Nicnel Speaks

Home, home on the range

2010-03-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

And no, they're not kidding about the deer and the antelope. This winter I've seen more deer in town - right in front of my house, in fact - than I've seen out of town. One actually ran into my dad as he was driving to work just down the street. And there's been a little baby deer that likes to eat our bushes. He's so cute!

It's been a few months now (okay, almost a year) since I wrote about moving and getting a new job. I think it's high time for an update! And for any of you who may have forgotten...

I moved to Wyoming!!!

Ah yes, lovely Wyoming. Some of you may sense some sarcasm in that remark, but let me assure you, it's completely sincere. I love being from and living in Wyoming. For one thing, there are so few of us (around 500,000) that it should be counted as a rare and unique pleasure to meet someone from this vast, though sparsely populated state. Sure, it may be a little windy - okay, more like "what's the point of a hairdo" windy - but that's all part of its charm. I believe it's one of the best-kept secrets of our nation. What a great place to be! Now if only there were more single, attractive, intelligent men...

*clearing throat* Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Wyoming. I moved here.

I'm working at the best, most fulfilling job I've ever had! And, if you recall, I've had a number of jobs to judge from. Let me list and discuss a few of the things I do for my job:

1. Teach voice lessons. I am basically the vocal department at Western Wyoming Community College. Currently I have 28 students enrolled through the school. I'm not gonna lie - I was a bit apprehensive at first about teaching voice lessons. I'd done it a bit before, but nothing this intensive. Plus, my background is more in conducting and education than private vocal instruction. But, thank heavens, I love teaching voice! It's the best thing in the world when a student has a breakthrough and makes serious progress because of something I've said. And the days where they all have breakthroughs are a literal high for me!

2. Teach choir classes. I have three groups - an SATB choir, a Women's choir, and a Men's a capella group with 7 guys. The a capella group has been around for a number of years, and I was pretty nervous to work with them. Not because I doubted my ability to direct them, but because I wasn't sure what my role was with them. They'd been pretty autonomous before, so I didn't really know what they expected of me. But we've found a good balance and they are so much fun to work with. I love it!!! They're all so talented too, which makes my job so much easier. And they keep me highly entertained, which is a nice bonus feature. As for the other groups, they only started gaining momentum in the last couple of years, and were pretty dinky before that. Fall semester I had 9 people in the SATB choir and that number doubled to 18 in the Spring! They're also incredibly talented and fun to work with. I gotta say, for only 18 people, they sound pretty phenomenal. Watch out GLEE! And the Women's choir is blossoming too. I LOVE directing choirs!!!

3. Teach music classes. I teach sections of Aural Theory, Written Theory, and Singing for the Actor. All of them are way fun for me to teach. Sometimes I wonder if I like teaching so much because I'm an attention hog and a social butterfly... It's possible, pig.

4. Direct vocal music for theatre productions. This is one of the most fun things associated with my job. I LOVE musical theatre and being involved in it so heavily is super rewarding. I think part of what makes it so great is the high quality of the program here. I can't get enough of how much talent there is in our dinky little school! I feel so privileged to be here, I can't even tell you.

That pretty much sums up my job duties. But so much is still left out! My absolute favorite thing about being here is the people. The faculty, community, and students are the BEST! I genuinely care for all my students - they are seriously talented, extraordinarily fun (though some might say "kooky"), and some of the most wonderful people I know! I'm probably a bit biased, but I just love them!!! And I can't say enough about the faculty. I've never known a faculty to be so invested in the lives of the students. They don't just teach these kids, they actually care about them. It's so refreshing to see after becoming a little jaded with the public school system. I'm definitely in the right place.

Alright already, enough of the gushing! I get it.

I LOVE MY JOB!!! And the fact that it's in Wyoming makes it even better.

The only thing lacking (and I may have mentioned this previously) is the lack of social opportunity.

But what do you think the summer's for? *nudge, wink*

Speaking of summer, if anybody has a great idea for a summer job for me, please let me know. I'm on hunt...in more ways than one...

Whoa...that sounds ominous...

"You Threw Off My Groove"

2010-03-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

I've had some friends in the blogosphere complain to me about the lack of news coming from my blog lately. Peru is all fine and well, "but what's happening with you???" I get the hint.

Just give me one more little indulgence and I'll get back to my life, okay?

Peru Highlight #3 – Cusco

I absolutely loved this town! It was so utterly charming - everything you'd expect from an up-and-coming international tourist destination, but with a certain degree of coziness. We toured through cathedrals and museums, ate at local restaurants, visited surrounding countryside complete with ancient Incan ruins, and really felt at home there. Such a gorgeous little town!

I will admit that part of the likeable-ness of this town comes from it's name - Cusco. I mean, what's the first thing you think of when you hear that?

*Singing* "What's his name? CUSCOOO!"

Right? Right. Granted, this town had its name long before somebody threw off the emperor's groove, but it's thanks to that movie that we've heard the word before. I'm pretty sure we mentioned that film just about every day we were in Peru. ...Twice...at least...

Seriously though, Cusco was a perfectly charming city in every way. Even in the "scary" parts of town, I never felt too threatened. Here are a couple of things I loved about Cusco:

Qorikancha - a huge Spanish cathedral built on top of the main Inca Temple. Cusco was the Incan capital, but when the Spanish came, they tore down almost every building and used the Incan foundations for all their cathedrals, homes, businesses, etc. The Qorikancha still has several walls intact and is a highly impressive building.

Plaza de Armas - I loved walking around and sitting in this main square. It was so gorgeous and filled with people at all times of the day. Ah, the ambiance.

Marquesas Hotel - This hotel was fantastic! The rooms were all so original and well-maintained. The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating, and the building itself was so historic with its cobblestone courtyards and original architecture. The breakfast was pretty good too!

Pacha Papa - YUM! What else can I say? This is not the first restaurant we ate at in Peru, but it was easily the best and most authentic. We had our first chicha morada here, as well as some incredibly delicious lomo saltado, some fried papas (4 different kinds), some alpaca steaks, and yummy hot green sauce. I couldn't get enough!

Shopping - You can find anything in Cusco. There is so much to buy! If you can't find it at one store in the right color or fit, just walk to the next booth and you're good to go. I loved browsing the little stores. I probably did a bit too much of that...

So for anyone anticipating a trip to Cusco anytime in the future, whether near or not, be excited...be very excited. I loved every moment I was there!

Hooray for Cusco!

Big Birds

2010-01-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

Peru highlight #2:

ANDEAN CONDORS!!!

I don't know how many of you are aware, but these giant birds are so awesome! I've wanted to see one ever since I was a kid watching the Hayley Mills classic, "In Search of the Castaways." In this movie, they travel to the Andes mountains in search of their shipwrecked father and have all kinds of adventures. Here's the clip with the condor if any of you are unfamiliar with this Disney action masterpiece. (You only need to see about the first 3 minutes or so, but the rest is great too!)

Is it any wonder I wanted to witness these winged marvels for myself? To see them, we had to travel to the deepest canyon in the world (in actual depth, not elevation) - Colca Canyon. The canyon itself is quite a sight to see. It's gorgeous, with Incan terraces everywhere. At the top, there's a great place to watch the condors, and there were sooooo many people there to do just that. We did this the day after my birthday, and I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do to celebrate.

Andean Condors are the largest flying land bird. They have a wingspan of 9 to 10 feet! Yep, they're pretty huge... The young ones are brown, and the adults are black with red heads and a white ring of feathers around their necks. They live to be about 50 years old!

Here's a video of the real thing. I give you the Andean Condor!

As you can see, they were flying right over our heads! It was so amazing! We watched for about an hour, but I could easily have stayed much longer.

One childhood dream...check!

I am a Champion!

2009-12-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Ah, Peru. Land of llamas, mountains, condors, Incas, and coldness. What can I say about you?

Well...a lot, actually.

Probably too much. It's been a few months since Nathaniel and I got back from Peru, so I've had sufficient time to condense the experience into something bloggable...barely. We'll hit only the highlights here, and goodness knows there are enough of those! Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I'll let them do most of the talking.

So, without further ado, here is the first of the Peru 2009 highlights...

Highlight #1 - Lares Trail: 3-day Trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu

If I could have chosen one thing to last longer on our trip, it would have been this. You can visit cities all you want, but there's something special about getting out away from the tourist-trodden path. It's like you learn what makes up the heart of the country. And the heart of Peru is indescribably breathtaking/amazing/glorious/majestic/resilient/magnificent/stunning/wonderful.

Allow me to describe what this trek was like. 'Trek' is an appropriate word for this adventure. It doesn't do it justice to call it merely a 'hike.' My friend Tanya and I prepped months in advance for this by hiking all around the Vegas valley every Monday. I was SO grateful we did that, because I think (or, rather, know) it really helped a lot.

We had the most awesome tour guide in the entire universe! His name was Isaac and he was a huge part of what made this so enjoyable. He called us "champions" the entire time and was super supportive, and hilarious to boot! This is him in the yellow shirt. Half of our group's jokes from this trip were inspired by Isaac's awesomeness. He was the best!

We had originally planned on doing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. That's the really famous one that everyone and their dog goes on (and there were definitely a lot of dogs...everywhere in Peru). I read up on it online and everyone talked about how challenging it is and how you have to train months in advance to do the Inca Trail. Well, the permits for that trail were sold out by the time we decided to do a trek, so we signed up for the Lares Trek. We were eating lunch on the first day, and discovered that the Lares Trek is actually MORE difficult than the Inca Trail. Surprise! Yeah, thanks for that one Isaac... Apparently, the Inca Trail goes over only one mountain pass, and on the Lares Trail, we conquered three! And all of them were well over 14,000 feet! Just to put it in perspective, the Grand Teton's peak is at just over 13,000 feet. And these were the passes! The peaks in the Andes were much higher than that. Talk about majestic...The Lares Trail also passes through some Incan villages. Here the people still farm, herd llamas and alpacas, and live in stone huts. It was absolutely eye-opening. These people have so little and are humble and meek, yet know how to take care of what they do have. What a valuable lesson for we who have possibly too much.

A few other things about the Lares Trail:

- The food was INCREDIBLE!!! We had a few chefs that went with us and cooked gourmet meals on the trail. I don't know if it was because we were burning calories like crazy, but I don't think food has tasted so delicious to me as it did those few days. I'm salivating now just thinking about it...

