Daily Outfit: 7/6/11

Printed Floral Shirt: Hand-me-down Similar print, different cut
High-waisted Cut-offs: I chopped up some old hand-me-down jeans similar (MUCH shorter)
Old Flip-Flops: Payless Shoe Source Similar


One of the blogs I follow does this exact daily segment. She has a great sense of style and I love her outfits. I love my outfits, too, so I though I would do the segment, too. 'Cause I'm a bit of a copycat.

See? REALLY old flip-flops. The flowers fell off.

(PS: I apologize for the lighting quality. We took them at nighttime. I hate flash.)

"Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" Review **SPOILERS**

My Rating Scale:
* = AWFUL
** = Pretty bad
*** = Not great, but still worth seeing
**** = Memorable, really good
***** = FANTASTIC

"Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"
Story ***
Characters *****
Performance ****
Standing As A Sequel **
Overall Rating ***

PoTC 4 is easily the worst in the series. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it -- I did -- but in comparison with the other movies, "The Curse of The Black Pearl" especially, it pales. A lot.

Part of it was, of course, the gaping absence of William Turner and Elizabeth Swann, both of whom are much beloved characters from the original three movies. Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp), the unquestioned favorite character, remained. It was nice to see a movie that focuses just on Jack... Except it didn't just focus on Jack.

The movie was billed to us as a sort of spin-off story, a movie that closes off Jack's story the same way Will's and Elizabeth's were closed off. Jack would finally get a love interest (played by Penelope Cruz), would reach the Fountain of Youth and make a decision, either to live forever or to be content with the life he was given, and then sail off into the sunset with his girlfriend beside him as epic music played us into the credits. And the series would be over. Much-loved and stretched to the breaking point, but unquestionably over.

But no. Not only does Jack not actually get the girl (he gets her, but leaves her on an island -- why? Don't ask me), he does not sail off into the sunset. The movie ends with him making plans to retrieve his ship, and we are left on a cliff-hanger, and we leave the theater knowing that there will be another sequel, and we will have to come back and watch it, because we love Jack too much not to come back.

Not only that, but the movie gives us yet another side-romance, this time between a very handsome missionary and a mermaid. I know how weird that sentence sounds. Try typing it. Philip Swift (played by Sam Claflin) is a missionary who is taken captive by Blackbeard (played by Ian McShane) during a raid on his village, rather than killed, because Blackbeard wants someone to put in a good word for him with God. So tying the "someone" to the mast is definitely a good way to make sure that the word he gives God is actually good.

One of the problems I had with this movie was that Philip's name was mentioned about twice throughout the whole film. My friends and I still think of him as "that cute missionary dude", because for the longest time we had no idea what his name was. And then there was the matter of his love story.

Why, oh, why, must movie-makers persist in creating romances for every handsome guy in their films? They seem to work by the rule "He is handsome: Therefore he must have a girlfriend and not die". Philip is badly wounded, but I didn't feel any tension. I knew he would live, because he's good-looking. And guess what? He lived.

His romance with the mermaid Syrena (played by Astrid Berges-Frisbey) is pretty sweet. He sees her, thinks she's pretty, and rather than kill her gets her captured by Blackbeard's men, and then takes care of her as they march her to the ritual grounds; they need one of her tears to successfully drink from the Fountain of Youth. Then, when she is left to die and he is wounded, he frees her and she heals him, and then they swim off into the distance to live what I assume is happily ever after. The love story itself didn't bother me -- it was the fact that the movie-makers thought it was necessary. Rather than, I don't know, give us a male character with some depth all his own that isn't defined by a girl, with some real character development that isn't driven by a girl, they gave us a male character whose story is entirely defined by a girl. Honestly, he wasn't there to pray for Blackbeard. He was there to fall in love. Other than that, his character made no impact on the actual story. He was unnecessary, had about three minutes of dialogue with the main characters, and took his shirt off. That seems to be a very popular thing to do among handsome male characters these days. At least when Jack Sparrow did it it was funny, because there were about fifty half-naked Jacks running around a ship making animal noises.

