1 week and two days until opening night/It's all coming together now...

Last night's rehearsal went rather well. Everyone in the cast was there for the first time since we started, and we used our makeup and costumes because the Muscatine Journal was there, taking pictures and interviewing some of us.

It was kind of a rough mix with everyone there, but the show pretty much takes two hours. As soon as we smooth out some of the transitions (i.e. scene changes), we should be able to cut that down by a few minutes.

Now I do want my friends to come and see this. It's going to be great! :) Slan go foill...

What is the world coming to?

I don't understand it. What is the world coming to when a man can just walk into a church and open fire?

I was watching the Today show with my parents this morning and I heard about a man walking into a Tennessee church yesterday, and he just started shooting. 2 people are dead, and 7 more were injured.

I was just flipping through the August issue of the Ensign this morning and I got to the First Presidency message. It was by President Monson and he was talking about how we could die at any time, so what were we doing with today? I think I might go read it again now that I know about what happened in Tennessee. But I think the lesson I can take is this: life can end at anytime; but I can still do something worthwhile with whatever time Heavenly Father grants me.

Yes, I think I'll go read that article again. Slan go foill...

1 week and six days until opening night of Lucky Stiff and counting.../I give my talk tomorrow...

I'm one exhausted lady...

First Brooke and I went to the Aquatic Center for a couple of hours just to hang out and cool off. We went down the slides, twice; swam some laps; had lunch; and then we went to rehearsal.

And that was a bit of a waste of time. Hardly anyone was there. It was just me, Brooke, Savannah, Lauren, Courtney, and Anita (music director). Keeny came a little later; and Dane didn't show up until an hour into rehearsal. Because a lot of people weren't there (Kari's in Wisconsin; Tyler's in Tennessee; I don't know where Scuba was; and Chase was at his father's wedding), we weren't able to get a lot done, other than one full cast number, and a couple solo numbers.

It is coming together. Now if only we could have everyone at rehearsals, it would be fine.

Tomorrow I FINALLY get to give my talk. I'm one very nervous lady. I don't think I'll want to do this again, this being preparing for a talk while working on a play. It doesn't work very well. It took a lot of discipline for me to put my script away so I could put my talk together. Hopefully, it will go well. *keeping my fingers crossed*

Slan go foill...

Countdown to Opening night for Lucky Stiff...Two weeks until Opening Night and counting...

I'm officially starting the countdown to opening night, my faithful readers. Tonight it's exactly two weeks until Lucky Stiff opens at the MCC Bob Roach Little Theatre. :)

We worked on the set some today and I finally found a nun's habit and the blue gown I wore in one of the Variety Shows I did years ago. It still fits, and the zipper likes to stick, but it's okay. Hopefully, it will do. When we weren't working on set, we worked on some of the group songs, and Dane worked on his song which includes a duet with Courtney, but because she was on self imposed voice rest, I sang her part so Dane could run through it. It was fun being a bad girl, even if it was in song. ;)

I'm going to be unbearable. I usually am two weeks before an opening night. I was during Muscatine! The Musical. However, this time, I have something now that I didn't have during MTM.

And that is a sheet of recipes of "mocktails" courtesy of a friend of mine from church. And I will be utilizing the recipes a LOT, especially during tech week.

Hold on! It's going to be a bumpy, but exciting ride! :)

Nothing like a chick flick before play practice to bond with your castmate...

Brooke and I decided to go to the bargain matinee showing of Mamma Mia! and we tried to invite the other girls from the musical, but it ended up being just the two of us. Savannah couldn't go for some reason; Keeny was in Iowa City; Brooke O was unreachable; and Courtney was working.

It was fun and Brooke and I were the only ones in the theatre that were under 40. I could watch it over and over and never get tired of it. I'm still unsure of what Brooke thought of Meryl Streep's singing, but I personally thought she did a good job. I didn't know Pierce Brosnan could sing; ditto for Colin Firth. I did recall Christine Baranski singing in Chicago! so I knew she would do a good job in Mamma Mia!

After the movie, we went downtown because we had time to spare. After spending about thirty minutes just walking around downtown and checking out a couple of the shops, we had to go pick up Lauren (newest cast member and Savannah's friend) for practice. We then stopped at a Kum & Go and picked up water and snacks, and headed for rehearsal.