- I also don't think I have ever been colder in my life than nights spent on the Lares Trek. August in South America is the end of the dry season (which is just a nice way of saying 'winter'). It. Was. Cold. Understatement of the year. I thought I would be fine the first night. I put on layers and bundled up in my mummy bag...and froze...literally. (Okay, maybe not literally. I just wanted you to feel the coldness.) Good thing I was also exhausted. I managed to get a little sleep. I learned my lesson though. The next night I had on my long johns, sweats, three pairs of socks, t-shirt, long-sleeved t-shirt, windbreaker, polar fleece, alpaca wool sweater, scarf, hat, and mittens. Yeah, that was enough...barely...

- I love the Andes. They are some of the most... (again, words fail me) ...mountains I've ever seen. It had been a dream of mine to visit the Andes ever since I was a kid watching "In Search of the Castaways" with Hayley Mills. Plus, I love Andes mints. Now that I've been there, I pray someday that I can go back and spend more time in them. It was a journey I'll never forget.

(Cheesy, I know, but whatcha gonna do?)

Before you ask...

2009-08-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

Yes...I do know how long it's been since I've posted something. My reasons are as follows:

- moved from Vegas
- 2 weeks in Peru
- weekend in the Tetons
- painting rooms in house
- prepping for new job
- unpacking from the move

I believe these reasons provide ample justification for my scanty (okay, nonexistent) blogging.

This post is just to inform anyone out there that I am still alive and well. I'll be posting a few Peru blogs complete with photos, stories, and much more (maybe) soon. As soon as I get my computer back up and running...

Thank you. That is all.

I Need a Topic

2009-06-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Wow - I can't believe it's been almost a whole month since I've written anything. It doesn't seem like I've done anything lately that's worth writing about in my blog for the whole world to see. I just can't think of anything that's blog-worthy.

For example, should I write about the few days I spent at home organizing and cleaning in preparation for the big move? Camille and I made a two-day marathon out of the whole thing, and man, we have a lot of stuff.

Or should I write about the trip to Lake Powell with friends? Do people even care that I tried water-skiing for the first time and never quite made it? Or what about camping on the beach and the insane wind storms we got to experience? Of course, it was way fun and might make for a good blog, but who can say?

Maybe I should write about helping out with the play this year, "The Wizard of Oz." Kate and I are manning the spotlights for it and having a good time cracking jokes over the headset. Plus we get to see good friends every night! Is that even interesting?

How about this little tidbit? I finished the Yellowstone video after months of grueling labor. Our preview party was great and everyone really loved it! I was so happy with the final result, but do any of my blog readers really care?

Perhaps some people may be interested in how I spend my days, now that I'm living the life of the unemployed... I have to make to-do lists every morning just so I can actually get things done. It's amazing how time really flies when you don't have a job to go to every morning. I just don't know if that stuff is blog-able!

Would it be interesting to read about how I'm preparing for my Peru trip? About how I've been hiking every Monday with Tanya to train for the Lares Trail? About how I've been exercising every day on top of that, but still haven't lost any weight!?! About how I spent a fortune at REI just to get everything I need to go down there and spend more money?

Should I write about how I'm already starting to feel phased out? How, with about a month left to go in Las Vegas, I feel like the time is just slipping away until The Big Move? How people around me (and me too, actually) are already moving on with their lives and starting to break ties? How that makes me a little sad?

Nah...

I just can't think of anything to write about. Hopefully I'll get over this writer's block soon, but I make no promises...

The End of An Era

2009-05-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

That is, if you call 3.75 years an 'era.'

It has seemed a bit like one to me, however, since I started working for a wonderful little company called Las Vegas Golf Adventures. I thought this, being my penultimate day working here, would be the perfect time to document what I've learned since that September day oh so long ago.

So here it is - my list of Lessons Learned at Golf Adventures!
(I'm incorporating some of my favorite photos of golf courses that we book. Enjoy!)

1. Golf is expensive. Seriously. If you want to golf at a really nice course in Vegas, be prepared to pay anywhere from $150 to $550 for 18 holes. No, I'm not kidding. Yes, people actually do pay that much. No, I don't remember their credit card numbers.

2. Golf is confusing. There are rules upon rules for this game. Of course, working in an office didn't teach me much about these rules. I only went golfing once the whole time I worked here, and I'm pretty sure that rules didn't come into play too often that day. Writing articles about golf courses did teach me some of the 'golf lexicon' however. I now know the golf-related meanings to words like bunker, mulligan, tee box, marker, pin, fairway, green, rough, overseed, aerify, 'at the turn,' and many many more...that I will never use again.

3. How to use the number pad. You know it - those extra keys on the right side of your keyboard. I never used that before working here, and it took some doing, but now my fingers just slide over those little numbers. New skill learned...check.

4. How credit cards work. I realize that this is probably common knowledge to most educated people, but did you know that credit card companies make their money by applying a fee to companies that charge them? That's why some places only take certain types of credit cards - because for every time they swipe it, they're charged a percentage of the total. American Express is the highest percentage and Visa/Mastercard is the lowest. Also, Visas always start with the number 4, Mastercards are 5, Amex is 3, and Discover is 6. Never knew that before...

5. Internet Marketing is extremely complex. It involves all kinds of strategies, partnerships, methods, and lots and lots of money. And I don't know anything about it. Still.

6. Business travel is not as fun as it sounds.

7. If you're not actually busy, just try looking busy. That's good enough.

8. Sometimes it's really hard to look busy...

9. The internet is a veritable cornucopia of amazing and time-consuming (some might say 'time-wasting') things.

10. You can Google anything.

11. List-making is addictive. I don't think I'll ever be able to kick the habit. I've made more lists, made more schedules, planned more trips, and researched more things on this computer than I ever have on my home one. Times ten.

12. Men like cold.

13. Always take a jacket with you to work. Even if it's pushing 110 outside.

14. Even though golf is boring to watch, it's fun to play. Golf courses are really beautiful! They're quiet, serene, and highly manicured - at least, the expensive ones are... I enjoy being out on the golf course, even if I'm not playing (or maybe especially if I'm not playing).

15. There is such a thing as macro-management. This, of course, is the opposite of micro-management. It occurs when you are given free reign to do pretty much whatever you want, and as long as the necessary work gets done, you're good to go. I totally lucked out with this job.

And, though there's oodles more, I think I'll leave it at that. Anytime I would describe my job to friends, family, or anyone, they always said the same thing: You totally lucked out with that job. And I'd have to say that I'm inclined to agree. I've never worked in a more relaxed environment with cooler bosses than here. I don't think they read my blog (or know that I have one), but just in case...

Jeff, Scott, Alex, JR - thanks guys for providing me with a great job, a great environment, and great opportunities for growth! I wish you all the best!

Alright...who wants to golf?

In case anyone is interested, the photos are as follows:
- Reflection Bay in Lake Las Vegas, NV
- Thundering Waters in Niagara Falls, Canada
- Cabo Del Sol Ocean Course in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Sunridge Canyon in Scottsdale, Arizona
- Sedona Golf Club in Sedona, Arizona
- Rhodes Ranch in Las Vegas, NV

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

2009-05-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

I know the big day's not until August, but I have to do a little early celebrating.

You see, this year I will turn the big 3-0. I know what you're thinking, and I agree - I do look way younger than that. I could probably pass for 26 or something. In fact, my RealAge test says I'm only 24!

So, if anybody asks, I give you permission to fudge the numbers a little.

Anywho, I decided long ago that I needed to do something incredible for this momentous occasion. I've been tossing around a few ideas: skydiving, parasailing, scuba diving, etc. But as we all know, my true passion is for travel, so...

I'M GOING TO PERU!!!

I BOOKED MY FLIGHT TODAY!!!

Yep, that's right! Land of the llamas, here I come! But wait! That's not all...

I'm going to hike the 3-day Lares Trail to Machu Picchu!* I'll also visit Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Lake Titicaca with the floating reed islands, Arequipa, Lima, and Colca Canyon, to name a few.

I am ecstatic!

Don't worry, of course I'm not going alone. I've got a few friends/family coming with me. But there's still lots of room for any additions! So...

Who wants to come???

I'm taking applications now. Here are a few pictures to entice you:

*Lest you think this trail actually goes to Machu Picchu, let me set you straight. They say it goes there, but that's because you catch a train there at the end of the hike. The only trail that goes directly to Machu Picchu is the Inca Trail, and all the permits are gone for that one. Oh well, we'll still get to hike around in the Andes mountains! And see wild llamas!!!

Senioritis

2009-05-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't had this feeling for years. You remember it, don"t you? The queasy feeling of impatient anticipation preceding every summer vacation since you were old enough for school? Remember how that feeling intensified every year until you hit the big one - 12th grade? Those last few weeks of school were a joke. The only things I remember about the very end of my Senior year in High School were the pranks, skipping class a lot (because we weren't doing anything anyway), and graduation. And how those last two weeks dragged on and on and on and on...

I'm in full-reminiscence mode now. Monday starts my official last two weeks at my current job, and then...SUMMER BREAK BABY!!! It's been a long four years since my last summer break, and I plan to make up for all that lost time. I have trips planned to Lake Powell, San Francisco, and Peru! I have projects galore! I have so much playing, sleeping in, and socializing to do, I'm not sure I can fit it all into one summer!

Of course, what this means is that I'm absolutely worthless at work. And hardly motivated. Not intentionally, of course, but my mind keeps wandering to afternoons by the pool, evenings spent with friends, souvenirs in Chinatown, and the llamas of Machu Picchu.

I've definitely got a bad case of Senioritis, and I don't think there's a remedy. I just need to pull through these last two weeks...

When it rains...

2009-04-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

...it definitely pours. But - to complete the idiom with another idiom - in every cloud there is a silver lining. Boy, if I haven't learned this lately.

Okay, so my favorite saying over the last 3 weeks is that my life is like a country song: I was sick, my dog died, and I lost my job. All I need now is a pickup truck so it can break down and a boyfriend so he can dump me! (I find that facing things with humor really eases the tension, baby.)

All of this obviously needs a little explanation, so let me see if I can do a quick recap for you...

March 12-15: Went to Seattle for business trip. Family came too. Played with family on down time. Stood in a booth at a golf show for three days. Ate Nando's chicken. Went on Underground Tour. Went to ballet. Played Settlers of Cattan in SEA-TAC Airport. Lost.

