Repent!
I just had the most delightful experience in my acting class. After seeing one of the gals perform and off-the-wall song, I decided I wanted such an experience, so I asked Rachel (the only other LDS girl in the class) to direct me in a number called Repent.
It is a saucy little number from a musical set in the 1940's called On the Twentieth Century. For those of you who remember Imogene Coca...she did the role. The character is a bit demented, but lovable. This song is all about her calling everyone to repentance for their 'dirty little doings.' At the end of the song, it is revealed that she ALSO did those dirty little doings, but she was called to repentance...and saw the light! Fortunately, as she explains, this did NOT happen until she had done it all! The song leaves to your imagination what the word ALL connotes...tee hee
It was a very physical song, and during our final rehearsal onstage, I was sitting a box, and when I went to get up, the box collapsed...and I did the same! I crashed to the floor, but fortunately I just went plop...right onto my nicely cushioned derriere. It was quite funny, and would have been a good bit in the number, had I the dexterity to quickly upright myself. Fortunately, I suffered nary an ill effect from the fall...fat comes in handy sometimes.. I am excited to be able to perform it in a benefit called Fundtastic Follies, a fundraiser for a local community theater in Camarillo.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Fun in Seattle
After the Chef's school, I definitely needed R&R. My friends Trini and Jesus de la Cruz, from Madrid were planning to be in Seattle for 5 days the first week in July so I decided it would be fun to go up there and meet them. I quickly called Marilyn and Rowland to see if I could hang out with them for a few days, and their son Scott offered to let me use his son Derek's car (he is at BYU for the summer.), so I found a good price on airfare and I was off and running....well actually flying.
Trini and Jesus arrived the same day I did, so I planned to pick them up the next day for a tour of Seattle's underground city. They were suffering from jet lag, and the guide's jokes were so subtle that they went right over their heads, but we had a lovely tour and then headed off to go shopping.
Trini and Jesus were staying with members of our travel club (that is how I met them...I stayed in their home for 6 nights in Madrid in 2006)so I dropped them back off at the house and got acquainted with the Egans. He is a retired physician (former doc to all the Fords, the Clintons, Colin Powell and the elder Bush family.) She is from Germany, so we had lots of interesting things to talk about.
When we first got back to their house I asked Joe to check the oil in my nephew's car, because it smelled hot to me. Sure enough...no oil, so we went to the store and got a couple of quarts. I mentioned to him that the brakes kept getting softer and softer throughout the afternoon, but the brake shop had already closed.
I headed back to Marilyn and Rowland's house, but I missed the turn that would take me onto the freeway. I ended up on Main Street in Bothell, and when I realized where I had gone wrong, I turned up a side street to turn around. When I was coming back down, I put on the brakes and there was NOTHING. I coasted to a stop...fortunately no cars were coming on that side street. I called Rowland and he came and rescued me. He managed to drive the car home by continually pumping, but he said he could hear brake shoes dragging and main cylinders doing something...I know not what. I feel like I experienced a tiny miracle. Had I NOT missed the turn, the next time I would have braked would have either been in heavy traffic on the missed road or on the freeway....I am so grateful.
The next day I drove Rowland's car....much better. We did a tour of Pike's market where I was the one who kept stopping to buy things. We then went on a lovely Lake Washington Cruise, after which I dropped them off and went back to cook the same marinated pork chops for Marilyn and Rowland.
The next day I had a chance to visit Megan and Michael and their adorable son, Lucas. We all went to the movies, Wall-e, where I promptly fell asleep and only saw the first ten minutes and the last 5. What a waste of money.
I then went to the Egan's for a BBQ....NOT! We started with a very formal table setting with a first course of gaspacho made by Trini, salad, and a chicken dish with fresh spaetzle. We did have corn on the cob...which was actually cooked on the grill. Dessert was an Irish trifle....most unusal 4th BBQ I have attended, but delicious. The Egan's house is on Lake Washington, so we watched gorgeous fireworks for almost an hour from their patio. What a show.
The rest of the week I just hung out with Marilyn and Rowland and on Sunday we had a family dinner at Scott's house, with his family and Jon and Charlotte and Riley. I so enjoyed myself.
It is always good to return home, however, and when I did, I was greeted by La Mar's crew who were here the rest of the week before going on their annual Leo Carillo campout yesterday. On Saturday night we had an additional 8 people sleeping here...Wayne Sanders and his family always spend the pre-camping night with us.
Trini and Jesus arrived the same day I did, so I planned to pick them up the next day for a tour of Seattle's underground city. They were suffering from jet lag, and the guide's jokes were so subtle that they went right over their heads, but we had a lovely tour and then headed off to go shopping.
Trini and Jesus were staying with members of our travel club (that is how I met them...I stayed in their home for 6 nights in Madrid in 2006)so I dropped them back off at the house and got acquainted with the Egans. He is a retired physician (former doc to all the Fords, the Clintons, Colin Powell and the elder Bush family.) She is from Germany, so we had lots of interesting things to talk about.
