This is what it means

"Real romance is finding that one spot in the crook of his arm to snuggle into, that shared look over the table when the kids are acting crazy, that smile as you share an embarrassing story, and the way he fixes the leaky sink when he is dog-tired after work."  - Anonymous

These are the words of love.....NOT REALLY!!!!!!!

This is a funny German song.  It's a guy singing to a girl...basically telling her to shut-up.  "You're the best thing in the world, I wish there was a silent version of you"

Wisdom of Tess

This week has been, needless to say, weird.  Tess decided to help get me back on track by suggesting we get Golden Spoon (can't turn that down).  On the way back, she produced this lovely gem of genius:

- Tupperware - 

There are all kinds of square, rectangle, and circle Tupperware.  You know how hard it is to find the exact top, because there are so many options.  Finding the right lid takes loads of hunting, sorting, and trying.  Then, of course, there are those star-shaped, hexagonal, and oval Tupperware with lids that are the easiest to find - there's only one kind of lid for them and they fit perfectly right off the bat, no questions asked.  

We are the rectangle Tupperware!!  Your lid still can't be found because we need to find just the right one.  Those star-shaped people can get married so quickly and easily, leaving us lonely rectangles still hunting in the cupboards.  Once a rectangle finds the right lid, there's no going back to the heap.  You, Anne, are an absolutely amazing rectangle and your lid is getting closer.  Lucky for you, your edges haven't been bent or softened by trying multiple lids.  You're in pristine condition.  Your lid is going to be one lucky guy!!


Have I ever mentioned how much I adore and admire my roommates?  If not, then I'll do it now.  My roommates are some of the most fantastic people I have ever met.  They have been so good to me and I have yet to discover what I did in the preexistence to score such wonder "friends and roommates"

Proper English Words

READ SLOWLY . . . IT MAY TAKE A MINUTE FOR THE LIGHT TO SHINE, BUT THESE ARE VERY CLEVER!

1. ARBITRATOR: A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonalds
2. AVOIDABLE: What a bullfighter tries to do
3. BERNADETTE: The act of torching a mortgage
4. BURGLARIZE: What a crook sees with
5. CONTROL: A short, ugly inmate (I had to think about this one. . . but got it!)
6. COUNTERFEITERS: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets
7. ECLIPSE: What a barber does for a living
8. EYEDROPPER: A clumsy ophthalmologist
9. HEROES: What a guy in a boat does
10. LEFTBANK: What the robber did when his bag was full of money
11. MISTY: How golfers create divots
12. PARADOX: Two physicians!
13. PARASITES: What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower
14. PHARMACIST: A helper on the farm
15. POLARIZE: What penguins see with
16. PRIMATE: Removing your spouse from in front of the TV!
17. RELIEF: What trees do in the spring
18. RUBBERNECK: What you do to relax your wife
19. SELFISH: What the owner of a seafood store does
20. SUDAFED: Brought litigation against a government official-!

"Friends and Roommates" 5 yr Reunion

Today is the day we've been planning for since...we can't remember...our FIVE-YEAR REUNION!!

It's 5 years ago, that we all graduated high school, were accepted to BYU, signed up for Freshman housing, moved away and moved in to become "Friends and Roommates".  2007, the year of new beginnings!

Since then, minus a couple months here and there, for missions and two marriages, we have been roommates.

We wanted the day to be full of things we did, do, and love.  Phase 1 - eating at Brick Oven on a Gift Card we got in 2009 for being the model apartment. (a $9.00 balance after not using it since then).  After eating ourselves silly on our favorite pizza - Garlic Chicken - we celebrated Morgan's birthday.

The adventure continued, with a visit to each apartment we've ever lived in together.

Fox 49 - Heritage Halls....2007-2008

W25 - The Elms....2008-2009

N111 - Campus Plaza....2009-2010

We were roommates 2010-2012...roommates in various parts of the world, that is - California, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Brazil, and Austria.