March 18-22: Went to Disneyland for 3 days with family. Loved every minute of it. Sat in the front on Splash Mountain. Got soaked. Ate a corn dog, Dole Whip, 3 churros, and Blue Bayou. Won 3 beavers. Used single rider pass again and again and again and again... Hated to leave.

March 23: Had inexplicable hives on arms. Itchy arms all week.

March 26-31: Hives spread to entire body. Had to take cold baking soda bath. Completely miserable and whiny. Just ask the roommates.

March 31: Sugar, beloved family dog, dies. Almost 14 years old. Had a ruptured disc. Couldn't walk. Had to be put down. We love and miss her.

April 1-3: Hives under control. On constant Benadryl. Sudden unexplained dizziness, nausea, and fatigue on Thursday afternoon. Stayed home Friday. Sent in job application for Western Wyoming Community College - Vocal music position. Wondered if I really wanted that job. Slept.

April 4-5: Most needed and timely General Conference ever.

April 6: Laid off from job due to downsizing (in a company of 5 people). Still working through May 15th - one silver lining. Pondered the irony of already having applied for another job. Silver lining number two. Called everybody and reveled in the shock of it all.

April 9: Set up appointment for interview at WWCC. Only 5 days away. Couldn't help thinking how quickly everything was happening.

April 11-16: Great time at home with sister and parents sewing, watching movies, playing Yahtzee. Love being at home. Hives finally disappear...for now.

April 14: Interview day. Goes well. Feel a good vibe. Wonder if I can actually move back home...

April 17: Get the call. Got the job. Felt so good about it. Accepted it. Continue to feel shocked - and completely blessed.

I think that's it in a nutshell! A very very small nutshell. My life has significantly changed in the course of two small weeks. Yes, it can happen to anyone. I am here to testify.

But with all this radical change has also come the best feeling of peace and acceptance, and I know that's not coming from me. It feels like it should be a trial, and yet, isn't one. This is what Heavenly guidance looks and feels like, and no doubt about it. And I couldn't be more grateful.

Thanks to everyone who has been there to support me through these last few rough weeks! I love you all!

And thanks in advance to everyone who's going to help me make the most of my last few months here in Vegas before moving to windy, wintery, lovely Wyoming. It's party time people!!!

I'm in the army now!

2009-04-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hello!!! Time for me to recover from my long absence with a quick blog...

So, I don't know if anyone knows this, but I absolutely love reading! (Duh!) And easily my favorite genre is fantasy...with a little sci-fi thrown in to make things interesting. We're talking LOTR, Dune, Shannara, Ender, and many, many more.

But perhaps one of my favorite series is "The Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan. I love the world, the characters, the conflicts...basically everything about this series. Yes, some of these 11 books tend to drag on (5-10 anybody?), but it's all part of a cohesive and extremely complicated story.

My admiration for everything WoT-related was jolted back in 2007 when I read that the Creator (heh, heh) of this series, Robert Jordan himself, had passed away while working on the final book. Fans the world over mourned for the man, but also for the death of an incomplete series until, thankfully, a new writer was commissioned to write the concluding book (which will now be 3 books). His name is Brandon Sanderson and he's gallantly stepped into Mr. Jordan's shoes and is doing his utmost to stay true to the world of the story, for which I commend him highly.

Anyway, he's created some cool opportunities for fans of the series, which I have gladly taken part in! As in all good fantasy, there's a great conflict between good and evil in this series which has led to many an exciting battle scene. In order to do battle scenes, you need armies, and Mr. Sanderson (or should I say "Bro. Sanderson" - yes, he's Mormon too!) has come up with an interesting way of creating one of these armies for the last book. He's gone through a charity called Heifer International, which nobly helps fight hunger across the world, to organize fans to donate. Whoever donates to this general fund joins the army that will be featured in the final book! He says it's not going to be obvious to the readers who this army is (there will be a lot of them in the Last Battle) unless you're looking for it, but by donating, you're effectively going to be immortalized in print - in fantasy!

So naturally, I signed myself up! That's right, I'm going to be fighting the Dark One in Tarmon Gai'don!

I bet you all wish you were as cool as me.

You're So Vain...

2009-02-26T12:01:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I decided to take the plunge and become an official Nevada resident. I've lived here for about 4 years, but up until now I've been relying on my good old Florida driver's license to get by. It's been good to me, but it's days of CDL glory are long past.

So, on Valentine's Day I got up and ready and to the DMV just as it opened. The whole process took only 20 minutes and I was thrilled! Plus, I made sure to look extra cute that morning for the photo.

I have a long and distinguished history of always looking great for my driver's license photos. From Wyoming to Utah to Florida, I've somehow managed to get a nice picture that I gladly display upon any request for photo ID. That is, until now...

I just got my Nevada license a couple of days ago and it. is. awful. I look partially-stoned, chipmunk-cheeked, lazy-eyed, and over-rouged. Ugh! It's embarrassing... really...

But that's not even the worst part! I've always been told that I'm pretty photogenic, so I was expecting something that followed along the usual trend. But when I opened that envelope and took my first gander, I was instantly depressed. The same feeling comes back every time I glance at it to see if it really is that bad (and yes, it is). I was in a bad mood from that moment on, and, I admit, rather shocked about the effect it had on me.

Come on now. Am I really THAT vain that I'm depressed by one bad photo on a driver's license (which are characteristically known for displaying bad photos in the first place)??? Up until this week, I would have said no way.

But I guess now I know better. Talk about a reality check!

Anyone else have bad photos? Or vanity issues? Maybe we can commiserate.

January Adventures - Part III

2009-02-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

January Adventures Part III brings us to the end of a very eventful month. In this final installment, Nicole plays host to her sister Camille in a whirlwind weekend of fun in Las Vegas. The girls' activities include going to the Temple, movies, and shopping up a storm! It all ends with a slam-bang finish with a birthday celebration and country dancing. The adventures continue!

So, this might not qualify as an adventure in the true sense of the word, but Camille and I are two fun chickies and love getting together. Every time we do, the fun abounds! Plus we're stinkin' cute. I mean, just look at this photo. Don't we simply scream fun? Yeah, that's what I thought...

Anyway, not much to elaborate on here. We went to the movie "Inkheart" and enjoyed it. We also went to the Temple, and shopping for something very exciting which I can't write about until next January. No...it's not marriage-related, so don't ask! If you really want to know I'll tell you, but you have to ask me. I also accept bribes...

No, the real adventure was celebrating Amber's birthday. We always try to do fun things for birthdays (Amber and Kate took me to see the "Tournament of Kings" dinner show at the Excalibur!) and all Amber really wanted was to go to Stoney's for country dancing with all her friends. We had a nice dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe in the Palazzo first and then danced the night away at Stoney's. What a blast!!!

Possibly the best part of the night was that I got to wear my cowboy boots! They're hand-me-downs from my mom because they're a bit too small for her now, but I love them. Vintage 70's baby! Good stuff!

Another little highlight was the awesome volleyball cake I made Amber for her birthday. It turned out great! Amber's reaction was the best! She was talking on the phone and just started laughing as soon as she saw it - wish I would've taken a picture. Oh well... These will have to do.

The Birthday Girl!

January Adventures - Part II

2009-01-29T16:26:00.001-08:00

Next on Part II of January Adventures, join Nicole, Amber, Jason, Ryan, Tanya, and Amy as they traverse the wilds of the Nevada desert searching for the ever-elusive natural hot springs...in the dark! Will they find success, or will they spend an eternity wandering off trails, climbing solid rock walls, and discovering the innate ability of sand to enter their seemingly well-made sneakers?

That's right, folks. Rocks and sand in shoes. Never a good idea. And there for a little while, we wondered if this hike was a good idea. None of us had ever been to these hot springs just south of the Hoover Dam, and we didn't get started on the trail until 8:30pm. But no one can ever call us wimps, because we did it and lived to tell the tale! Granted, we didn't get back to the car until almost 2am, but that's beside the point... Look at us in this "before" photo. We look so hopeful and innocent. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into...

After hiking for about 45 minutes, we came to a large body of water (which was not the hot springs...or Lake Mead, for that matter) and decided we'd better find the correct trail. So Amber and Ryan promptly started to climb over a mountain. What choice had we but to follow? After careening down the other side of the mountain over the piles of loose gravel, we found some people sleeping in tents who kindly gave us the correct directions, and finally (after getting lost yet again) we came to the hot springs. Boy, that was a pleasant sight! And soak! They were really cool (I mean, hot...) - right in the middle of a narrow wash. We lit some candles and relaxed for a bit.

When it was time to head out, we climbed over some rocks and followed the trail back to our car...kind of. We lost the trail a few times and were just seeming to be on the right path, when suddenly a huge wall of rock loomed before us. Using our newly-regenerated muscles, we scrambled up and started moving along again, when what should appear? An even larger, more-impenetrable wall of rock. Ryan was the only one to attempt this obstacle - the rest of our group had to go back and find another way. What was the other way, you might ask? To climb up a different wall of rock, of course. Needless to say, by now we realized that there was no possible way that this was the actual trail. At that point we just gave up altogether and wandered in what we knew was the right direction. Thank you, o North Star!

Perhaps the most hilarious moment in this escapade came when we finally reached the highway and our car was nowhere to be seen. I can just imagine it in my head like a movie: we reach the highway and six heads look up the hill to the right, then back down the hill to the left, then at each other with perplexed expressions. "Which way is it," we're all wondering. Amber courageously volunteered to jog down the hill to the closest mile marker, and I can only imagine what the passing cars were thinking at the mysterious appearance of this random Navajo girl jogging down the highway at 1:30 in the morning. Much to our joy, we weren't far from our car - just another 100 yards down the hill.

Even with all of my (slight) exaggerations, the hike was definitely a blast! This adventure was a great way to open 2009, but hopefully it's not a portent for things to come or I'm going to need some serious flashlights this year. And maybe a compass...

January Adventures - Part I

2009-01-29T15:01:00.000-08:00

I know what you're thinking... "You had adventures in January? But the New Year has just begun!" Or maybe it's more like... "Finally! It's taken you long enough to get around to posting. What's wrong with you? You have all this free time now, the least you could do is maintain a blog!"

