Opening night
Hannah and I were preparing to go onstage and throw our street higher than all the other streets (it was a competition). We were getting all pumped up and excited, so we decided to do our new secret handshake for good luck. Of course, knowing us, this secret handshake involves a high five. Also knowing us, our high fives are never very good ones. It's a mystery. So there we were, standing immediately offstage, getting ready to go on. We turned to each other. "Share the love!" we whispered. Of course, everything went silent. No one on stage was speaking, and there was no music. We high fived each other. It was the loudest high five ever (well, I would say second loudest high five ever. The first place going to the high five Mark and I did in the hallway during small ensemble practice...but I digress). So everyone looked at us, we felt embarrassed. And also kinda bad. It was pretty loud. But no one said anything.
Closing night
We threw our street for the last time, and I thought it went really well. I ran across the stage, set my street down, then I had to run upstage and assume a freezing position, in order to get out of the spotlight. When the stage Nauvoo came back to life, I unfroze and ran back to my street so I could straighten it out a bit before exiting the stage. Unfortunately, it got stuck in a crack on the stage. Hannah and I both started pulling on our own ends, and we freed our street, but right as we were straightening it, a girl (I think a Sciamarilla) was running upstage. She unfortunately ran into our street. And tripped. And fell. I felt bad.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The Final Countdown
Okay, so we slept through too much of the train ride and planned ahead well enough to really have anything that funny happen. But I did remember a few things I meant to write about earlier, so I'll make up for it now.
Sometimes Dreams Come True
Friday night, I had this dream that Ross--the Pageant's instrumental music director in charge of the dance band and a bunch of other stuff--was clogging. In my dream, I grabbed Natalie and pointed out his clogging since I knew she'd appreciate it as a clogger herself. So, Saturday morning, I told Natalie about this dream. Then, that night, I was playing in the dance band, and Natalie was dancing. . . when all of a sudden, Ross starts clogging to our music! Natalie and I both saw and immediately made eye contact. We couldn't believe that my dream was coming true!
Cheesy Directors' Comments
While I know that our directors are very sincere in their love for us, sometimes their compliments are a little over-the-top. I can't remember all of them, but one night, our associate director said that the previous night's performance brought a phrase to his mind: "sing unto me a new song" -- our performance was "new," "fresh," and "energetic," apparantly. But who just uses a phrase like that to describe a performance?
A few nights later, he made up a short poem:
Wacthing you last night
Was such a delight
I know, it even rhymed. And it was completely off the cuff. And, as he pointed out, he has short cuffs.
My Physiological Morphing
I'll be surprised if you guys even recognize me once I'm home, because I've apparantly undergone some weird physical changes on this trip. For instance, I've developed freckly hands and arms. Especially hands. It's really weird. Also, my eyes changed color. They've always been green (or so I thought), but on this trip I had a couple different people comment on my blue eyes! I was so confused, so I looked in the mirror and saw that they were mostly right: my eyes are changing color (although I'm still convinced I see a lot of green. . . maybe just wishful thinking)!
Home
Well, it's great to be home. The train ride home was a million times better than the one out there -- due partly to our company, the fact that we knew the people sitting by us, and that we had planned ahead better for what to bring. Also, a big reason was that we arrive in SLC two hours early, which was a huge blessing! Anyway, I can't wait to see you all, and I hope you've all had a blast!
Sometimes Dreams Come True
Friday night, I had this dream that Ross--the Pageant's instrumental music director in charge of the dance band and a bunch of other stuff--was clogging. In my dream, I grabbed Natalie and pointed out his clogging since I knew she'd appreciate it as a clogger herself. So, Saturday morning, I told Natalie about this dream. Then, that night, I was playing in the dance band, and Natalie was dancing. . . when all of a sudden, Ross starts clogging to our music! Natalie and I both saw and immediately made eye contact. We couldn't believe that my dream was coming true!
Cheesy Directors' Comments
While I know that our directors are very sincere in their love for us, sometimes their compliments are a little over-the-top. I can't remember all of them, but one night, our associate director said that the previous night's performance brought a phrase to his mind: "sing unto me a new song" -- our performance was "new," "fresh," and "energetic," apparantly. But who just uses a phrase like that to describe a performance?
A few nights later, he made up a short poem:
Wacthing you last night
Was such a delight
I know, it even rhymed. And it was completely off the cuff. And, as he pointed out, he has short cuffs.
My Physiological Morphing
I'll be surprised if you guys even recognize me once I'm home, because I've apparantly undergone some weird physical changes on this trip. For instance, I've developed freckly hands and arms. Especially hands. It's really weird. Also, my eyes changed color. They've always been green (or so I thought), but on this trip I had a couple different people comment on my blue eyes! I was so confused, so I looked in the mirror and saw that they were mostly right: my eyes are changing color (although I'm still convinced I see a lot of green. . . maybe just wishful thinking)!
Home
Well, it's great to be home. The train ride home was a million times better than the one out there -- due partly to our company, the fact that we knew the people sitting by us, and that we had planned ahead better for what to bring. Also, a big reason was that we arrive in SLC two hours early, which was a huge blessing! Anyway, I can't wait to see you all, and I hope you've all had a blast!
Home again, home again.
So, I had planned on coming home and blogging about everything hilarious that happened on the train ride, but we ended up sleeping through most of the trip. Seriously. We probably slept through 75% of the journey (well, I don't know actual numbers. But we slept a lot). However, I did remember a couple of funny things that happened in Nauvoo. I will blog about them soon.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
We aren't going, we're coming...home.
Well, I guess this is farewell from Nauvoo. We just checked out of our room and we'll catch the train in a few hours for the long ride home. It's been great. I'll be thinking of other funny experiences we had here during the train ride, and I'll blog them when we get home. Plus we might have more funny train stories.
Going Home!
Well, this is the last chance I'll have to blog from Nauvoo. We anticipate funny adventures on the train, but those will have to be blogged about once we get home.
Anyway, Friday night after our show we had a cast dance. It was a blast! Although they didn't play "Every Time We Touch," we inserted stick dance moves wherever possible. And now several more people have been indoctrinated to the dance. Who knows how far it will spread?
Yesterday was closing night. There's too much to say about it to even begin. If you want a more detailed summary of conversation, "moving with joy," and leaving Nauvoo for the last time, you'll have to talk to me in person.
Well, this morning we woke up bright and early to make the 8am church meeting, where our friends the Young Performing Missionaries performed the musical number "This is the Christ." And now we're waiting for brunch to start, after which we'll leave for another very long train ride home. I love this place, and I'll miss it so much; but I'm also very excited to come home! See you in a couple days!
Anyway, Friday night after our show we had a cast dance. It was a blast! Although they didn't play "Every Time We Touch," we inserted stick dance moves wherever possible. And now several more people have been indoctrinated to the dance. Who knows how far it will spread?
Yesterday was closing night. There's too much to say about it to even begin. If you want a more detailed summary of conversation, "moving with joy," and leaving Nauvoo for the last time, you'll have to talk to me in person.
Well, this morning we woke up bright and early to make the 8am church meeting, where our friends the Young Performing Missionaries performed the musical number "This is the Christ." And now we're waiting for brunch to start, after which we'll leave for another very long train ride home. I love this place, and I'll miss it so much; but I'm also very excited to come home! See you in a couple days!
Friday, July 13, 2007
The story of how Hannah and I became Irish dancers
Someone recently asked us our history of how we became Irish dancers. This is our story.
We were walking down the street one day, when suddenly a man from Ireland tripped over his own ghillies, fell into the street, and got hit by a car. Of course, Hannah and I rushed over and started giving him CPR. We took turns for about 30 minutes, and finally he was in the clear. We had saved his life, but of course we couldn't accept a reward for that. We were just doing our civic duty. He was very glad that we had helped him in his hour (or rather, half hour) of need, so he offered and we accepted his offer of free Irish lessons. And that's how it happened.
We were walking down the street one day, when suddenly a man from Ireland tripped over his own ghillies, fell into the street, and got hit by a car. Of course, Hannah and I rushed over and started giving him CPR. We took turns for about 30 minutes, and finally he was in the clear. We had saved his life, but of course we couldn't accept a reward for that. We were just doing our civic duty. He was very glad that we had helped him in his hour (or rather, half hour) of need, so he offered and we accepted his offer of free Irish lessons. And that's how it happened.
A mistaken identity
Hannah and I were practicing the "Happy Birthday" song in spanish. She was sitting on her bed facing the window, and I was sitting on my bed facing her. We were singing along, and it sounded great, but then Hannah made this noise like "aaaahhhh". It was a blissful sound. I looked at her face and noticed that she was looking out the window. I concluded she must have seen someone who she thought was very attractive, namely our "elder brother" S. So I quickly turned to look out the window to see who she saw, but the only person in view was Ken. He plays Brigham Young, and he's very nice, but he's probably old enough to be our father or great-uncle four times removed (no, just kidding), plus he has long Brigham-like hair. I was shocked. In all the time we've spent together recently, we've shared a lot of secrets. But Hannah had never told me about that.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Days Twelve through Fifteen -- Monday through Thursday
Wow! Sorry that that daily blogging idea has obviously been ditched. Although we haven't been rehearsing nearly like we were the first week, it seems like our days are even busier now that we have "free time." But it's been a blast! We've gone to see some shows, including the YPM's "High Hopes and Riverboats," "Just Plain Anna Amanda," and the Joseph Smith movie at the Visitor's Center. We've toured the historic buildings, and we've also gone to several of the vignettes: small scenes portraying the saints in Nauvoo, performed by the lead cast from the Pageant. And don't forget the shopping; we've combed Mulholland street's souvenir shops and bought out a few of the stores (just kidding -- we're too poor for that!), bought fudge, and (this morning) went shopping for our snacks for the train ride home. I can't believe it's ending so fast! If there is such a thing as falling in love with a city, I think I'm a victim. I'll miss it so much -- especially being in the Pageant -- but I'm also so excited to come home.
So, while Natalie is dropping everything, I'm running into even more. One night at the Pageant, we came out of the dressing room from making a very quick costume change. We came around the corner to run up the stairs to make our entrance, when I completely ran into a massive wheelbarrow that was holding props. How did I not see the wheelbarrow? you might ask. In response, all I have to say is this: you try wearing bloomers, layers of petticoats, and yards and yards and yards and yards (no joke) of pioneer-style skirt. Then see how easy it is to see what's in front of you.
But that's not all for my running into things. A couple days ago, we had put a load of laundry in the first floor's washing machine (although we live on the second floor). It was done drying, and we went in to pick it up. We then realized that the load we had chosen to do on the first floor included several items that we didn't necessarily want the whole pageant cast to see, if you catch my drift. But our room was a whole flight of stairs plus a long hallway away, and we didn't have anything to carry the load in. So I grabbed the load, bolted for the staircase, and bounded up the stairs to the second floor. Proud of myself for making it thusfar unseen, I continued to run down the hall toward our room -- a load of laundry in my arms -- and straight into one of the fans in the hallway. It knocked into the wall, and I quickly picked it up and ran even faster to our room. Luckily there was no damage done to the fan, the wall, the laundry, or to me.