The final stage of the reunion included eating Jello (Emily's specialty) while watching "You've Got Mail", and putting hand-prints on aprons.  Once we began running out of steam, but not of memories and things to say, we decided to create a sort of time-capsule/prediction for each of us to read at our ten year reunion.  Simply sitting around and chatting never felt so good, at least in my opinion.

It's been a real blessing to have these ladies be such an integral part of my life.  They have truly taught me more than almost anyone I've ever met.  It's so fascinating to see each of them now and then to remember how they were.  Seeing what they've become, and how they've stepped onto the springboard for the future; some still on the same path, while others found new trails.  It's a beautiful thing, to see so much direction and purpose in each of us.  After this month, who knows where we'll be or what we'll be doing, but one thing's for positive....we will never forget one another.  Change is hard, but man, it's neat!  I can't imagine where I'd be right now if any stage of our time together had been skipped.  5 years came and went, but I'm so excited for the next 100.  Back, during freshman year, we were voted "most likely to stay friends and have their kids be roommates" -- we've got a long way to eternity!

I'm just too far from where you are, I wanna be...

HOME
3 reasons why I'm glad to be home, and 1 reason to wish I was in Utah...
1) The old memories, pepple, friends, and FAMILY
2) My hair gets extra curly
3) Gas is only $3.17

1...(and only reason) I wish I was in Utah-----HUMIDITY!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm the VIP for the VIPs

This weekend has been AMAZING, to say the least!  Before I divulge the good stuff, I must give some background...

I work in the main building at the MTC in Provo, which means that anything big that happens, happens nearby.  I've only worked there since January, but I still feel the joy of that first day...minus the not-knowing-what to do feeling.  Early May, there was a job-posting for current employees to help with the New Mission Presidents' Seminar in June.  I applied, and got it.

Before the Seminar actually began, we were given a booklet of all attending (MP's, their wives, and General Authorities with their wives).  WE HAD TO MEMORIZE EVERY SINGLE ONE!!  No big deal, except for the face that there are 110 MPs, the First Presidency and the Apostles, Seventies, Sunday School Presidency, YW Presidency, RS Presidency, EQ Presidency, Primary Presidency, Presiding Bishopric...  That's a lot of people to know faces, area/mission serving, and spouse.  I won't lie by admitting I know them all, but I got a good grapple before the day began.

Saturday was the first big day - the arrival.  We were responsible for walking up to the MP's car as they drove through the front gate and tell them what hotel they'd be staying in, where to park, tag and take their luggage, and lead them into the main building.  That was the first face-to-face contact.  Each and every one was amazed that we knew their names as we approached them (bonus if we remembered their mission...smart move to carry the booklet along during the day as a refresher as they pulled in).

Sunday, I got to attend Sacrament Meeting...with the Prophet.  No big deal!  It was a pleasure to be in the same building.  Our duties ranged from patrolling hallways to refreshing ice buckets with water bottles, guiding the MPs to dinner, and straightening the rooms before each meeting.

Needless to say, I've had the following happen to me while enjoying this special experience:

• Spoken German with President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
• Had Elder Robert D. Hales tell me he loves my smile
• Blushed as Sister Ballard told me my dress was gorgeous and my hair amazing
• Been called short by Elder L. Tom Perry (but of course, everyone is short compared to him)
• Talked with Elder Russell M. Nelson for 5 min (my Mission President is his son-in-law)
• Stood guard while President Thomas S. Monson ate lunch
• Guided both Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and Elder D. Todd Christofferson to either the bathroom or the water fountain.

I feel really blessed to have this opportunity to serve some of the people who serve the whole world.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will truly never forget.  Though I come home everyday physically exhausted, emotionally drained, and spiritually wiped out, I know that each napkin, smile, and water bottle just made someone's day better.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

I know my roommates have heard me say it a million times, but I will repeat it (they can skip this part)  I LOVE MY JOB!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!