It was fun going to the movies with Brooke and she even caught a funny part (at least funny to us since it sort of has to do with Lucky Stiff). And I'll leave that for another post, because it's almost time for play practice. ;)

I don't like the Old Maid label...

When I say I don't like the Old maid label, I mean it. A friend of mine was called a "Mormon Old Maid" just because she's not married yet. *sighs with annoyance*

Maybe I'm being a little oversensitive because I had to put up with that sort of nonsense my first couple of years in the church after being set up on dates and the dates not working out because they were nonmembers and weren't going to change their bad habits to make things work between us. Finally one day in the late summer of 1997, one of my friends at the time finally said that I was going to end up an old spinster because I was too picky.

Well, hello! I have to be picky if I want the kind of marriage that will definitely be time and all eternity material. Believe me; I know what it's like to see two people in an unhappy marriage. Case in point: my parents! My dad's a heavy drinker and smoker and he expects Mom to wait on him hand and foot (and he wants me to do the same!). He's rude, crude, and he's part of the reason I don't really date (I really, REALLY don't want to bring goodly Mormon men home to meet him!). And all he and Mom do is scream at each other and argue. I've tried to get them to stop, but Dad just retorts, "That's how we communicate!"

News flash to my parents: YOU ARE NOT SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR WHAT I NEED IN A GOOD MARRIAGE. I don't want to end up like them, screaming and shouting at my husband.

Maybe it is good I'm waiting a little longer than usual. Because when it's right, it will last. Case in point: my brother and sister-in-law. They're not Mormons, but they are an exemplary example of what a good marriage should be like. And my sister-in-law was in her late thirties when she married my brother.

Yep, I have time and so does my friend. We have plenty of time.

Top ten favorite movies...

I've decided to venture into frivolous territory for a little while and list my top ten favorite movies of all time and why I like them so much. Here goes:

10. Mamma Mia!--just went to see this with Mom yesterday, because she and I share a mutual love for the music of ABBA. I didn't know Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan could sing and sing well, and I recognized Amanda Seyfried from the HBO series Big Love.

9. The Other Boleyn Girl--I saw this on my birthday and I also have the book. What can I say? I have a weakness for Natalie Portman with an English accent.

8. Saints and Soldiers--I picked this up on DVD last summer and while I'm not a huge fan of war movies, this one caught my attention because of the subject matter. It's also a good get a group together to watch movie.

7. The Work and the Glory series--I had actually read the books before seeing the three movies, so I had an idea of what to expect. The acting was great but I was a little let down that there was only one LDS actor in it (and that was during the third movie).

6. The Singles Ward--This was the very first LDS comedy I'd been exposed to, and also the first movie I'd seen Kirby Heyborne in. The first time I'd seen it, I laughed so hard I was in TEARS!

5. The Singles 2nd Ward--This was a Christmas gift from one of my friends at church. Another good group to get together to watch movie.

4. The R.M.--This was my second exposure to Kirby Heyborne's acting and the beginning of my fandom of him.

3. The Star Wars saga--I really got into this a couple years ago. What can I say? I'm a late bloomer. Ewan McGregor is a very HOT Obi-Wan Kenobi. *purrs* :)

2. Sons of Provo--An LDS boy band! 'Nuff said. :)

And the number one fave movie of mine for all time is...(drumroll please...)

1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy-extended edition--The perfect way to spend a day off from work, especially if you're sick. Nice to have as background noise when you're trying to recover from the flu (and I should know; I've used it for that purpose a few times). Nice to have Orlando Bloom as the elf to drool over, or even Sean Bean and Viggo Mortensen if you prefer older men. Not to mention the underlying messages in the movies themselves; about tolerance for those different from you, and the damage of war, and the dangers of addiction.

There you have it; my one venture into frivolity for a little while.

A rude, but possibly needed wake up call...

This morning I was awakened by my weather radio with the news that Muscatine was under a severe thunderstorm warning. Turns out, it was more than that. Muscatine got nailed by the early morning storm, with heavy rains and 70 to 90 mph winds. As a result we lost power for the morning.

I took a walk down to the store to buy a newspaper, and there were branches and debris scattered everywhere! It made going to get the paper a bit of an obsticle course adventure.

We made it through, but this showed me that I should be better prepared for something like this if it ever happens again. I'll do whatever research I can to make sure I have an emergency supply of food, water, and whatever else I might need for a power outage or other disasters.