Now, I actually did like Philip as a character. Had he been given some real character development, he would have been excellent. Sam Claflin performed him very well, his faith in God was evident, and he seemed like a really great guy. Unfortunately, the only time I saw him show his great-guy-ness was when he was around Syrena, and once when he tried to stop Blackbeard from murdering somebody.

This brings us to Syrena. She was captured by the crew to use one of her tears for the Fountain of Youth, fell in love with Philip (you know how I feel about that) and... Yeah, that's pretty much it. Like Philip, she had very little character development. Mostly she stares at people. What really bugs me about this is that she really had the potential to be a great character. When we first meet her, she saves Philip from a falling, flaming log. Clearly she has good qualities. But, like Philip, she is entirely defined by her romance. She does matter to the story, as her tears are needed, but she might as well have been a prop for all the impact she makes on it.

The main story, however, does manage to hold up. Geoffrey Rush returns as Barbossa, now one-legged and uglier than ever, on a quest for revenge against Blackbeard. The latter apparently attacked and sunk his ship, tried to kill Barbossa by bringing the ship to life, wrapping a rope around Barbossa's ankle, and trying to pull him down to the bottom. Barbossa, desperate to live, severed his own leg and vowed vengeance. Jack actually ends up helping him. The best scene in the movie takes place when Jack and Barbossa are both captured by I don't remember who, and discuss their plans. It sounds boring, but it isn't.

Meanwhile, Jack has his own romance going with Penelope Cruz, Blackbeard's daughter Angelica, which unfortunately goes unfulfilled. I really wanted him to get the girl; he certainly deserved it, after having his heart broken by Elizabeth again... and again... and again... But, Jack being Jack, and Jack being unpredictable, he saves her life and then maroons her on an island. Poor Penelope. How sexist of him.

In the end, Blackbeard dies, Barbossa gets his revenge, the missionary and the mermaid swim off into the ocean, and Jack's is, once again, the only story that goes unresolved.

This could have been a fantastic movie. It had the potential. But it just didn't try. Was it awful? Absolutely not. Was it fantastic? Absolutely not. Was it memorable? Sometimes. Is it worth seeing? Yes. The scenery is beautiful, the acting is great, there are both moments of poignancy and moments of great humour, and there are times when all you can do is laugh and say, "There's the Jack we know and love". Because he's there, and we do love him, and in a year or so we'll all head back to the theater to see PoTC 5, because he deserves it, even if the side characters and/or movie-makers don't.

So, to be prepared, we shall need a goat, a man who plays the trumpet, and someone to stand off to the side and do THIS.

You know a man who owns a goat...

Good. You can play the trumpet and I shall stand off to the side and do THIS.

Savvy?

The Top 10 Movies I Like But Everyone Else Seems To Hate

10.) Avatar (No, not The Last Airbender)
This just came out a couple of years ago, and it did really well in the Box Office (I mean, really REALLY well, as in, the highest grossing film of ALL TIME) but everyone I asked about it really seemed to hate it. I don't understand that. I watched it with my family, and we all really enjoyed it. It wasn't perfect by any means -- there was that whole thing about Jake saying that "Pandora was his land" when in fact, he was an invader, too, and so just as much to blame for the destruction of Home Tree as the rest of the humans, and then there were the not-so-subtle similarities to the Pocahontas story, which they never really owned up to -- but it was well-meant and almost well-done, nonetheless, not to mention gorgeous to watch. Plus, Sam Worthington is cute.

9.) Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
I love Tim Burton. Therefore, I love anything directed by Time Burton. It just goes without  saying -- but I'm still saying it. I actually really enjoyed the recent remake of the Chocolate Factory. I of course loved the old version with Gene Wilder playing Mr Wonka, but the tones of the two movies are completely different. The Wilder version is sweeter and more light-hearted, while the Depp version is darker, stranger, and more twister -- which, if you've read the original Roald Dahl book upon which both movies are based, like I have, you'll have to agree is far more accurate. In fact, though the premise is the same with both movies, the older version is completely INaccurate, with the newer version being by-the-book in almost everything, right down to the dialogue. Roald Dahl was the Tim Burton of his era, coming out with books such as "Matilda", "The BFG", "James and The Giant Peach", "The Twits", and "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory", to name a few, the like of which had really never been read before. Dahl was NOT your cookie-cutter author, much like today's Tim Burton. In fact, Roald Dahl despised the sweet-as-sugar Wilder version that came out while he was still alive. I think I can safely say that he would like the new version much better, and, truth be told, so do I. Tim Burton directing a film based on a book by Roald Dahl? It's a perfect fit, and I hope to see it again.