Today is the day when my dad came into the world...back when dirt was being formed, and our first ancestors had to walk uphill both ways, in the snow, to go to school!  It's so great to have a dad like mine...the only one of his kind.  (Thank goodness!)  I have learned so many wonderful, and sometimes even repetitive lessons from him.  Sooner or later I will realize that he knows a lot.  He is the hardest-working, always willing to help others, full of sarcasm, genuine, funny, sometimes likes my kind of movies, and leading-by-example person I have ever met.  Now that I'm getting older, I notice the traits my brother and I have inherited from him.  We truly are a mixture of the two best people in the world.  This is one of many birthdays I have spent, and will spend, away from my family, but I always know that my dad is there with a tease or a jab at my favorite singers to make me feel like a little kid again.  He is truly a wonderful person, and I'm so grateful he is my dad.

HE IS MY FAVORITE DAD!!!  (the one on the right, that is)

Austrian Summer Craft #1

This week, I was getting a little stir crazy so I decided to do a craft.  While on my mission, I found an antique leather strap with an Edelweiss flower on it, which has just been laying around for awhile with no purpose or reason for being.  That became my craft!  I've always been envious of those missionaries who return with a scripture case symbolic of the area in which they served-- those rainbow striped ones for South America, Leather for Africa, or basket-weave for Philippines-- so that's what I decided to make...a genuine Austrian scripture case.

While wandering the aisles of Joann Fabrics, I called my mom to tell her my plan.  I'd decided to get some plastic needlepoint canvas to use as the skeleton of the case, for stability, and then cover the case in a rustic green material.  She gave me some hints and tips-- look for the demo scraps of fabric, they're cheaper, get a good zipper, and wait till you come home and I'll teach you some more advanced sewing techniques to dress it up.

WELL....I got home from the store, items in hand, and set to work.  I was only going to do the skeleton and then do the rest with mom.  BUT....I got too excited, so I moved on to the next step...then I decided to wait till I could use a sewing machine, but again, I got too excited so I sewed a bit by hand...and then the next...and then the next until, finally, it's all done.  I'm so pleased with how the case turned out.

Supplies, all ready to go - TOTAL $7.50

20" x 20" Fabric swatch...only cost $2

Skeleton

Testing it out

Making the pattern 

All pinned together

Sewing the zipper to the fabric

Adding the zipper

ALL DONE!!  That leather strap is true Austrian fashion!

  

I'M SOOOOOO HAPPY WITH HOW IT TURNED OUT. 

I will definitely do one of these again.  Who knows, maybe in 3 years, I'll be ready to make a new souvenir holder.  Next time however, I'll use a sewing machine.

Elbow-grease and beads of sweat

The best thing in the world happened to me today.  Two of my classes decided we'd had enough learning and were cancelled, so I only had one class to go to (and I was even considering not going and just finishing projects to prepare for finals).  I get to class and the Professor asks to speak to me after class.

I panicked!

What did I do now?!?

Did I forget to turn some big thing in?

Class was a hand-wringer and nail-biter as I tried to decipher why in the world she'd need to speak to me privately.  After class, she handed me a piece of paper and told me to have an awesome summer.  Confused, I read over the letter she'd placed in my nervous hand.  Great, I've failed out of her class and this is the official BYU letterhead notification of my flunking out of BYU.

It read (translated)...

"Dear Anne Marie, You have worked hard this entire semester and should therefore receive a reward.  Here are your instructions regarding the final exam.
1. Don't study for the exam.
2. Come to my office on the day of the final to collect your papers and assignments.
3. If you come to my office during that time...
4. You won't need to come to the final exam.
Important: You must come to my office during the above mentioned times, if you do not want to take the final exam.  If you come to class or not to my office, you will need to take the exam.  
Your grade for German 302 is A
It was a pleasure having you in my class.  Thank you for your cooperation and interest in class.  You are intelligent, hard-working  and a wonderful kind of person to work with, and will have a wonderful future.  Good luck in the future and best wishes.  Let me know how things so, and pleas continue with German.  Visit Germany, Austria, and Switzerland often!

