackman = DROOL!!
• Opening number = BRILLIANT! I gave it a Standing O.
• Nice cover when the curtains didn't open for the Best Supporting Actress montage. NOT!
• Um...Tilda Swinton scares me. Not gonna lie.
• I really wanted Viola Davis to win. Oh, well. Penelope gave a good speech, though.
• I heart Tina Fey & Steve Martin.
• Further proof that Pixar tells the best stories: Nomination for Best Original Screenplay! Didn't win, though. Boo.
• Shocker: Slumdog's first win of the night. First of many, I'm sure.
• Hey, Jack Black: I would put all my money on Pixar, too.
• YAY, WALL-E!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Presto should have won Best Animated Short. It's fantastic!
• I think showing the process of making a movie is a brilliant idea! Good call, whoever came up with that!
• I'm sure Sarah Jessica Parker is going to make someone's Worst Dressed list, but I kinda like her dress.
• Less Speeches....more Hugh Jackman. Please?
• Nice! Ben Stiller is mocking Joaquin Phoenix! Sick and wrong, man...by oh, so funny!
• Question: Why does Oscar love Beyonce? Can't they find someone else willing to sing EVERY FREAKING YEAR?
• Nevertheless...the salute to movie musicals was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Okay...here we go....Best Supporting Actor. The category of the night.
• Why is Phillip Seymour Hoffman wearing a beanie? Is it cold in there? He hasn't reached the coolness factor of Jack Nicholson to be able to do something like that!
• HEATH LEDGER ABSOLUTELY DESERVED THAT OSCAR. ABSOLUTELY!!
• Action movies have....fans. Yes, it's true. Thank you, Will Smith, for pointing that out.
• I heart Jerry Lewis.
• Umm....couldn't they have picked better, more exciting selections from this year's nominated scores?
• I didn't know the song from Wall-E was a gospel tune!
• "I'll Be Seeing You" for the In Memorium! Nice touch! I love that song.
• Reese Witherspoon's dress: good color, but the scarf thingy is a bit odd.
• I really like how they have the past winner honoring the nominees! Very classy!
• FINALLY!!!! Kate Winslet wins! I don't really care about the movie she won for, but she's a terrific actress and deserves to win!
• Adrien Brody looks like a stoner. Just sayin'.
• WHAT?! Sean Penn? Meh. I wish he'd leave the politics at home. I always mute his speeches, because they annoy the crap out of me. He's a great actor, but seriously. Put a cork in it, Buster. Again I say...meh.
• I'll predict Best Picture now: Slumdog Millionaire.
• TELL HER WHAT SHE'S WON, JOHNNY!!!!!!!
• This was seriously the best Oscars telecast I've ever seen. They kept it moving. They told a story. There was great entertainment.
• Hugh Jackman, please come back again next year!!!! There are several million people that found out tonight that you can sing and dance. Something the rest of us have know for a very long time! Can't you just hear the buzz..."I didn't know Wolverine could sing and dance! Who knew?" Duh, people. He was singing and dancing BEFORE he was Wolverine. I have it on DVD.

*~~*~~~*~~~*~~

I heart the Oscars. They, along with all the other movie award shows, are my World Series. (The Tonys are my Super Bowl.)

Flashback Friday

"The Sound of Music"

Loveland High School

March 2002

I am still darn proud of that rock that I built!!!

You can take the girl out of marching band...

Today, I was out walking. I was listening to my iPod. I had on the playlist formerly known as the "Stay Awake Mix". (That was for when I was driving home really late from Greeley after Fiddler performances.) Anywho...the UNC Pride of the Rockies drum cadence came on. I quickly noticed that I was out of step. My right foot was coming down on 1 & 3. This was totally unacceptable, and I quickly got in step. The left foot should ALWAYS come down on 1 & 3. (Well, almost always...) I felt like SUCH a nerd, but I just couldn't be out of step. I couldn't. I haven't been in marching band in almost 8 1/2 years. But you know what they say...you can take the girl out of marching band, but you can't take marching band out of the girl. Okay, I don't know who says that, but that's beside the point. I am forever and always a BAND GEEK!!!!! And darn proud, thanks.

Flashback Friday

I totally missed last week's installment of Flashback Friday, and I didn't even realize it for several days! I've been a bit busy. Oh, my gosh...I just realized something else I forgot to do. Ack!!!

Okay, here's this week's picture:

ca. December 1994

Jenni Pappas, me, Staci Smith
Loveland High School Choraleers Christmas Tour

For all you "Anne of Green Gables" fans...

...I have a book recommendation for you!

You HAVE TO READ Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. It's WONDERFUL!!! It fills in the missing pieces. We never met Anne until she showed up at the Bright River train station. We know bits and pieces...her parents died when she was a baby, Mr. Thomas was a drunk, Mrs. Hammond had 3 sets of twins. But this book fills in the blanks. There were many people influenced Anne....who loved her, who helped shape who she was. She had a hard life, but there were bright spots. This is a great story and it's very true to Lucy Maud Montgomery's original books.

Get it...read it...LOVE IT!