8.) Pride And Prejudice (2005)
I put this one pretty low on the list because most of the girls I know, myself included, actually love this version. That's why I was so shocked to find out that in the world of Jane Austen fan-dom, this version is considered amateur at best, and downright insulting at worst. I don't see where they get this idea. On the technical side of things, the acting and writing is great, and the photography and lighting are simply stunning, while on the romantic side... Well, let's just say my heart pounds every time Mr Darcy proposes. EVERY time. Of course, in some ways I prefer the ever-popular BBC version (mostly I just prefer Colin Firth) but really all in all, this version is sweeter, smarter, kinder, prettier to look at, and more romantic -- which, after all, is the point of any Jane Austen book or film.

7.) The Black Cauldron
This is considered to be one of the worst Disney animated films of all time, if not THE worst, and I can understand why. The movie pales in comparison to most of the studio's other films, such as "101 Dalmations", "Bambi" or "The Lion King". Besides that, it scared the living snot out of every kid who watched it -- also understandable. The villain is by far Disney's creepiest, with his deep, gravelly voice and skeleton mask, both of which rival Tolkien's Nazgul on the creep-o-meter. But, surprisingly, the villain is what saves this movie for me. Yeah, he scared to to tears as a child, but now he's kinda cool, in a Voldemort-ish sort of way. Besides, with characters like a dumb-blonde, whiny-voiced princess who follows shiny objects around, a useless farmboy who fails even at keeping an eye on one single, tiny pig, and that *shudders* "Gurgy" thing, how can you not like the Skeleton King, even if it's just a little bit? At least he's exciting.

6.) Inspector Gadget
I'm just gonna say this right now: I love Matthew Broderick. I know I'm in the minority on this, but it's true. I think he's very talented, and can certainly act when given a good script to work with (for example, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "The Freshman", "The Lion King"). Unfortunately, this movie's script isn't really that great, and at times Broderick's performance is almost laughable. But... I don't know, maybe it's nostalgia, but I can't help but like this movie. It's fun to watch, innocent, and obviously well-intended, and despite its shortcomings it has a certain charm to it. It has an almost childish feel, like the big sappy grin a kid gets when he manages to make a grown-up laugh. It's impossible not to like, at least for me, so that's why it's claimed number 6 on my list.

5.) Mission Impossible III
This was the first film I saw of the MI series, and I seriously loved it. In fact, I was absolutely stunned when I found out that most MI fans hate this movie with a passion. I really don't know why they hate it so much. The story's great, Tom Cruise's acting is fantastic (the opening scene had me frozen, shocked, and with my mouth hanging open), and I LOVE the editing. It of course has flaws, but those are pretty much limited to the speed of the story -- I at times felt that it was moving too fast. When I eventually did watch the first two of the series, I of course loved them, but MI3 didn't change for me. Actually, although I found it wasn't as good as the first, I liked it better than MI2. It seemed to me that director JJ Abrams, as well as production team Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, made a sincere effort to make a sequel that told a different story than, but was just as good as, its predecessors, and it shows. It was bittersweet, edgy, and fun to watch, and therefore deserving of the first top spot on my list.

4.) Beastly
This movie was, almost literally, ravaged by critics. Although it was eaten up by the teenage girl/"Twilight" fan demographic, I'm not kidding; I could not find one single review that did not tear this movie limb-from-limb. Even my thirteen-year-old sister came home saying that it was okay, but it felt kind of empty and she'd seen better. So why, you ask, is "Beastly" number four on this list? Well, 'cause... 'cause it's romantic! There, I said it. I, Lauren Elizabeth Smith, think that a chick flick, and not just any chick flick, a chick-flick intended to rake in money from Robert-Pattinson-obssessed "Twilight" fans, is romantic. That's not all, either. I thought it was well-written, well-acted, and a good take on the "Beauty and The Beast" story. Plus, Neil Patrick Harris is just adorable, regardless of... certain aspects of his character.