*Newsflash: I've officially decided to ditch the clarinet and take up the bagpipes. So much for BYU, clarinet major, etc. . . .
So, while Natalie is dropping everything, I'm running into even more. One night at the Pageant, we came out of the dressing room from making a very quick costume change. We came around the corner to run up the stairs to make our entrance, when I completely ran into a massive wheelbarrow that was holding props. How did I not see the wheelbarrow? you might ask. In response, all I have to say is this: you try wearing bloomers, layers of petticoats, and yards and yards and yards and yards (no joke) of pioneer-style skirt. Then see how easy it is to see what's in front of you.
But that's not all for my running into things. A couple days ago, we had put a load of laundry in the first floor's washing machine (although we live on the second floor). It was done drying, and we went in to pick it up. We then realized that the load we had chosen to do on the first floor included several items that we didn't necessarily want the whole pageant cast to see, if you catch my drift. But our room was a whole flight of stairs plus a long hallway away, and we didn't have anything to carry the load in. So I grabbed the load, bolted for the staircase, and bounded up the stairs to the second floor. Proud of myself for making it thusfar unseen, I continued to run down the hall toward our room -- a load of laundry in my arms -- and straight into one of the fans in the hallway. It knocked into the wall, and I quickly picked it up and ran even faster to our room. Luckily there was no damage done to the fan, the wall, the laundry, or to me.
*Newsflash: I've officially decided to ditch the clarinet and take up the bagpipes. So much for BYU, clarinet major, etc. . . .
A few random experiences
Well, this past week has been so crazy and all the days have just been running together, so I decided to ditch the idea of writing day by day summaries and simple tell a couple stories.
The paradigm is shifting
It's no secret that Hannah and I were having trouble making friends here in Nauvoo the first little while. The first person we really tried to befriend resisted all our friendly efforts. I don't want to share his name, so we'll call him "William" (after our former president Bill Clinton). We tried to talk to Will at meals and stuff the first few days, but he was standoffish. We attributed it to post-mission shyness, as he recently got home from a mission. But then he started getting to be really good friends with these other girls, and it's a long story, but it was odd. We ditched the idea of making friends with people, especially William.
But yesterday we were walking down to the grove and Will was halfway down the hill. He turned around and looked at us, so we waved, but then he stopped. Will just stood there until we reached him and he started walking and talking with us. I was stunned into silence.
It happened again that night at the pageant. Let's just say that we were very surprised.
Ageless
Apparently it's hard for people to tell what age I am. Usually they'll assume I'm older, like return missionary age. This has made for a lot of confused people and some very awkward moments immediately following a waltz. That's all I have to say on the subject currently.
Ethan Frome
I might have already mentioned that there is a hill here that looks, I'm sure, just like the hill that Ethan and Mattie slid down during their attempted double suicide. Well, there is this picture that we have seen everywhere. It's a picture of a man (or maybe two) in a wagon in the snow. It reminds me of Ethan Frome. But seriously, we see this picture everywhere. There are multiple copies hanging in the JSA not even six feet away from each other. I want to know why it's so important.
The paradigm is shifting
It's no secret that Hannah and I were having trouble making friends here in Nauvoo the first little while. The first person we really tried to befriend resisted all our friendly efforts. I don't want to share his name, so we'll call him "William" (after our former president Bill Clinton). We tried to talk to Will at meals and stuff the first few days, but he was standoffish. We attributed it to post-mission shyness, as he recently got home from a mission. But then he started getting to be really good friends with these other girls, and it's a long story, but it was odd. We ditched the idea of making friends with people, especially William.
But yesterday we were walking down to the grove and Will was halfway down the hill. He turned around and looked at us, so we waved, but then he stopped. Will just stood there until we reached him and he started walking and talking with us. I was stunned into silence.
It happened again that night at the pageant. Let's just say that we were very surprised.
Ageless
Apparently it's hard for people to tell what age I am. Usually they'll assume I'm older, like return missionary age. This has made for a lot of confused people and some very awkward moments immediately following a waltz. That's all I have to say on the subject currently.
Ethan Frome
I might have already mentioned that there is a hill here that looks, I'm sure, just like the hill that Ethan and Mattie slid down during their attempted double suicide. Well, there is this picture that we have seen everywhere. It's a picture of a man (or maybe two) in a wagon in the snow. It reminds me of Ethan Frome. But seriously, we see this picture everywhere. There are multiple copies hanging in the JSA not even six feet away from each other. I want to know why it's so important.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Day Ten and Eleven -- Saturday and Sunday
Not a lot happened on Saturday. We had a short rehearsal in the morning and then performed at night. Although we did plant some YPMs (Young Performing Missionaries) to go up to our district leader (Alex / John Taylor) to compliment his neck tie. A few days ago, Natalie and he and I had been joking about his "pasley" (as Natalie introduced us to) necktie. I told him that whenever anyone mentioned it, he should comment on how in complemented his ears -- all with a straight face. He does a very convincing job of it, too. Anyway, I guess he's forgotten about that because one of the YPMs reported to us that when he mentioned it, Alex just said "thanks." Bummer.
Today's Sunday, and we just got back from Sacrament Meeting. I was asked (yesterday at 4:00 p.m.) to give a talk on faith. I guess it went as well as it could go on such short notice; but I hate feeling so unprepared. I think the Lord has been putting me in a lot of situations recently where I feel very unprepared/inadequate to teach me to not rely on myself and put my trust in Him. Anyway, I learned a lot by writing the talk; so I guess nothing else matters.
Well, Natalie and I are going to babysit for a family while the parents go perform in the "Sunday Sociable" (a Broadway-style musical program by the Pageant cast leads) tonight. We already saw the show yesterday, so it'll be fun to help watch their kids. BTW, if they decide to perform the Sociable in Salt Lake after the pageant's done, I'll let you guys know, because it's amazing!
Today's Sunday, and we just got back from Sacrament Meeting. I was asked (yesterday at 4:00 p.m.) to give a talk on faith. I guess it went as well as it could go on such short notice; but I hate feeling so unprepared. I think the Lord has been putting me in a lot of situations recently where I feel very unprepared/inadequate to teach me to not rely on myself and put my trust in Him. Anyway, I learned a lot by writing the talk; so I guess nothing else matters.
Well, Natalie and I are going to babysit for a family while the parents go perform in the "Sunday Sociable" (a Broadway-style musical program by the Pageant cast leads) tonight. We already saw the show yesterday, so it'll be fun to help watch their kids. BTW, if they decide to perform the Sociable in Salt Lake after the pageant's done, I'll let you guys know, because it's amazing!
Day Nine -- Friday
Well, I'm a little pressed for time, but we had Opening Night, which went beautifully. The Spirit was very strong, and Natalie and I both sweated up a storm during the pre-show: her dancing, and me playing for the dancers. It was a blast. Then we went to Adventure Zone for our cast party and ate nachos and talked to some people (Blue Cast people who actually know how to have a conversation, of course). Then we rode on the Go-Karts, which was a blast. I was the designated driver, so I pressed the gas to the floor and made it my goal to pass as many people as possible. We were pretty successful. . . but I guess anything seems pretty successful at one o'clock in the morning.
Days Ten and Eleven -- Saturday and Sunday
All I have to say for Saturday is that there is this very chivalrous young man here. Hannah and I were in the internet room blogging and I was kneeling because there was no chair, but this boy went out and found me a chair. It was very kind of him.
This morning (Sunday) Hannah and I were able to sleep in later than usual because we didn't have a rehearsal to be at (I just have to preface this story a bit by saying that I become paranoid in random spurts. Bad). I had been paranoid the night before, so I locked our door. We rarely lock our door. When we woke up at 9 AM, we decided to go shower. So we got out of bed and left the room. Apparently we had had too much sleep. We forgot the key. So we stood in the hall for 45 minutes (in our pj's!) waiting for Elder Graves to come unlock our door. Then he ran into our room and started opening the windows the "perfect amount" and adjusting our fan to allow for maximum cooling to take place. But we wanted him to leave because we wanted to shower, and we were in our pajamas.
This morning (Sunday) Hannah and I were able to sleep in later than usual because we didn't have a rehearsal to be at (I just have to preface this story a bit by saying that I become paranoid in random spurts. Bad). I had been paranoid the night before, so I locked our door. We rarely lock our door. When we woke up at 9 AM, we decided to go shower. So we got out of bed and left the room. Apparently we had had too much sleep. We forgot the key. So we stood in the hall for 45 minutes (in our pj's!) waiting for Elder Graves to come unlock our door. Then he ran into our room and started opening the windows the "perfect amount" and adjusting our fan to allow for maximum cooling to take place. But we wanted him to leave because we wanted to shower, and we were in our pajamas.
Day Nine -- Friday
Well, today was opening night. No more laugh attacks-that was a really good thing. Nothing really happened today other than the fact that we opened. I ran into (not literally) Kirk, a boy I met at the stake dance festival and have seen at every stake dance since, but he never remembers my name. It's not a big deal.
Also-the Lusvardi family is here because Brother Lusvardi is head of the missionary department. So of course I had to find Cameron and make fun of him a little bit, reminisce about group piano lessons a little bit, and remark on his age. He's only 15, you know. Even though everyone thinks he's 18, at least. Well, Hannah and I can certainly relate.
Also-the Lusvardi family is here because Brother Lusvardi is head of the missionary department. So of course I had to find Cameron and make fun of him a little bit, reminisce about group piano lessons a little bit, and remark on his age. He's only 15, you know. Even though everyone thinks he's 18, at least. Well, Hannah and I can certainly relate.
Day Eight -- Thursday
Newsflash
Today was our first full day with the Blue Cast in town. Despite having double the people with whom we share showers, cafeteria space, and attention from the directors, Natalie and I have discovered something amazing from these new arrivals: there are no glaring flaws in our social skills. The week previous, we have tried starting conversations, talking to people, etc. but have struggled to make friends. We were worried about this and wondered if we came off as grumpy, unapproachable, or intimidating. But today, we've made friends with several Blue Cast members who were easy to talk to and fun to be around. So the newsflash is that when conversations don't go well for us, it's not our fault. End of story.
Temple Mayhem and (you guessed it) laughing
Tonight was dress rehearsal -- one of the most exciting nights of my experience in Nauvoo. It was the first time we combined every element: lighting, costumes, hair, make-up, blocking, singing, props, etc. to run the show without stopping. Our energy and the Spirit were both very high, and all was going perfectly until the temple. Just like every other year and every other night, the moment when the temple finally went up in it's glory (and it is glorious -- see lds.org for pictures) was one of the most touching parts of the show. Tonight, however, the emotion was tinged with humor as Natalie and I looked back to our temple that was hanging completely lopsided on the stage right-most panel. It was hard to look back longingly at something that was hanging so awry. Being the improvisers we are, Natalie put her head on my shoulder and "cried," if you know what I mean, and I turned my back to the audience (and toward the temple), bit my lip as hard as I could, and tried very hard not to burst out laughing. Luckily, this moment was right before we had to leave the stage, where we were able to gain our composure.
