The Math Musical: Grand Finale

If you were thinking this is going to be a post begging people to come help out with my "Math Musical," then you are about to be surprised. . . . it isn't.
What it actually is, is a chance for me to say thank you to everyone who did help out. I have been working on the concept/lyrics/recording/writing/filming/editing of this flick for the past six months. That's quite a while in my life. The word that keeps coming to mind is "EPIC." Normally I reserve the use of that word for films like "Lord of the Rings" or "Gone With the Wind." But I feel the "Math Musical" rates right up there. I mean, sure, if Peter Jackson had to do most of the work by himself, I bet he would have just as many continuity issues as I had.
Last night I presented the musical to my BYU professor. She had only listened to one song up until that point (I had to let her hear the song where I quote all my sources, because I'm just so stinkin' proud of those lyrics).
Afterwards, she came up to talk to me and said that the thing I should be the most proud of is the fact that I had so many colleagues and friends who were willing to help me film, especially considering some of the silly things I made them do.
At first I was slightly offended. Hadn't she seen my amazing editing skills? Hadn't she taken the hours of song writing and recording that went into it? Or the way it was burned creatively onto a dvd with a professional looking menu and everything? These were all things that I had been so proud of.
However, as I thought of it, out of all those things I was proud of, not one of them would make me a better person, or could show me how many great people are in my life. (Insert Hallmark Moment). All kidding aside, my friends are one of God's greatest blessings in my life. And it goes to show how amazing they are when they're willing to help out with a project like this. So, thanks everybody. It (and I) would have looked excessively pathetic if you hadn't been there.

P.S. Like I've said before, I can't post it on You tube due to issues if one of my students sees it. Therefore, if you wish to witness "Math Musical" in all of its glory, I'm just a phone call/text message/IM away.

How to Tell a Woman By Her Purse

Everything you want to know about a woman, you can find out by investigating her purse. However, from what I understand about most men, they still don't know what to make of the things they find in there. I will take the next few moments to decipher this ancient code.

We'll go by purse style first:

Designer purse: The girl that carries this kind of purse is one to watch out for. She spent over 300 dollars on a bag that will get worn out and thrown away in less than a year. Run away from these purses. They are usually attached to extremely high maintenance girls who care much more about their appearance than anything/anyone.

Imitation designer purse: The gals that carry these are interesting. They want to look like they're incredibly stylish, but in actuality are way too cheap to shell out the serious cash.

Payless Purses: This refers to the most common type of purse: one found at a department store of some type. These rank low on the imagination scale, but high on the practical one. Women who use these types are easily pleased, are not overly concerned about appearances, and are usually quite fiscally sound.

Purses that could hide a small terrorist: I like to call these the "Mom" purses. Luckily, these have recently come back into fashion, but a few years ago, it was very easy to spot the moms just by their bags. Once a child gets too old for Mom to cart around a diaper bag, she transfers most, if not all, of the contents to her purse. The result is the picture above. It becomes a combination of Mary Poppin's bag and the Black Hole.

No purse at all: These women are most likely homeless. You should beware because if you date a woman that does not own a purse, she will most likely depend on your pockets for carrying her essentials, or her recyclable cans.

I've Been Bored, So I Exercised My Humor Muscle

So, I actually saw this on Facebook. I have been lying in bed for the past week (with just a few exceptions) and I decided this could be an amusing way to pass the time.


1. Do you like blue cheese? Can't we all just be color-blind when it comes to cheese? Actually, I have a friend who is color-blind. I wonder if he can see blue cheese.

2. Have you ever been drunk? No, but I have definitely felt the impaired judgement of Loritab.

3. Do you own a gun? Not yet. Dad Rotar keeps promising me he'll give me his collection. I think he's afraid I'll shoot myself in the eye, which is why he's withholding.

4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? Any flavor in which the appropriate amount of sugar is used. Had a roommate once who liked to guesstimate.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? I get more nervous that my car is going to break down on the way there, or that I won't find it in time.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? Bring on the mystery meat!

7. Favorite Christmas movie? This will sound so random, but "Tiny Toons Christmas Special" and the She-Ra/He-Man Christmas Special

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? hot chocolate. Ymmmm. Actually, it's my beverage of choice for all times of day.

9. Can you do push ups? Yes, but I'm better at wearing one (don't think about that one too hard)

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? That's like asking which grain of sand is my favorite. Though, there is a great three piece red stoned necklace that I really like.

11. Favorite hobby? Acting!

12. Do you have A.D.D? Not officially. But it really only flares up when I'm a meetings for school stuff. Sometimes there's a little overkill in reiteration.

13. What's your favorite shoe? My new black sassy high heels with the ankle strap. They make me feel like a hot mama.

14. Middle name? Ann. But I prefer for people to call me "Your Highness"

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? I should stop thinking about (insert guy's name), ow my stomach hurts, I should really stop thinking about (insert same guy's name)

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, milk, and the elixir of love.

17. Current worry? What if it takes me so long to write this note, that I'm late for my next appointment?

18. Current hate right now? I'm not a hater. Though stomach aches rate right up there.

20. How did you bring in the New Year? Ward activity, of which I was in charge of.

21. Where would you like to go? Somewhere in a hand basket. No, I'd like a trip to Australia or New Zealand.

22. Name three people who will complete this? There are no friends of mine that would get excited about this.

23. Do you own slippers? Yes, but it's hard to find pairs that haven't been partially digested by a certain yellow lab puppy.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? Gray. I'm wearing gray pants too. Huge fashion faux pa (spelling?)