3.) Prince Caspian
Even though most of my friends really enjoyed it (many of my female friends, including myself, particularly enjoyed a rather grown-up William Moseley as Peter Pevensie and tall-dark-and-handsome new-comer Ben Barnes as the title character), this film was a flop with the majority of the series' fans, mainly because of drastic changes from the original storyline created by CS Lewis (for instance, the romance between Prince Caspian and Susan Pevensie). However, I love this movie. While I also adore the book, "Prince Caspian" is probably my least favorite book of the series. While never lacking in the charm possessed by all the Narnia books, the storyline by turns tended to become rather dull and confusing, and I occassionally found myself wishing I was reading other books instead. Leaving the story as it was would have ruined the movie (as proven by the gosh-awful BBC series) and the changes were necessary to successfully "cinematize" the story. Director Andrew Adamson did a wonderful job, and the changes fit seamlessly into the original storyline, amking an entertaining, engaging, interesting, and sometimes bittersweet film that truly reflects on who God is and what He expects from us.

2.) King Kong (2005)
Even though there are lots of people who think that this is the only remake truly capable of rivaling the original 1933 picture, I put this one really high on my list because it has managed to place sixth in my list of top favorite movies of all time, a position at extreme odds with the people who think that any remake is an insult to the original. I really can't say if it is -- I've never seen the old one. As a stand-alone film, though, "King Kong" rocks, even if there are a few hokey, over-the-top moments (i.e., three T-Rex-es battling to the death over on tiny human doesn't really make much sense, but it makes for a pretty epic battle sequence). I hope to see the original someday, but even when I do, I'm sure it won't change my opinion about this great remake.

And the number 1 movie I like but everyone else seems to hate is...

1.) Steven Speilberg's War of The Worlds (2005)
This movie has probably gotten the most crap out of any movie Mr Speilberg has created (excpet maybe the newest Indiana Jones movie, which, by the way, would be number 11 on this list if there was a number 11). Unlike the other films I've mentioned, I honestly can't find one single reason why it's considered as bad as it is -- actually, in my list of all-time favorite movies, it placed fourth. I've heard all the arguments against it, though, so I'm going to dispute them one at a time.
a) The aliens look stupid.
Think about it. If you ever met one of those things in realy life, how would you react? Would you say, "Hey, you look stupid"? No. You'd pee your pants.
b) The writing is bad.
No it isn't. I've seen badly written movies ("G Force"), and this is not one of them. Actually, the writing seems very natural and down-to-earth. This is stuff people actually say.
c) If the aliens had been studying us for millions of years, why didn't they realize that our bacteria would kill them?
It's like stepping on one of those poisonous Japanese fish. You know it's there, but you forget to watch out for it, you step on it, and you die. Really, I just think the aliens got cocky -- like "We have all this advanced technology, and these humans are so primitive. Surely we can handle something like bacteria."
d) Dakota Fanning's character is annoying.
Yeah, she is, but so would any kid be in that situation. Kids can get really annoying, especially when they're scared. How Rachel acts is how a real kid would act. Heck, I'm fifteen, and I'd probably scream for Mommy, too.
e) Tom Cruise is annoying.
Oh, hush. Now you're just clutching at straws. This is because he's a scientologist, isn't it? Thought so. Look, just because you don't like the guy doesn't mean he has no talent. He did wonderfully in this movie. So there.

Books And Their Covers

So recently I've been really really thinking about physical appearances. Not in that I'm obsessing over mine or anyone else's, but in that I've been thinking about the effect they have on people.

A few weeks, maybe months, ago, I had a friend over and we were watching "Pirates of The Caribbean". She made a very flippant, off-hand comment about Keira Knightley's weight (Miss Knightley is a very thin girl) and told me that Keira was without a doubt anorexic.