*side note: This has luckily never happened during an actual performance. Only in front of the 1700 people that showed up to our "closed" dress rehearsal. :)
Today was our first full day with the Blue Cast in town. Despite having double the people with whom we share showers, cafeteria space, and attention from the directors, Natalie and I have discovered something amazing from these new arrivals: there are no glaring flaws in our social skills. The week previous, we have tried starting conversations, talking to people, etc. but have struggled to make friends. We were worried about this and wondered if we came off as grumpy, unapproachable, or intimidating. But today, we've made friends with several Blue Cast members who were easy to talk to and fun to be around. So the newsflash is that when conversations don't go well for us, it's not our fault. End of story.
Temple Mayhem and (you guessed it) laughing
Tonight was dress rehearsal -- one of the most exciting nights of my experience in Nauvoo. It was the first time we combined every element: lighting, costumes, hair, make-up, blocking, singing, props, etc. to run the show without stopping. Our energy and the Spirit were both very high, and all was going perfectly until the temple. Just like every other year and every other night, the moment when the temple finally went up in it's glory (and it is glorious -- see lds.org for pictures) was one of the most touching parts of the show. Tonight, however, the emotion was tinged with humor as Natalie and I looked back to our temple that was hanging completely lopsided on the stage right-most panel. It was hard to look back longingly at something that was hanging so awry. Being the improvisers we are, Natalie put her head on my shoulder and "cried," if you know what I mean, and I turned my back to the audience (and toward the temple), bit my lip as hard as I could, and tried very hard not to burst out laughing. Luckily, this moment was right before we had to leave the stage, where we were able to gain our composure.
*side note: This has luckily never happened during an actual performance. Only in front of the 1700 people that showed up to our "closed" dress rehearsal. :)
Day Eight -- Thursday
The blue cast arrived yesterday and today. Hannah and I found that we are perfectly capable of being friends with others and carrying on normal conversations. We were just put in the wrong cast. The blue cast members (and the work crew) will talk to us, but we have problems talking to members of the red cast. Who knows why. Anyway, it was quite a relief to discover that we are not scary or intimidating.
At the dress rehearsal tonight, Hannah and I had an attack of laughter. At the most inconvenient time, of course. We tried to cover our laughter and make it pass as sobbing. Not sure if it worked, but that's all I really want to say on the subject. It was bad.
At the dress rehearsal tonight, Hannah and I had an attack of laughter. At the most inconvenient time, of course. We tried to cover our laughter and make it pass as sobbing. Not sure if it worked, but that's all I really want to say on the subject. It was bad.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Day Seven -- Wednesday
Hidden Talents
Natalie and I discovered a new talent today: the art of street-throwing. In the show, there is a scene where Hyrum Smith calls out the names of streets in Nauvoo to be laid, and youth come out with large, colorful fabric strips that they throw in the air (from center stage) and then run to the edges of the stage to create a map of the streets of Nauvoo on stage. Natalie and I are Granger Street. We received little given instruction, we just used my past experience and our judgment to know how to throw our street up and stretch it across the stage. We never really paid attention to the other street layers either. But today during our meeting where the directors gave us notes on last night's run-through, the director made the following statement about that scene: "Can I just say, Granger street is amazing!" One of the other directors later spoke to us individually and told us the same thing. Pretty much, Natalie and I were glowing. We now regard ourselves as master street-throwers. It was great to hear that compliment, despite how small the task. You never know when you'll uncover a hidden talent.
My Alter Ego: Jenna
Natalie and I met this kid that's on the work crew. Despite being a trombone player, he's really nice. He introduced himself and told us his name was Kevin. He asked for ours, we gave him our names, and then he apologized in advance because of his short-term memory with names. Later, Natalie came up with the idea to tell him the wrong name if he asked again what our names were. The next day (today), we saw him at our rehearsal, and he proudly greeted us: "Hi Hannah and Natalie!" -- triumphant in having remembered our names. Natalie and I looked at him with confused faces; "What did you say?," we asked. "I just said 'hi Hannah and Natalie'," he replied. "Oh, you mean Jenna!" Natalie said with a straight face. He felt bad that he had "forgotten" my name and apologized, but I reassured him that he was very close with "Hannah."
Soon, Natalie and I felt very guilty about this friendly trick we had played. At the next opportunity, we approached him, apologized, and explained that we had done it to play off of his comment about forgetting people's names. He was a very good sport about it and now cracks jokes about my name whenever we see him.
Natalie and I discovered a new talent today: the art of street-throwing. In the show, there is a scene where Hyrum Smith calls out the names of streets in Nauvoo to be laid, and youth come out with large, colorful fabric strips that they throw in the air (from center stage) and then run to the edges of the stage to create a map of the streets of Nauvoo on stage. Natalie and I are Granger Street. We received little given instruction, we just used my past experience and our judgment to know how to throw our street up and stretch it across the stage. We never really paid attention to the other street layers either. But today during our meeting where the directors gave us notes on last night's run-through, the director made the following statement about that scene: "Can I just say, Granger street is amazing!" One of the other directors later spoke to us individually and told us the same thing. Pretty much, Natalie and I were glowing. We now regard ourselves as master street-throwers. It was great to hear that compliment, despite how small the task. You never know when you'll uncover a hidden talent.
My Alter Ego: Jenna
Natalie and I met this kid that's on the work crew. Despite being a trombone player, he's really nice. He introduced himself and told us his name was Kevin. He asked for ours, we gave him our names, and then he apologized in advance because of his short-term memory with names. Later, Natalie came up with the idea to tell him the wrong name if he asked again what our names were. The next day (today), we saw him at our rehearsal, and he proudly greeted us: "Hi Hannah and Natalie!" -- triumphant in having remembered our names. Natalie and I looked at him with confused faces; "What did you say?," we asked. "I just said 'hi Hannah and Natalie'," he replied. "Oh, you mean Jenna!" Natalie said with a straight face. He felt bad that he had "forgotten" my name and apologized, but I reassured him that he was very close with "Hannah."
Soon, Natalie and I felt very guilty about this friendly trick we had played. At the next opportunity, we approached him, apologized, and explained that we had done it to play off of his comment about forgetting people's names. He was a very good sport about it and now cracks jokes about my name whenever we see him.
Day Seven -- Fourth of July!
*Sidenote: I wore my red white and blue crocs today.*
Street throwing
There is a part in the pageant where Hannah and I have to throw this long piece of blue cloth in the hair, hold the ends, and run across the stage so it spreads out on the stage forming Granger Street on the map of cloth roads. We were in a cast meeting today and the choreographers were saying how we (in general) needed to work on our street throwing. Hannah and I were both thinking they were talking about us and thinking of how we could do it better. But then Jared said, "And can I just say that Granger street is amazing?!" So, we felt pretty good about ourselves.
Hannah has a new nickname
We've been pretty disturbed lately at our inability to make friends. We try, but no one is responsive to our attempts to be friendly. We've been feeling like we have personality defects, or we're scary and intimidating or something. So we've been confused. There's boy on the work crew named Kevin, though, who has been easy to work with. When we asked him about his Disneyland music days shirt, he answered our questions, and then kept the conversation going, like friends do. We told him our names, but he told us he's bad with names. So we decided to play a little trick on him. Like friends do. This was yesterday.
This morning when we saw Kevin he (very excitedly) yelled, "Hi Hannah and Natalie!" We looked at him confused for a minute. "What did you call me?" asked Hannah. "Um...Hannah?" Kevin replied. "Oh, you mean Jenna!" Hannah and I both said. Kevin acted very disturbed by this. He was sad that he had "forgotten" one of our names.
Of course, we started feeling bad about this. So we looked for Kevin all day to remedy the situation and relieve our consciences. But he was nowhere to be found. We started thinking that we had lost a friend. Luckily, when we started our evening run through, Kevin appeared, so we went up, told him the truth, and apologized. I think he has forgiven us, and we are on the path to making friends.
Street throwing
There is a part in the pageant where Hannah and I have to throw this long piece of blue cloth in the hair, hold the ends, and run across the stage so it spreads out on the stage forming Granger Street on the map of cloth roads. We were in a cast meeting today and the choreographers were saying how we (in general) needed to work on our street throwing. Hannah and I were both thinking they were talking about us and thinking of how we could do it better. But then Jared said, "And can I just say that Granger street is amazing?!" So, we felt pretty good about ourselves.
Hannah has a new nickname
We've been pretty disturbed lately at our inability to make friends. We try, but no one is responsive to our attempts to be friendly. We've been feeling like we have personality defects, or we're scary and intimidating or something. So we've been confused. There's boy on the work crew named Kevin, though, who has been easy to work with. When we asked him about his Disneyland music days shirt, he answered our questions, and then kept the conversation going, like friends do. We told him our names, but he told us he's bad with names. So we decided to play a little trick on him. Like friends do. This was yesterday.
This morning when we saw Kevin he (very excitedly) yelled, "Hi Hannah and Natalie!" We looked at him confused for a minute. "What did you call me?" asked Hannah. "Um...Hannah?" Kevin replied. "Oh, you mean Jenna!" Hannah and I both said. Kevin acted very disturbed by this. He was sad that he had "forgotten" one of our names.
Of course, we started feeling bad about this. So we looked for Kevin all day to remedy the situation and relieve our consciences. But he was nowhere to be found. We started thinking that we had lost a friend. Luckily, when we started our evening run through, Kevin appeared, so we went up, told him the truth, and apologized. I think he has forgiven us, and we are on the path to making friends.
Day Six -- Tuesday
Emotional Confusion
I would tend to consider both Natalie and myself as generally pleasant, happy people. We are both even-tempered, and we love to laugh. And up until this point, I never thought there existed such a disease as being too happy or smiling and laughing too much (within reason). But today when Natalie and I were sitting in the chairs at the pageant site, talking and waiting for rehearsal to start, Paul (the actor who plays Parley P. Pratt) came up to us and said: "There have been complaints that you two are too happy all the time. We're in Nauvoo! Stop smiling so much, and just endure." Although I knew full well that he was teasing, this caught me by surprise. I don't remember reading cheerfulness in the list of sins. Ever. Anyway, as Parley P. Pratt greeted us during the show as we immigrated to Nauvoo, he was again compelled to remind us that smiling was prohibited.
The Man in the Trailer
Yesterday, Natalie and I borrowed a CD player from Sis. G. (a children's caretaker) so we could practice our Irish dance. This morning, we crossed the lawn to enter the other part of the building to return it. Natalie reached the door first and pulled, only to find out that it was locked. She tried again with the same result, so we decided to go around to another entrance. Then, an old man on a small trailer saw us and drove over, easily opened the door, and drove away. The door had been open the whole time! It was quite embarrassing.
Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall
Humpty Dumpty, in this instance, is not an over-sized (not to mention overdressed) egg as commonly depicted, but is the biggest moving trailer you've ever seen, filled with metal folding chairs. It all began with our cast service project: to set up thousands of chairs at the pageant site. It was an amazing scene: we quickly organized ourselves into fast-paced assembly lines, beginning with a couple men inside large trailers that were unloading chairs to us, which we would pass down the line and then set up. The phenomenon occurred when approximately half of the chairs had been emptied from the trailer. Of course, they had begun unloading chairs at the front and moved their way back. Herein lies the problem; once the trailer had been emptied halfway, the back end of the trailer was significantly heavier than the front end. All of a sudden, we heard the crash of the front end of the trailer hitting the ground, all of us knowing that the men in the trailer had also fallen the length of the vehicle. Fortunately they were just fine, which immediately switched the situation from one of horror to one of hilarity. Out whipped the camera phones, and that experience will forever be remembered among over a hundred Latter-day saints who now know that service can be a rewarding, humorous experience.
I would tend to consider both Natalie and myself as generally pleasant, happy people. We are both even-tempered, and we love to laugh. And up until this point, I never thought there existed such a disease as being too happy or smiling and laughing too much (within reason). But today when Natalie and I were sitting in the chairs at the pageant site, talking and waiting for rehearsal to start, Paul (the actor who plays Parley P. Pratt) came up to us and said: "There have been complaints that you two are too happy all the time. We're in Nauvoo! Stop smiling so much, and just endure." Although I knew full well that he was teasing, this caught me by surprise. I don't remember reading cheerfulness in the list of sins. Ever. Anyway, as Parley P. Pratt greeted us during the show as we immigrated to Nauvoo, he was again compelled to remind us that smiling was prohibited.
The Man in the Trailer
Yesterday, Natalie and I borrowed a CD player from Sis. G. (a children's caretaker) so we could practice our Irish dance. This morning, we crossed the lawn to enter the other part of the building to return it. Natalie reached the door first and pulled, only to find out that it was locked. She tried again with the same result, so we decided to go around to another entrance. Then, an old man on a small trailer saw us and drove over, easily opened the door, and drove away. The door had been open the whole time! It was quite embarrassing.
Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall
Humpty Dumpty, in this instance, is not an over-sized (not to mention overdressed) egg as commonly depicted, but is the biggest moving trailer you've ever seen, filled with metal folding chairs. It all began with our cast service project: to set up thousands of chairs at the pageant site. It was an amazing scene: we quickly organized ourselves into fast-paced assembly lines, beginning with a couple men inside large trailers that were unloading chairs to us, which we would pass down the line and then set up. The phenomenon occurred when approximately half of the chairs had been emptied from the trailer. Of course, they had begun unloading chairs at the front and moved their way back. Herein lies the problem; once the trailer had been emptied halfway, the back end of the trailer was significantly heavier than the front end. All of a sudden, we heard the crash of the front end of the trailer hitting the ground, all of us knowing that the men in the trailer had also fallen the length of the vehicle. Fortunately they were just fine, which immediately switched the situation from one of horror to one of hilarity. Out whipped the camera phones, and that experience will forever be remembered among over a hundred Latter-day saints who now know that service can be a rewarding, humorous experience.
Day Six -- Tuesday
Hannah and I were sitting waiting for rehearsal to start when the man playing Parley P. Pratt approached us with an interesting reprimand. "Um, there have been a lot of complaints that you two are too happy all the time. Could you tone it down a little? This is Nauvoo. Could you act like it and just endure?" I hadn't realized that our constant laughing and smiling was noticed by others. It was interesting.
We were doing a service project. The task was unloading and setting up hundreds of metal folding chairs at the pageant site. The chairs were in huge trailers. The boys unloading the trailers were getting the chairs out from front to back (it was really the only way to unload). The trailer was filled to the brim with chairs. When the boys got to a certain point, all the weight was at the back of the trailer so it tipped over. At first it was scary because we thought the boys might be hurt, but they came out and waved like they were in a parade.
We were going into the main part of the JSA to return a CD playing, As we walked over, there was an old man mowing the lawn on a riding mower. I tried the big door but when I pulled it didn't open. You would think that it was locked, right? So Hannah and I just stood there looking lost. The old man noticed this and called out, "is it locked?" and then, without waiting for a response, he started driving over to us, and he was going fast. It was quite surprising. So he breezed past us, grabbed the door handle, and pulled the door right open. Embarrassing.
We were doing a service project. The task was unloading and setting up hundreds of metal folding chairs at the pageant site. The chairs were in huge trailers. The boys unloading the trailers were getting the chairs out from front to back (it was really the only way to unload). The trailer was filled to the brim with chairs. When the boys got to a certain point, all the weight was at the back of the trailer so it tipped over. At first it was scary because we thought the boys might be hurt, but they came out and waved like they were in a parade.
We were going into the main part of the JSA to return a CD playing, As we walked over, there was an old man mowing the lawn on a riding mower. I tried the big door but when I pulled it didn't open. You would think that it was locked, right? So Hannah and I just stood there looking lost. The old man noticed this and called out, "is it locked?" and then, without waiting for a response, he started driving over to us, and he was going fast. It was quite surprising. So he breezed past us, grabbed the door handle, and pulled the door right open. Embarrassing.
Day 5 -- Monday
Our Friendliness and its Demise
Natalie and I have made a concerted effort here to make freinds and get to know people, despite our inherent pariahdom. We made considerable strides today by befriending Adam's fiancee (Celsey), helping Sis. Patterson with her baby, and having a friendly discussion with the people we sat by at dinner (which included a lot of laughing, believe it or not). Despite this, there are two cast members we've tried to befriend who we can't seem to connect with.
The first is Clint, a recently returned missionary and the son of the lead actor who plays Mary Ann Young. It turns out that my next door neighbor and he served in the same mission at the same time. Using this conversation-starter to break the ice, we discovered that, although he seems very shy, he is perfectly fine to talk to. As long as you're the one starting the conversation, that is. With such a promising beginning, we didn't know a friendship could be this hard to build. We purposely sat by him at a cast meeting, but he never said a word past any conversation we started. We've passed him in the halls and said "hi" with no response. What on earth are we doing wrong?
The second person will remain nameless until I have the opportunity to read his namebadge to find out what name he owns. Anyway, this kid had a shirt on with one word on the back: Bagelicious. This piqued our interests since we are both avid bagel-lovers. So I struck up a conversation with him abouit bagels and asked if Natalie and I could get a picture with the back of his shirt sometime (after all, we are in the business of taking funny pictures on this trip). He graciously agreed. . . and then we forgot to ever get the picture. I f that ends our connection with Bagel Boy, then it's our own fault, I suppose.
FHE: How it shouldn't be
The first half of our FHE this evening was very awkward. See Natalie's blog posting about this event for the details. However, after this, we went to "Sunset By the Mississippi," where we had a great time. All's well that ends well, I suppose.
Natalie and I have made a concerted effort here to make freinds and get to know people, despite our inherent pariahdom. We made considerable strides today by befriending Adam's fiancee (Celsey), helping Sis. Patterson with her baby, and having a friendly discussion with the people we sat by at dinner (which included a lot of laughing, believe it or not). Despite this, there are two cast members we've tried to befriend who we can't seem to connect with.
The first is Clint, a recently returned missionary and the son of the lead actor who plays Mary Ann Young. It turns out that my next door neighbor and he served in the same mission at the same time. Using this conversation-starter to break the ice, we discovered that, although he seems very shy, he is perfectly fine to talk to. As long as you're the one starting the conversation, that is. With such a promising beginning, we didn't know a friendship could be this hard to build. We purposely sat by him at a cast meeting, but he never said a word past any conversation we started. We've passed him in the halls and said "hi" with no response. What on earth are we doing wrong?
The second person will remain nameless until I have the opportunity to read his namebadge to find out what name he owns. Anyway, this kid had a shirt on with one word on the back: Bagelicious. This piqued our interests since we are both avid bagel-lovers. So I struck up a conversation with him abouit bagels and asked if Natalie and I could get a picture with the back of his shirt sometime (after all, we are in the business of taking funny pictures on this trip). He graciously agreed. . . and then we forgot to ever get the picture. I f that ends our connection with Bagel Boy, then it's our own fault, I suppose.
FHE: How it shouldn't be
The first half of our FHE this evening was very awkward. See Natalie's blog posting about this event for the details. However, after this, we went to "Sunset By the Mississippi," where we had a great time. All's well that ends well, I suppose.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Day Five -- Monday
Stick Pariahs
Today at rehearsal it was characteristically hot for Nauvoo. So it was pretty sunny during our morning practice. Everyone was wearing their sunblock, hats, and glasses. That's when it happened. We saw Alex wearing pariah glasses! We told him the story of the glasses and promised to teach him the stick. Then we were talking to a kid in our district and he was a pretty good at the first part of the stick. We're going to get him to perform the stick with Alex in the talent show. It will be amazing. Not to mention hilarious. Did I mention there's a new part of the stick dance?
An awkward FHE
Today at dinner there was this random kid. He was wearing a little mermaid shirt (yeah, a little odd), he had a brown afro, and he had recently graduated from college. He was basically a "director" of a touring "children's theater" who had stopped by Nauvoo to "volunteer" for a few days. He was really weird. Anyway, we were sitting by Sister Gee and she told him that we were going to the single adult FHE and he should "go too" (imagine it with a Syd Riggs voice)! We left dinner at this point. Later that evening Hannah and I were walking to FHE trying to find the home it was at. We were a bit lost, wandering around Nauvoo, so we stopped on a corner and pulled out our map, trying to figure out where we were going when who should pull up beside us but random kid. Brian. Unfortunately, he was wearing pariah glasses. So he asked us where the Allen's home was and we pointed him a random direction. Then he started offering us a "lift to the Allen's" but I said, "No, thank you. We are just taking the 'scenic detour'." So he drove away and we kept walking. But we arrived at the exact same time as Brian! Turned out that we were the first 3 to family home evening, and the Allen's were still eating dinner, so we had to sit in the living room alone with Brian. Hannah and I took turns asking him questions in order to give each other a break from listening to him. He was extremely stuck on himself and very annoying. We were glad to leave.
Today at rehearsal it was characteristically hot for Nauvoo. So it was pretty sunny during our morning practice. Everyone was wearing their sunblock, hats, and glasses. That's when it happened. We saw Alex wearing pariah glasses! We told him the story of the glasses and promised to teach him the stick. Then we were talking to a kid in our district and he was a pretty good at the first part of the stick. We're going to get him to perform the stick with Alex in the talent show. It will be amazing. Not to mention hilarious. Did I mention there's a new part of the stick dance?