Okay, so maybe that's just me talking. In any case, here I am, ready to regale you with tales of excitement and adventure in this cold first month of 2009! Get ready to laugh, sigh, and yes, even cry as together we peruse this narrative of bold adventure, thrilling suspense, and daring deeds!

Our first tale takes us to the snowy climes of Brian Head Resort, where Nicole and 15 of her closest friends while away the short, cold days with hours of doing absolutely nothing. And eating.

We stayed in my boss' cabin next to the ski resort and had an amazingly good time. This was the 2nd annual Brian Head trip and this year we decided to try something new - tubing! Last year we had a few slightly successful runs down a hill we found at random. That was interesting and extremely tiring because the snow was easily hip-deep. This year there wasn't quite as much snow, but we opted for the resort's tubing hill. It was really great! I always ended up going way faster than I wanted and actually ran into the barrier at the bottom a few times, which you're really not supposed to do. I'm such a rebel, I know. Probably the greatest thing about it was the tow rope that pulled you straight to the top. No work, just play - it was a fantastic weekend!

While we were there, we also spent some quality time playing games. We played golf (with cards), scum, Harry Potter Clue, LOTR Trivial Pursuit, Whoonu, scum, Office DVD Trivia, Singstar, and even started a 1500-piece puzzle! But we didn't finish it...oh well. Camille and I also taught a few select individuals (i.e. the people who were interested) how to play 4-handed pinochle. It was great and they caught on pretty quickly. It's a difficult game but they made Camille and I proud!

All in all, the weekend was a great way to prolong the holidays and have some good bonding time.

Here are the girls...and Adam.

Hello 2009!

2009-01-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

Well, now that it's been over a month since the last post, I guess I'll revive my blogging hobby. A few updates are in order...

I spent a wonderful week-long Christmas holiday in good ol' Green River, Wyoming. There really is no other place I would rather be for the holidays than home with my family. We had such a great time - as always! It was incredibly relaxing (perhaps a bit too much) and I think I left the house a total of 3 times the entire week: once for church, once to look at the luminaries on Christmas Eve, and once to go to Taco Time (which exists only in two locations very far from me in Las Vegas). My activities consisted of these:

- watching movies
- eating Christmas goodies
- playing Rock Band 2
- watching my brother play a crazy Japanese game on his PS 2
- crocheting
- eating Christmas goodies
- playing games including Yahtzee, pinochle, The Farming Game, ratscrew, Disney Scene-It, golf (with cards), and Whoonu.
- reading a book
- eating Christmas goodies
- playing (sort of) the guitar
- a short (too short) spurt of Mario Cart on the 64
- eating home-cooked meals

So, as you can see, it was a very relaxing, sugar-filled holiday. Which brings me to my next subject - New Year's Resolutions! No, really, I probably gained 5 pounds in that one week. Oh well, it was worth every sugary, chocolatey, ice creamy bite!

In all seriousness though, I am making a few small changes that I think will help with the extra insulation I gained this winter. I've started planning my meals every week and it's actually been a cool experience. I make sure to plan things in there that I actually eat, like cold cereal... :) It's cool to know exactly what to shop for and have a plan set up. I'm such a plan-oriented person that I'm surprised it's taken me this long to get going on the meal-planning thing, but better late than never, I guess.

Another cool thing I've discovered is SparkPeople.com. It's a free site designed to help you change bad habits to good ones. My favorite tools on it are the Nutrition Tracker and the Fitness Tracker. Plus there's tons of good articles, blogs, forums, and other materials to keep you motivated. It will even design a menu and fitness plan for you based on whatever information you enter. It's an all-in-one health plan! (Wow, this is pretty good - I really should be in Marketing or something... Oh wait... I am... yay golf...)

I've also started getting lots more sleep and resumed my morning walk/jog. It's amazing how much better I feel when I exercise! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants more energy, not to mention stronger muscles and added flexibility. Even in one week I've seen improvements! I'll be doing the splits before you know it! Watch out Kerri Struggs!

Of course, the true test of making resolutions is in the keeping of them. I have the best of intentions, as do we all, and then Easter comes around... Those little Cadbury Mini-Eggs get the best of me every year - not to mention those delectable Peeps! But I say "bring it on!" Me and my action plan will be waiting.

Performances...

2008-12-12T14:12:00.001-08:00

I've had a few requests for concert dates and times, so here they are:

North Stake Center Choir and Orchestra Christmas Concert
Saturday, Dec. 13th and Sunday, Dec. 14th
7:00pm
North Las Vegas Stake Center at Azure and Goldfield (Centennial and Commerce)

This concert is going to be so awesome! The orchestra just keeps getting better and better every time they play, and this is no exception. We even have a bell choir! I'm singing a big solo too... the 4 Recitatives for Soprano from Handel's Messiah. This is my first solo with an orchestra and I'm way excited for it! We've been working so hard on this music (since before Halloween, as previously mentioned) and it's going to be a really great way to kick off the holiday season.

Forgotten Carols starring Michael McLean
Monday, Dec. 15th
7:30pm (?)
Cashman Center in North Las Vegas

I directed the choir for this one and will be singing with them for this concert. I started rehearsals before Halloween for this also, and I have so many friends who have turned out to sing in this choir - it's been just great! All our hard work will be paid off on Monday. If you want to go but still don't have tickets, I recommend getting them ASAP as I've heard they might already be sold out. You can get them here. This is a great show too, and definitely not as cheesy as all those retro Mormon-pop songs by Michael McLean. Also a great family night activity!

The other "concert" will actually be my ward Christmas program, which I think is the most stressful one of all... I've put lots of work (and worry) into it, so I hope it comes off as intended. I think this is more stressful partly because my family will be there and some of them have quite discerning musical tastes. I'm sure they'll love it if I'm involved, though... They're just awesome like that! I'm really glad they're coming all this way to support me in these performances! It makes me feel important and loved - thanks family!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Stop the Holiday Madness!

2008-11-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

The other night I was catching up with Nancy Porter, a talented musician and friend, and we were talking about making it through the holidays. She mentioned to me that she classifies people in two categories when it comes to the Christmas season: people who go to things and people who are in things. Those "things" I'm referring to are the many cultural events that surround this season and, for many, help to define it.

The people who go to things have a virtual smorgasbord of options when it comes to holiday entertainment. They are those who can say "Let's go to this concert on Friday," or "Hey, why don't we check out that performance?" Then they happily attend said event where they listen to great holiday music and have the chance to really soak in the season and infuse themselves with the Christmas spirit.

The people who are in things have quite a different holiday experience. Their holiday season usually starts around October. What? October, you say? Yes, because none of those wonderful Christmas programs would be quite so wonderful without hours, nay, even months of rehearsal. So while everyone else is gearing up for Halloween, here we are (yes, I fall into this latter category) pounding away at notes for another jazzed-up rendition of "Jingle Bells."

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this, necessarily. We love the holidays just as much as the "go to things" people do. It's just more of a love/dread situation...

What's more, people who are in things tend to be "in" a lot of things. I don't know exactly how this happens. I'm fairly certain that every year we all resolve to say "no" to at least five invitations/requests to perform. But somehow we always end up doing more than we intend to. I feel completely authorized to speak in behalf of all of us "in thing-ers" on this point. Whether it be because of our love for performing, a desire to share our talents, adoration of all things Christmas, or need for some serious ego-enhancement, I can't say. My suspicion is that all of these play a factor. Add in the fact that all musicians are at least a little crazy, and you've got a recipe for holiday exhaustion.

For my part this holiday season, I'm only participating in 4 Christmas concerts (all on the same weekend). This is actually a huge step back for me, compared to my college days. I'm only in charge of directing 2 choirs and only singing 1 solo, 1 small group number, and accompanying 1 song. This is light work, trust me! In fact, I may even be able to go see a few concerts myself this holiday season! What a novel idea...

As much as I talk about being busy, I really do love this time of year. And I love to attend, but I'd so much rather perform in these myriads of holiday celebrations. Yes, I've resigned myself to Christmas in October. And hey, I usually do get at least a few days before Christmas to relax and soak it all in before we have to start rehearsing Easter music...

I'm Chinese Checkers...

2008-11-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

You Are Chinese Checkers

You live a hyper, fast paced life. You rarely ever slow down.

You are good at juggling many things at once. You are the ultimate multi-tasker.

You enjoy being in a group - in fact the bigger the group, the better.

You are an enthusiastic competitor, and you can be a little ruthless when you play games.

What Board Game Are You?

Lucky Annie...

2008-11-14T13:32:00.000-08:00

So I was driving home from work the other day, and one of my favorite songs came on. I'm not typically a big fan of John Denver, but Annie's Song gets me every time. This seriously has to be THE most romantic song ever written! I mean, look at these lyrics:

You fill up my senses
like a night in the forest
like the mountains in springtime,
like a walk in the rain
like a storm in the desert,
like a sleepy blue ocean
you fill up my senses,
come fill me again.

Come let me love you,
let me give my life to you
let me drown in your laughter,
let me die in your arms
let me lay down beside you,
let me always be with you
come let me love you,
come love me again.

Seriously. What girl alive is impervious to this? What powerful imagery - mountains in springtime, storms in the desert, rain, forest, ocean... Just imagining these things is enough to fill up my senses to overflowing! And the second verse - wow. What more is there to say?

Nope, can't think of anything. Love this song!!!

What are some of your favorite love songs?

Halloween Time = Fun!

2008-11-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

What is possibly the least scariest place you can think of to visit on Halloween? If you said "Disneyland," I'm with you. Which is why I went there with a bunch of ward friends for this spookiest of holidays. We had such a great time!

Rather than bore you with all the nitty-gritty details, I'll just comment on some of the photos I took. So, in no particular order, here they are:

Here's me, Shane Horlacher, and Adam Schmidt at the entrance to California Adventures. It was decorated SO cute - with little candy corns everywhere!

Tradition dictates that we take crazy hat photos while at any Disney theme park. Here is some of this year's selection. I totally pull off the pirate look, I know...

Two more fellow swash-bucklers, Adam and Parker. Pirates? I dunno... For some reason I'm getting an Aunt Jemima vibe from these two...

And here we have Ryan, the Mad Hatter. He's currently pondering the age-old question, "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

Yes, that would be our lovely group on the back row of the Tower of Terror trying to do mirror-image YMCAs. The fun is limitless at Disneyland, folks.

This is us trying to do our most "terrified" faces before taking the elevator ride at the Tower of Terror. I don't know what directions Adam got for this though...

