Broadway Dream List of the Moment

Every now and then I sit and ponder the following "if"...

If I was going to NYC this week, what shows would I see?  The list is often huge...the total price of tickets being more expensive than my flight & hotel.   Here is the list of this moment:

• Anything Goes! (Hello!  Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney?  YES, PLEASE!)
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (I am intrigued by "Daniel Radcliffe in a Musical")
• Sister Act (I adore Victoria Clark and she's playing the Mother Superior.)
• War Horse (The concept of this show fascinates me!)

And of course, my "safeties":

• Mary Poppins (I want to see how much cooler the Broadway set is versus the touring set.)
• Wicked (I will see that show whenever and wherever I can.  Just because it ROCKS!)
• The Lion King (There's a chance I won't get to see it when it's in Denver, even though I already have a ticket.  So I'd totally see it on Broadway if I could.  It's Theatrical Perfection, people!!)

I'm a nerd.  What can I say

Book Recommendation: "The Kiss of a Stranger" by Sarah M. Eden

Sarah M. Eden is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.  Maybe it's because she writes about the Regency Era...Jane Austen times, for you non-Anglophiles.  Maybe it's because they are great romances.  Whatever it is, she writes some good stuff!

Read my recommendation of her book "Courting Miss Lancaster" here.

I just read "The Kiss of a Stranger", which is a spin-off of "Courting Miss Lancaster".  I read it in one day!  Seriously!  Actually, less than a day.  Less than 12 hours.  I couldn't put it down.

Crispin, Lord Cavratt, kisses who he thinks is a servant girl in the garden to make a girl who's been pursuing (and annoying) him angry.  Well, the servant girl isn't a servant and her uncle is the one who gets angry.  Crispin and Catherine find themselves married within minutes, forced into a marriage that neither of them expected or wanted.  What follows is a parade of the worst of London's gossips and an emotional roller coaster (you know...if roller coasters had been invented back then) for Lord and Lady Cavratt.

Great book!  I highly recommend it!!

By the way....I'm also eagerly anticipating being able to find a PRINT version (not a Kindle version) of "Seeking Persephone", which is the book we all are supposed to read before reading "Courting Miss Lancaster".  That ship has sailed, obviously, but I'm still desperate to read it! 

New Dancing with the Stars Cast

I didn't want to watch Bachelor Pad in order to see this announcement live.  So I used a spy on the East Coast to tell me when it had been announced there, and then I went to Wikipedia to get the list.  Cheating?  Maybe.  Smart?  Totally.  I'd rather poke my eyes out with a dull spoon than watch Bachelor Pad.

So....here are my initial reactions to the list:  (NOTE:  This is a stream-of-consciousness blog.  I did not go back and edit after I found out the REAL list.  If I did edit, it's in red.)

Elisabeta Canalis:  Apparently, she's George Clooney's ex.  I don't know what other claim to fame she has.  Once again, Dancing with the C-Listers!  Woot!

Ron Artest:  Obligatory athlete

Nancy Grace:  Obligatory news person.

Kristin Cavallari:  I've heard of her, but I don't know if I've ever seen her in anything.  Oh, she was on "The Hills"?  No wonder I've never seen her.

Ricki Lake:  Aww....I've always liked her.  Especially in "Mrs. Winterbourne".

Chynna Phillips:  Ha!  I remember when I saw her as Kim in the TV movie version of "Bye Bye Birdie".  She was WAAAAAAAY too old to be playing Kim!!!

Hope Solo:  Who?  Never heard of her.  (Wikipedia says she's a goalie.)

David Arquette:  Obligatory funny guy!!!

Rob Kardashian:  I don't know that I've heard of him. Is he related to Kim?

Ryan O'Neal:  Obligatory old guy.  Love him on "Bones"!

J.R. Martinez:  I don't know who that is.  (After a little research, I now know who he is.  While I wouldn't consider him a "star", I think it's awesome that he's going to be on there!)

Carson Kressley:  That'll be interesting.

Chaz Bono:  That'll be ever more interesting!