South Pacific

You may or may not know this, but I'm doing "South Pacific" at the Jesters Dinner Theater in Longmont. I am double cast as Bloody Mary! The show opens this coming Friday, February 13th and runs weekends through April 11th. If you want to come see me in the show, please take note of the following dates:

Saturday, February 14
Friday, February 20
Saturday, February 21
Sunday, February 22
Sunday, March 1
Saturday, March 7
Sunday, March 15
Saturday, March 21
Saturday, March 28
Saturday, April 4
Sunday, April 5
Saturday, April 11

These are the dates that I am performing. If you go on one of the other days, you'll see my wonderful co-Bloody Mary, Tyra Prospero!


Pricing--

Fridays & Saturdays:
Dinner/Show is $31.95 for adults, $29.95 for seniors 60+/Students, $22.95 for children 12 & under.
Show Only is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors/students, $15 for children

Sundays:
Dinner/Show is same for adults/seniors, $18 for students & children
Show Only is same for adults/seniors, $10 for students & children


Call the Jesters Box Office at (303)682-9980 to make reservations!

Hope to see you there!

The Dangers of TiVo

I don't have TiVo, but I do have the DirecTV equivilent of DV-R. We've have it for about a year and a half now. I have discovered that it has spoiled me something awful! Here are some things that it causes me to do:

*I want to fast forward live TV. Because I record my favorite shows and watch them later, I am so used to fast forwarding through the commercials. But when I'm actually watching them live, I find myself hitting the fast forward button to no avail!

*I want to rewind the radio. I miss something and there's no way to pause it or rewind it...it just keeps going!!!

*I try to pause/rewind/record on the TV in my room. However, I don't have the DV-R box on that TV (it's only on our main TV downstairs).

*I can't read the TV guide anymore. I can't comprehend the pages of programming. I can never find the channel I want, because they are not in the same order as they are on my TV screen!


I know there's something else that it makes me do, but I can't remember what it is right now.

10 Things to Hate About Valentine's Day

I swiped this from a friend of mine, who swiped it from: http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlemcmatch.aspx?cp-documentid=17107318&gt1=32023

1. Single or coupled, if you didn't make a reservation in January, your options for going out to dinner are limited to the local fast food drive-through.

2. The hour of our lives we waste every year in the greeting card aisle, looking for the perfect one.

3. The overnight tripling of the price of roses, forcing your boyfriend to choose between getting you a bouquet of a dozen or paying his cable bill that month.

4. The 24/7 romantic comedy marathon on TV during the month of February either makes you feel like a loser for being single or makes you resent your boyfriend for not being John Cusack.

5. If you've had anything resembling a date in the past two months, it always prematurely launches the "where is this going?" conversation.

6. If you're single and lucky enough to have three close, single girlfriends, you can't go out for drinks with them without being a cliché.

7. We don't need another stuffed teddy bear holding a heart or a cheap box of "guess the mystery filling" chocolates, thanks.

8. They don't make Valentine's Day cards for friends-with-benefits or "I think I like you but it's too soon to tell."

9. We just started paying off our credit card bills from holiday shopping — our bank statements can't handle another gift.

10. Those gross taste-like-sidewalk-chalk conversation hearts.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
I concur. I loathe Valentine's Day. Saying "I Love You" with a giant box of candy is like saying "I love you, but I want you to be fatter than me." And I have so many stuffed animals, I have been gifting them to the adorable children in my family for quite awhile now.

And no, I don't have a date for V-Day. Don't feel sorry for me, though. I am playing for a wedding that afternoon, and then I have my opening night of "South Pacific" in the evening! Anyone who wants a date with me (WHO AND WHERE ARE YOU?!), will have to turn pages for me at the wedding and then pay for their own dinner at Jesters. The bonus would be seeing me play an iconic character role. Any takers? No? Didn't think so. Alas...................

Chuck in 3D...or not.

Just so you know, I'm using my ANGRY EYES!!!


I went all over town today looking for 3D glasses so that I could watch Chuck in 3D tonight. There were none to be found. How many pairs of 3D glasses do people in Loveland need. Seriously! And if I find out that people got them to watch the stuff during the Super Bowl and then they DIDN'T watch Chuck tonight....ooooooh, I am going to be so upset!!!!



And lest you think that I waited until the last minute, when they've been advertising this for weeks...Shauna's been looking ever since they first started advertising. She couldn't find any either.

So, I watched Chuck tonight, without the 3D glasses. I did not get to see all the fun effects. I was left behind because people are greedy and snatched up all the glasses. I even tried to improvise. Shauna has some little sample books of stage light gels. We pulled out the ones we thought would work and I stuck them in my glasses. No such luck. I was left in the dark. Actually, I was left in the odd red/blue-ness. The episode was great (I was so excited to see Dom Monahan! I love him.) But alas, everything was in 2D. Lame.

If you got the glasses, and have now watched the episode, feel free to send me your glasses. I'd still really like to watch Chuck in 3D.

On the upside, I did get quite a bit of exercise today...walking all over so many stores! But still...that doesn't make up for the fact that I didn't get the full Chuck in 3D experience tonight. I say boo.


I Heart Chuck.

My favorite Super Bowl Commercials

Don't ask me why, but this one was my favorite. Probably for the pure creepiness factor!!!



I also enjoyed this one:



And this one made me giggle:



There were some other good ones, but not as many as in the past. Slightly disappointing, but still entertaining...just like the game. LOL!