I asked her how she knew. Had Keira admitted it publicly? Had their been a diagnosis?

No, she could just tell. After all, Keira was so skinny. Anyone that skinny has to be anorexic.

Now, this friend is very dear to me and I love her with all my heart. But this was not the first time she had made this kind of comment.

And I think this is a very common assumption. The same way that most people automatically "know" that a larger girl eats too much McDonalds, most people "know" in the same way that super-skinny girls don't eat at all.

Let me ask you something: Does Keira Knightley look unhealthy? Does she look as though she's been starving herself? No. Her skin looks healthy, her face is full, she has a lot of energy. Is her supposed anorexia a possibility? Yes. She is admittedly extremely skinny. Is it possible that she's just naturally very thin? Absolutely. Probable, even.

Is it even any of our business?

No.

Now, Keira Knightley is a celebrity. I understand that putting herself in the spotlight like that is going to bring her some unwanted attention, and I'm sure she understands that, too. People will, from now until she is either dead or forgotten by the public, always know details about her love life, family life, and social life that should otherwise be kept private.

But her body?

We are not living in her body. Her body does not provide us with nutrients or protect us from sickness. Her hair is not our hair, her eyes are not our eyes, and her sicknesses our not our sicknesses. Her weight is not our weight.

I have friends that weigh 100 lbs. I have friends that weigh above 200. I myself weigh around 130 (I don't know for sure because I rarely check the scale). The fact is, we're all different. We all look different. Even if there was another girl in the world who had blue eyes and blonde hair and a round face and a long torso and weighed around 130 lbs, she still wouldn't have the same fingerprints. Her eyes wouldn't be quite the same shade of blue, or shape, or with the same number of lashes. She'd never be able to bend her toes in the same silly way as I can mine. Because God made me that way.

God gave me the body shape of a pear. I have just about nothing up top, and more than I sometimes like to think about down below. I gain weight in the winter and lose it in the summer. Some girls have the shape of an apple, of an hourglass, of a stick. And that's okay. You wanna know why?

Because it doesn't matter. My body shape doesn't effect you. I only told you about it as an example. In a few years, I intend to have kids. Who knows what my body will look like then? At some point I'll get old and wrinkly, maybe fat, maybe super-skinny. I don't know. I shouldn't know. I don't need to.

The point is, a book is not its cover. A girl may weigh 200 lbs and work out every day and eat a healthy diet and take incredible care of herself. Another may weigh 105, maybe even less, and eat like she's got two hollow legs. It could be the other way around. We all ought to stop judging and prying into things that are none of our business, and just get to know people instead.

Have you judged a person based on their appearance? I know I have. It isn't okay, but you don't have to keep doing it. You can change.

Have you been judged based on your appearance? On your weight, or lack thereof? Maybe on your complexion, or face-shape. I know I have. It isn't okay, but you don't have to take it anymore. You can stand up for yourself.

The next time you feel judged or feel yourself starting to judge others, just ask yourself, "Is it any of my/their business?" and if it isn't -- it usually won't be -- just move on. You're not your cover, either. What used to happen, doesn't have to happen anymore.

When you open the book, you could find a whole different story inside.

A Legacy

A few hundred years ago, some men got together and signed a piece of paper with a lot of long words.

It's the truth! But it's the abridged version.

The full(er) version goes something like this: On July 4, 1776, a group of determined, incredibly brave men got together to declare the independence of their country, a colony which was still under the thumb of their mother-country, Great Britain. They did this at the risk of their own lives.

I always liked the term "mother-country". I think it really fits our country's history. We grew up, well taken care of by Great Britain. They nursed us, fed us, protected us and provided for us. They did a good job. We got older, got a little more educated. Started to wonder if we could grow up fast enough. And then one day we realized that we were too old to still be living with our mother. We rebelled, like most teens do, and we won our independence. And even though our mother didn't like that too much at first, we're still friends. We help each other out. I think that America will always be able to count on England, and vice versa -- even if we do still make fun of each other. "Squee-rul." "Skwerl."

