Spring!

Finally!  After what has felt like a long dreary winter the sun came out and changed my mood completely!  Just a Sunday in the warm weather was a lovely kick off to a new season.  

 We often walk a couple of blocks to Eastern market after church to just browse and people watch.

 We had a couple of hours to kill before Tom had an afternoon work meeting so after we wandered the market we drove over to Hains Point to park, enjoy the blossoms that were just coming on and read.

 A perfectly splendid way to spend a Sunday…..

Winchester, VA

Tom had to work in Mount Weather Tuesday so Monday night after he got home from work and we took a quick swim, we drove the hour and a half almost to the West Virginia border.

 While he worked the next morning I wandered around the hotel.  It's in a historic area and apparently is popular for weddings because of that but I thought it was so odd to have this wedding chapel that seats four.  Yep….four.

 I had a relaxing morning just reading and watching tv but had to check out at noon.  I spent the next 40  minutes or so until Tom got there sitting in the lobby doing some more reading.  I had to take all the stuff out of our room with me so when Tom got back he took his play clothes and rather than going to the restroom to change (because you never know what creepy germs will be lurking there) he slipped into the Grand Ballroom to change.  Yeah, that makes perfect sense to me as well.

 Sheesh, got enough wires on this street?

 We spent the next couple of hours wandering the historic downtown area.

 Dang it!  Civil War Museum closed on Monday and Tuesday

 We had several people approach us as we wandered through the streets who just wanted to chat, welcome us to town and tell us what we should see.  Very nice.  More West Virginian than Virginian in appearance and dialect.

 We had passed a little joint that had a sign out front saying they had a special on their burgers for a buck!  Back to 80's prices it said.  So we went in to order and the lady said that because of the awesome price we needed to order two each.  No problem, we said.  Figured Tom could eat my second one.  Well, when they handed us the bag and we settled outside….we opened to find our burgers were mini sliders!  You can't tell how small they were in this photo but I'm thinking if I'd paid the full $1.65 for this little slider I would have been bugged!

 So George Washington came to Winchester when he was 16 years old to begin what he thought would be a surveying career.  We all know he went on to bigger and better things and this is where he had a military office from 1755-56.

 Finally some blossoms coming out!  Winchester is also the inside border of the Shenandoah Valley which isn't quite green enough yet to be this pretty but hoping to come back and visit when it looks more like this!

Techno Auditions

So for most auditions anymore for voice-overs or film work they want to see or hear you reading the script before they even call you in.  Used to be my agent could just send them a copy of my VO mp3 or a copy of my reel (on camera work) and that was good.  But now they want to see or hear me doing THEIR script.  Which frankly is fine because I'm more than happy to not drive 1 or more hours to wait in a lobby then go in and do a 5 minute read before turning around and driving 1 or more hours back home.  In DC traffic.

Problem is, I was so frustrated by my recording equipment and the poor sound at the last apartment that I took the major parts of it home to Utah on the last trip.  So here's me recording a commercial voice-over audition into my phone and into an APP that will convert it to an mp3 that my agent can then send on to the client.  Actually I had a towel over my head and the computer so I could read the script on the screen but block the sound and dead air echo.  Thus making it too dark to snap a photo.  

Then, here's me with a script taped to the computer screen while I try and make a scene written for two people sound normal with me converting the lines for one actor because I thought it would be weirder to have Tom read the teenage girl role.  Had to use Photobooth on our Mac but thank goodness for such a thing as our video camera is dead and thank goodness emailing the video is an option as well.

 But most of the time this is how I looked as I did the research online then tried to figure out how to use all of the above programs.  Ahhhh, technology.  AND the glamorous life of an actor.

Jayne's Visit

So my friend Jayne contacted me a couple of months ago about coming to visit.  She doesn't travel much as she has several beloved pets who need her attention and she's the busiest professional actress in Utah but it worked out that she could come for a week.