An awkward FHE
Today at dinner there was this random kid. He was wearing a little mermaid shirt (yeah, a little odd), he had a brown afro, and he had recently graduated from college. He was basically a "director" of a touring "children's theater" who had stopped by Nauvoo to "volunteer" for a few days. He was really weird. Anyway, we were sitting by Sister Gee and she told him that we were going to the single adult FHE and he should "go too" (imagine it with a Syd Riggs voice)! We left dinner at this point. Later that evening Hannah and I were walking to FHE trying to find the home it was at. We were a bit lost, wandering around Nauvoo, so we stopped on a corner and pulled out our map, trying to figure out where we were going when who should pull up beside us but random kid. Brian. Unfortunately, he was wearing pariah glasses. So he asked us where the Allen's home was and we pointed him a random direction. Then he started offering us a "lift to the Allen's" but I said, "No, thank you. We are just taking the 'scenic detour'." So he drove away and we kept walking. But we arrived at the exact same time as Brian! Turned out that we were the first 3 to family home evening, and the Allen's were still eating dinner, so we had to sit in the living room alone with Brian. Hannah and I took turns asking him questions in order to give each other a break from listening to him. He was extremely stuck on himself and very annoying. We were glad to leave.
Day Four -- Sunday
Alex Debirk
Alex (our district leader) and Melinda (one of the core cast members) are having a fling. Hannah and I are very intrigued by this. We like to watch them flirting and track the rate at which their relationship is progressing. It is very entertaining.
Today during our missionary training meeting, Alex and Melinda were sitting to the side and in front of us. Of course we watched them interact throughout the meeting. There was one time that I looked over and saw their legs very close together. Melinda would shake her foot so it would barely touch Alex's leg, and Alex would periodically inch his own foot closer to hers. We were exceedingly amused by this Sunday afternoon game of footsie.
I am contagious
Lately Hannah has started dropping things. She kept dropping her face lotion in the sink this morning. Earlier today we were taking our "daily picture" with "the face" and Hannah was in charge of pushing the button. She pressed the button, then we both let go of the camera. So it started to fall. In order to keep it from hitting the ground, we both reached for it but ended up hitting it and sending it flying into the closet. Luckily the camera is okay. What a trooper.
Boys and doors
Hannah and I had just gone to a nice "discussion" about the pageant and we were in a particularly giggly mood. We went outside and started walking toward the JSA. There was a group of work crew boys about 20 feet away. I reached the door first, opened it, and started to go inside. Just then, Hannah and I were charged by a group of boys. "Don't touch that door!" the ringleader screamed at us. So we stopped and let him take the door. It was really funny. I started laughing but didn't want the boys to see so I turned the corner and started running up the stairs as fast as I could. Unfortunately, the boys were going the same way we were. As they turned the corner with Hannah, I stopped running and she caught up to me. We were still being followed by the boys, though, and we had started laughing and knew we wouldn't be able to control it. So we started booking it up the stairs. As soon as we got to the second floor, we dashed into the laundry room and had a complete breakdown. It was very funny.
Alex (our district leader) and Melinda (one of the core cast members) are having a fling. Hannah and I are very intrigued by this. We like to watch them flirting and track the rate at which their relationship is progressing. It is very entertaining.
Today during our missionary training meeting, Alex and Melinda were sitting to the side and in front of us. Of course we watched them interact throughout the meeting. There was one time that I looked over and saw their legs very close together. Melinda would shake her foot so it would barely touch Alex's leg, and Alex would periodically inch his own foot closer to hers. We were exceedingly amused by this Sunday afternoon game of footsie.
I am contagious
Lately Hannah has started dropping things. She kept dropping her face lotion in the sink this morning. Earlier today we were taking our "daily picture" with "the face" and Hannah was in charge of pushing the button. She pressed the button, then we both let go of the camera. So it started to fall. In order to keep it from hitting the ground, we both reached for it but ended up hitting it and sending it flying into the closet. Luckily the camera is okay. What a trooper.
Boys and doors
Hannah and I had just gone to a nice "discussion" about the pageant and we were in a particularly giggly mood. We went outside and started walking toward the JSA. There was a group of work crew boys about 20 feet away. I reached the door first, opened it, and started to go inside. Just then, Hannah and I were charged by a group of boys. "Don't touch that door!" the ringleader screamed at us. So we stopped and let him take the door. It was really funny. I started laughing but didn't want the boys to see so I turned the corner and started running up the stairs as fast as I could. Unfortunately, the boys were going the same way we were. As they turned the corner with Hannah, I stopped running and she caught up to me. We were still being followed by the boys, though, and we had started laughing and knew we wouldn't be able to control it. So we started booking it up the stairs. As soon as we got to the second floor, we dashed into the laundry room and had a complete breakdown. It was very funny.
Day 4 -- Sunday
The Tragedy of the Camera
This morning, we were taking our daily "funny face" picture -- the same face we always pull when there's a picture with both of us in it. Many of you know exactly what face this is and are probably trying to recreate it as you read this. Anyway, I was in charge of pressing the button to take it, and after, I was trying to hand it back to Natalie when her curse of dropping everything spread to me. I let go of it too soon, and it began to drop. In our futile frenzy of trying to catch the camera mid-air, we smacked it to the right, making it land even harder on the hard floor of the closet. Dropping things is a running theme for us out here.
A Friendly Joke Gone Wrong
So, we have this District Leader named Alex, a lead inthe show playing John Taylor. He's very nice and has really made an effort to get to know and talk to me and Natalie. It turns out that he and Casey (one of our friends) are really good friends and used to work together. Of course, in response to Alex's kindness, we decide to call Casey to get some inside information to use -- funny/embarrassing stories, quirks, anything really. (Side note: If you are currently thinking that getting this kind of inside information to use is "uncharacteristic" of us or if you're having a hard time believing what you're reading, then you probably fall into one of two categories: 1)You don't know us very well. 2)You are our band teacher.) Anyway, we finally mustered up the courage to go up to him and perform our pre-scripted conversation that revealed that we knew about his codename for his Space Center engineer. But just before my punchline, Alex's Nauvoo romance interruped us to ask me where I got my dress. Our plot was pretty much ruined. I made an effort to improvise, but he just laughed, and Natalie and I walked away embarrassed while Alex and Melinda played footsies. (Again.)
Pageant Discussion
Silliness aside, we had a great meeting tonight where our director spoke to us about the development of the Pageant. He spoke extensively about artistic productions and performances, whether they be music, theater, art, etc. This really stuck a chord (haha, no pun intended) with me as I prepare to embark on an educational and occupational journey centered around music, and it helped answer some of the questions I've had. So many goals popped into my head of what I need to do to be the kind of musician the Lord would have me be and who the Lord can use to do His work. The following are some of the quotes that were inspirational to me and which I want to implement as I focus my education on music:
"We are not producing something; we are living it." -- David Warner, Director of the Music and Cultural Arts division for the Church
"The reason we have not yet produced a greater heritage in art and literature and music and drama is not, I am very certain, because we have not had talented people. Some have reached great heights in their chosen fields. But few have captured the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the restoration of it in music, art, and literature. They have not, therefore, even though they were gifted, made a lasting contribution to the ongoing of the Church and kingdom of God." -- Boyd K. Packer
"The artistic giants of latter days will be those who are the great father patriarchs and noble companions and mothers of men." -- Ezra Taft Benson
"There is not greatness in us, only through us." -- Ross Boothe, adapted from a quote from President Benson
At this meeting, I was overwhelmed with the desire to be an musical artist unto the Lord. That moment, my desires were purified; I no longer want to become only a consummate performer or clarinetist, but I want to truly "capture the spirit of the gospel" through what I do, which purity and greatness in artistry will only come through becoming purified and great in character and spirituality. And ultimately, my greatest artistic contributions (according to Pres. Benson) will be in being a "noble companion" and mother.
This morning, we were taking our daily "funny face" picture -- the same face we always pull when there's a picture with both of us in it. Many of you know exactly what face this is and are probably trying to recreate it as you read this. Anyway, I was in charge of pressing the button to take it, and after, I was trying to hand it back to Natalie when her curse of dropping everything spread to me. I let go of it too soon, and it began to drop. In our futile frenzy of trying to catch the camera mid-air, we smacked it to the right, making it land even harder on the hard floor of the closet. Dropping things is a running theme for us out here.
A Friendly Joke Gone Wrong
So, we have this District Leader named Alex, a lead inthe show playing John Taylor. He's very nice and has really made an effort to get to know and talk to me and Natalie. It turns out that he and Casey (one of our friends) are really good friends and used to work together. Of course, in response to Alex's kindness, we decide to call Casey to get some inside information to use -- funny/embarrassing stories, quirks, anything really. (Side note: If you are currently thinking that getting this kind of inside information to use is "uncharacteristic" of us or if you're having a hard time believing what you're reading, then you probably fall into one of two categories: 1)You don't know us very well. 2)You are our band teacher.) Anyway, we finally mustered up the courage to go up to him and perform our pre-scripted conversation that revealed that we knew about his codename for his Space Center engineer. But just before my punchline, Alex's Nauvoo romance interruped us to ask me where I got my dress. Our plot was pretty much ruined. I made an effort to improvise, but he just laughed, and Natalie and I walked away embarrassed while Alex and Melinda played footsies. (Again.)
Pageant Discussion
Silliness aside, we had a great meeting tonight where our director spoke to us about the development of the Pageant. He spoke extensively about artistic productions and performances, whether they be music, theater, art, etc. This really stuck a chord (haha, no pun intended) with me as I prepare to embark on an educational and occupational journey centered around music, and it helped answer some of the questions I've had. So many goals popped into my head of what I need to do to be the kind of musician the Lord would have me be and who the Lord can use to do His work. The following are some of the quotes that were inspirational to me and which I want to implement as I focus my education on music:
"We are not producing something; we are living it." -- David Warner, Director of the Music and Cultural Arts division for the Church
"The reason we have not yet produced a greater heritage in art and literature and music and drama is not, I am very certain, because we have not had talented people. Some have reached great heights in their chosen fields. But few have captured the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the restoration of it in music, art, and literature. They have not, therefore, even though they were gifted, made a lasting contribution to the ongoing of the Church and kingdom of God." -- Boyd K. Packer
"The artistic giants of latter days will be those who are the great father patriarchs and noble companions and mothers of men." -- Ezra Taft Benson
"There is not greatness in us, only through us." -- Ross Boothe, adapted from a quote from President Benson
At this meeting, I was overwhelmed with the desire to be an musical artist unto the Lord. That moment, my desires were purified; I no longer want to become only a consummate performer or clarinetist, but I want to truly "capture the spirit of the gospel" through what I do, which purity and greatness in artistry will only come through becoming purified and great in character and spirituality. And ultimately, my greatest artistic contributions (according to Pres. Benson) will be in being a "noble companion" and mother.
Day Three -- Natalie's perspective on Saturday
Pariahs without borders
Before Hannah and I left for Nauvoo, we talked about how we were not going to let ourselves be pariahs. We were goign to be outgoign, funny, upbeat, etc. On the train our hopes were diminished because we didn't want to attract unwanted attention. So we decided that once we arrived in Nauvoo we would adopt the desired qualites. Not happening. Everyone is very nice, but for the most part, we're by our lonesome. Even our district seems to be estranged from the rest of the cast. Good thing we've had lots of practice in pariahdom.
You're HOW old?!