Gloria got her mission call!!!!!

I just found out via a video Gloria made for her Facebook. She got her mission call and will be serving somewhere in the Phillippines!

*does happy dance*

After all, it was the sister missionaries who taught me after the fateful trip to Utah twelve years ago...

I'm off to bed now. Sweet dreams, my faithful readers...

A girls' night out...to the Nauvoo Pageant!

Here are the photos from my jaunt to the Nauvoo Pageant on July 12th. I went with Melissa, a good friend of mine. :)

At the pageant pre-show...

This was a round dance and it's always reminded me of Ceili dancing...

Here are the pipers; one of my favorite parts of the pre-show!

Both Melissa and I tried out the round dancing, but these were the only pics I was able to take of her dancing, simply because I desperately needed a break. At least I danced off the calories I had taken in at the Relief Society slumber party the night before and the morning of, and that was good, considering the fact that I'd overslept and missed an opportunity to play ultimate frisbee. *lol*

This year I was able to sit closer to the stage than ever and it was awesome so afterward we were able to get to some of the actors more quickly. A lot of them Melissa knew because she worked on it last year. This woman, Alex, played Leonora Taylor, wife of future prophet John Taylor. :)

He was portraying King Follett. "Your Majesty!" :)

I can't remember this woman's name, but she portrayed Vilate Kimball (I think!) and she was a sweetheart.

Johnny, aka Heber C. Kimball, was awesome! We talked for a bit, posed for a picture, and then he gave me a big hug! He was so sweet. :D

Sadly I wasn't able to get a picture of Paul, aka Parley P. Pratt, this time but maybe he'll be there next year. And who knows, I might be in it next year. :)

More pics from the Relief Society slumber party...

Here are some more pics from the Relief Society slumber party...

Michele and Jamie just chillin' out...


Some of the girls standing around, waiting for some more munchies in the oven.


While we were having fun inside, a couple guys from the branch decided to have a little fun outside. And these next few photos are evidence of their "wrongdoing". ;)





Some of the work was nice and artsy though...

It's the Republican brigade! (Yep, the liberal lass is poking through!)


None of the cars were spared, not even Michele's and she was our Relief Society president.




What the heck?!?!?!


What the heck, part deux?!?


That's it for the Relief Society slumber party. :) Pics from the girls' night out to the Nauvoo pageant with Melissa will be coming soon.

More Lucky Stiff rehearsal pics...

Here are some more pics from Lucky Stiff rehearsals...

James, who's our "dead guy" posed for me in the wheelchair. He's an awesome dead guy!


Courtney as "Rita La Porta" is sort of like my friend's AK-47, Oksana. She doesn't fool around when it comes to dishing out the pain...


Working through one of the scenes at the beginning...Savannah didn't have her "Punk" outfit yet.


I was "Katie Loomis" in this scene with Chase's "Vinnie DiRuzzio".


Savannah and Lauren (who replaced Noel as the solicitor) are the true BFF's in this production. Savannah was tickled pink when Lauren was able to do this. :)


More will be coming soon...

It's coming together...and Lucky Stiff rehearsal pics

I'm talking about the play. We worked on a few scenes, and it's coming together. I guess I just need to be patient and work with my castmates.

Here are some early rehearsal shots:









These pictures were taken at Anita's house when we first started working on this play. We were having music rehearsals here. After the flood, however, we've had to move them to MCC because Anita's piano sounded funny due to the dampness around her house.

More pics will be coming soon.

Something to make me smile...

Just when I'm getting discouraged about the play, this shows up on Michele's blog. I snagged it and I hope she doesn't mind. :)



I think I can echo her sentiment on her blog. I love my Relief Society sisters. :)

Chaotic rehearsal...arrrrgh!!!!!!!!!!

When I said this blog would become my venting board so I don't have to unload on my friends and loved ones I meant it!

Last night's rehearsal did not go very well, in my opinion. A lot of people weren't there; most castmembers didn't know their lines; and we barely have a set! I can handle organized chaos, but last night wasn't even that. It was just chaos!!!! *screams*

I'm beginning to question my decision to majorly plug this play to my friends like Jeremy, Tim, and Melissa. If we don't get our act together, I DON'T think I want them to see the show.