The "California" was spelled in candy corns! So cute!!!

Me, Shane, and Adam on Splash Mountain. For some reason, I didn't get wet at all...

Here's the lovely Stephanie Gourley in front of the Halloween-Time decorations on Main Street in Disneyland. It seriously was adorable.

Here's our entire group of "bugs" at the Bug's Life show. This was such a great trip with great people! It's going to be hard to top this one!

I'll Be Lovin' You...

2008-11-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

Monday morning dawned bright and clear. Here it was - the day we'd all been waiting for since we were preteens. We had to hang tough to get here, but it was worth it. When I was 12 or 13, I never thought this day would come. And I especially didn't EVER imagine I would be 29 when it finally did. But step by step, things worked out just right. That day I just kept thinking "Tonight, tonight!" We made sure we had all the right stuff, and we really looked like cover girls by the time we were ready! It just about blew our minds!

Okay, was that hint subtle enough? If not, maybe this will help...

Get the picture now? That's right, ladies and gentlemen, we went to see (drumroll please) New Kids On The Block!!!

I know, I could hardly believe it either. It was almost surreal...in a Back To The Future sort of way.

It was actually Karena and Krystal that got Camille and I interested in the New Kids in the first place, so how appropriate was it that we were going with them?! It was technically a surprise 30th birthday present for Krystal. She was the most hard-core fan I've ever seen! Good times!

So, we decided that we needed to go all-out for this concert. "All-out" includes making t-shirts complete with New Kids photos, glitter puff paint, beaded sleeves/hems, 80's jewelry, etc. At first Camille was quite embarrassed to be seen in her amazingly cute concert get-up, but as the pre-concert festivities wore on and we were complimented again and again, she finally came around. Yes, our homemade concert attire was the toast of the town (I particularly loved my star-belt!). I'd even go so far as to say that we were everybody's favorite girls! Okay, okay, I'll stop with the random song-title blog distribution.

Before the concert, we got a hot tip to go around to the back of the arena and maybe we'd be able to see a New Kid or two. We got lucky! Jonathan Knight (!) came out and waved to us! He was pretty aloof, and only waved after Krystal shouted "I've waited 18 years to see you!" at the top of her lungs. Who wouldn't have pity on that? We also got a few waves and blown kisses from Natasha Bedingfield, who opened the show. I have to say, I was quite impressed with her performance! I don't care much for her songs on the radio, but hearing her live was a different story. She's a great performer and singer. Plus, she seemed like a decent person, which always helps...

I didn't quite know what to expect from the New Kids. Most of them are 39 or so and not exactly the young heart-throbs they once were. But I was very pleasantly surprised! The vocals sounded better than when they were young and they did all of their old songs. That little Joey MacIntyre (who happens to be older than I am) has got some chords! Not quite the range he used to have, but it's okay - he was so little back in the day!

It was such a great blast from the past! Some of the old dance moves were included and everything! I was especially surprised when Jordan Knight (my favorite New Kid) broke out an exact replica (only with better hair) of this little number. Careful ladies, don't let your hubbies or children catch you watching (and drooling over) this or you may have some explaining to do - it's a little scandalous...

We did our homework before the concert, of course. We spent three days listening to the songs and watching the old music videos. I couldn't believe how quickly it all came back to me!

The audience was SO crazy! It was full of 30-something women screaming their lungs out. Absolutely nuts! Okay, I admit...I couldn't talk properly for a few days afterward myself. But it was so much fun! I think the SLC concert is next weekend, so if you don't have tickets already, I recommend it. Maybe you can be Jordan's next Valentine Girl!

Girl's Weekend!

2008-11-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

Why is it that I only manage to write about things that happened at least a month earlier? Oh well, something is better than nothing, I guess. And besides, this post is sure to be at least slightly entertaining to women between the ages of 25-35. Wait for it...

The summer after my sophomore year in high school, I left with my two cousins, Karena and Krystal, and my sister Camille for the greatest girls trip ever. We spent two weeks visiting our great-uncle Dale and his wife Sheri in gorgeous Kailua, Hawaii. We had the most amazing time! We saw all the sights as Sheri drove us around the island of Oahu in their convertible. We were and still are good friends and did a lot of growing up together, so this trip just upped our girl-bond!

Well, it's been several years now and we were due for another girl's trip. It all happened because of a certain performing group that is in the midst of a reunion tour this year. More on that later...

So, the first thing we did when we got to Phoenix (where Karena lives) was to go to the Arizona State Fair. I love Fairs! This one was particularly huge. We saw lots of fun stuff: the 4-H displays; a petting zoo with zebras, camels, goats, llamas, cebus, and some highly entertaining piglets; the Banana Derby - a race where monkeys ride on dogs' backs wearing cute jockey uniforms; some huge grizzly bears doing a show; quilts, quilts, and more quilts; Garlic Mashed Potatoes on a Stick (someone please explain to me how that works...); lots of bunnies, cows, and goats; a very talented charicature artist; and a crash-up derby where we totally felt like white trash - but it was fun!

Let me name a few highlights... Trying our very first deep-fried Snickers bar was definitely a memorable experience. They're highly overrated, if you ask me. Although the meltiness on the inside is pretty good... Another highlight was going through the Fun House. Imagine, if you will, four women in their late 20's/early 30's laughing hysterically as they maneuver their way through a series of obstacles meant for a much smaller clientele. Can you see why this was a highlight? In this photo, Krystal is seen emerging from the Fun House exit, which conveniently looks like a men's restroom. Indeed, a picture is worth a thousand words...

Another great highlight was when we pooled our money ($2) to play a rousing game of Skeeball. We each got to throw 2 balls. Krystal went first and did great! I went and did awful (such is my luck with anything ball-related). Camille did fine too, and then it was Karena's turn. Krystal had just finished talking her up - saying how great she was at Skeeball. We were on the end next to another booth, and wouldn't you know it, Karena threw that ball right off the track and between the booths! We all started laughing hysterically (again) and didn't end up winning anything. All Skeeball concentration was shot after that! Oh, the memories...

The next day we went to church (Spanish speaking - don't ask...), visited the Temple, had a BBQ at our uncle David's house, and walked through the Arizona desert. It was a great day! Here's us in front of the Mesa Temple. The weather in Arizona was absolutely beautiful!

This entry was longer than originally planned, so I think I'm going to split this into two. I don't know why, but I just have this idea in my head that blog posts are supposed to be somewhat shorter than a small novel, so I will continue this trip in the next post.

Logical or not? I dunno. Don't judge me.

I promise I didn't cry...

2008-10-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

About three weeks ago, I went up to Salt Lake City for my dear friend Kate's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful! Camille, Amber, and I met up with Tanya, Stephanie, and Aubrey and Parker Dixon at the wedding dinner and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! The food and was amazing, the ambiance was amazing, and most of all, it was to celebrate our amazing friends - Kate and RJ. The next day Amber and I hurried to Kate's house to assist in the make-up procedure. She looked so gorgeous and excited...only a little nervous.

Kate and RJ were married in the Salt Lake City Temple. The sealing was so beautiful and I felt privileged to have been invited. After the ceremony, we waited outside the Temple for them to come out and it was windy and cold. I definitely was not prepared for the October weather in Utah! I felt kind of stupid for not remembering that it gets cold there...

The reception that night was so elegant. They had it at this little indoor greenhouse and it was really beautiful. My parents came down from Wyoming. My mom, Kate, and I spent 3 days together at Disneyland, so they bonded! It was nice to see my family and to have friends gathered there too. Once of the highlights was seeing the Forsyth family. Bro. Forsyth used to be in our very own North Star Ward Bishopric and I just love their family!

Overall, it was a great time! The next day I left for Arizona...more on that later. Here's a few more pics:

Taj Mahal, Here I come!

2008-10-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

I was recently browsing My Documents on my home computer (too much time on my hands?) and came across a little gem of a file simply titled GOALS. It's a list of things I'd like to do before I die - I wrote it about four years ago when I was teaching High School. In the Freshman Careers classes I taught (I know - argh!) we were discussing the importance of goal-setting and I read a story a man who had written his own "bucket list," if you will, when he was a boy. He had about 114 things on his list and had actually completed most of them! I was completely inspired by this and set out to make my own list.

So I commenced in making my list. A few of the things on there are givens, like marrying in the Temple and having a family. My list also has categories for Sites/Cities To See and Countries to Travel, catering to my love affair with all things travel-related. Some are a bit more random, though, like my desire to learn how to fly a helicopter. Don't know where that one came from! (Actually, I do... Can anyone say Magnum P.I.?)

As I was reading through my list, I realized that I'd actually accomplished a few of the things I wrote four years ago. I walked on the Great Wall of China, rode a camel, visited Alaska, saw Itzhak Perlman in concert, learned Tai Chi, went whitewater rafting, and started my goal to be in at least 10 musicals - 3 down, 7 to go...

In celebration of many exciting list-items to cross off in the future, I thought I'd post a few more of my life's ambitions. So here they are, in no special order...I present to you -

'Cole's Goals:
Learn to tap dance
Visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia
Run a 1/2 marathon (don't care to go for the whole one)
Be in a movie
Visit Lhasa, Tibet
Learn to play guitar
Ride an elephant
See a space shuttle launch
Cruise the Li River in Southern China
Read the entire Bible at least 10 times
Solo in an oratorio
Learn to ride a horse well
Go to Antarctica
See the Pyramids in Egypt
Meet the President of the United States
Learn to decorate a cake
Meet all 12 Apostles

and of course...

Sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

I don't know if these others will ever happen - though I'll certainly try - but this last one is non-negotiable. So remember to watch for me in future Conference Sessions! Then you can say, "I knew her when it was only a dream..."

What do you have on your lists? I'd love to hear...

Continued...

2008-10-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

There are way too many details of the Yellowstone trip to ever post them here. Besides, it's been so long I can't remember everything anyway! All I know for sure is that we had a lot of fun! I'll try to mention a few highlights that stand out to me.

