No more numbers, please.

Last night I had a nightmare about math. That is how much I loathe it. I saw the numbers in front of me and immediately felt nauseated. I also felt confused and trapped; why had the page appeared before me? What diabolical genius had plotted my demise in such a horrific manner? Who would save me from this torment? It was quite an uncomfortable feeling. I started struggling through the problems, trying to remember what on earth I had last learned in high school, which hadn't been much--Mrs. Sadler had been my teacher and I had been sitting next to my two friends Andrew and Stephen....needless to say, my senior year of math was basically a joke.
It's not that I don't understand math. I just hate it to the core of my being. I'm actually decent at it. But my will to not do it is so very strong.

If there is a paper to be written, I'm there. A play to direct, put me in charge. A novel to create, I jump at the chance. These are challenges that appeal to me. But ask me to explore the complexities of a logarithm, and I shut off.

My dream came to a happy conclusion when my friend Dain took the paper away from me, saying he would do it.

So, ah, the point of the dream emerges.

I'm going to miss my friend Dain. He is the one friend who, it seems, has always been home. Or, at least, what I consider home: Bountiful Utah. He's been my friend since high school and I hope he will be my friend for many years to come.

That's another thing about me. I am a sentimental old coot. Since high school, I have made many new friends, of course. But the friends that have always meant the most to me are the friends I've had since good ol' Woods Cross High. They are the friends I hang with, eat with, travel with. The friends whose couches I have crashed on, whose kitchens I know like my own, whose toilets I've had arguments with. (Whitney, that's for you.) They are the people who tell me to wear sunscreen, who make sure I'm properly hydrated, who hand out food assignments for our next get-togethers. They are like family to me.
I frequently go to dinner at my friend Whitney's, and it's always a good time. I'd been telling my mom about all of our dinners, and she said, "You know, Elise, I think that you might just have lifelong friends in these people." I like that idea. I like the notion of people you know and care about all your life, not because you're obligated to by blood or legal ties, but because you enjoy each other's company so much that you just can't seem to get rid of each other. No matter who moves so far away that, if you have a math assignment, you might have to email it to them...

Blog Time!

A few months ago I decided I finally wanted to start doing this, so here goes. It's taken me a while to actually create a blog, which makes no sense at all, since it's brainlessly easy. Which I liked. I remember back in the day when creating a blog seemed like trying to learn Finnish. Well, perhaps not as hard as that, but you get my meaning.

I'm currently in a show at Rodgers Memorial Theater in Centerville Utah. I'm so excited to be there. Rodgers, like most theaters in Utah, is one of those places where you basically need to be somebody's neice to get in. Needless to say I had tried for ages without any results. Then a couple months ago I saw they were auditioning for Charley's Aunt, a show I had seen at Hale and absolutely loved. I figured I'd audition, just for the heck of it, but then the day of the audition came and I had rehearsal for my other show at the Off Broadway. Not wishing to use gas or miss rehearsal, I ditched the audition.

Much to my surprise, I received a call a week later from one of the producers, who said they would love to have me come to callbacks to read for a part. I was rather pleased. So I went in that week, read for Kitty, a sarcastic and playful young woman of whom one of the college gents, Jack, is rather fond. I liked her character right away because she reminded me of me and because playing her would present a bit of a challenge, which is what I'd been craving for months.

Rehearsals started when I was mid-show at Off Broadway, and that was a bit stressful. I missed a lot, but luckily I'm a quick learner and I was able to memorize all my lines and blocking fairly quickly.

There is a level of professionalism at Rodgers, despite their Community Theater status, that I really enjoy. Jan, my director, is very capable, and he directs much in the style that I do, which is nice. He is very organized with notes beforehand and afterward, and he pushes us to exercise our abilities. He also doesn't sweat the small stuff, because he expects us to be able to work most of it out on our own, which is great. It reminds me of college. It's very refreshing.

These last few months have been sort of hectic with planning two weddings. My mom was married on March 20th. Her wedding was not too difficult, however, as she wanted to keep things simple and only invite family. My sisters and I went to her place on the day of the wedding to help her get ready, then drove over to this gorgeous church on Yale Avenue where our relatives helped with the food and setting up. My sisters and I played some stuff on our strings and piano, and my aunt took pictures. All in all it was a fun evening.

My little sister got engaged in February and decided on April 6th for her wedding. She named me maid of honor, and so I got busy planning, researching, inviting, scheduling, etc. I'm very excited. Her fiancee's name is Jordan Phillips and he's a fantastic guy. We're becoming fast friends.

Other than that, I'm still working on finding a job, which is nearly impossible in the current climate. The levels of frustration I've reached are nearing epic proportions, but I have hope that everything will be all right eventually....