Costume fittings and river bugs...

Okay, it looks like this blog is going to be my venting board for the next few weeks.

Last night we had rehearsal, and the first thing we did was go to the costume closet. I have most of my costumes already, but I still need a nun's habit and I wanted to see if I could find any other dresses in case something happened to the stuff I already have. I found this yellow dress with black polka dots, but it was really, REALLY low cut. Just to be fair I used it for some of the scenes last night, but by the end of the night I felt so uncomfortable; I ended up discarding it.

We didn't get out of there until after ten and we hadn't even finished Act 2. We're going to pick it up tonight.

So Brooke took me home (carpooling is great!!!), and we decided to stop for gas first since the car was running on fumes pretty much. We pulled into a Kum & Go and the place was swarming with river bugs! Poor Brooke was freaking out because the bugs began to swarm all over her car and were landing on her as she filled up the tank. When she came back from paying for the gas, a couple of the bugs flew into the car as she opened the door. Yes they're harmless for the most part, but they were disgusting. Needless to say, we both freaked out a little, but we were able to get home without a whole lot of drama after that.

We're once again one castmate short. Noel, the girl I mentioned in an earlier post, ended up dropping out after all. We understand; she's really busy, but we'll extract a promise from her to come to one of the performances.*lol* We have a couple possibles to replace her, so I'm sure it will be okay. I am NOT asking anyone else from church to do it.

Look for pics from rehearsals to be coming soon to this blog, and they'll be on my Facebook too. :)

Stephen's Green and the Relief Society Slumber Party!

Only I could put these two things together like this. Enjoy!

I believe they were playing "A Rainy Night in Soho" when I took this shot. Taken July 8th.



This miniature Irish dancer is Martin's daughter, Katie. She can bust a move, Irish-style.



A lot of good my hairpiece did. *lol* You can't even see it!



At the Relief Society slumber party, we also had a meeting of the baking club and learned how to make bread and cinnamon rolls. Rachael is demonstrating how to deal with the bread dough. Taken July 11th.



Michele is mixing...



And then I got in on the fun, kneading the dough...



Marla's showing off the rolls before they go into the oven...



The girls playing some games while some of our pastries are baking. :)



That's enough photos for one post. More will come later. :)

My last weekend away before rehearsals pick up...

I had a very active and fun weekend in Iowa City with my friends and it is my last weekend of fun before rehearsals pick up this week.

First up was the Relief Society Slumber Party. We learned how to make cinnamon rolls and bread. I helped knead the dough and Michele took a pic of me, looking nice and domesticated (her words). Look for pics to be coming to my Facebook and here soon. :) While the bread and rolls were baking, we played games and gorged ourselves silly on junk food. And Michele was giving away things she didn't think she'd need as she was getting ready to move (I came home with some CDs!). Also we were oblivious to the fact that a couple guys from our branch had too much time on their hands and had decided to "decorate" the other girls' cars with shaving cream and toilet paper. I got pics of the "vandalism" so watch this space and Facebook for pics coming soon.

In the wee hours of Saturday morning, a bunch of us decided to deliver some cinnamon rolls to members of the Elders' Quorum Presidency and a few other guys in the branch. I went in a car to deliver rolls to Brian, Josh, and Ian (one of the "vandals"). By the time we were done, it was almost two am. Yes, we had stayed up really late (taking some of the time while the rolls were baking to watch a movie). We didn't get to bed until almost three am.

Saturday morning, I overslept and missed my chance to play ultimate frisbee. I was a little disappointed, but I took the time to study my scriptures and read over the First Presidency message while the other girls were asleep. The others finally woke up at nine-thirty and we had rolls for breakfast, and then after helping to clean up, Michele and I went to her place. I had originally planned to veg out and take a nap in the afternoon, but she invited me to a concert she was giving at a retirement home later in the afternoon.

While Michele got ready, I took the time to study my script and listen to the soundtrack. At one-forty, we left for the retirement home and I helped her out by taking pictures for her with her digital camera. Those things still intimidate me!

After the concert, Michele took me back to her place so I could get cleaned up because I had made plans with another friend, Melissa, to go down to Nauvoo to see the pageant. This weekend was the only time I could go, because my rehearsal schedule for Lucky Stiff will be picking up this week.