The thing is, if those men hadn't signed that Declaration, we wouldn't be here. We may not be under England's rule anymore, but we wouldn't be the USA. Hawaii and Alaska may not be states. Maybe Texas would still be part of Mexico and the Battle of The Alamo would have been for nothing (*shudder* I can't imagine studying history without reading about my favorite moment in all history). Maybe America would have finally rebelled during World War II -- imagine what the outcome of that would be!

The truth is, we can never know what would have happened if those men hadn't signed the Declaration. Do we really want to?

Because as it is, not only are we free, we also have our own special holiday that no other country in the world has. (And don't you dare make that joke. I know you're thinking about making that joke. Don't you do it.)

The Fourth of July isn't just about the signing. Those men left a legacy. But the beautiful thing about holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving and The Fourth is that every year, a new legacy is started. A new tradition is made. Memories are permanently etched into your brain. You make new friends and learn new things about yourself.

This year, we went to my uncle's girlfriend's house. We kids swam in the pool, dived, jumped, cannonballed, squirted each other with water guns and pelted each other with foam balls and frisbees. The grown-ups made brownies and talked and laughed and hovered near the guacamole because they knew that if they left it the big girls would steal it. Eventually we got tired and migrated inside for lunch, dried off, got dressed. My sister and two of my cousins and I watched "Penelope" (which I'm putting up a blog about later). Later everyone jumped back in the pool for volleyball. Actually, I didn't. I was having too much fun wearing this totally amazing outfit to take it off.

Plus I was tired. :P So, me being me, I sat on the edge of the pool and video-taped the game.

Then after a while we all headed off to go watch fireworks. Then, exhausted, we came home. My daddy just got home from China yesterday, so it was awesome to come home and finally give him a HUG.

And that's just one Fourth. Every year is different. One year we go watch the fireworks in a park with some family and cheer while a couple kisses during the finale. Another, two of my cousins and I lie down in the flat-bed of a pick-up truck trying to keep out of sight and singing (or screaming) Tim Hawkins at the top of our lungs. And another, we park in a neighborhood and walk for ten minutes just to find a good seat because the crowd at Bedford Boys Ranch is so huge. No Fourth of July is ever the same as the one before or after.

Each one leaves its own legacy.

So, yeah, maybe I complain about the mosquito bites and having to sit on the grass. Maybe the year we spent the Fourth in a pick-up I was a little dissappointed because we didn't get there in time to see the fireworks. Maybe I'm still kind of sad because I can remember going to see Fourth of July parades when I was really little, and we don't do that anymore. Maybe, when the story is abridged, it's kind of a boring one.

But it isn't boring, and the grass isn't that bad, and I had FUN riding in the pick-up truck, and someday I'll take my kids to see Fourth of July parades, and the mosquito bites go away. But the memories never go away. The stories stay. My stories won't go down in history, but who cares? A new story will always come next year.

I'M BACK!!!

Okay, before you say anything -- I know that I haven't posted a blog in more than a month. I won't make excuses. I have been pretty busy... But mostly it's because I've been too lazy to post a blog.

Too much has happened recently to go into detail about it all. Tech Week went wonderfully. We finished out Music Man with an excellent matinee performance and a final performance that didn't go so well on stage, but was an absolute blast backstage. My family and some friends went to Colorado. My cousins are down from Virginia. Pretty soon I'm heading off for church camp. But the coolest thing that's happening this summer (for me, anyway) is without a doubt, mine and my fellow JOY members' trip to Joplin, Missouri.

This year, on May 22, Joplin was almost literally attacked by a huge tornado. The entire city was practically flattened in just a few minutes. The hospital was horribly damaged. More than a hundred people were killed, and some are still missing. (Read this blog post for an inside story from one of the survivors)

A few weeks ago, my drama teacher and director, Eve Roberts, her daughter Rebecca, and my friend Julie and her mother all headed out on an impromptu trip to Joplin. While there, they helped clean up peoples' homes, handed out new toys to children, and heard lots of stories from survivors. One thing that both girls were amazed at was the amount of hope the residents of Joplin have.