Now, I'm a little confused.  This is a list of 13 people.  There are only 12 professionals listed.  Just more proof that you can't trust Wikipedia!  BAH HA HA!!!  I just went back to wikipedia after looking at ABC's website and that entire list is gone.  I got in there at just the right time to see that list!

Okay, so I went back to ABC's website and saw the official list.  No Ryan O'Neal.  That's a bummer.  He would have been fun.

So there you have it!  This season will be...interesting. 

Book Review: "The List" by Melanie Jacobson

Ever read a book that's predictable so you just skip to the end to see if you're right?  Ever read a book that's predictable but interesting enough to keep reading?  This book is the latter.  I saw certain plot points coming from a mile away, but I enjoyed reading the witty dialogue.

Everyone has a bucket list, right?  Well, Ashley Barrett has "The List".  It's a list of 25 things she wants to do before she gets married.  She wrote it as an act of defiance at age 18.  She didn't want to be like her mom and sisters and marry super young.  Over the next 6 years, she's been checking things off the list.  The summer before she starts grad school (#5 on the list, by the way), she heads to California to stay with her cousins and learn to surf (#13).  She wasn't expecting to meet Matt Gibson, the hottest guy in the singles ward.  She manages to snag his attention, by playing hard to get.  And he quickly becomes #17 on the list (Have a summer fling.)

I really enjoyed the witty dialogue (as I said before.)  (I even posted 2 quotes from the book on my Facebook page!  I liked it that much!)  I also enjoyed reading the vivid descriptions of every kind of girl in a singles ward.  Having spent more than my fair share of years in singles wards, I can attest that every single description was spot on.  Melanie Jacobson does a great job of perfectly encapsulating the feeding frenzy that IS a singles ward in the summer time (or all year, in some cases) in a fun and engaging way.  (No pun intended.)  She also writes in a way that engages the reader with humor and truth.  Sure, I saw the ending coming a mile away, but I enjoyed her writing style so much and the story was cute, so I kept reading.  A few twists and turns kept me guessing there at the end, though. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Mormon Chick-Lit.  If you're not a "fluffy fun" kind of reader, you might not like this one.  But you're missing out on a silly good time. 

Hay...it's a Nightmare.

Ever have one of those moments where something happens and you feel like you're living out a nightmare? Today I followed a truck hauling hay.  The hay was "shedding" and it was all drifting onto my car.  I am very much allergic to hay.  So I sat there thinking "This is how I'm going to die!"  Luckily, I only had to follow the truck for about a quarter of a mile.  But that's a long distance when you're holding your breath.

"Scrapbook Movies"

There are a couple of movies that I call "Scrapbook Movies".  That means that I can put turn them on and then just listen to the them while I scrapbook.  I've seen them so many times that I don't need to see the action.  I can just listen and look up occasionally.  I have found this to be a great way to get my scrapbooks done!

Here is a partial list of my "Scrapbook Movies":

Enchanted
Ever After
Harry Potter (all of them)
Lord of the Rings (all of them)
Miss Congeniality
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
North & South (BBC Miniseries version)
Ocean's 11
Persuasion (2007 BBC Version)
Pride & Prejudice (2006 Keira Knightley version)
Tangled
13 Going on 30
The Wedding Planner
While You Were Sleeping

There are more, but these are the only ones I can think of at the moment.  Mostly because all but one are currently on the shelf next to me.

A complaint about the complainers who complain.

I don't have a subscription our local newspaper.  I can't afford it, and I can read the highlights online.  But one thing they DON'T put online is the "R-H Line".  It's a phone number people can call and they print what you say.  It's like writing a letter to the editor, but you can call it in...and you don't have to give your name.  I have been known to call this line, and occasionally I've gotten in print.  (I have the number memorized...is that a bad thing?)

Well, today I was at my parents' house and I was reading today's newspaper.  I was shocked to see some people complaining about this past weekend's Sculpture Show.  Okay...shocked isn't the right word.  Mildly surprised.  Slightly annoyed.  I don't know.

Once a year, the 2nd weekend in August, they have these big sculpture shows in our sculpture park and at the high school.  And one day of that, there is a craft fair in the other park that's right there.  It's actually pretty fun to wander around and look at all of the art.   But traffic in that area is beyond crazy. 