Melissa and I had hoped that we'd be able to do some things at the temple before the pageant, but we were running late and by the time we got there, the temple was closed. So we went to Zions Mercantile and she treated me to ice cream and snacks to munch on down by the pageant. We hit some of the pre-show fun first, talking to cast members and missionaries, and even going to the dance area. We both did a couple of round dances and it was fun. I tried to get some pics of Melissa dancing, but they were moving so fast that all I could get were shots of the back of her head. *lol*

The pageant itself was good. It was my fourth time seeing it, and I never get tired of going every year. :) This time, I seemed to feel the Spirit more. I don't know what it was. Whatever it was, I enjoyed it. It was kind of bittersweet, because there's a recording of the late President Hinckley near the end of the pageant, talking about the temple. I had been wondering if they were going to keep that in, and I'm glad I did. I got to hear "my" prophet's voice once again (he was prophet when I was baptized back in '96, so I think of him as "my" prophet).

After the pageant, Melissa and I hung out for over an hour, talking to cast members. The guy who played Parley Pratt last year was there again this year and he remembered me from last year. I told him what I'm up to with the play, and I was surprised to learn that he knew a lot about Lucky Stiff! I was able to explain some things that I was doing for the play and it was great that he knew what I was talking about. I am giving serious thought about going out for the pageant next year. I hope I can. :) Long story short, Melissa and I didn't get back to Iowa City until after one am, but it was worth it to hang out with her at the pageant. :)

Today, Michele gave her talk since it was her last Sunday with us, and I personally thought it was good. After Relief Society, she had us all pose for a group picture so she'll have something to remember us by. I am going to miss her very much.

All in all, it was a good weekend. :)

At last!!!!

I think I can breathe easy now. Actually, I think we all can.

We finally have a full cast! Zach Minder will be playing the emcee. I think he'll work out. Savannah knows him and suggested him to Scuba. I'm happy because I was running out of people in the branch to ask. I even asked President Peters, even though I knew it was a long shot that he'd be able to do it.

However, there is one girl who might get kicked out of the play because she hasn't been to a lot of the rehearsals. Hopefully, she won't get tossed, but she very well might. *keeping my fingers crossed that she'll get her act together*

Rehearsal was okay tonight. We went through Act 2. I took some more shots for the play's photo album on Facebook (and I'll post some here too when I get them back). There's a cute one of Courtney (as Rita LaPorta) pointing her pistol at my camera. I also took a shot of James as the dead guy in the wheelchair.

Hopefully, things will start coming together now. :)

Flood pics in Muscatine...

Some of my friends have some flood pics and they're in Iowa City. I figured I'd put up a few from Muscatine's Might Miss that overflowed as well. Enjoy!

This was taken on June 9th, before everything broke loose. Nice and peaceful then.



What a difference a few days make. I usually walk this bike path for exercise. Couldn't do that now. Taken June 14th.





Remember the parking lot shot from June 9th? Once again, what a difference a few days make. It was difficult navigating my way around to take pictures and NOT get contaminated. I wasn't the only one doing it either. There were tourists and residents alike getting their shots in. It was CRAZY! Another June 14th shot.



A shot of the Pearl City Station on June 14th. I used to go down there just to sit and chill out. I wasn't able to do that for a while. ;)

Some somber news put a slight damper on last night's fun

We left Muscatine around four and got to Pat McGuire's a little after five, after stopping at the Wonder Bread store to pick up cupcakes (will get into that a little later!). Mom had to go see my brother Dave about some stuff so she dropped Dad and me off and headed to Moline.

Usually, Andy and Martin come together but this time, for some reason they came separately. Martin had his daughter, Katie with him and she's a sweetheart. I was wearing my autographed Reunion t-shirt and I showed her where her dad had signed it on the back. And yes, I did wear the hair extension (actually put it in myself and pinned everything into place!).

A guy that my parents and I know, Joe, told Martin and me about Rick Sonneville being killed in an accident just the day before. Rick would come to Pat McGuire's with his young daughter, Anika. Anika was taking Irish dance lessons at the Mullane-Healy-O'Brien Dance Academy, and she's really good. I think I have a picture of her dancing on my Facebook, a couple of them if I remember correctly. Andy and Martin love this little girl to death, and actually so do we. My thoughts and prayers are with Anika during this difficult time.

