Just because

Hey everyone! While I was packing up some things from my room, I came across a disc of photos from the musical Rockin' Red Riding Hood which we performed in May of this year. I never got a chance to send out any photos, so I thought I would share a couple. The story and music were written right here in Anchorage, Alaska. We had a live band on stage with us (the racoons), and I was part of a trio of bunnies who traveled throughout the story, singing and narrating throughout (I'm the blue bunny!). It was so much fun--enjoy the photos (to view a larger copy, just click on the photo)!












photos taken by Tony Batres

SNOWZILLA!!!

So, earlier today someone forwarded a link to an article on MSNBC's website about Snowzilla, a huge, 16-foot snowman that was built right here in Anchorage, Alaska! Well, our family could not pass up an opportunity to visit this huge man of snow (and take pictures, of course!). I must say, it was a very powerful moment, one I will treasure always :)








The pictures don't do him justice! We weren't the only ones to make this trek; several other families stopped by for their own photo opportunity. I think it's pretty darn cool that people did this, and it is super fun to go and see!

Memories jogged by packing

With the holiday season being upon us, I had to ensure that I met some deadlines before shipping my car to Seattle. In order to ship my car, I have to have it weighed when it is empty, and then weigh it again once I've added all the stuff I want to ship with it (because, of course, I have to pay to ship that stuff!).

So my strategy was to put stuff in the car that is more on the fragile side, since it won't be tossed around (unless my car is tossed around, but let's hope it's not). Well, in doing this, I pulled a piece of artwork off the wall to pack up for the car, and it jogged a memory and life lesson that I found profound (but may just seem like cheeze whiz to you guys--but I share anyway!).

When I was 14 years old, I went down to Oregon for a summer Baha'i youth project. I ended up being on a team of youth that was in Ashland, Oregon, where we did lots of service projects, helped out in the Baha'i community, and also did some teaching about the Baha'i Faith. There was one Baha'i in the community that often helped out with our team, and he was an incredible artist.

Close to the end of our time in Ashland, I remember that we were having a meeting at a house, and my artist friend came in a little late. When he came in, he quietly gave one of my friends a BEAUTIFUL beaded necklace in her favorite color that he had made and then proceeded to sit down. I remember witnessing him giving this necklace to my friend and feeling sooooo jealous. This friend who got the necklace was so beautiful and talented, and I was often in awe of her. But I remember sitting in that meeting and just having horrible thoughts. I was 14, so you can imagine I was even more petty than I am now :) She had been given a farewell gift, and I had not, even though I had really loved being with this artist friend.

After the meeting was over, my artist friend went out into the hallway and brought out a framed piece of art he had made. He walked up to me, and said "I remember your favorite color is blue" and handed me this beautiful, breathtaking piece of art. At that very moment I was so ashamed for how I was feeling, and I was so humbled by his generosity. The necklace he had made for my friend was beautiful, but he had given me a framed painting that was breathtaking.

I have loved this artwork ever since. I don't know if my artist friend knows what a lesson he gave me. We should never be jealous of what other people have, or their station or success. We should always rejoice in anyone's accomplishments and be happy for them in their own right. We never know what is waiting around the corner for us, and you never want to have that feeling of guilt when you do have something wonderful happen to you and you have not appreciated it in others.

I've lost touch with my artist friend, hence I don't want to mention his name. But someday I may be able to let him know how grateful I am for my lesson in life (and also for his beautiful creation).

First pangs of moving sadness

Well, tonight I had my first pangs of moving sadness. We're in the final weekend of "I'll Always Love Christmas", which will be my last play here in Anchorage. Tonight was the theater company’s Christmas party, and a group of us that are the cast of "Folk's Tales", a story telling and song singing troop of my friends, got together to perform a few down-home Christmas songs for the group. The songs went well, and it was a lot of fun, but it hit me when we finished that this would be the last real performance with this group that I would have before leaving... and this made me very sad.

I suppose it's good that I feel sad to leave Alaska--it just shows how much I love it. And for a while I've realized that it would be hard for me to leave--but while the intellectual realization has been there for a while, I am now entering the emotional part of my separation--a necessary step, but difficult all the same.

I'll miss everyone when I'm gone, but I hope to get lots of visits when I'm in Minnesota! At least I'll have my aunt to live with; otherwise I think this would be unbearable! I'm sure many of you can relate; it's exciting but difficult. And many tears will be shed in the next few weeks...

More details on commercial shoot

Hey everyone! I added the previous entry about being in a commercial shoot while I was actually on set, just because I found this highly amusing :) But I wanted to give a few more details:

First of all, my friend Wayne, who works for TFYP (a local theatre company), was commissioned to find people to be extras in a couple commercials Sprocketheads (Krista's dad's company) was doing. They use the actor John O'Hurley, who played Peterman on Seinfeld, for these spots, and periodically he is flown up to Alaska to do them. So in one morning we were actually filming two different commercials.

There were about 12 extras for the shoot, 10 of whom were very close friends of mine... so our biggest challenge was to stay quiet :) We had a lot of fun. In the first shoot we were in an internet cafe (hence having my laptop to write the previous blog). The life of an extra is not too difficult. When they yelled action, various people moved through the shot, while others just sat and pretended to talk or worked at their computers, that sort of thing, all while the speaking actors do their thing. The second shoot was in a movie theater (we shot at the Bear Tooth), where Peterman is talking on his cell phone, and the rest of us were seated around the theater are becomming very annoyed with him... to the point where we got to throw popcorn at him at the end (he was quite the trooper for this!).

The whole thing only took until lunch time, so it went rather quickly. But they were on a tight schedule anyway, because I think they had two more commercials to shoot that afternoon :)

I don't know who will be seen in the shots, or if we'll all be blury and just perceived as bodies, but it was lots of fun anyway! Anyone who was at the shoot can add comments about anything I forgot, but that was my experience in a day in the life of an extra :)

I'm at a commercial shoot...

Hey everyone! I'm sitting at a commercial shoot, as an extra :) We're on the set of an internet cafe, and I'm sitting at a table with my laptop. They're still getting the shot set up, so I thought... why not add an entry to my blog?!

The commercial is for a local phone and internet provider here in Alaska, and they fly in the actor who played Peterman on Seinfeld to do the commercials. He'll be sitting at the table next to me :)

Well, we're about to start, so I'll post this now!

Bye!

A week after LASIK

Well, I don't know how often it happens, but I actually got scooped on my own blog (thanks Andy!)! I wanted to share my "hooray" moment with everyone. I went to my eye doctor yesterday, and, one week after having my surgery, I have 20/20 vision! Woo hoo! It made me so happy! Actually, my right eye is almost 20/20 (I could only read half of the line of letters), but as my eyes heal even more, it should get better. I'm just super excited and wanted to share the great news!

I'll Always Love Christmas

Well, Alaska is certainly going to have a White Christmas. And for those of you in the local Anchorage area, I've got an activity for your whole family to attend: UAA Theatre for Young People's production of "I'll Always Love Christmas!" We're opening next weekend, and last night we did some promo shots for the newspapers in town, so I thought I would share some of those :) Look forward to a post with some shots from the actual show in a couple weeks.

I'll Always Love Christmas
December 9-18, Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm at the UAA Wendy Williamson Auditorium
A fun musical review for the whole family!









Oh, and the beautiful promo for Dr. Pepper, just for fun :)