Sincerely,
Professor Osman"

I am in such a good mood now!!  I love hard work, and I truly feel blessed that this semester has gone as well as it has.  This semester has been, by far, the best in my entire college-career, and I have loved every single minute of it.

Finals are Films

I had to do 2 videos, as final projects, for German classes.  Why is it, in college that we have to do so many random projects?!?

This video is a mock news broadcast about an article discussing Turkish immigrants in Germany.  It's supposed to be funny.

This is also my first attempt at using the "Windows Movie Maker" and actually making a video.  I'm pretty proud of myself.  Only took me a day to figure the program out.  ENJOY!!

Oh the things I can do

As a class assignment, we had to mimic various famous writings.  These are a few of the ones I enjoy the most.  (The orange is my own writing)

Doctrine & Covenants 122: 6-7

"If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb; And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.  If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations;  if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring,and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you?  and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;  And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee;  if thou be cast into the deep;  if the billowing surge conspire against thee;  if fierce winds become thine enemy;   if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."

If thou art accursed with all manner of craziness if thine roommates drop to the floor if they tear thee from the company of thy homework and textbooks and essays and if with a double-feature thine and nail polish roommates tear thee from the bosom of the testing center, and of thine study groups.  And thine TA, although but 2 years older, shall cling to thy ID number, and shall say, My student, my student, why can’t you stay in class?  O, my student, what are the roommates going to do with you?  and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the movie, and thou be dragged to a girls’ night, and thine roommates prowl around thee like a vulture for the flesh of the carcass.  And if thou shouldst be cast into the lovesack, or into the hands of makeovers, and the sentence of all-nighter passed upon thee, if thou be cast into the pajamas; if the growing blanket-tent ascend before thee; if howling giggles become thine hypnosis if the night gather stardust and all the game choices combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of midnight showing shall linger open the dollar movie theater know thou, my friend, that all these things shall give thee a fun time....And shall help thee with sanity.

Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

We hold these tests to be self-destroying, that all students are studying evenly, that they are endowed by their professor with certain unalienable study tips,that among these are Fun, Freedom, and the pursuit of the right study group. – That to secure these “good grades,” classes are instituted among students, deriving their extra credits from the consent of the TA, - That whenever any Form of Review Guide becomes unavailable to these striving geniuses, it is the Right of the Students to ask for or to receive it, and to institute a new Grading procedure, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Graduation and Success.

Frederick Douglass’ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?

"They were peace men; but they preferred revolution to peaceful submission to bondage.  They were quiet men; but they did not shrink from agitating against oppression.  They showed forbearance; but that they knew its limits.  They believed in order; but not in the order of tyranny.  With them, nothing was "settled" that was not right.  With them, justice, liberty and humanity were "final";  not slavery and oppression.

You may well cherish the memory of such men.  They were great in their day and generation.  Their solid manhood stands out the more as we contrast it with these degenerate times."

They were funny girls; but they preferred unending laughter to peaceful study sessions.  They were quiet girls; but they did not shrink from bursting at the seams with adventure.  They showed endurance; but they knew its limits.  They believed in schedules, but not in overbooking.  With them, nothing was “given up” that was not fought for.  With them, excitement, originality, and creativity were “ultimate”; not sadness and sorrow.  You may well cherish the memory of such friends.  They were great in their day and apartment.  Their solid friendship stands out the more as we contrast it with these stressful times.

The Declaration of Stupidity

We hold these tests to be self-destroying, that all students are studying evenly, that they are endowed by their professor with certain unalienable study tips,that among these are Fun, Freedom, and the pursuit of the right study group. – That to secure these “good grades,” classes are instituted among students, deriving their extra credits from the consent of the TA, - That whenever any Form of Review Guide becomes unavailable to these striving geniuses, it is the Right of the Students to ask for or to receive it, and to institute a new Grading procedure, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Graduation and Success.