Fortunately she's a hiker so when we put in miles and miles in the city she's just fine with that!  The first day we hit the botanical gardens, Library of Congress, The Supreme Court then decided to do a tour of the Capitol.  We ended up with a great guide and Jayne was fascinated with everything, but just as we were wrapping up we ran into my friend Jen who is a staffer to a senator from Alabama.  She had been giving a private tour to someone and offered to take us to a couple of places regular tours don't go.

Supreme Court 

 She took us out on the balcony that overlooks the mall and I thought Ms. Jayne was going to flip!  She was so moved by it all.  It really is a breathtaking view!  Jen showed us a few other places and took us on the train that runs under the capitol to the other office buildings.  She went back to work and Jayne and I grabbed a soda and snack before heading back towards home.

One of the reasons Jayne came to town was to see a talented friend's marionette company.  He's a world famous puppeteer out of Canada but he (Ronnie Burkett) and Jayne were friends at BYU and in NYC.  She got us tickets to see his show at The Kennedy Center and we had a great time.

These were puppets from another company that was performing

 We generally had leisurely mornings over yogurt but Jayne had left her phone at the Kennedy Center the night before so we Metro'd back over in the am to get her phone then decided to walk over to the Lincoln Memorial.  In fact we did all the memorials on that end of the National Mall.  We took the long lovely walk around the tidal basin then found a park bench looking out over the water and stopped to have sandwiches I had made us at home.  Unfortunately no cherry blossoms blooming yet because of the cold but it was still a nice day.

 This statue of George Mason is tucked away over by the Jefferson Memorial and I had seen it from afar but as we walked up to it I realized how awesome it was!  Like he was just finding a nice place to sit and read.  I will definitely come back here to read alongside him!

 I had to run to Andrews AFB for a few things when we got home and Jayne came along.  Fortunately Air Force One was in a location on the runway where she could see it.  She LOVES that President of ours.

 Our evenings were mostly spent having a leisurely dinner with Tom then watching tv while she worked on her crochet and I on my cross-stitch.  Tom and I go to bed by 10 pm or earlier but she would sleep for a couple of hours then get up for a few hours and watch Friday Night Lights on Netflix and crochet some more before going back to bed for a couple of more hours.  Crazy!  It wasn't just the jet lag; she actually keeps that schedule at home as well!

The next morning Jayne and I drove to the National Cathedral.  Her mom loved it so she wanted to be able to see it.  We spent a couple of hours there walking through ourselves then hooked onto a group with a guide and heard some really interesting things.  Like the fact that Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan are both buried there!  This special exhibit was also there called a Meditation on Mourning.

 After we walked the gardens we headed over to Georgetown where we were meeting the American Friends group for an activity at The National Zoo.  Jayne got to meet some of the students I've talked about and chat with them as we drove back to the zoo.  Tom met us there and Jayne decided to go sightseeing on her own while we participated in the scavenger hunt.  Our teams were supposed to snap an Instagram of all the things on a list which were different types of animals in the zoo.  But it was also supposed to have the entire group in it (so you wouldn't divide up) along with our stuffed animal and print out hashtag.  We had a little over an hour to get them all then we headed back to campus for snacks and looking at all the photos.  We took third and got an awesome National Zoo bookmark as a prize!

Alexis and Michele

Sunday Tom and I got up to go to church and Jayne went to get in line to be able to get into the National Archives first thing.  Apparently others had the same idea as there was a long line when she got there.  She had just barely gotten inside the building when Tom and I got out of church so we walked to the museum of American History and waited in the cafe for her.  It turned out to be a couple of hours but it was really nice to just sit at the bar facing the window and enjoy the sunny (but cold) day and people watch.  And just talk!

Finally Jayne arrived but I was so glad she got to see everything she wanted.  We spent another hour or so in the museum before walking to Ford's Theatre.  We got there just in time for the last tour!  We got our tickets then walked to the corner to grab a quick bite to hold us over while we waited for our timed tour. 

Jayne and Tom in Ford's Theatre

 After you see the theatre you walk across the street to see the house where they took Lincoln after he had been shot.  There was quite a line there so I kept our place while Tom went in with Jayne to get her photo with Obama.  The Peterson house and the museum after were fascinating and we spent quite a bit of time there.  As you leave, this tower of books about Lincoln fills the staircase.