Well, that's what these callers were complaining about.  The one guy says they've lived near there for 10 years and why can't they move the show somewhere else?  People put trash in his lawn and in his car.  (Really, people?  That's what dumpsters are for.)  And he can't park in front of his own house.  The other guy went as far as to call it a stupid art show (I'm surprised they printed that!) and why couldn't they do something about the traffic.

Seriously?  People will ALWAYS find something to complain about.  I have lived in Loveland for my entire life and so it's no secret to me that Sculpture Show weekend is beyond crazy.  I lived within a mile of the craziness.  But you know what?  I don't complain to the city telling them to cancel the darn thing.  What do I do?  I just don't drive that way.  Our church building is very close to that area, and we would always take an alternate route.  Now, I understand that some people can't avoid the traffic, because they live closer than I did.  But you know what?  The show is the same weekend every year.  GO ON VACATION THAT WEEKEND!!!  Don't call the newspaper and complain because YOU are inconvenienced.  This show is a big deal for the artists...and the city gets a lot of revenue from it.

Basically, get over yourself and be a part of your community.  Not a thorn in your community.

Scrooooooooooooooge!!!!!

I am pleased to officially announce (now that the cast list has been posted) that I have been cast as Mrs. Dilber/Ensemble in Scrooge! The Musical at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse for this upcoming Holiday Season!  The show opens November 19th and runs through December 31st. 

We will have shows on Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons.  In December, we are also adding some Wednesday evenings and Saturday matinees.  Tickets are already going really fast, so don't wait around!!!  Call the Box Office!  You might even get to talk to me!  970-744-3747  Or visit our website:  www.coloradocandlelight.com

I hope to see you at this fabulous show!  Usually I say to let me know when you're coming, so I can come out and say hi.  But since I work in the Box Office I will probably already know you're coming.  I'm a stalker like that!  And I might even be working at the Will Call desk when you come.  You never know!!!

The Song You've All Been Waiting For!!!

You read my previous blog about:  Operation Secret Kumquat

Now, for your listening pleasure, the song:

I'm wondering if I should do a complete slideshow with other pictures of Grandpa.  Let me know what you think.  This picture (taken last year by Norm Rehme) is so adorable that I think it works for the entire song.

****If you are having trouble viewing the video on here, I have uploaded it to youtube and you can view it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYtV_BOIBSE

Criminals SUCK!!!!!!

Ironic, isn't it?  Just last Monday morning, we were sitting around the kitchen table talking about identity theft, purses being stolen, credit cards being stolen.

And what happens today?  I get a call from my bank asking me if I am, by chance, in Spain?  Uh...no.  I'm at work.  I wish I was in Spain.  That would be sweet!  Unfortunately, my debit card number is in Spain at the moment.  Greeeeeeeeeeeat.  Someone has made several purchases, all under $100.  Jerks.

Who knows how they got my number.  I have used my debit card in a couple of different places over the last couple of weeks.  (Would it be profiling to blame the employees at 3 Margaritas?  Probably.)  Gah!!!!

So now I get a new debit card in a couple of days.  And I'm not responsible for any of the charges.  I'm VERY thankful for the diligence of my bank to check up on bizarre activity on my account!

What's in a Name?

Many of you reading this know that my dad's name is Murell.  (Pronounced mur-ELL, not MEHR-ell or myur-ELL.)  It's family folk-lore that Grandma named him after a furnace repair man who came to the farm shortly before Dad was born.

Well, today I was sitting at work and a girl came into the office.  She looked to be in her early 20s.  She said her name was Murell.  (That's what I heard.)  I thought "WHAT?!"  But then the phone rang and I didn't get a chance to ask her about her name.  But I did hear when she spelled it out for the message she was leaving for our Food & Beverage Manager.  She spells it:  Mirelle.  So she probably pronounces it:  mirr-ELL.  But say it out loud.  mur-ELL.....mir-ELL....  Sounds the same right?  I think so.  I called Dad and told him.  He got a kick out of that.

Names are funny things.  People keep coming up with more unique names.  Pretty soon we're going to be naming our kids after more random things.  "Toshiba!  Take out the trash!"