Imitation of D&C 122:6-7

If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations;

If thou art accursed with all manner of craziness

if thine enemies fall upon thee;

if thine roommates drop to the floor

if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters;

if they tear thee from the company of thy homework and textbooks and essays

and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring,

and if with a double-feature thine and nail polish roommates tear thee from the bosom of the testing center, and of thine study groups

and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you?

and thine TA, although but 2 years older, shall cling to thy ID number, and shall say, My student, my student, why can’t you stay in class? O, my student, what are the roommates going to do with you?

and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the movie, and thou be dragged to a girls’ night, and thine roommates prowl around thee like a vulture for the flesh of the carcass

And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; 

And if thou shouldst be cast into the lovesack, or into the hands of makeovers, and the sentence of all-nighter passed upon thee

if thou be cast into the deep; 

if thou be cast into the pajamas;

if the billowing surge conspire against thee; 

if the growing blanket-tent ascend before thee;

if fierce winds become thine enemy;

if howling giggles become thine hypnosis

if the heavens gather blackness,

if the night gather stardust

and all the elements combine to hedge up the way;

and all the game choices combine to hedge up the way;

and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee,

and above all, if the very clutches of midnight showing shall linger open the dollar movie theater

know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience,

know thou, my friend, that all these things shall give thee a fun time

and shall be for thy good.

And shall help thee with finals.

I am in a funny mood

This is too funny!  Watch this one first!!

...and then watch this one!!

If I were...

I knew I fit in somewhere!!  Check out these people I have a lot in common with
(see if you can figure out who they are)

If I were a genius, I'd be... ALBERT EINSTEIN

left-handed, curly/fuzzy, hair, speaks German 

If I were a US President, I'd be...RONALD REAGAN

left-handed, likes movies (he was a movie star) 

If I were an old-movie star, I'd be...JUDY GARLAND 

 

left-handed, curly hair, love musicals 

If I were a writer, I'd be...LEWIS CARROLL

left-handed, curly hair, imaginative, likes to read 

If I were a TV-star, I'd be...OPRAH WINFREY

 

left-handed, curly hair, opinion matters, know random facts 

If I were an inventor, I'd be...HENRY FORD

left-handed, curly hair, knows a lot about cars 

If I were a musician, I'd be...MOZART

left-handed, curly hair, plays piano, lived in Vienna and Salzburg 

If I were a baseball player, I'd be...BABE RUTH

left-handed, curly hair, if you trade me in I'll curse you 

If I were a pro golfer, I'd be...PHIL MICKELSON

 

left-handed, curly hair, blue eyes, plays golf, doesn't give up 

If I were an adorable 2yr old with a new brother, I'd be...

left-handed, curly hair, blue eyes, funny, talented, interesting...oh wait...THAT'S ME!!!

The votes are in ~~~~~~ left-handed curly people are pretty fantabulous and never-to-be-forgotten!!!

Life is a Rollercoaster, just got to ride it!

I'm taking my life by the horns and doing something with it!!!  I've always been the type to just take things; let them happen and don't say a word, agree with opinions while hiding my thoughts, change what I like and do for others.  Lately, however, I've grown more accustomed to being me.

This new trait became really evident to me this past week.  I went down to visit the "Friends and Roommates" where KG was watching "A Knight's Tale" on her laptop.  We started chatting about the movie and I simply said that I didn't really like it.  KG was semi-shocked because she thought I did like it.  After that, I pointed out that I had just realized how much I've changed.  My opinion matters...to me...and I voice it.

CF and M said to me last week that they've noticed how "stylish" I am.  That blew me to another dimension.  I didn't realize or ever think that I was stylish, I was just using the clothes I've had for years in new ways.  I'm just being me instead of foretelling what others would say if I wore certain outfits.

My new buddies AP and D are absolutely phenomenally super and I really appreciate their new perspectives.  AP adds a bit of a spice to my life.  D is my movie-buddy, I can just see us enjoying our weekends with our favorite movies......or Bride and Prejudice.  I can't wait to be their roommate!