When we were in Yellowstone, driving through the beautiful Hayden Valley, our car got blocked on the road several times by a herd of Bison. This is fairly common, so we weren't surprised, but it's still just as exciting for me now as it was when I was a kid. These animals are so HUGE! It's incredible to see them up close. A few more close encounters with Yellowstone animals include two ginormous bull elk right next to the road, a wily coyote in a parking lot at night, a young buck right in our campsite, and some kind of weasel-like animal that ran across the road in front of us at Lake. Most of our more exciting animal encounters occurred in Grand Teton National Park. We saw a bull and cow moose on our hike up Cascade Canyon, a little black bear on our hike up Garnet Canyon, and some over-zealous chipmunks on our hike up to Inspiration Point. Seeing the animals up close and personal has always been one of my favorite aspects to visiting this area.

Something that often gets overlooked when people talk about Yellowstone is the amazing amount of spectacular waterfalls. The Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is particularly stunning. We spent two very long but fun-filled days driving the upper and lower loops through the park. Thank goodness for all of the ice cream stops! We all piled into the Excursion and stopped at almost every point of interest. We definitely saw our fill of bubbling pools, geysers, steam vents, and pots of mud. After a while, they all start to look the same, but it's amazing to think about the vast underground system that connects them all. One thing I would definitely not recommend before a Yellowstone trip is watching the mini-series "Supervolcano." That might put a bit more stress into your trip than you'd like... (but it's a pretty good movie!)

My favorite part of the trip was visiting the Tetons. I've been going there for family reunions since I was 4 years old, so naturally, I love it! It truly does feel like home to me. We did most of the important things - hike, hike, hike. There's no better way to get a feel for these mountains than to just get up there in them! We rode the ferry across Jenny Lake and hiked to Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, and Cascade Canyon. I have yet to make it to the forks in Cascade, but I'll get there someday! There just never seems to be enough time! But, luckily for us, tradition held - we saw moose. I don't think I've ever been up Cascade and not seen a moose!

The next day we hiked up Garnet Canyon to the meadow at the base of the Middle Teton. I'd only done this hike twice before and for some reason, this last time seemed the easiest. I was thoroughly surprised at this! I thought for sure I would be huffing and puffing all the way up the mountain, but to my great satisfaction, I made it up easier than I did when I was 12! Believe me, no one could have been more surprised than myself.

While there are plenty of spectacular hikes in the Tetons, this is one of my favorites because of the amazing vistas from the top. The jagged peaks and rocks are stunning and you can see out across the whole valley. It truly feels like you're on top of the world. The meadow is so pretty too! Full of wildflowers, streams, and huge boulders left by glaciers (they're called erratics - thank you 9th grade physical science), this meadow is like a little piece of alpine paradise. It's where I first saw a pica, slid down a glacier on my behind, and had filtered water from a mountain stream. We relived all three of these memories while we were up there, though Jen West and I were the only two to venture over to a small glacier and slide down. I love this hike!

Another highlight was going to the Bar J Ranch outside of Jackson for the dinner and show. It's worth absolutely every penny to visit the Bar J! The food is good, and the entertainment is gooder! I just love the Bar J Wranglers! They're extremely talented, folksy, and hilarious. This is definitely a must for anyone in the Jackson area. (No, I don't get paid to advertise for them...but I should...)

The last highlight I'll mention was our white-water rafting trip. Now, I'm the kind of person who is very careful of my surroundings, and if anything has the potential to cause me pain, I generally try to avoid it. So whenever anyone mentioned white-water rafting, I usually demurred. This time though, I really didn't have a choice. Everyone else wanted to go, so I was just along for the ride. I don't think I was the only one who was nervous, but I was definitely apprehensive about this. Knowing what I know now, I can only think how much I've been missing out on! It was completely awesome and fun in just about every way! We even saw a beaver! Good times...

I'm currently compiling these highlights into a movie version of our trip, but who knows when I'll finish that! Hopefully I'll get some photos up soon also, but this will have to do for now.

Teaser: Next up - weddings and New Kids...

Where Was I?

2008-10-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

So...where was I? Oh yes, the vacation that happened two months ago about which I have written only a measly amount...

A highlight of the trip for me was the drive there. I know that sounds slightly mundane, but I do really love driving. There's nothing like a good old-fashioned road trip! There are so many things in favor of road-tripping. Planes are all well and good, but I love being able to really experience the journey - to see what lies between me and my destination. I love the spontaneity inherent in highway driving, with its various and sundry "points of interest." I remember stopping in Metropolis, IL with my family on a cross-country road trip just to see a 25-foot statue of Superman - well worth the stop! I love the element of surprise involving weather and road construction. I love car activities: games, songs, books on tape, etc. But possibly most of all, I love the conversation. You get to know people on a road trip like nowhere else. You're equally a captive audience to the other passengers. It's major bonding time.

I definitely experienced this on our drive through Utah and Wyoming. My favorite part was when the girls were all together in the big "rig" (the moniker assigned so appropriately by Jen West to our main vehicle). We had some serious girl-talk time and really got to know each other better. I think that was the perfect way to start out our trip! Maybe the guys would have enjoyed their road-trip bonding time too, if Parker could stay conscious through an entire sentence...

Which brings up another point, I never named our travel group. Easily fixed: Stephanie Gourley, Stephanie Janes, Jennifer West, Michelle Hagfeldt, Parker Smith, Ryan Gourley, and yours truly. Kate Rampton (Bruland now, but that's for another post) joined us for a few days as well. It was almost the perfect group! We had such a good time and everyone helped with everything.

So, after our incredibly long yet enlightening drive, we arrived in the charming town of Cody, Wyoming. There's just something so Western and American about this town...I don't quite know how to explain it, but whatever it is, I love it! Cody is an extremely endearing town. I don't know what it's like to live there, but I wouldn't be averse to giving it a shot! My friends did some incredibly cute things on this day because it was my birthday. They were so adorable! I'd have to say that this was one of the best birthdays ever! Thanks again guys!

From Cody we drove to the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone by way of the Chief Joseph scenic highway and the Beartooth Mountains. This is perhaps the most beautiful place on earth, in my humble opinion. I don't know what more I can say about it other than GO THERE! It is not a place to be passed up. But from one traveler to the other, let me give you a bit of advice for your visit - take plenty of bug spray and wear layers. Trust me...

We stayed at Canyon Campground in Yellowstone and it was really nice. I think a few people in our group expected it to be a little more rustic than it was. They were pleasantly surprised! We had this amazingly huge tent for the girls and waking up the first morning in the freezing cold was so much fun. Everyone's hair was funny, and we all just laughed. Good times! I do have some pictures of this, but I like my friends too much to publish them here.

I'll see if I can actually write a post from home one day and I'll throw a few photos up then.

Much more to come...

Random Things Tag

2008-10-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

Heidi, if you weren't one of my best friends ever, I'd never submit to being tagged by you. Just so you know!

Okay, so I may be totally kidding, but this actually might be tricky. I've never done a tag before. Let's see what random things I can come up with.

1. One of the most random things about me is all the various jobs I've had. I think they speak for themselves, so here they are in slightly consecutive order:
- Piano teacher - on and off
- Receptionist - Tg Soda Ash (underground mine in WY) for 2 summers
- Surface Maintenance Crew - Tg Soda Ash/FMC for 2 summers
- Treadmill Tester - Logan, UT
- Bus Driver - Logan Transit District
- Sold Cutco knives - Logan, UT
- Wal-Mart Garden Center - Logan, UT
- Choir Office Grad Assistant - University of Florida in Gainesville, FL
- Ward's Market Produce Dept. - Gainesville, FL
- Choir Teacher - Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, NV
- Las Vegas Golf Adventures - office/marketing/website/anything else - Las Vegas, NV
- Music Teacher - Hollywood Kids Academy in Las Vegas, NV
- Voice Teacher - Las Vegas, NV

2. At the risk of copying Heidi's post, I LOVE sleep! Bedtime is my favorite time of day. Not kidding. Whether it's going to bed early, sleeping in, or napping, I just love to sleep. Period.

3. I have a deep affection for the game Guitar Hero. Let me clarify... I don't have a deep affection for all of the songs on any of the Guitar Hero games (in fact, I even refuse to play some of them), but I just love the game in general. I'll have to admit, I've gotten pretty good at it too. Not nearly as good as other obsessed members of my family, (boys) but good enough. Favorite songs to play: Sweet Child Of Mine, Thunderhorse, Gemini, Seventeen, Holy Diver, Beast and the Harlot, Monkey Wrench, Hold On Loosely, Them Bones, and War Pigs.

4. If cold cereal filled all of our nutritional needs, I would happily exist on that alone for the rest of my life. (Please note: This may be a slight exaggeration and should not be taken literally or put to the test.)

5. I firmly believe that pets were designed for life outdoors and therefore will never have an "inside" pet...unless it's a fish. Granted, in extremes of weather, pets may be permitted inside but only within a specially-designated area. Harsh, I know...

6. I LOVE to dance! Seriously... That might not even be a strong enough word. I know I don't look much like a dancer, but that hasn't stopped me from trying! I particularly enjoy dancing while cleaning the house...when nobody else is home. Also, I learned the Thriller dance last fall and remember the whole thing - it's a blast!! Salsa is fun too, and I'm exploring the world of belly-dancing thanks to a great instructional video and recent bachelorette party exploits... Don't ask.

7. With all my talk about dancing and the hand-eye coordination fest that is Guitar Hero, this next tidbit may seem surprising to all except those who know me well. I totally suck at basically all sports. Especially those involving a ball. I think it all started back in 4th grade PE when we were learning how to play volleyball. All I remember is this big white sphere coming closer and closer and finally making contact with my eye. I sat out for the rest of the game. That experience set the groundwork for what was to be a humiliating PE career. If there was a ball involved, it usually hit my head. The volleyball was just a portent of things to come. I've been hit in the head with kickballs, dodgeballs, basketballs, soccer balls, wiffle balls, tennis balls, and yes, even birdies and ping-pong balls. Thankfully, somehow I was passed over by the softball. Rather than hitting my head, the softball seems to be magnetically diverted away from my glove. Two things I actually can slightly do: throw a frisbee and tread water.

Well, there you have it...my first tag. I guess now I have to tag some other people, so here goes: Steph Gourley, Ranger Janes, Sara-face, Jen Law, Katie Miner, Sheree Flick, and The Amazing Robyn. Can't wait to see their randomness!!

Slightly out of control...

2008-10-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

Per yesterday's post, I'm trying to stop my blog procrastination habits. There is one trip from this summer that I haven't written about yet, so, despite my not having pictures available at the moment, I'll attempt to rectify that situation.