It's 4:17 on Day 3, and Hannah and I have already had multiple experiences with people mistaking our age and relationship to each other (and in so doing, they mistake race). Our district leader Alex "DeBhurque" thought we were returned missionaries. Sister Christensen asked us how far into college we were. Many people have asked us if we are sisters or perhaps cousins. My response to that question is an incredulous look and the phrase, "Does Hannah look Asian?!" Well, apparently she does.
Would you please stop throwing things at the floor?
This problem of mine, unlike the door problem, has been recently acquired here in Nauvoo. When we arrived to our room yesterday, I was putting lotion on but I missed my hand and sprayed the floor. Also yesterday, I dropped my can of Stax! They should now be called Crumbz! This morning, I was putting on some makeup and dropped it on the floor. Then I dropped my phone at rehearsal. Upon returning to our room, I dropped my can of pringles and then a chip! This is seriously weird (but I haven't "dropped the baby"...yet).
Can we help it if we like to laugh?
Hannah and I were practicing our Irish dance. We tried going straight through the whole dance, but during the final 16 counts, I messed up and Hannah couldn't control her laughter. So we tried it again. This time I cracked up. We tried multiple times and haven't been able to make it through without laughing yet. This is bad news.
Costume tribulation
Hannah's costume didn't really fit, so one of the costumers asked, "Is Hannah getting at tuck?" That's pretty blunt, in my opinion. Now, because I'm tall, I think I have a longer torso than what we might call "normal". So I put on my skirt, then the bodice, and there was a few inched of my undershirt showing. In order to remedy this problem, I pulled my skirt all the way up my torso so it would connect with the bodice. But then my skirt would puff out weird, and now I walk around looking pregnant. This led to Hannah's quote of the day (and, quite possibly, the whole trip) "I am pregnant every year!"
Lunch Delights
Today at lunch there was a BYU ballroom dance company dining with us. BYU boys are a little crazy. One of them was sitting under a serving table with his head sitting on a platter which was covered by the lid, of course. When Hannah and I came up to the table, he was talking to his friend which was a little weird. A disembodied voice coming from the entree. But it didn't faze Hannah. She didn't even notice when he crawled out from under the table.
Before Hannah and I left for Nauvoo, we talked about how we were not going to let ourselves be pariahs. We were goign to be outgoign, funny, upbeat, etc. On the train our hopes were diminished because we didn't want to attract unwanted attention. So we decided that once we arrived in Nauvoo we would adopt the desired qualites. Not happening. Everyone is very nice, but for the most part, we're by our lonesome. Even our district seems to be estranged from the rest of the cast. Good thing we've had lots of practice in pariahdom.
You're HOW old?!
It's 4:17 on Day 3, and Hannah and I have already had multiple experiences with people mistaking our age and relationship to each other (and in so doing, they mistake race). Our district leader Alex "DeBhurque" thought we were returned missionaries. Sister Christensen asked us how far into college we were. Many people have asked us if we are sisters or perhaps cousins. My response to that question is an incredulous look and the phrase, "Does Hannah look Asian?!" Well, apparently she does.
Would you please stop throwing things at the floor?
This problem of mine, unlike the door problem, has been recently acquired here in Nauvoo. When we arrived to our room yesterday, I was putting lotion on but I missed my hand and sprayed the floor. Also yesterday, I dropped my can of Stax! They should now be called Crumbz! This morning, I was putting on some makeup and dropped it on the floor. Then I dropped my phone at rehearsal. Upon returning to our room, I dropped my can of pringles and then a chip! This is seriously weird (but I haven't "dropped the baby"...yet).
Can we help it if we like to laugh?
Hannah and I were practicing our Irish dance. We tried going straight through the whole dance, but during the final 16 counts, I messed up and Hannah couldn't control her laughter. So we tried it again. This time I cracked up. We tried multiple times and haven't been able to make it through without laughing yet. This is bad news.
Costume tribulation
Hannah's costume didn't really fit, so one of the costumers asked, "Is Hannah getting at tuck?" That's pretty blunt, in my opinion. Now, because I'm tall, I think I have a longer torso than what we might call "normal". So I put on my skirt, then the bodice, and there was a few inched of my undershirt showing. In order to remedy this problem, I pulled my skirt all the way up my torso so it would connect with the bodice. But then my skirt would puff out weird, and now I walk around looking pregnant. This led to Hannah's quote of the day (and, quite possibly, the whole trip) "I am pregnant every year!"
Lunch Delights
Today at lunch there was a BYU ballroom dance company dining with us. BYU boys are a little crazy. One of them was sitting under a serving table with his head sitting on a platter which was covered by the lid, of course. When Hannah and I came up to the table, he was talking to his friend which was a little weird. A disembodied voice coming from the entree. But it didn't faze Hannah. She didn't even notice when he crawled out from under the table.
Day 3
Curse of the Ageless Pariahs
We learned today that we are not only outcasts because of our pariahdom, but also due to our age. We are stuck flip-flopping roles in the show. First we're Relief Society sisters who march/dance down the stage. Then we're young women who dance and twirl our skirts. Then members of the original Relief Society, sewing shirts for the men. Also youth helping to lay out city streets. In short, we are very confuse about where we belong. Someone should write a blues song about this.
Why Gigglers Can't Dance
Being the dedicated duo we are, we decided it would be smart to practice our Irish dance -- refresh our memories. So we bagan: leap-2-3ing, clicking, and cutting 7s in theh limited space we have in our room. We got to the last segment where we turn and skip-2-3 toward each other and made our first fatal mistake by making eye contact. There's just something slightly humorous about watching your friend as they bob up and down, arms gled to their sides, making random kicking motions (that closely resemble twitches). It goes without saying that neither of us could contain our laughter to be able to finish our dance. We're just hoping the same won't happen the day of the talent show.
An Adopted Baby Brother
During our dance rehearsal today, there was a single woman who was having a hard time dancing while trying to hold her 9 mo. old baby. Natalie noticed and suggested that we offer to hold her baby for her during that dance. She gratefully accepted, and the baby came to us without a fuss. We took turns holding him, playing with him, and teaching him how to hi-5. Natalie and I both commented on how hard it was to play with him without knowing his name. The whole time, I was tempted to call him Isaac since that's my baby brother's name. Natalie returned him and found out from his mom that his name is Isaac, which I took as a tender mercy to have a daily reminder of my family.
A Costumer's Freudian Slip?
Natalie and I had our costume fitting today. First, you need to understand the mental/emotional state the costumers were in: We were the last of a couple hundred people for three women to costume and accessorize; it was past time for them to be done; and they had been couped up in a costume room 24/7 for the past week. With that in mind, I can almost forgive the offensive remark that was made during my fitting. I stepped onto the platform while Susie measured my skirt for hemming. The lady writing down what alterations needed to be made asked "Is Hannah getting a tuck?" Immediately, my mind raced, thinking about the implications and connotations of this remark. Now, I took personal offense to this. I told her that while I trusted her with my costumes, I did not trust her with my plastic surgery needs. I warned her that I would hold her solely liable for all future self-esteem problems I suffered from in my life. I must add, however, that I felt a sudden bond with those costumers as I watched them--in their sleep-deprived state-- laugh so hard that tears streamed down their faces. One of my kind.
We learned today that we are not only outcasts because of our pariahdom, but also due to our age. We are stuck flip-flopping roles in the show. First we're Relief Society sisters who march/dance down the stage. Then we're young women who dance and twirl our skirts. Then members of the original Relief Society, sewing shirts for the men. Also youth helping to lay out city streets. In short, we are very confuse about where we belong. Someone should write a blues song about this.
Why Gigglers Can't Dance
Being the dedicated duo we are, we decided it would be smart to practice our Irish dance -- refresh our memories. So we bagan: leap-2-3ing, clicking, and cutting 7s in theh limited space we have in our room. We got to the last segment where we turn and skip-2-3 toward each other and made our first fatal mistake by making eye contact. There's just something slightly humorous about watching your friend as they bob up and down, arms gled to their sides, making random kicking motions (that closely resemble twitches). It goes without saying that neither of us could contain our laughter to be able to finish our dance. We're just hoping the same won't happen the day of the talent show.
An Adopted Baby Brother
During our dance rehearsal today, there was a single woman who was having a hard time dancing while trying to hold her 9 mo. old baby. Natalie noticed and suggested that we offer to hold her baby for her during that dance. She gratefully accepted, and the baby came to us without a fuss. We took turns holding him, playing with him, and teaching him how to hi-5. Natalie and I both commented on how hard it was to play with him without knowing his name. The whole time, I was tempted to call him Isaac since that's my baby brother's name. Natalie returned him and found out from his mom that his name is Isaac, which I took as a tender mercy to have a daily reminder of my family.
A Costumer's Freudian Slip?
Natalie and I had our costume fitting today. First, you need to understand the mental/emotional state the costumers were in: We were the last of a couple hundred people for three women to costume and accessorize; it was past time for them to be done; and they had been couped up in a costume room 24/7 for the past week. With that in mind, I can almost forgive the offensive remark that was made during my fitting. I stepped onto the platform while Susie measured my skirt for hemming. The lady writing down what alterations needed to be made asked "Is Hannah getting a tuck?" Immediately, my mind raced, thinking about the implications and connotations of this remark. Now, I took personal offense to this. I told her that while I trusted her with my costumes, I did not trust her with my plastic surgery needs. I warned her that I would hold her solely liable for all future self-esteem problems I suffered from in my life. I must add, however, that I felt a sudden bond with those costumers as I watched them--in their sleep-deprived state-- laugh so hard that tears streamed down their faces. One of my kind.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Day Two: "Train's In, Train's In -- New Saints Arriving!"
Greetings from The King
I know you'll never believe it, but Elvis Presley works on this train's dining car. i heard him with my own ears -- "thank you very much," he said. By the way, Natalie and I have decided that our griends in the dining car need a speech coach. They feign rock star (dead) celebrity status, and they repeat themselves ad nauseum. Like the one woman, who in one announcement, wished us a good morning three times! Maybe Mr. Criman needs a summer job. . .
Safety! Safety! Read All About It!
Beleaguered by the news that our train is running two hours late, Natalie and I took drastic action to stay sane and find something to do. So we pulled out our handy-dandy "Customer Safety Instructions" pamphlet and began perusing the pages. We then decided to quiz each other on the information therein. The results? I would not follow proper emerency exit procedure if placed in that situation, but Natalie is a pro at activating snap lights.