 Arts Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill happened to coincide with Jayne's visit and once the head of the Utah delegation found out she was going to be here he asked her to join them.  She has worked professionally as an actor, choreographer, producer and director for 40 years.  So she had a couple of meetings to go to on Monday then I met her at Dupont Circle in the late afternoon.  She LOVES the tv series The West Wing and apparently there are many references to Dupont on that show so it seemed like a good place to meet on the metro.  We took a leisurely walk around the area and down to the Kennedy Center.  We had plenty of time so walked along the water watching the runners and the people rowing in the river.  Finally we headed up and had a sandwich in the cafe in the Center and walked through a costume exhibit before heading to the theater.  We were there for the keynote speaker for the Arts Advocacy day.  The speaker was New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd and Alec Baldwin introduced her.  Frankly, we were a little disappointed in her lecture but it was maybe supposed to be more about entertainment rather than a pep talk about their visits with congress the following day.  Anyway, our favorite thing was the Celtic band and dancers that opened the program. We also ran into Shannon on our way out then hopped the Metro for home and relaxation.

Yesterday she spent the day on Capitol Hill with two other Utahans speaking with mostly staffers but one representative about the arts.  She didn't really feel like it was very effective but was happy for the opportunity.  She told us all about it over dinner last night.  This morning I dropped her at BWI for her 7 am flight home.  Overall, I think she had a great time and enjoyed being in the nation's capital.

Belonging

I don't address this much because it sounds like we have all this awesome fun all the time but occasionally I find myself dabbling in a little depression.  This winter has been especially difficult I think because a) the weather has been so incredibly crappy and b) I'm feeling a little isolated just 8 miles out of town in our lovely little apartment.

To remedy this I'm re-visiting a mild anti-depressant which for whatever reason still makes me feel weak and ashamed which I know is stupid and judgmental.  However, I've seen an upswing almost immediately which has given me the incentive to do a little reaching out.

I joined a couple of small groups through church.  One is a Thursday morning group of about 8 women who meet at Karen's (the organizer of the group) home in Alexandria.  We have a light breakfast, watch a video (Breathing Room) then discuss it.  I've been doing this now for about 3 weeks and love the ladies (who are much closer to my age than the youngsters we're usually surrounded with) and enjoy the time with them.

Tom and I are doing another small group together on Thursday evening at one of the participant's apartments in DC called "Storyline-Finding Your Subplot in God's Story". Tonight will be only our second night and so far have enjoyed the people we've met there.  A mixed group of couples, singles, young and old…and by old I mean Tom and I are STILL the oldest!

We both signed up to help at the Connections table at church where we welcome visitors and help them get plugged in (like said small groups or service) so that will be fun.  Just had the introductory training meeting last week so haven't actually started yet.  And then this Saturday I'm helping in the nursery for 5 hours while during a leadership workshop.  Can't wait to hold me some babies!

Anyway, even though I know service and belonging are both things that are important to me, sometimes it becomes easier to just sit alone in my apartment all day.  Even for an extrovert the walking out the door is the important first step.

Dalai Lama

So Tom has had some work exercises at the National Cathedral lately and he came home one day and handed me these!  One of his contacts there had just given them to him! I had seen this event advertised but had assumed it would be too hard to get tickets so I was thrilled to have this opportunity.

 Parking around the cathedral is limited so our plan was to get there early to get a place then walk to some place nearby for breakfast or sit in our car and read until the cathedral opened at 8 AM.  Well surprise!  We walked out to get in our car and it was dead.  As. a. doornail.  If you look back over the past few months you will know this is not the first time this has happened but that is another story for another day.  Fortunately, because we were getting an early start, we had plenty of time to head to the Metro.  As we approached the cathedral after our mile walk from the metro we could hear shouting and singing and came upon this:

Now, frankly I don't really know that much about the Dalai Lama.  Not a follower or anything but was looking forward to hearing any world religious leader speak so I was surprised there were protesters there.  Apparently it has to do with a subset of followers of a different lama who they believe should be the "real" Dalai Lama.