This was possibly the best trip of 2008! Back in the fall of 2007, some friends and I discussed the possibility of taking a trip to Yellowstone the next summer. Some of them had never even been before! (shock and outrage) I thought this was a complete travesty! My family has an annual family reunion in Colter Bay Village in Grand Teton National Park, and we often travel through Yellowstone and see all the sights while we're there. In fact, so many of my childhood memories involve that area, that I think of it as a kind of second home - my favorite place on earth. So naturally, the idea of someone never having seen that place with their own eyes was appalling to me. What else could I do but organize a trip?

I don't know if many are aware of this little tidbit, but I really enjoy organizing things. I think somehow as I've gotten older, my obsessive-compulsive tendencies have kicked it into high gear because I tend to get slightly out of control... Add to that plenty of down-time during work in the summer (and autumn, apparently, as this is being written at the office), and you have a recipe for uber-organizational-bliss! This is evidenced in a few different ways - please allow me to elaborate. After getting our little group together, I proceeded to draw up a day-by-day itinerary, complete with lists for packing, financing, tips on camping in Wyoming, a mammals-of-the-area checklist, sight-seeing musts, hiking trails, and a Yellowstone quiz. These were put into folders which I then personalized for each member of our trip with fun travel/camping stickers and their names. Did I mention I get slightly out of control?

So, with the organizing complete, we were ready to roll. Unfortunately, I am now ready to roll from my office, so this blog will have to be continued on tomorrow's downtime.

Ahh, productivity...

Procrastination...

2008-10-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

I typically work well under pressure. I like 'pressure situations' (props to Brian Regan). In fact, I feel in many cases my best work is done as close to the deadline as possible. This is mainly obvious in my schoolwork and study habits through my many years in school. I don't believe I have ever, and I mean EVER, completely finished a paper for school before the night before it was due. Even in my Master's program! I will concede that I may have started some of those papers up to a few days before the due date, but those were the exception and not the rule. Several papers were written late at night with the aid of Mountain Dew and Goldfish crackers - a quality combination. Yet, surprisingly (and perhaps luckily), despite my zombie-like consciousness when writing, I almost always got good grades on my papers - from high school through grad school. In addition, I commonly did my studying for exams just minutes before actually taking them. This was a source of constant frustration to my friends from various classes who had developed very meticulous study habits. Especially when my scores equaled or topped theirs. Sorry guys...

I learned a few things from these experiences:

1. I work well under pressure.

2. The aforementioned combination of super-foods must have some kind of brain-stimulation effect that enhances the creative writing process. Could it be the caffeine? Or maybe the cheddar cheese flavoring...

3. What some people call procrastination, I like to call 'the creative process.' Sometimes your brain just needs time to compute.

4. Rough drafts are for sissies.

5. There is nothing like a good short-term memory.

6. I really don't like writing papers. Or studying.

Somehow, I have been 'procrastinating' writing in this blog. I've given myself good reasons, like "I don't have anything exciting enough to write," or "I just don't have time...I think I'll read a book instead," or "But I don't have any cute pictures, and what's a blog without pictures?" Somehow, these and other reasons just don't hold sway today. So here I am, finally making another entry after a long absence.

Ah...it's good to be back.

The adventures continue!

2008-09-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

On with my summer! The weekend after I got back from California, we had a HONK! cast party at Jeremy Madsen's house in beautiful Springdale, Utah. This reunion party has been a tradition for at least three years running now. I'm a big fan of tradition, and this one is no different. Jeremy's parents are so kind to let us come and invade their home with noise and disorder - but we always have a great time!

Their home is beautiful and I love spending time in their gorgeous yard. Plus, living amid the cliffs of Zion National Park, you get some pretty fantastic scenery - especially at dusk and dawn. So anyway, I'm obviously a big fan of this trip. Every year we do some hiking as well. The past two years we went up Angel's Landing - an amazing hike that everyone should do. It will definitely help to conquer (or intensify) any fear of heights a person may have. But this year we wanted to do something different. I'd never done the Narrows before, so the suggestion was made and decided upon. Here we are in the above photo starting out on the trail. We all brought our water-shoes and were ready to go. It was a great hike and we had a ball! My roommate Amber met us as we were turning back and we took a few roommate pics. It was a gorgeous day and so fun to 'swim' in the river - or fall in, depending on your point of view!

Here's most of our little group. After the hike we'd planned on tubing the river, but the weather turned against us. Oh well. While in Springdale, we also enjoyed a rousing game of wiffleball! Though I'm not terribly adept at most sports, wiffleball is, happily, one in which I excel. Well, maybe I wouldn't go that far...at least I don't completely embarrass myself like usual. One of the things I love most about this popular game is that it doesn't hurt when the ball hits your head, which is where I invariably get hit most often and in just about every sport I try. It all started in 4th grade during volleyball, and it's gone downhill ever since then. But I somehow managed to evade the ball with my noggin in our little Springdale championship and our team managed a victory. Tensions were high for a little while - mostly on the part of Jeremy's adorable mother (who was on the other team) - but we prevailed in the end. Go Team Voldemort!

It was a great trip with good friends. I'm glad we have this little tradition! Here are some more pics from the hike. There's no doubt about it - Zion's is really beautiful!!

We were going for 'Little Mermaid' here...see it?

Yay roomies! We're so adorable!

Cute kids on the shuttle - after the hike.

Big, Big Trees...

2008-08-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm only falling a bit behind... My next big adventure of July 2008 was a trip to Big Basin, California for the not-so-annual J.D. Clark Reunion. I flew to San Jose while the rest of my family drove from Wyoming. I'd rented a fancy Dodge Charger online - my Dad was going to drive it back to the airport with me and he thought that might be a fun car to drive. Yet somehow, when I got to my highly-anticipated cool-oozing rental car, there was not a sleek Dodge Charger sitting there waiting for me, but a light blue boat of a car - a Grand Marquis. My first reaction was to check the number again and make sure I had the right spot. My second reaction was to look around and make sure nobody saw me getting into this ugly thing. I swear you could fit 5 dead bodies into the trunk! It had to be a Mobster's dream car! Once I got going though, I had to admit that the seats were pretty comfy...

I got there a bit before the fam, so I passed the turnoff for Big Basin and headed on down to Santa Cruz to grab a bite to eat. I didn't want to stray too far, so I stopped at the first cafe I saw and sat, ate, and read a book for a couple of hours. It was nice to relax alone and not have anywhere to be. Ah, independence...

We all met up in Big Basin and went to Uncle Dale's campsite for some grub. I met some of my 2nd cousins that I hadn't seen in decades. I have to say, I'm related to some pretty good-lookin' folks! All of my grandma's siblings were there and it was awesome to be with so much family - and to realize that I did remember most of them from some function or other.

On Friday we spent the day at the Santa Cruz boardwalk going on rides, eating corn dogs and funnel cakes, playing mini-golf and arcades, and getting sunburned. There was a concert on the beach that night - Blue Oyster Cult. Yes, yes...they played the infamous "More Cowbell" song. We walked along the beach and ate some amazing seafood on the pier that night. It was a great day! Too bad the drive back up to camp made us more sick than the rides on the boardwalk!

The next day we went for a drive up Hwy 1. We saw a lighthouse, some tide pools, Pebble Beach, and some guys kite-surfing. It was tons of fun and nice to spend some quality family time. That night was the official "reunion" part of the reunion, so we all gathered and ate together. Grandma Brown had some interesting trivia questions about her parents and siblings. It was a lot of fun to see how much (or little) I knew about these relatives/ancestors. Tons of pictures were taken and it was an all-around good time.

Sunday morning our immediate-extended (?) family went for a small hike through the Redwoods. What awesome trees! I hadn't seen them since I was somewhere around 10. They are quite impressive! I love spending time with my extended family! They're so entertaining and cool (if I do say so myself!). Dad and I left that day, but it was a nice, relaxing (mostly) weekend in the California Redwoods. Here are some pics:

New York, New York

2008-08-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

At last. We come to the promised travel blogs. I'll start today with the first trip of the summer. This trip kind of took me by surprise - I wasn't planning on going for the longest time. But, through some gentle persuasion, and my never-failing desire to travel, I made the decision. And I'm so glad I did!

This year I spent July 16-20th in Manhattan for a Broadway Teacher's Workshop. I went with fellow teachers from the Hollywood Kids Academy where I run the vocal program. There were 8 of us that went and we had such a ball! I mentioned before that there's something about New York that I love. I'm still not sure what that is, but it's specific to New York. I've been to other big cities, but this one has a different...aura, I guess. It's full of excitement, attitude, character... I just love visiting there!

Of course, a major highlight of the trip were the five Broadway shows we went to see. First was Legally Blonde. This show wasn't included as part of the workshop, but we had a free night and thought, what better way to kick it all off? It was such a cute show! I loved the movie to begin with, but it was super entertaining to have all the added songs. The performers were awesome and it was a great feel-good experience!

Next we saw Young Frankenstein. What a trip! If you've ever seen the movie (or any Mel Brooks movie, for that matter), then you know exactly what to expect from this show. It was hilarious - mostly thanks to ingenious casting - but it also had it's slightly uncomfortable moments... I loved it in spite of those, though! It was entertaining for sure. I especially loved the 'Putting On The Ritz' number. That and 'The Brain' were my favorite songs. Although 'Transylvania Mania' was a riot too! So much fun!

The next night I was 10 minutes late for A Catered Affair. Jessica Elmer and I were shopping in the Virgin Records store in Times Square when we realized it was 8:02 and the show started at 8:00! Good thing it was fairly close! This show was not a comedy and had more depth. I thought the performances were what made it good. I didn't care much for the storyline, but the way it was executed was absolutely stunning! It starred Faith Prince, Harvey Fierstein, and Tom Wopat - all of whom were exceptionally brilliant!

Up next was possibly my favorite show experience ever - The 39 Steps. This show is not a musical, but was soooo entertaining - I would see it again and again! It's a spoof based on an old Hitchcock movie (which is based on a book) and has a cast of four. Two of the actors play around 10 characters each, with different accents, postures, voices, genders (no kidding), etc. It was remarkable how easy they made it all look! It was such a hilarious show and I highly recommend it - I hope to see it again someday!