"Let Nauvoo in Her Beauty Rise"
After finally getting picked up and taken to the Joseph Smith Academy (hereafter referred to as the JSA), we were more than ready for a shower. But by the time we signed in, registered, got our keys, etc., there was barely enough time to pull our hair back and get to the orientation meeting. Especially since we realized that we had completely spaced picking up our pre-sent boxes with anything in it we could have used to shower. Frankly, I was frustrated: I felt grungy, hadn't eaten a real meal for two days, and looked horrible. I was not at all amused when some cast coordinators and cast members I knew said "how pretty" I was. I had already succomb to the temptation of feeling overwhelmed and unnecessarily concerned with things that don't matter. But those feelings soon left as I listened to Davide Warner (our director) and Jack Renouf (our cast president) speak to us. Feelings from my experineces the past two years enveloped me, and I could again have the Spirit with me. Plus, Pres. Renoug said something that affirmed to me that I am where I'm supposed to be. He read a scripture (D&C 124:2) about being called to make "a solemn proclamation," after which "polishing" and "refinement" will come. I had been very impacted by this scripture last summer as I applied it to my Seminary Council calling. his reference to it in a new (but just as personal) sense was a well-timed tender mercy that reminded me of my Heavenly Father's specific love for me and of the fact that I have a work to do and a refining process yet to undergo on this trip.
Attack of the Door. . . or Fate
Well, Natalie "Oats" (her Nauvoo nickname) wrote more about this, but here goes: Natalie was just telling me about how she often gets hurt when opening doors. Per Murphy's Law, the next door she opens (rather forcefully), the bushes block her, and whe bruises her had by hitting into the door. "Coincidence? I think not!" (Name that movie!) Then, we went to get our boxes from the Nauvoo office and couldn't open that door. Finally, this guy opened the next door for us, but from the opposite side to which it swings -- which meant that we had to limbo under his arm to get through. Awkward. Doors are out to get us.
Once a Pariah, Always a Pariah
Well, seeing our cast was a blast; I love reminiscing and catching up with old friends. We got divided into "districts," with whom we have devotionals and act as stage families. Natalie and I are in a stage family with the Karr family. They're great, but very involved as leads and with other specific jobs they have, so they aren't always around much, leaving natalie and me to our lonesomes. Ironic that our pariahdom apparantly spans all borers and situations. At least, thanks to Noelle and BreeAnne, we have the appropriate eyeware to match our roles. Thanks guys!
I know you'll never believe it, but Elvis Presley works on this train's dining car. i heard him with my own ears -- "thank you very much," he said. By the way, Natalie and I have decided that our griends in the dining car need a speech coach. They feign rock star (dead) celebrity status, and they repeat themselves ad nauseum. Like the one woman, who in one announcement, wished us a good morning three times! Maybe Mr. Criman needs a summer job. . .
Safety! Safety! Read All About It!
Beleaguered by the news that our train is running two hours late, Natalie and I took drastic action to stay sane and find something to do. So we pulled out our handy-dandy "Customer Safety Instructions" pamphlet and began perusing the pages. We then decided to quiz each other on the information therein. The results? I would not follow proper emerency exit procedure if placed in that situation, but Natalie is a pro at activating snap lights.
"Let Nauvoo in Her Beauty Rise"
After finally getting picked up and taken to the Joseph Smith Academy (hereafter referred to as the JSA), we were more than ready for a shower. But by the time we signed in, registered, got our keys, etc., there was barely enough time to pull our hair back and get to the orientation meeting. Especially since we realized that we had completely spaced picking up our pre-sent boxes with anything in it we could have used to shower. Frankly, I was frustrated: I felt grungy, hadn't eaten a real meal for two days, and looked horrible. I was not at all amused when some cast coordinators and cast members I knew said "how pretty" I was. I had already succomb to the temptation of feeling overwhelmed and unnecessarily concerned with things that don't matter. But those feelings soon left as I listened to Davide Warner (our director) and Jack Renouf (our cast president) speak to us. Feelings from my experineces the past two years enveloped me, and I could again have the Spirit with me. Plus, Pres. Renoug said something that affirmed to me that I am where I'm supposed to be. He read a scripture (D&C 124:2) about being called to make "a solemn proclamation," after which "polishing" and "refinement" will come. I had been very impacted by this scripture last summer as I applied it to my Seminary Council calling. his reference to it in a new (but just as personal) sense was a well-timed tender mercy that reminded me of my Heavenly Father's specific love for me and of the fact that I have a work to do and a refining process yet to undergo on this trip.
Attack of the Door. . . or Fate
Well, Natalie "Oats" (her Nauvoo nickname) wrote more about this, but here goes: Natalie was just telling me about how she often gets hurt when opening doors. Per Murphy's Law, the next door she opens (rather forcefully), the bushes block her, and whe bruises her had by hitting into the door. "Coincidence? I think not!" (Name that movie!) Then, we went to get our boxes from the Nauvoo office and couldn't open that door. Finally, this guy opened the next door for us, but from the opposite side to which it swings -- which meant that we had to limbo under his arm to get through. Awkward. Doors are out to get us.
Once a Pariah, Always a Pariah
Well, seeing our cast was a blast; I love reminiscing and catching up with old friends. We got divided into "districts," with whom we have devotionals and act as stage families. Natalie and I are in a stage family with the Karr family. They're great, but very involved as leads and with other specific jobs they have, so they aren't always around much, leaving natalie and me to our lonesomes. Ironic that our pariahdom apparantly spans all borers and situations. At least, thanks to Noelle and BreeAnne, we have the appropriate eyeware to match our roles. Thanks guys!
Day Two
The day started out normally. Well normal for having slept on a train, I guess. Hannah and I had just awakened from our "beauty rest" when this old woman walked past. She stopped and looked at us for a minute before she said, "I like your blanket. It's cute." Hannah and I didn't know whose blanket she was referring to, so we basically just sat there and looked at her.
We may be just a bit bored...
We had been on this train for about 30 hours when we realized that, aside from writing summaries and drawing pictures of our future prince charmings, we hadn't really done anything. We recognized the fact that we were bored. I called Julie about a billion times, then we decided to do something useful with all our extra time. So we pulled out the "Customer Safety Instructions" guidebook and proceeded to quiz each other on correct emergency procedures when one is on a train. Hannah stumped me a few times, but I must say, I am an expert on snap lights. To activate: 1. Bend once 2. Snap 3. Shake
My trouble with doors and boxes
Doors and I have never exactly been on great terms. Just a couple days before we left for Nauvoo, I totally punched my bedroom doorway and ended up with a bloody knuckle. I thought it might be solely Utah doors that I have problems with, but no. Apparently I don't get along with Nauvoo doors either. Hannah and I needed to go pick up our boxes that we sent ahead, so we were leaving our room and I whacked my uninjured hand on the doorway. It hurt. I was annoyed with our door, and I made the mistake of taking out my anger on the outside door. I pushed it open with a flourish, but it hit a bush, bounced back, and hit me. Now that was embarrassing.
Somehow, though, Hannah and I made it to our boxes, picked them up, and started heading down the stairs. Hannah was in front of me, and at the top of a flight of stairs she stopped to readjust her box. I misjudged the size of my own box while readjusting, and I smacked Hannah with one side of my box-practically knocking her down all those stairs. Not good.
We may be just a bit bored...
We had been on this train for about 30 hours when we realized that, aside from writing summaries and drawing pictures of our future prince charmings, we hadn't really done anything. We recognized the fact that we were bored. I called Julie about a billion times, then we decided to do something useful with all our extra time. So we pulled out the "Customer Safety Instructions" guidebook and proceeded to quiz each other on correct emergency procedures when one is on a train. Hannah stumped me a few times, but I must say, I am an expert on snap lights. To activate: 1. Bend once 2. Snap 3. Shake
My trouble with doors and boxes
Doors and I have never exactly been on great terms. Just a couple days before we left for Nauvoo, I totally punched my bedroom doorway and ended up with a bloody knuckle. I thought it might be solely Utah doors that I have problems with, but no. Apparently I don't get along with Nauvoo doors either. Hannah and I needed to go pick up our boxes that we sent ahead, so we were leaving our room and I whacked my uninjured hand on the doorway. It hurt. I was annoyed with our door, and I made the mistake of taking out my anger on the outside door. I pushed it open with a flourish, but it hit a bush, bounced back, and hit me. Now that was embarrassing.
Somehow, though, Hannah and I made it to our boxes, picked them up, and started heading down the stairs. Hannah was in front of me, and at the top of a flight of stairs she stopped to readjust her box. I misjudged the size of my own box while readjusting, and I smacked Hannah with one side of my box-practically knocking her down all those stairs. Not good.
Day One: "All Aboard!"
The Train
So, boarding the train was just like it is on the mkovies: hugging the family good-bye, waving to them out the window until it's impossible to see them, mom crying. . . But the best part was bounding up the stairs (giggling with Natalie because I had turned left when the attendant said to turn right) only to find that we were intruding on the passengers' sleep. If we can hit an AmTrak train car with this kind of a bang, we can certainly leave our mark on Nauvoo -- or maybe Nauvoo on us, as has been my past experience. But I digress.
About our neilghbors here on the train. . . I consider it a blessing to have been seated near several families with small children. But right across from us is this man (from NY, I gather) who is kind of scary. He immediately asked if the ten kids outside the train in matching red Nauvoo shirts were "students" or how they were related to me. When I told him they were my siblings, he dubbed me the "luckiest girl on Earth." While I normally appreciate such positive feedback about my big family, I was a little uncomfortable with how friendly he was. it was then that Natalie and I turned out the lights to, as she put it, "fake sleep." Since then, all has been well -- minus the mystery bottle of who-knows-what he emptied into a thermos. . .
First things first
When the sun rose, Natalie and I immediately got down to the business of the morning, as dectated by Jana's envelope of "things to do." First priority: describe our future husbands (which then broadened out to describing our whole lives). Describing our future husbands in detail was a fairly easy task when you consider that one of us is taken and the other has a strong "flavor of the week," as one observer of my rotating crush list put it. (Just to clarify, Natalie is the first girl; I am the second.)
You get what you ask for
Our next adventure was in figuring out how our seats work. They were reclined when we got here. Natalie posed the foreboding question: "Do these seats come up?" She soon experienced a high-speed jerking sensation of the seat ratcheting forward. I was too in shock to say anything, but she responded calmly to her own question: "yep." Similar responses have been exhibited by our fellow passengers, such as "I knew that was going to happen!" and "Ahhh!" It's a phenomenon that I like to call 'train seats on steroids.'
Random
Well, Natalie and I are in the process of overhearing a conversation from two brothers (sitting behind us) that we believe to be our male counterparts in some ways. They talk a lot (like us), and one of them said something very familiar: "I'm hyper, and I don't even know why!" Enough said.
Are ya Feelin' it?
Being the graceful two that we are, we broke out the Hershey kisses and promptly (and accidentally) dropped two down the seat. I hope the people behind us don't think we're trying to litter. Maybe they'll take it as an act of charity. The dining car is closed, after all.
"A Little Bit Country". . . . but only sometimes
So, this guy sitting behind us keeps going in and out of a Texan/country accent. It leaves when he's talking normally to his brother, but when he pulls his let-me-show-everyone-how-much-I-know-about-everything conversations, he goes cowboy. Disenchanting, as Natalie calls him.
So, boarding the train was just like it is on the mkovies: hugging the family good-bye, waving to them out the window until it's impossible to see them, mom crying. . . But the best part was bounding up the stairs (giggling with Natalie because I had turned left when the attendant said to turn right) only to find that we were intruding on the passengers' sleep. If we can hit an AmTrak train car with this kind of a bang, we can certainly leave our mark on Nauvoo -- or maybe Nauvoo on us, as has been my past experience. But I digress.