Andy finally got there and I got my usual requests to the guys before they started. I included a new one: "A Rainy Night in Soho" from the Reunion CD. I fell in love with that one from the first time I heard it. :) Andy also saw the hair extension and was surprised that I was sporting long hair. Pretty much everyone was surprised that in the space of a month, I was sporting long hair. I explained that it was fake and that I was wearing it to see if it would stay in for long periods of time because I was going to use it for the play I'm in. And that led to me telling people about Lucky Stiff. I have to email some people about it, but hopefully some of my friends from Davenport will be able to come down.

First set was the usual stuff: "Whiskey in the Jar", "Danny Boy", "Dirty Old Town" and the like. Mom finally got there near the end of the set, but then they played my request "A Rainy Night in Soho". We finally ordered dinner during the first intermission.

Andy and Martin got to a couple more of my requests during the second set: "Wild Colonial Boy" and "German Clock Winder" (for some reason I LOVE that tune; don't know why!). And of course, they did "Finnegan's Wake" and we had tons of ammunition! I wasn't the only one to bring stuff. The "Cascade" corner all brought candies, cupcakes, and the like. During the third verse where it's sung, "The friends assembled at the wake, and Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch.", we chucked everything at the guys. Even young Katie Doyle had stuff and she joined in the fun. That's what happens when Martin sticks her with the "Cascade" crew. Anyway, Andy took a waiter's drink tray and held it against his head to ward off the projectile since he was in the line of fire. And he complained that we didn't have any good stuff. Come on, Andy! I'm on a very limited income, buddy! *lol* ;)

And we were in for a treat when young Katie danced for us. I got a few pics of her dancing and told her later that I'd send some to her dad, via email.

The second set would NOT be the second set without the usual rendition of "The Unicorn". And all the "Unicornettes" made their way up to the stage (myself included). It made for cramped quarters, but we made it work. :)

Third set was more pop tunes interspersed with the Irish tunes. They did "Brown Eyed Girl", "Sweet Caroline", "Alice" (a clean version since we had a child in our midst), "Margaritaville", and even Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". Sadly, they weren't able to get to "Carrick Fergus", but it was okay. I have it on their concert CD so I can listen to it whenever I want. And they ended with the usual three Irish patriotic songs: "The One Road", "A Nation Once Again", and "Amhrain na bhFiann", the Ireland national anthem. A few months back, Martin sent me the Gaelic lyrics (and pronunciations) and I printed them off during a slow moment at work back in December so I'd have them. Once that was over, we said our goodbyes and headed home.

Check this space soon. I may have pics of last night's fun. :)

The return of the liberal lass...

Normally, I keep my liberalism under control, but an incident with my dad this morning brought the inner liberal lass back to the surface!

Ever since the smoking ban went into effect, my dad has been on me on Mom to take the Nathan Reichert sign down from our little hill. Nathan was one of the Representatives in the Iowa House who voted for the smoking ban in public places. This morning, Dad told me that some people from the bars wanted to get rid of the Nathan signs.

I have every right to express my support for Nathan Reichert, even if there are those who don't agree with me. That is my right. My grandpa fought in WW II so I could have that right and I'm going to exercise it!

I will NOT back down!

Tonight's going to be fun...

It's been a little over a month since I've last seen them. Tonight, we're going to Pat McGuire's to see Stephen's Green, aka Andy and Martin. Yeah, there's rehearsal for Lucky Stiff, but I'll talk to Scuba and see what he wants me to do.

They have a pretty wide range of repertoire; from tradition Irish tunes to some pop songs like "Margaritaville" and "Sweet Caroline". Plus, they have some original songs in the mix, songs that Andy's written. They should do more of his, IMHO.

Tonight's going to be fun! :)

Stephen's Green...

I'm surprised I've had this blog as long as I have and only mentioned this band once.

Stephen's Green is a Chicago-based Ireland-born duo. Andy O'Driscoll plays the guitar and sings lead while Martin Doyle plays the synthisizer, accordion, and sings backup.

Here's a pic of them performing at Pat McGuire's Bar and Grill in Davenport.



But it wasn't always just the two of them. Their history spans twenty years, this past month being commemorated as their anniversary. Back in the 80's Andy and another Irishman named Martin Marron played together in the Irish pubs of Chicago and surrounding area. In 1988, they met up with Martin Doyle and Stephen's Green was born as a trio. Martin Marron later moved to Virginia, and then Tony McCabe joined the band. Tony was from County Cavan in Ireland, and eventually moved south to Texas, so the band became the duo I know and love.