Lastly, but definitely not least, we saw the revival of South Pacific at the Lincoln Center. Apparently it's virtually impossible to get tickets to this show, yet it was part of our package deal with the workshop. Honestly, I've never been a huge fan of South Pacific. The storyline never really appealed to me and I'd always thought the music was just okay. But this was the most incredible show! They did the whole thing (it was 3 hours long!) with full orchestra. The staging, singing, acting...everything was amazing. I guess this show was nominated for something like 11 Tony Awards this year and won several. I see why!

So, the shows were great, but I also really enjoyed the Workshop. It was super fun to go to classes like Stage Combat, Mirroring, Audition Tips, etc. We got to hear from Jason Robert Brown, whose music is definitely cool. We also had a session with a Music Director for several shows and I learned quite a lot about coaching for a show. It was also fun hearing from the performers and seeing the backstage tour. It made me very excited for what we're doing at Hollywood Kids.

Aside from the Broadway experience, we had a great time with the New York experience too. Eating in cafes, shopping on 5th Avenue, walking around Central Park, visiting the Upper West Side, riding in taxis, standing in Rockefeller Plaza outside the TODAY Show watching Matt Lauer and Al Roker, eating a hot dog from a street vendor, and browsing through Tiffany's - all these small experiences were wonderful. But probably the best experience was going to the Manhattan Temple. It was such a comfort to be in that haven with so much of the world around you, and to focus on eternal truths. What a beautiful temple! It was quite the unique experience!

Here are a few photos from our trip:

Jess and I in Times Square

Me in Rockefeller Plaza

The gang at Bubba Gump's in Times Square

Times Square at night

Central Park

Travel Bug...I Got It!

2008-08-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

As previously mentioned, I love traveling. And that's what I've been doing for the past three weeks. And that's what I'll be doing for the next 10 days. I had planned on posting something about each of my travels, and I'm still going to do that, but somehow time has gotten away from me. So, before I'm jet-set again, I'll just write a quick teaser about a previous trip.

At the beginning of July I had the opportunity to go to New York City to take part in a Broadway Teacher's Workshop with the other teachers from Hollywood Kid's Academy here in Las Vegas. The training sessions were amazing and we saw 5 shows! It was fantastic. There's just something about that city that I love. I really enjoy the energy and independence there. Not to mention the power suits and their inhabitants!

I'll be posting more details and photos soon...

Inspired to Action

2008-07-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading the article in the July Ensign by Elder Ballard about sharing the gospel through technology and it inspired me to add some links to my blog. He writes about how the church has embraced the technological advances and are trying to do as much as they can to make sure we are represented well on the internet. He also talks the importance of using this type of media to help people understand more about what we believe. It is so important that this information comes directly from us and not from the other myriads of voices out there. I definitely want to be a part of that speaking up that he has discussed on other occasions.

So, with this in mind, I have added links to both mormon.org and jesuschrist.lds.org on the right under my favorite links. As I have looked through these websites, I've been highly impressed with the organization and the content presented in each. It's strengthened my testimony as to the truthfulness of the Restoration and the mission of Jesus Christ. I hope that anyone who visits my little blog will take the time to look at these and see what we're about for themselves.

Ahh, Alaska...

2008-07-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

So, this blog thing is kind of fun. I find myself thinking about things I can write during the day. The only problem is, I usually can't remember what it is I wanted to write about. Thankfully, though, that's not the case with this one...

I've been spending time recently (and not so recently) organizing a trip to Yellowstone with some of my friends here in Vegas. Some of these guys and gals have never been before and I think that's a travesty. So I made reservations and an itinerary (which I personalized with stickers) and put the word out. We had a little planning meeting on Wednesday - I say little, but it actually took 3 hours - and made some major headway on our trip. It helped everyone to get really excited, including myself. But it also made me think about how lucky I am to have traveled so much in my short 28 years.

I love travel and everything about it, and a major portion of this blog will focus on my upcoming adventures. But, as we discussed our plans, I was reminded of last year's big trip - a family cruise to Alaska. It was one of my favorite vacations ever! For one thing, I got to be with my entire family for a whole week - just us, no interruptions, lots of bonding time, and spectacular scenery (which we always try to have on family vacations whenever possible). We also got to do things we've never done - kayak around icebergs, ride in a sea-plane, watch for whales, ride a train to the Yukon, see a glacier calving... It was an incredible experience! I decided I'm moving to Alaska... Okay, maybe not, but when I'm incredibly wealthy I would like to have a summer home there...

Anyway, here are some of my favorite photos from our adventure:

In Skagway - cute family!

Our train to the Yukon - everything was so green!!

One of my favorite photos ever! Camille and Brandon in front of icebergs on Mendenhall Lake. We parked our kayaks and went in an ice cave under the glacier - it was amazing to see all the blue ice... And hiking around in rubber boots was quite an adventure!

The South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm Fjord. It's 300 feet high and 1/2 a mile wide. That little ship in front is still pretty far away - and it's not really a little ship...

This is a view of the Misty Fjords from the sea plane. We got to land and stand out on the floats of the plane to watch a grizzly bear that I spotted on the shore. Dad said I had my "spotting gene" with me that day! Thanks for passing along the farmin' skills, Dad!

I've Got the Bug...

2008-07-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love best is performing. Whether it's in a choir, band, musical, or other ensemble...as long as there's a stage, I enjoy being on it. I say this at the risk of sounding rather ego-centric, but I promise you that it's not for the praise. I genuinely enjoy the process. Don't get me wrong, the praise is nice, but I don't thrive on it. I do thrive on the excitement, the rehearsals, the bonding with other people, the nerves, the thrill of a performance, and the feeling of accomplishment that comes after. I'm sure there are others out there who feel much the same way.

That being said, I don't enjoy the sudden let-down after it's all over. For example, I just finished a nine-show run of "HONK!" It's the story of the Ugly Duckling in musical format. I played the Mama Duck, Ida. It was such a cute show! Like I mentioned above, my favorite part of the show was getting to know everyone in the cast and crew in our rehearsals and getting to perform with them. We spent so much exciting time together that now I feel like I'm a boring old hermit going around doing normal things. That's a let-down if ever I've had one...

Let me highlight some of my favorite parts of the play...in no particular order...
- Getting to sing a lot - some of those songs felt like they were just made for my voice!
- Getting to dance - didn't get to do this in last year's play and I missed it...
- Being the music director - I knew what I wanted, and got it for the most part.
- Working with Pam - our amazing director. She made the whole process worthwhile!
- Working with adults - nothing against teenagers, but it was nice to have some more mature voices and personalities this year.
- Working with teenagers - we've had cool teenagers in the past, for sure, but ours this year were an absolute joy to work with! Not the stereotypical high-maintenance or dramatic ones, just humble, sweet, and cool kids that helped me feel young!
- Working with kids - kept me on my toes! And they're stinkin' hilarious!
- Working with Dylan - he just kept getting better and it was fun to see that progression in him. Also fun to have him throw things in as he got more and more into character. He's a just a great actor and easy to work with...for the most part. Not to mention all the Brian Regan jokes and Disney movie quotes he understands! Thanks Dylan, and take luck!
- Only having one costume - and one amazingly cute costume at that! Thanks Mom!
- Having an amazing pianist - never needed to worry about that one...whew! Thanks Shane!
- Group Night - the best audience ever is the North Star Ward!!

I could go on and on, I'm sure. But instead, I'll just post a few photos and let them do the quacking...er, talking.

"If I say 'Butterball' . . . does that bother you at all?" - Ida and Ugly

"What a big world it is!" - Ducklings

"Your place is with the swans." - Ida, Ugly, and Penny

"Every tear a mother cries..." - Ida

A 4th To Remember...

2008-07-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

This 4th of July was a very memorable one. Stephanie Janes and I spent part of the day watching episodes of "The Muppet Show." It was a great blast from the past. I remembered several things I liked about this show from when I was a kid. I always loved the Muppets - Sesame Street made sure of that! Steph and I also observed the time-honored 4th of July Nelson tradition of going to a movie matinee. We saw "Kung Fu Panda" and absolutely loved it! That movie is definitely going on my 'to-buy' list.

But the highlight of the day, or evening rather, was hiking up Lone Mountain to watch the fireworks with a bird's-eye view of the valley. It was a pretty good little hike, but the view was entirely worth it! My friends Steph Janes, Tanya Robinson, and Jennifer West came too. It was amazing to see all the fireworks going on all over the valley. It was like little splashes of color popping up here and there. I tried to get some photos, but they didn't turn out too well. I'll post a few anyway...

Stephanie loves to laugh...

Fireworks at Red Rock Casino

Tanya, me and Jen at the top!

Nice view of the Vegas valley.

We took watermelon, popcorn, and some yummy bread to the top with us and had a nice evening 'picnic.' There were quite a few other people up there and someone had even brought a guitar, which was a nice addition to the ambiance.

Thursday night, the 3rd, our Stake had its annual 4th of July Fireside and the Stake Center Choir and Orchestra performed. My favorite part of this annual program is when we sing the Tribute to the Armed Forces - a medley of the various Armed Forces songs. Everyone who served in that specific branch of the military stands up during their song. It's amazing to see just how many men and women willingly give so much of themselves to protect our rights, privileges, and freedoms. I am so grateful for those who serve in the military and who are dedicated to the cause of freedom. What a wonderful 4th of July!

For Posterity

2008-07-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

I am not usually one to follow trends. Sometimes this works to my benefit, sometimes it works against me. I believe this is an inherited trait. For example, my family did not own a CD player until I was almost finished with high school. I already had a few CD's by that time, but had nothing to play them on! We only got a DVD player because Fellowship of the Ring was being released and we wanted high quality. I resisted getting a cell phone for many years because I did NOT want to be at the beck and call of a little mobile device when anyone had the inkling to talk to me. So... even (or maybe especially) in the field of technological advances, keeping with the times is not a high priority. Of course, I have since come to realize the benefits of having a CD player, DVD player, and a cell phone.

This silly technological independence of mine has long kept me from creating a blog. I said, "Everyone's doing it, so I won't! If someone wants to know what's going on in my life, they can pick up the phone or send me an email and ask me, for Pete's sake!" But the other night I was talking with some friends (who naturally have blogs and told me I should start one), and they told me that you can create a book from all of your entries after one year. Well, I immediately thought that this was something I needed to do for posterity (family history, anyone?).

So...here is my blog. I do think my life is sometimes quite entertaining, so it may appeal to some, but even if it doesn't, that's just fine by me. This is posterity's blog!