This week brings a new change and I'm looking forward to it.  No nerves or turning back is in my mind.  I'm ready for it!!!  My rollercoaster is in motion and I've got my hands in the air on the dips.

Meditation on Singledom

Perchance, she for whom the phone rings may at once find herself in the aura of the accepted, the dream of the dateable; and perchance she may think herself so much better than she is, as that they who are about to text her, and see her state, may have caused it to vibrate for me, and I know not that. Must all of singledom be shallow? The cell phone is accessible, multipurpose, so are all its functions; all that it is communicates admittance and recognition to all. When the single girl accepts the call, that action concerns the roommates; for that acquaintance is thereby connected to that body which is the local surroundings too, and infused into that organization whereof we seek to be a member – the TAKEN. And when that call is dropped or that chat deleted, that action concerns me: all society is of one service-provider, and is one on-going tête-à-tête; when one number becomes unattainable or unavailable, one contact is not deleted, but placed into the memory card of the former friendships or the databank of the dropped acquaintances; and every contact must be so upgraded; society employs several models which assist the user in the jump towards acceptance and popularity…as well as marriage. Such a minuscule mandate for communal connection is compulsory. Some buttons and keys are activated, some by touch-screen, some by thumb-grease, some by voice-activation or wireless remotes; but the cell phone’s hand is in every camaraderie and relationship, and its hand shall bind up the outcasts of all our scattered megabytes of invitations and flirtations. As therefore the phone that rings to a gathering calls not upon the queen bee only, but upon the worker bees to come, so this ringtone calls to us all; but how much more me, who am brought so near the dream wedding by this pixel.

There was a categorization as far as cliques (in which both hobbies and favorites, appearance and hygiene, were mingled), which of the invitations should ring to game nights or movie outings first thing on the weekend; and it was determined, that they should vibrate first that arose the latest. If we understand aright the rules of society and dating of this device that rings for our evening excursion, we would be glad to make singledom ours by staying out late, in that application, that it might be ours as well as hers (the ladies’ man or serial-dater) whose indeed it is.

That web-access doth bond her that thinks it doth to her destiny, the lonely with the social butterfly, the unnoticed with the bell of the ball; and though the lack of confidence intercept the signal again, yet from the moment the invitation is received this occasion wrought upon her brings, he is united to her soul mate. Who perks not her ear to the ding when it chimes? But who takes off her headphones for a glimmer of the desired caller? Who bends not her arm under the desk to conceal the twinkle from the screen in class when the professor ceases to observe? But who can remove the addiction from that party which is sounding the Siren call, as to the traveler Odysseus, from within the confines of the library stall?

No social rendezvous is private when one has roommates; every conversation, look, or encounter is not meaningless; it is all a part of the hoped-for fairy-tale ending. If a message be censored and contrived by the company, the lonely is the more obscure, as well as if she had never developed a personality on her own; any friend’s influence upon me reduces my true desire to achieve, because I am involved in the all-nighters and sleepovers, and therefore never cease to know for whom the phone rings; excuse me, for it rings for me now.

Neither can we call this a begging of misery, or a borrowing of wallow, as though we were not unaccepted enough of ourselves, but must retrieve more from the next dinner-group, in taking upon us the duty of the party planning. Truly, it were a forgivable desire if we did, for popularity is a ringtone, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No night-owl hath peace and quiet enough that is not matured and ripened by the sensation of the ring and made fit for dates and goings-on of the ward. If a girl carry an iPad in her purse, or a laptop in her backpack, and have not updated it into the most modern technology, her reception will not be enhanced as she journeys. Distraction is divine in the nature of it, but it is not score in the Sudoku, or the Album in the Facebook, that draws the attention, except we get nearer and nearer our goal, acceptance, by it. Her rival may be sick, and covered in zits, and this tribulation may lie in her eating habits or hygiene, as yellow teeth and sloppy eye-liner, and be of no use to her; but this phone, that tells me of my roommate’s popularity, propels and enhances the guy-girl-ratio: if by this consideration of another’s popularity I take mine own into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my advertisement to my fellow singles, who are my only competition.