I became familiar with their music in 2004, the third year I went to Erin Feis in Rock Island, Illinois. It wasn't until the Erin Feis in 2005 that I really started to get to know them and their music, and I've loved them ever since. In the summer of 2006, I started going with my parents to Pat McGuire's to see them perform once a month. It's become a family outing and is a lot of fun. I love the guys to death and they love me.

I will leave you now with a pic from last month's reunion gig.

(From left to right: Tony McCabe, Martin Doyle, Me, Martin Marron, and Andy O'Driscoll)

Pay dirt and change of rehearsal plans...

I'm at MCC and have printed up several articles about personal revelation for my talk. Yep, I seem to have hit pay dirt. So now it's back home to read through the articles and highlight what I think I'll need.

The last time I did something like this, I was in California at my aunt's house (my mom's older sister) and I used her computer and printer to get what I needed. Then Jessica took me back to Grandma's where I worked on my project at the kitchen table until it was time for me to get ready for my cousin's wedding. Yep, Brother Rideout had asked me to give a talk the Sunday after getting back from Los Angeles, so the trip out for my cousin's wedding became what I called a working vacation. It all turned out okay though.

Done reminiscing. It's time to get back to things all Lucky Stiff...

I just got a Facebook wall posting from Savannah. It seems the principals in the cast want the rest of us at their rehearsals from now on. I wonder what's going on. I guess a phone call to Scuba will clear things up.

But we still don't have an emcee...and as of tomorrow, we'll be opening in exactly a month. Yeah, I may be obsessing about it and worrying it to death, but can you really blame me?

Apparently, I look good with long hair...

I decided not to wear the prosthetic hair to church today (going with my original plan to wear it to church the Sunday of tech week and surprise friends who may be coming back then). So when I got to church this morning, Josh passed me by while I was talking to another friend and asked me what happened to my ponytail. I just told him I'd have it the first Sunday in August simply because it would be tech week and I'll need to get used to it in my hair. But it seems I look good with long hair, so I relented later on and told Josh I might wear it to church next week (and on the 27th when I have to give a talk).

My hair used to be long, past my shoulders and down my back sometimes. But it was always so hard to take care of, so in January 2005, right after the semester started, I had it cut, and then I kept having different haircuts. This was because it was easier to take care of, and Mom said I looked good with short hair. And that's fine and dandy, and I didn't mind it. But I was getting sick of short hair, so I'm growing it out. I want to show my friends in the branch what I look like with long hair before I have to move on.

Wait a second, why am I talking about my hair on Sunday? I guess I really am shallow, glowing under sort of compliments about how I look with my prosthetic hair.

And I did mention that I have to give a talk on the 27th. It got moved back yet again. It's okay; it gives me more time to find more materials. It's supposed to be eight to ten minutes long, and I'm going to make the most of it. :)

And I know what that means: TRIP TO MCC'S COMPUTER LAB TO VISIT OLD FRIENDS!!!!

Music rehearsal where half the cast isn't there...

Yes, I know people have conflicts, and I know my attendance rate isn't the best either (since I won't go to rehearsals on Sundays in an effort to keep the Sabbath day holy and I'm out of town on some weekends), but it's a bit frustrating when I and other people are at rehearsals and other people aren't there. Like I said, I know people have conflicts, like jobs and camps. But it was just Brooke, Savannah, Tyler, Christine, and Yours Truly. So it was hard to get through some of the musical numbers without the others there.

And afterward, we sat around and talked about how horrible middle school and high school was for us. Let's just say I had some experiences back then that were real doozies, so we won't even go there. If I knew then what I know now... well, 'nuff said.

That said, I must away to start working on my talk since I do give it next week at Sacrament meeting. I won't procrastinate to the last minute on this one, at least not too badly! That is my vow!

Last night's fun...

The road trip to Iowa City for the potluck was exactly what I needed. I wore the hairpiece that I'm going to use for Lucky Stiff just to see if it would stay in my hair for extended periods of time, and everyone was surprised to see that I was sporting long hair. I just explained what I was doing and that I'd wear it to church the Sunday of tech week so I can get used to the feeling of it in my hair. Sister Peters took a picture of me with my "extension", as did Michele and pics will be coming soon to my Facebook.

