All Wrapped Up

We closed ALL SHOOK UP last Sunday. It ended up being the most incredible piece of youth theatre I have ever worked on or seen (and that's really not my bias - it was a constant rave from those who saw it). It was a great production, and a testament to the hard working staff and cast who were part of it!

Those that love the theatre know that every once in a while you are privileged to be part of a production that isn't just fun or great, but is genuinely special and (dare I say it) MAGICAL. That's what ALL SHOOK UP was... I had a gut feeling when we chose ALL SHOOK UP that it was THE show. That we needed to do this one, RIGHT NOW. I specifically remember that conversation with my producer and dear friend Nancy. Being a girl who likes to roll with the punches, can adapt to almost any situation, and is TOO good at seeing things through others eyes (or walking a mile in their shoes), I rarely make decisions with the conviction that "it's my way or the highway". This time, though, I just knew it in my gut. And my gut was absolutely right - it was the right show for the right cast at the right time. When that happens, it really is a special kind of magic, and I'm so grateful to have been a part of that magic another time.

That's not to say that this production was without its own set of troubles, though. From the beginning, we were always playing catch up because the show was just so MASSIVE, and the cast had an unreal amount of scheduling conflicts. Then, there were the insane demands that we placed on the shoulders of not only teenagers, but KIDS. Add to that the reality that when you put 45 kids and teens in confined spaces for days upon days in a row (kids and teens who have a flair for the dramatic) that drama inevitably ensues. Boy did it ever! And still, STILL, after one very difficult tech week, we were able to open the show with the magic that I knew in my gut was there. I was enthralled with this show that I knew so well by then, and so grateful for this light at the end of what had become a very dark and difficult tunnel.

In the midst of all of the struggle, drama and magic, we also had to say goodbye to some students that have grown up in our programs and are just too old to stay in them anymore, and to a choreographer, Tiffany, who has become my left hand, and without whom I will struggle to go on when the time finally comes for another production.

So that was my weekend June 11-13. It is now nine days later and I am STILL exhausted. Proud, relieved that we made it, and totally creatively and emotionally wiped out.

Thank you to those of you who were part of or who made it out to this truly incredible production. Seriously. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Wild West Roundup - Monument Valley, Arches and Canyonlands

Last leg of our trip. It was a wonderful time for us to have some quality alone time as a couple without all of the distractions of each of our lives.

Monument Valley, Utah.

Arches National Park - this place was a ZOO. We had to hike to Delicate Arch early in the morning just to make sure we got there without the massive crowds. It was worth the hike though - it really is so massive and gorgeous!

I'm not sure what's with the Mr. Cool Guy routine - I think Jason was just tired of the incessant sniping with the camera. :)

Canyonlands National Park - it was so beautiful, and I hadn't expected to be wowed. It was just so vast and massive. It seems like it goes on forever!!!!

Wild West Roundup - Bryce, Powell, Antelope and Grand Canyon

Part Two of our Wild West Roundup - leaving Zion we spent the day in Bryce Canyon, hiking the rim and then down into the canyon and back out. Gorgeous!

It was just incredible - check out the reds and oranges on the hoodoos (that's what they're called!).... WOW!

Thor's Hammer at Bryce Canyon.

Cottonwood Creek - 40 miles of off-roading from Bryce to Powell. This was one of our favorite parts of the journey.

Antelope Canyon on the Navajo reservation just outside of Page, AZ. If you've never been, you MUST go someday. It's stunning!

Jason doing his thing in Antelope Canyon. He was shooting 30 second and one minute exposures in there!

Lake Powell. :) 20-30 mph winds the whole time we were there.

We were so sick of the winds at Powell that one day we took off and made the two hour drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I'd never been to the North Side. SOOOOO different!

This little piece juts out into the canyon - it's so windy and the ground is so uneven and unstable that it actually has to have a guard rail around it!