I have CONFIDENCE...in me!

What will this day be like? I wonder.
What will my future be? I wonder.

It could be so EXCITING to be out in the world, to be free
My heart should be wildly rejoicing
Oh, what's the matter with me?

I've always longed for adventure
To do the things I've never dared
And here I'm facing adventure
They why am I so scared?

A captain with seven children
What's so fearsome about that?

Oh, I MUST STOP THESE DOUBTS, ALL THESE WORRIES
If I don't just know I'll turn back
I MUST DREAM of the things I am seeking
I AM SEEKING THE COURAGE I LACK

The COURAGE to serve them with RELIANCE
Face my mistakes without defiance

Show them I'm worthy

And while I show them
I'LL SHOW ME

So, let them bring on all their problems

I'LL DO BETTER THAN MY BEST

I have CONFIDENCE they'll put me to the test

But I'll make them see I have CONFIDENCE in me

SOMEHOW I WILL IMPRESS THEM

I will be firm but kind
And all those children (Heaven bless them!)
They will look up to me...and mind me

WITH EACH STEP I AM MORE CERTAINEVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT FINE
I HAVE CONFIDENCE THE WORLD CAN ALL BE MINE
THEY'LL HAVE TO AGREE I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN ME 
I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN SUNSHINE
I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN RAIN
I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT SPRING WILL COME AGAIN
BESIDES WHICH YOU SEE I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN ME

STRENGTH doesn't lie in numbers
Strength doesn't lie in wealth
Strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers
When you wake up. -- Wake Up!

It tells me all I TRUST I lead my heart to
All I trust becomes my own

I have CONFIDENCE in CONFIDENCE alone
(Oh help!)

I have CONFIDENCE in CONFIDENCE alone
Besides which you see I have CONFIDENCE in me!

Encomium of Musicals

Prooemion

Where would the 50s and 60s be without movie musicals?  Dead!  What would happen to social-life if there were not the background music and dancing?  Dead!  Mute and mime and speed and time should be revered with reverence if preferred and receive the railings if ridiculous.  Without music, there would be no dancing, and without dancing there would be no musicals, without musicals, there would be no life.  A musical is the breath of life – the loss of breath by the dance, and the life of the lyrics.  Hence, life would be meaningless without musicals.  Can you imagine not seeing a man walk down the street without getting his “groove on” or a woman having just been asked out by the man of her dreams simply telling the story without singing it to the local woodland creatures?  For my part, by introducing some reasoning into my speech, I wish to prove the popularity and, having exonerated the Etude from its exile, release the reason from the reprise.  Mindless moments of meaningless meandering might be miserable if it were not for the magical musings of a miraculous musical.  What more can be said?  Nothing, the silence has been magnified by the sound…the sound of music. 

Narration

After the caveman beating his chest, came the court jester’s timbrel.  After the court jester, came the plunking harpsichord.  After the harpsichord, came the Salvation Army band.  After the band, came the silence…the silence of the Silent movie.  These silent megaphones blasted the world with the love and the war, but not the sound.  Musicals got their start after the Silents graciously stepped aside in order for such a splendid and flawless piece of art; no fault.  They just realized that the world could not live without the song AND dance.  The sun will come out tomorrow, but the moon will set on the sound of music if it had not been for the advancement of the age.  Soon after, many other countries decided to pride themselves on their culture and produce their own kind of musicals.  Having the lush color of a Bollywood just enhances the joy that is felt when seeing life played out with such pleasure and leisure.  Simply singing was hyper-drived into third gear by adding dancing WHILE singing, what a pleasure.  What a splendid feat of the imagination!  No longer were social clubs to be the only source of lovely singing voices of those who stood in extravagant gowns and audacious head-pieces of audacious creation.  The whole world saw and accepted.  The musicals were the signature on the contract to sell the world’s soul to the Fates.  Throughout the fifties and sixties, audiences were enthralled by the sheer-genius of the “sung-en word”…normal life became intercepted.   This genre of performance has lasted from the early 1900s until the present-day when many of the “classics” are being remade and rebooted.