Plus, I was able to get some nice prop pics and I used Josh as my model. He was cool about it after I explained what I was doing. Now all I have to do is use up the rest of my film and get it developed (which won't be hard after Tuesday when we go to Pat McGuire's).

Today, we have music rehearsal, and that will be fun. Maybe I'll use up some of my film over there, get some more rehearsal shots. :)

That said, I must away. Mom wants to go to breakfast and I must finish getting ready. :)

Happy 4th of July!

Today is the day that we as Americans celebrate our freedom from the British. I'll be donning red, white, and blue, and be happy to live in this country.

I know I complain about the government sometimes, as well as their right wing policies, but I really am blessed to live in a country where I can express my frustrations and let my feelings be known by my votes in November. Not to mention the fact that I am thankful for the fact that I live in a country where I am free to worship as my conscience dictates.

So there will be no more liberalism for today. Today I will wear patriotic colors, wave Old Glory around, and go to a potluck up in Iowa City where my friends are and we'll celebrate our country's freedom together. I might even call a couple of friends who are long distance right now and wish them a happy 4th. We'll see.

Happy 4th of July, my faithful readers!

Comfortable summer day...

This is my idea of a perfect summer day. It's nice and sunny out and it's not too humid. It's a perfect day to take a walk and I'm thinking about doing just that. And if I do that, then I'll have a better chance of having my brain cells awakened enough to toss out ideas for my rescheduled talk (it was originally scheduled for last Sunday, but because of the flood and the uncertainty of my being able to get up to the branch, it was postponed).

My topic this time is about personal revelation. It's a pretty broad topic. I could talk about the Prophet Joseph Smith's experiences with personal revelation as well as personal revelation in general, maybe even talk about my own experiences with it. It should be interesting.

For now, it's time to put the script away and get started on this talk. :) Slan go foill...

No more rain, please!!!!/my private costume fittings

The storms are back.

Would it be too much to ask if we could recover from the floods and let the ground dry before getting more rounds of rain? I guess so because we're under another severe thunderstorm watch and it's been raining some already today. Makes for pretty humid conditions too. Yay...

Okay, I'm done whining about the weather. Back to all things Lucky Stiff...

I told Scuba that I'd go through my closets to see if I had anything I could wear for the play before we go raid the MCC Costume closets. I actually have a frumpy dress I could wear as Mary Beale, aka the spinster, so she's taken care of. I'll probably wear a simple pink blouse and capri pants as Katie Loomis, Vinnie's new eye patient. It's Callie Sue, aka Southern Lady #1, that I really looked around my closets for. I have this sleek red spaghetti strapped dress from my early college days that I could wear for the club and casino scenes, and there's the black and white dress I got from Jessica last summer that would be great for the train scene, so it looks like she's taken care of too. All that's left is the nun, and I guess we are going to have to raid the MCC Costume closets for a robe and wimple. It's okay, we've got time.

But we're still looking for an emcee. *starts biting her nails...*

First day of a smoke-free Iowa, at least in public places...

We've been waiting for months since it was passed. My good friend thought it was a gutsy move on the State House and Senate's part. But now it's gone into effect as of today. It will be interesting next week when the 'rents and I make the monthly pilgrimage to Pat McGuire's to see Stephen's Green as my dad is a smoker. You'd think this would make him quit, again.

Yes, my faithful readers, my dad is a smoker but he'd actually quit when I was almost nine, going strong for over ten years. And then he started up again when I was in college and I blame my brother, Dave, for it.

There's been a lot of strong debate over this smoking ban ever since it also went into effect at the beginning of the year in Illinois. Some people think it's infringing on smokers' rights. Like if we ban smoking in public places, what's next? Are we going to tell people what they can eat and where? Or what they can wear and where they can wear it? I seriously doubt that's gonna happen.

Rep. Nathan Reichert and I actually talked about that and he said, "What about our rights to clean air?" He's right. I have a right to go to Pat McGuire's or Bennigan's and not have to deal with secondhand smoke in my face. I have friends who are sensitive to secondhand smoke, and they have a right to come with me to public places and not have to deal with it.

I personally think this ban is a good thing for Iowa. If Illinois can have it with success, so can we.