About our neilghbors here on the train. . . I consider it a blessing to have been seated near several families with small children. But right across from us is this man (from NY, I gather) who is kind of scary. He immediately asked if the ten kids outside the train in matching red Nauvoo shirts were "students" or how they were related to me. When I told him they were my siblings, he dubbed me the "luckiest girl on Earth." While I normally appreciate such positive feedback about my big family, I was a little uncomfortable with how friendly he was. it was then that Natalie and I turned out the lights to, as she put it, "fake sleep." Since then, all has been well -- minus the mystery bottle of who-knows-what he emptied into a thermos. . .
First things first
When the sun rose, Natalie and I immediately got down to the business of the morning, as dectated by Jana's envelope of "things to do." First priority: describe our future husbands (which then broadened out to describing our whole lives). Describing our future husbands in detail was a fairly easy task when you consider that one of us is taken and the other has a strong "flavor of the week," as one observer of my rotating crush list put it. (Just to clarify, Natalie is the first girl; I am the second.)
You get what you ask for
Our next adventure was in figuring out how our seats work. They were reclined when we got here. Natalie posed the foreboding question: "Do these seats come up?" She soon experienced a high-speed jerking sensation of the seat ratcheting forward. I was too in shock to say anything, but she responded calmly to her own question: "yep." Similar responses have been exhibited by our fellow passengers, such as "I knew that was going to happen!" and "Ahhh!" It's a phenomenon that I like to call 'train seats on steroids.'
Random
Well, Natalie and I are in the process of overhearing a conversation from two brothers (sitting behind us) that we believe to be our male counterparts in some ways. They talk a lot (like us), and one of them said something very familiar: "I'm hyper, and I don't even know why!" Enough said.
Are ya Feelin' it?
Being the graceful two that we are, we broke out the Hershey kisses and promptly (and accidentally) dropped two down the seat. I hope the people behind us don't think we're trying to litter. Maybe they'll take it as an act of charity. The dining car is closed, after all.
"A Little Bit Country". . . . but only sometimes
So, this guy sitting behind us keeps going in and out of a Texan/country accent. It leaves when he's talking normally to his brother, but when he pulls his let-me-show-everyone-how-much-I-know-about-everything conversations, he goes cowboy. Disenchanting, as Natalie calls him.
Day One
Hannah and I boarded the train at approximately 4:45 AM. Somehow, we forgot about the early hour and climbed the stairs laughing and talking. Suddenly (when people sleepily looked at us), we realized that the main activity on the train was sleeping. This made us laugh harder because we had been loud. Anyway, we sat down and were immediately assaulted by two scary people-men. They started asking us questions about Hannah's family. We were scared. One of the men was bald-ish; the other wore a cowboy hat. They will hereafter be referred to according to their descriptions.
Eventually, we feel asleep in our very reclined chairs. It was still scary because cowboy hat kept looking at us. When we woke up around 6:15 AM, I felt like sitting up. So I asked Hannah, "Do these seats come up farther?" As I spoke, I pressed this silver button on my arm rest. And the seat back rocketed itself forward. It was quite loud. Because of the type of personality I have, I was quite embarrassed, but of course I couldn't show it. "Yep" was all I could say.
Unfortunately, the noise had called some attention to Hannah and I. Bald-ish man was now watching us. "Good morning!" He called. We muttered a disinterested "Hello" and returned to our usual activities-talking, laughing, and gossiping.
A few hours later (11:45 AM) two boys about our age boarded and sat right behind us. They looked fairly normal-not too scary. We will refer to them as the AtbSBs (Appearing to be Sane Brothers). I felt safer with them behind us. Hannah fell in love with the older one (No, just kidding. We didn't even look at them). The younger AtbSB was sitting behind me. Not too long after the train started moving, I heard a very familiar noise of the chair flinging itself up. "I KNEW that was going to happen!" exclaimed younger brother. So I laughed at him. In a kind way.
Not even 15 minutes had passed before I heard that noise again. "Ahhhhhhhh!" younger brother cried. He apparently does not have the same vain personality flaws that I do. Hannah and I started to laugh even harder at him.
*Sidenote: Hannah slept through Ruby Canyon (I'm not sure if that's the real name). They only way you can see said canyon is if you raft the Colorado River or take the train. I think Hannah is now out of luck.*
While Hannah was asleep, there was this old woman walking down the aisle. Suddenly the train leapt into a tunnel and what had been day was suddenly night (it was dark). "Oh!" preffed the granny. "We must be in a tunnel!" Rolling my eyes, I said to myself "Thank you, lieutenant".
To pass the time on the train, I started reading my great-uncle's book about college/random stuff. There was a section on cursing. Uncle John suggest that instead of cursing, we should just say the phrase, "Audit you!" Long story. Anyway, our male counterparts (the AtbSBs) need to read Uncle John's book. Hannah and I are officially disenchanted.
Are Ya Feelin' it?
Of course, no long journey would be complete without kisses. The chocolate kind. So I brought a bag of kisses along. Hannah and I decided to break out the kisses at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. As I opened the bag, one kiss fell in between our seats and landed on the floor in back of us-right in front of the disenchanting boys. We laughed about it (silently, of course) for a couple of minutes and resumed our conversation. But when Hannah leaned forward to put her cherry yogurt away, a kiss fell from her Secret Stash and came to a stop in between our seats. I looked at the kiss, then at Hannah, and started to say, "Is that kiss yours?" But when she turned to look, it fell off our seats and landed on the floor alongside the first kiss. We felt pretty silly, throwing kissed at those nerd boys.
Revenge
Hannah and I eventually decided that we needed to use the train restrooms. It wasn't ideal, but it was kinda necessary. We stood up and started walking to the stairs which were located behind us. As I followed Hannah, I suddenly and completely lost my balance. I was carrying a big, full purse, and I just happened to whack Older Brother in the head. And then I was immobilized. I was stuck, hitting him in the head with my Large Purse. Of course I apologized, but in my head I was thinking, "This is what I think of you and your rotten language! Plus your know-it-all attitude and pariah talking!" Then I ran down the stairs. I'm pretty sure he learned his lesson.
When we returned from the restroom, the older brother tried talking to us. He asked where we were headed and where we're from. We answered him, but we were definitely disenchanted still, so that's where the conversation ended. Older AtbSB was probably surprised that he and I hadn't bonded more during that moment that we were practically stuck. So, he turned his attention and attitude to a boy sitting behind him. I felt kinda bad for this pariah boy, but didn't intrude.
A few hours later, the disenchanting brothers got off the train. Someone new boarded and struck up a conversation with pariah boy. This is where the tragedy will be realized. Pariah boy turned out to be incredibly normal. He wants to serve a mission in Tonga. Hannah and I wanted to talk to him, but it was late so we left that task until morning. However, in the morning we were too scared to talk to him and he left the train in Omaha.
Eventually, we feel asleep in our very reclined chairs. It was still scary because cowboy hat kept looking at us. When we woke up around 6:15 AM, I felt like sitting up. So I asked Hannah, "Do these seats come up farther?" As I spoke, I pressed this silver button on my arm rest. And the seat back rocketed itself forward. It was quite loud. Because of the type of personality I have, I was quite embarrassed, but of course I couldn't show it. "Yep" was all I could say.
Unfortunately, the noise had called some attention to Hannah and I. Bald-ish man was now watching us. "Good morning!" He called. We muttered a disinterested "Hello" and returned to our usual activities-talking, laughing, and gossiping.
A few hours later (11:45 AM) two boys about our age boarded and sat right behind us. They looked fairly normal-not too scary. We will refer to them as the AtbSBs (Appearing to be Sane Brothers). I felt safer with them behind us. Hannah fell in love with the older one (No, just kidding. We didn't even look at them). The younger AtbSB was sitting behind me. Not too long after the train started moving, I heard a very familiar noise of the chair flinging itself up. "I KNEW that was going to happen!" exclaimed younger brother. So I laughed at him. In a kind way.
Not even 15 minutes had passed before I heard that noise again. "Ahhhhhhhh!" younger brother cried. He apparently does not have the same vain personality flaws that I do. Hannah and I started to laugh even harder at him.
*Sidenote: Hannah slept through Ruby Canyon (I'm not sure if that's the real name). They only way you can see said canyon is if you raft the Colorado River or take the train. I think Hannah is now out of luck.*
While Hannah was asleep, there was this old woman walking down the aisle. Suddenly the train leapt into a tunnel and what had been day was suddenly night (it was dark). "Oh!" preffed the granny. "We must be in a tunnel!" Rolling my eyes, I said to myself "Thank you, lieutenant".
To pass the time on the train, I started reading my great-uncle's book about college/random stuff. There was a section on cursing. Uncle John suggest that instead of cursing, we should just say the phrase, "Audit you!" Long story. Anyway, our male counterparts (the AtbSBs) need to read Uncle John's book. Hannah and I are officially disenchanted.
Are Ya Feelin' it?
Of course, no long journey would be complete without kisses. The chocolate kind. So I brought a bag of kisses along. Hannah and I decided to break out the kisses at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. As I opened the bag, one kiss fell in between our seats and landed on the floor in back of us-right in front of the disenchanting boys. We laughed about it (silently, of course) for a couple of minutes and resumed our conversation. But when Hannah leaned forward to put her cherry yogurt away, a kiss fell from her Secret Stash and came to a stop in between our seats. I looked at the kiss, then at Hannah, and started to say, "Is that kiss yours?" But when she turned to look, it fell off our seats and landed on the floor alongside the first kiss. We felt pretty silly, throwing kissed at those nerd boys.
Revenge
Hannah and I eventually decided that we needed to use the train restrooms. It wasn't ideal, but it was kinda necessary. We stood up and started walking to the stairs which were located behind us. As I followed Hannah, I suddenly and completely lost my balance. I was carrying a big, full purse, and I just happened to whack Older Brother in the head. And then I was immobilized. I was stuck, hitting him in the head with my Large Purse. Of course I apologized, but in my head I was thinking, "This is what I think of you and your rotten language! Plus your know-it-all attitude and pariah talking!" Then I ran down the stairs. I'm pretty sure he learned his lesson.
When we returned from the restroom, the older brother tried talking to us. He asked where we were headed and where we're from. We answered him, but we were definitely disenchanted still, so that's where the conversation ended. Older AtbSB was probably surprised that he and I hadn't bonded more during that moment that we were practically stuck. So, he turned his attention and attitude to a boy sitting behind him. I felt kinda bad for this pariah boy, but didn't intrude.
A few hours later, the disenchanting brothers got off the train. Someone new boarded and struck up a conversation with pariah boy. This is where the tragedy will be realized. Pariah boy turned out to be incredibly normal. He wants to serve a mission in Tonga. Hannah and I wanted to talk to him, but it was late so we left that task until morning. However, in the morning we were too scared to talk to him and he left the train in Omaha.
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