Wild West Roundup - Zion National Park

Jason and I were able to get away for nine days at the end of May - it couldn't have come at a better time for either of us, and we had an amazing time. Here are some of my photos from Zion and the area around it. It was my first visit to the park, and I just loved it!

I just thought this was hilarious... Poor Jason - I spent the whole trip sniping him while he was busy shooting... By the by - he took some incredible shots on the trip. He's already printed a few from Zion in the snow (yes it snowed)... amazing. He does not generally shoot places like the Wild Ass Saloon. :)

jasonspeerphoto.com

On the Northwest side of Zion, away from the crowds.

Sniping Jason... He hates being in photos.

At the end of the Angels Landing trail...or just before the beginning depending on how you look at it.

Up in the mud above Kolob Reservoir at about 8500 feet.

Little House

On Sunday I had to say goodbye to my little house. With the wedding coming up and Jason needing to move out of his current place in August, I decided that the best thing I could do is move out of my little house and save the money I would have spent on rent and utilities as a little nest egg for Jason and I to start with.

While I'm confident that this decision is the best and most responsible one I could make, that little house changed my life. I moved in there with a broken heart, and found a place that I could heal, grow, and become truly independent. I learned how to really manage my finances, what expenses are truly important and what I could do without, and how to be alone with my thoughts. I healed in that house, I grew in that house, and I became the person I am today in that little house. A little more than a year later, my life is so very different! As my mom put it, "That house served it's purpose." So while it is time to move on and forward, I do so with a little bit of sadness and definitely some tears.

Thank you, Little House. I hope your next tenant appreciates you as much as I did!

Food....mmmm.

Okay, so I'm not much of a cook. My mom is a great cook, my dad can grill, and somewhere along the line I learned to bake. Mostly I just love to eat. :) But I've never really applied myself to cooking. I really have to think about it - combinations for meals do not come to me naturally. Sometimes I'm really baffled by how people know just what will go together, how to combine it, what spices, etc...

Now, Jason (my fiancee) is a pretty good cook, and he knows how to look in the fridge and cabinet and make something out of what is in there. Me... well, when I cook, it does usually turn out decent, but it takes TONS of thought like I mentioned before, and at least one trip to the market, which is usually expensive.

So today, I ended up with a rare day off. Since Jason worked all day, I decided that I would make dinner for both of us tonight.

Success!

I used some ingredients we already had, picked up the rest, and walked out of the grocery store with everything I needed and extra kitchen staples for under $20.

Then, it's time for dinner... I cook, and it doesn't take me hours! 30 minutes start to finish. The menu? Sausage, roasted veggies (peppers, onions, tomatoes), and gluten free Cheesy Penne (aka fancy shmancy mac and cheese). Jason loves it, says it's so good he wants to take leftovers to work tomorrow. Jason never takes his lunch to work! For me this is success!

The best part? I made one of the foods I've been craving lately, but haven't been able to have due to my gluten free diet: mac and cheese. But this... oh this is amazing mac and cheese. It was so easy, so gooey, and I just switched the pasta from regular penne to brown rice penne that I picked up at Trader Joes!

Make it gluten-free or full of gluten, your choice! The recipe is below. :) Sorry, no pictures. We ate it too quickly. :)

CHEESY PENNE (Mac and Cheese)

Adapted from Claire Robinson's Recipe (Food Network)

4 cups penne pasta (I used Brown Rice Pasta since I'm gluten intolerant)

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

3/4 cup heavy cream

4 oz. grated cheese (I used a mix of smoked cheeses: mozzarella, gouda, cheddar - thank you Trader Joes for your pre-shreeded mix!)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water, add pasta, and cook to al dente. Drain. Return pasta to the saucepan.

Whisk milk with dijon in a small bowl and add to the pot with the cooked pasta, along with cream and shredded cheese. Stir over medium-low heat until the cheese melts and the mixture is nice and thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

It's the Doody Dude!

I was stopped at a light on Friday and I saw this truck. I feel like this is a job for Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs. IT'S THE DOODY DUDE!