Friday, September 29, 2006

One of my favorite memories

I feel lucky in that while I work I can daydream and remember past experiences, and it doesn't get in the way of work. This is one that I thought about today:


It was the final night of a long three week performance of THE WIZARD OF OZ in High School. I played Glinda and Auntie Em. It was probably one of my favorite roles EVER!!! We had finished tearing the set down, we were in the process of putting away some chairs in our high school auditorium. Bradley and Nathan Stokes were standing next to the chair room where the fire alarm was. They were pulling on the bottom of it saying, "HOW DOES THIS THING WORK?" (silly boys) I didn't really know that they were just playing around and I went right over to them and said, "Like this!" and I pulled it.

I didn't mean to but my fingers really grabbed the alarm and pulled it. Oh the sound was AWFUL and loud. It was nearing 12:30 in the morning on a Sunday and Mrs. Grayson was so worried because she thought the school district would have to cut money from her budget so we could pay the firemen who were bound to come. All in all it was a fiasco.

BUT, I loved every moment of it because of all the things I learned about people. Bradley and Nathan (Newman as we called him) and Chris Bergevin (Or Crispy) went to the piano and found out exactly what note the fire alarm was sounding. And as the pitch changed they'd figure out what the difference was. Then they started to harmonize with the fire alarm.

Dallin Farmer who was our sound and light board operator put in a CD of Billy Joel's "We didn't Start the fire" and he turned it up WAY UP. All those who were sweeping and cleaning started dancing on stage to the tune and the fire alarm.

Skyler was doing handstands and acrobatics like crazy on stage too.

And there I stood, by the alarm, waiting to confess my sin to whoever came to shut it off. I kept rehearsing over and over how my fingers really grabbed the alarm even though they didn't mean to.

Everyone was still dancing and cleaning and partying. It was nearing 2am when our school principal came in in his PAJAMAS!!!! I ran over to him and told him how I didn't mean to do it. He looked at me, yawned and shut it off with his special "turn off fire alarm" key. And he left. NO scolding, no cuts from the theatre budget, just a simple turn of his key.

Every time after that event when Principal Thompson and I passed by each other in the hall he would smile and wave and then his face would turn into an awkward expression as if he were asking himself, "Was that real, or was it a dream? Am I dreaming of this student pulling fire alarms?"

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

My heart goes out to you...



Today I rode the bus to work and in the front seat was a girl who was cute and funny and special. Watching her made my morning brighter. She was so excited to share her bright personality with EVERYONE. I thought, if only we had more people like this girl in the world, less-fearless, more friendly. We would all have more things to look forward to and maybe we'd hang up the cellphone once in a while to look around at the beautiful world full of beautiful people.

In regard to UNL Football she said, "The Huskers are" slowly she placed her index finger on her tongue and then lowered it to her gluteus maximus "Ssssss Hot!" And as we neared her stop she snapped a "z" over and over again for all to see.

My day is brighter because of her. I don't know who she is, but she certainly has made an impact on my life.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Another first



Friday night was SCARY!!! okay okay so not really scary, but I was a little frightened. So there we were, loading the rest of our stuff up in the Bishop's truck and it was windy. Brother Gibson looked at me and said with a smile, "I sure love weather like this." I had no clue what he was talking about until...we were getting nearer to our new home and the wind picked up and then there was all sorts of lightening and thunder. As we were moving the last of our belongings into our new little home it started raining so we hurried. Then we were finished. TJ decided to go by himself to get our car so I could start to unpack.

Not even two minutes after he left the sirens went off telling, nay SCREAMING to everyone in Lincoln Nebraska to take cover because a tornado was forming in the area. I had never experienced this before. I had no basement to run to I had only one thing to do: CRY and think that TJ would come home to a tornado-ruined home and no wife. I had no tv to see the news, I had no radio to even listen, and I didn't even have my phone to call someone to ask them what to do. So I just left, left the doors unlocked, left the lights on and ran outside (probably smart and not smart all at the same time). I went to my first neighbor's home and there was no answer so i ran to the next neighbor's home and they were all gathered in their front room looking at the big screen TV at where the tornado was sighted. Luckily, a few miles south of me!!!

So I met some neighbors, I cried, I heard the sirens and moved into my new house all in one day!!!

TJ was in no hurry to get home. He didn't even hear the sirens, and he didn't even think they'd go off by our house.

Friday, September 15, 2006

First time home owner!!! That's who I am!


People stop me on the streets EVERYWHERE here in Lincoln and ask, "Are you a first time home owner, because I certainly thought that you were!!!" And I just smile my simple, humble smile and say, "Why, yes I am." And then I continue on my way to my job (that is sucking the life out of me) and smile, because I have gained a greater satisfaction in life, there's purpose, there's excitement, and there are couches to re-upholster, and walls to paint now that I am a first time home owner.