Case in point.

Meanwhile, back home in Texas, the cast of Music Man was feeling pretty depressed and restless. We missed performing. We missed the fellowship of being in a cast. We missed each other. The people in the cast of a play may not consider each other their best friends, but it is impossible to go through what we went through without really, sincerely loving each other.

I think we all were trying to think of excuses to get together over the summer. The next time we saw each other was going to be in October when we all would audition for "Sound of Music". The ideal hang-out opportunity would be, of course, another play, but Mrs Roberts had said that we wouldn't be doing a play until the spring. Sadness, right?

Well, maybe not. Certain members of the cast -- I won't name names -- *cough cough* Jameson *cough cough* Wil -- are quite diabolical. Within a few weeks of striking the set, they had a plan. And within a few days of them suggesting their plan to Mrs Roberts, we were set to do "The Importance of Being Ernest" -- as a benefit for Joplin.

Only a few of us are in the cast -- the play doesn't exactly require a cast of thousands. I'm playing the wonderfully horrible Lady Bracknell, a stuffy, snooty old lady -- my favorite kind of character to play. It is a bit sad because not everyone I miss will be in the play, but the people that I would have missed the most are, so I'm not too miserable. :P

Actually, I'm quite happy. As we found out very recently, we will -- get this -- be performing in Joplin!!!!

Okay, okay -- so I kind of screamed really really loudly when I found out...

Anyway, if you're interested in hearing more about our performance dates and ways you can contribute, message me on FaceBook or comment on this post. I am incredibly excited about this. We get to bring hope to an already hopeful community. And, at the same time, I get to hang out with some of my best friends. I don't know about you, but I think God's in this; God's pretty good, isn't he? 

Tech Week: Day 1

I've been part of a tech week before, but only once, and I don't remember any of it -- I was really little. I certainly don't remember my feet swelling up and turning pink, probably because I wasn't wearing character shoes. But I was last night!

Last night was the first day of tech week with my amazing JOY drama group, which I've posted about before. And it was unbelievable. Of course I had a great time (at JOY, I always do) but I wasn't prepared for how hard it was going to be.

Now, according to my veteran JOY buddies, there have been harder first nights. In fact, everything ran pretty smoothly. We even got done on time. But I've never had a harder one. In fact, I don't even think I was there for opening night of tech week on "Aladdin". So this took me a bit by surprise.

We ran the whole play all the way through (on our stage, which was awesome) and the first thing that started to get to me was the light. Oh. My. Gosh. My immediate reaction when the curtains opened up was "I'M BLIND!!!!". Of course I couldn't say that out loud, but it took quite a bit of concentration to get back in character. In fact, Anna got comments in the tech booth about how "her sister squinted when she smiled". Anna, who of course knows me and figured out what was wrong, shook her head and said, "She's not smiling." Yay for failing to fully stay in character!!! :D

So then there were the scene changes. Actually, that went pretty well. Everyone did their jobs and always managed to switch sets on time. But my goodness! Once the curtains close, it's so dark back there you can't see your own hand in front of your face. We're supposed to be quiet, but we relied quite a bit on each other's whispers to figure out where to put everything.

But probably the worst part (for me at least) were those SHOES!!! Shoes, shoes, shoes! I really hate high-heels, did you know that? By the end of the night, I didn't care how much my feet stank, I was taking off those shoes! My feet were huge and pink and sweaty and I felt like a hobbit -- not that that's too terrible a thing. But wow! Those might just be the most uncomfortable pair of shoes I've ever worn!

So yeah, last night was tough. And I know it sounds like I've just been complaining, complaining, complaining. But you know what? Even though last night was hard, I LOVED every minute of it! I loved joking around with my friends, and being a stubborn "Iowanian" and suffering right alongside my JOY buddies. The fact is, my friends there are amazing, and I'd do pretty much anything for them, including wear high heels. And the fact that my friends are there actually makes the high-heel-wearing fun. So I can't wait for tonight. It'll take longer, and this time we'll be in FULL costume, but that just gives me more time and more reasons to have fun. I can't wait to blog all about it! :D