Proposition

For either by the intercession of the gods or by the survival of the fittest, mankind has learned to admit how lost they are without musicals.  One can live without internet and news, no need for games or sports, not a single story can be told without music. Musicals are the mastermind of the music, the genius of the glee, the fabulousness of the fame, and the dreams of the dance.    

Proof

You can live without internet and news.  Such menial things cannot possibly begin to influence the way your life is lived.  They are just mediums for a false mask to be placed upon your personality or the happenings of the world around us.  The news is only filled with tragedy and sorrow anyway, so why not delve into the lush beauty and supreme majesty that is found within the bars of a musical soliloquy.  You can endure the coldness of a mother-in-laws kiss, but can you survive the solitude of the silence?

Now if through the first, you have not been convinced, now comes the predetermination to meditate on the real response of entertainment.  No need for games or sports. The beat is boring without the excitement of the next verse.  The physical exercise and teamwork that is supposed on the soccer field or professed on the tennis court cannot be compared to the heart-pumping, knee-slapping, head-bouncing physical exertion in a musical.  It is a proven fact that dancers and singers are as agile and fit as an athlete.  Just look at the abs of an alto or the buffness of a baritone.  A ballerina can stand heads and TOES above the crowd of a football team and a tapper can draw more attention than the squeak of sneakers on the basketball key.

But if it is impossible to live without the joy, it is clear that not a single story can be told without music.  Look at the variety, or lack of, in the everyday movies – guy likes girl, chases girl, convinces girl, sleeps with girl, leaves girl, the end…OR guy hates guy, challenges guy, fights guy, chases guy, kills guy, gets girl, the end; literally, THE END.  The same story segments are rundown and played out so much that each and every movie can reveal the boring lifestyle of a screen-writer as it is played out in his work.  Now take a musical; the stories vary as often as the harmonies.  Many a story has been called, but few have been chosen to receive the honor of the music.  Who could have predicted the end of Doris Day’s Calamity Jane, the twist in Bye Bye Birdie, the relationship-revelations of Mamma Mia, the love-triangle of Wicked, or the hidden menace of Kismet.  The stories are real, the rulings are final…this is Judge Judy (Garland).

I both deem and define all music as the meter of the mind.  Love and hate, virtue and vice, joy and pain, all fade and dissolve into the wholeness of the harmony.  Cadence can be condensed, Baroque can be borrowed, dynamics can be denied, and the falsetto can be finished, but the interval is never interrupted.  The key signature is always turned in the lock of the heart.

Epilogue

How then can it be otherwise answered that life cannot be lived without a Libretto or a Ligature? Now, your mind has been melted, your heart has hyper-extended, and your feet have flittered down the street.  Your stomach has done as many somersaults as the dashing leading man, your palms are permanently indented with the crescent moons of your nails just like the ones mirrored in the star-struck eyes of the beautiful girl in love.  I have by means of speech removed any shadow of a doubt that the lyrics and the dance bring existence its romance.  You and your parents have found common ground on taste as you choose to move to the dark side of their childhood, permanently.  Your life has new meaning as the songs trickle through your memory all day.  You find a new beat in your step.  You have been transported to the world of musicals and converted to the power of the dance.  I have observed the insensitivity of the individual towards the show-tunes and have tried to end the enduring enmity; I wished to whisk the wasteful into a wonderful wildness of the well-in-tuned.  Welcome to the real world!

Speeded-ddddd

I've been realizing something lately....I am fast.

I walk fast

I eat fast

I type fast

I read fast

I shower fast

I get ready fast

I fall asleep fast

I get bored fast

I find something new to do fast

I conjure up new ideas fast

I think fast

I play games fast

I clean fast

I work fast