25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets? Can one actually sleep on Satin sheets? I thought one just slipped right out of their bed when attempting such a feat.

26. Can you whistle? Only when I'm blowing into my hot chocolate (no joke)

27. Favorite color? PURPLE!!!!!

28. Would you be a pirate? Do I get to hang out with Will Turner? Then yes!

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whichever song I'm currently learning for a show.

30. Favorite Girl's Name? Michelle, duh.

31. Favorite boy's name? Tennyson. Don't hate me, I absolutely love it.

32. What's in your pocket right now? What does this actually tell you about me? Lint, that's what.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Better question would be: what was the last thing that DIDN"T make me laugh. I usually make myself laugh. That happens about once every ten minutes.

34. Best bed sheets as a child? I almost cried tears of joy when I turned 8 and was given an entire bedding set that was purple with unicorns on it.

35. Worst injury you've ever had as a child? I was too young to remember, but apparently I fell off a table and my front two teeth were shoved back into my gums. Luckily, they were baby teeth.

36. Do you love where you live? It's been a whole eight months since anything catastrophic happened (which I know means that tomorrow, the roof is going to cave in), so yeah, I love it.

38. Who is your loudest friend? Carol Atwater. And she knows it.

39. How many dogs do you have? One. But she's the size of three, so that should count for something.

40. Does someone have a crush on you? There is not a snowball's chance in h***.

41. What is your favorite book? AUGH! I hate this question! We'll go with "Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging" for today.

42. What is your favorite candy? I don't discriminate against food.

43. Favorite Sports Team? Whichever one won't mind if I don't watch their games.

44. What song do you want played at your funeral? Jeremiah was a Bullfrog. Or maybe "Thriller" just so the crowd could burst into spontaneous dancing (or flames, whichever)

The Truth is That I Look Good in my Hospital Gown

Thought I'd let everyone know that my surgery went really well. My pesky, angry, red gallbladder is out and now I'm well on the way to recovery. I went in yesterday morning, first to get some lab work done, then onto surgery. I had to wait about 2 hours because there was some miscommunication between my surgeon and his office. He thought his appointments started at 8, when they started at 7. But it wasn't too bad waiting. Mom is in town to make sure I don't die or anything and she kept me company. One of the nicest things was the nurse team and staff at the surgical center. I would normally feel a bit scared/nervous (yes, I admit, I occasionally feel scared/nervous), but they were so great. We were joking around and they were really concerned about my pain. And they provided me with an ultra stylish pistachio green hospital gown that as I put on in the bathroom, I actually turned in the mirror and thought "wow, this is really flattering on my figure" without even a touch of sarcasm.
After the surgery was over and I started to come to, I was amazed at how much pain my body could feel. After two shots of morphine, and the pain not relenting much, they gave me two more shots of Demoral until I finally wasn't in agony. Mom says it's preparing me for childbirth (ha!). I was very proud of myself for not screaming or anything, and I even got up and walked around the recovery room without much help. I kept thinking about what my dad always used to say when I was a kid: "Tough as nails, kid. Tough as nails." That was the mantra going through my head.
Anyway, now I'm to the relaxing and resting portion. I had a few visitors last night and I have to say Heavenly Father must love me something fierce because I have the best friends in the whole world. Oh, and if you want to see a picture of my gallbladder, just let me know. Apparently, it was filled with sludge and white particles.
Man, life is good.

Moral of the Story is: I Need to Go To More Dances

Some of you might have heard about the masquerade ball that a few friends and I attended on Friday. Talk about fun. The evening started out with getting ready. For me, getting ready is one of the most fun parts of the night. I wore a gown I had previously purchased for a play (in which I played a seductive countess), and a mask I had made two days earlier. Kelly came over and I helped her get into her outfit, after which I helped Kristina with her hair. Two of my guy friends had canceled at the last minute. I called up Andy to see if he wanted one of the tickets. After a little coaxing, he was game. Kelly, Kristina, and I went over to Brittany and Gwen's house to wait for them to get ready. To make a long story much more palatable to my ADD audience, when all of us arrived at the ball, it was amazing! Most people were in formals and it was looking a little reminiscent of Prom. However, a few individuals, including men, were in costumes. The main dancing area was devoted to top 40 hits and also dance grooves from previous years (including some that took me right back to those old stake dances). There was a room upstairs in which people were giving instruction in dances from the 17 and 1800's. However, with one boy, five girls, and little space, we didn't stay in that room long. One of my favorite moments of the entire evening was when the first slow song came on. We all were just sort of standing there looking at each other awkwardly. Finally, Andy says, "So, should we start a dance rotation or something?" Maybe you had to be there, but I thought it was quite funny. My dress was a bit cumbersome. I stepped on it routinely, as did those around me. When I tried foxtrotting with Andy, I virtually slipped and slid all over my dress, even occasionally accidentally pulling it down partially, then quickly grabbing it up. Luckily I had the most ginormous slip ever created underneath. I blame any bad foxtrotting on the dress and not on the fact that I haven't danced ballroom style in over 6 years. Afterwards, we went to IHOP, as all really awesome people do. However, by this point, my corset was digging into my sides (my sides still hurt all Saturday!). Overall, it was tons of fun. I've decided I want to go every year. But next time I want a man all to myself. Get working on that, will ya?