The people on the other side of the street were there to welcome "His Holiness" so they were shouting across the street at each other.

 We arrived just in time to get in line and once we got inside I was amazed at how awesome our seats were!  Right next to the stage!

 He spoke to a full house and though it was difficult to understand some of what he was saying (pretty strong dialect) our favorite takeaway was his view on how we should deal with each other on a purely human level regardless of status, religious beliefs, income levels or political differences... striving for love, harmony and compassion.

 He asked for the baseball cap because the lights were too bright and he said he couldn't see the audience.  After he delivered his speech he sat down and had a discussions with a couple of the reverends from the cathedral then three students had been selected to each ask him a question.  He was very charming, had an infectious laugh that he displayed often but had a tendency to keep talking after you thought he had finished a thought.  In fact the last student started to walk away from the podium about three times then he would start talking again.  The whole audience laughed!  Overall it was a great experience.

Surprise Guest Blogger

So a couple of weeks ago I blogged about a Facebook friend who had surprised me with a package from Utah.  I sent her a little something in return and she asked if she could mention me in her blog.  Had no idea it would be this:

tilthelastleafhasdropped

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Teri and Paige.......Aka The Tale of Two Sisters

The Tale of Two Sisters

          I met Teri back in high school.  The class of 1976.  We were the Bountiful Braves.  I was a cheerleader and she was in politics and drama.  By this I mean she was a class officer and she was in all of our school plays.  

         She was one talented girl.  She could sing and dance but what I remember most is her ability to make people laugh.  I well remember our pep rallies and the little skits the officers would come out and do and how funny she was.  She was also beautiful.  

     When we graduated from high school we went our seperate ways and I wouldn't see Teri for many years.

     In the meantime; I got married to the Silver Fox and started a family.  We moved to Kaysville, Utah and lived in a small house in the heart of Kaysville City for 17 years.  Nine years ago we moved just down the road about two miles to a bigger home still in Kaysville, Utah.

     One of my new neighbors name is Paige.  Paige is a cutie too.  She is funny and has long blonde hair and has a bubbly personality also.  I had been friends with Paige for five or six years.  I thought I knew her well.  We are facebooks friends and how much better can you know a person than on facebook. (lol)  As I started paying more attention to Paige's facebook posts I started noticing that my friend Teri from high school would make comments on Paige's comments.  She was showing up on them all the time.  I finally asked Paige how she knew Teri and she said she is my older sister.  I couldn't believe it! I had to tell Paige how I knew Teri from high school and that we went way back.

     Skip to the summer of 2012 ( I believe it was the summer of 2012 it could have been 2011 ) the Silver Fox and I enjoyed going to some concert series at a park in Layton, Utah.  At the end of the concert series a play about a diner was going to be performed.  We attended the performance and wouldn't you know one of the leads in the play was my cute friend Teri.  After all of these years of being out of high school she was still singing and dancing her heart out.  She was still as cute and talented as ever.  I don't think she knows that I saw her in that play, but, Teri you are amazing!

     Teri and I became facebook friends a few years ago.  Lately I have been having give-aways on my facebook page.  I always see her name as someone who just likes my pictures or she will even make a comment on my status.  She has now moved to the Maryland area.  It is fun to share in her adventures as she posts pictures of the Washington D.C. area.  It is fun to see her living strongly as she participates in races, travels to North Carolina and tomorrow night as she is going to be hearing the Dalai Lama live and in person.

     The thing I love most about Teri though is she has HEART!  I received this in the mail last Saturday:

     It came all the way from Maryland.  Teri had been to a church meeting and the writer of this book was a speaker.  She listened to him and thought about me and bought me his book.
     The card reads:  This author spoke at our church last week and his thoughts on giving made me think of you.  It's good to bring joy to others and you do that through your facebook page and blog.  Hope you have a good day. God bless-Teri.
     Coincidence that Teri and I would reconnect by means of facebook through her sister Paige?  I don't think so.  God knows how to bless us and how to lift us and how to give us the encouragement we need to believe in ourselves.  Most times He does it by bringing special people into our lives.
     Teri and Paige thanks for being two special people in mine.  I love you both!