When we first got back to their house I asked Joe to check the oil in my nephew's car, because it smelled hot to me. Sure enough...no oil, so we went to the store and got a couple of quarts. I mentioned to him that the brakes kept getting softer and softer throughout the afternoon, but the brake shop had already closed.
I headed back to Marilyn and Rowland's house, but I missed the turn that would take me onto the freeway. I ended up on Main Street in Bothell, and when I realized where I had gone wrong, I turned up a side street to turn around. When I was coming back down, I put on the brakes and there was NOTHING. I coasted to a stop...fortunately no cars were coming on that side street. I called Rowland and he came and rescued me. He managed to drive the car home by continually pumping, but he said he could hear brake shoes dragging and main cylinders doing something...I know not what. I feel like I experienced a tiny miracle. Had I NOT missed the turn, the next time I would have braked would have either been in heavy traffic on the missed road or on the freeway....I am so grateful.
The next day I drove Rowland's car....much better. We did a tour of Pike's market where I was the one who kept stopping to buy things. We then went on a lovely Lake Washington Cruise, after which I dropped them off and went back to cook the same marinated pork chops for Marilyn and Rowland.
The next day I had a chance to visit Megan and Michael and their adorable son, Lucas. We all went to the movies, Wall-e, where I promptly fell asleep and only saw the first ten minutes and the last 5. What a waste of money.
I then went to the Egan's for a BBQ....NOT! We started with a very formal table setting with a first course of gaspacho made by Trini, salad, and a chicken dish with fresh spaetzle. We did have corn on the cob...which was actually cooked on the grill. Dessert was an Irish trifle....most unusal 4th BBQ I have attended, but delicious. The Egan's house is on Lake Washington, so we watched gorgeous fireworks for almost an hour from their patio. What a show.
The rest of the week I just hung out with Marilyn and Rowland and on Sunday we had a family dinner at Scott's house, with his family and Jon and Charlotte and Riley. I so enjoyed myself.
It is always good to return home, however, and when I did, I was greeted by La Mar's crew who were here the rest of the week before going on their annual Leo Carillo campout yesterday. On Saturday night we had an additional 8 people sleeping here...Wayne Sanders and his family always spend the pre-camping night with us.
Chef's School
Audrey told me that her son, Brandon, was interested in learning how to cook. Well, a bell went "ding" in my head, and I was off and running. The first thing Brandon and I did was to cook a meal together...one for which he planned the menu. We slaved making Baby Back Ribs, broccoli, Caesar Salad with homemade dressing, garlic mashed potatoes and best of all...a homemade apple pie. The meal was a huge success.
A day or so later I wandered into a new kitchen store in Simi Valley and noticed that they had cooking classes for teens. I looked at the price and about had a heart attack. I said to myself, "Self, you can teach a class just as well as they can." Not wanting to do the whole thing alone, I called my good chef buddy, Dale Falkenstein, and he agreed to work with me. Brandon and the three Hunt girls, Kelsey, Jennifer and Haley, became our students.
We designed a 4 session class and those kids worked. They all
looked so adorable in their custom aprons, and Brandon even had a chef's hat. The first day Dale taught them knife skills and they chopped their way to fresh salsa and all the goodies necessary to make a homemade marina. They then made homemade pizza dough and each took home a pizza, a pot of sauce for pasta and a bowl of pico de gallo.
The next day we showed them the 'mother' sauce....a simple white sauce, which they converted into delicious mac and cheese, broccoli cheese soup, and roasted corn chowder with bacon. I also demonstrated how to make a roasted vegetable soup.
The third day was pan frying and sauteeing. Delicious marinated pork chops with a citrus pan sauce served with mashed potatoes with sofrito was entree #1. Dale guided them through making chicken with an apple cream and mushroom sauce which they served with oven roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic. Yum.
Our last session taught them delicious dinner rolls and homemade pie crust, into which they put a Hershey Bar chocolate cream pie topped with tons of whipped cream.
Their final session will be next week. The four of them are going to plan a menu and cook for both families plus Spence and I and Dale and his wife. I can't wait. Should be yummy.
I must admit I was EXHAUSTED after the week, but a happy camper, and the kids were amazing....and think of the hundreds of dollars we all saved!!!!
A day or so later I wandered into a new kitchen store in Simi Valley and noticed that they had cooking classes for teens. I looked at the price and about had a heart attack. I said to myself, "Self, you can teach a class just as well as they can." Not wanting to do the whole thing alone, I called my good chef buddy, Dale Falkenstein, and he agreed to work with me. Brandon and the three Hunt girls, Kelsey, Jennifer and Haley, became our students.We designed a 4 session class and those kids worked. They all
looked so adorable in their custom aprons, and Brandon even had a chef's hat. The first day Dale taught them knife skills and they chopped their way to fresh salsa and all the goodies necessary to make a homemade marina. They then made homemade pizza dough and each took home a pizza, a pot of sauce for pasta and a bowl of pico de gallo.
The next day we showed them the 'mother' sauce....a simple white sauce, which they converted into delicious mac and cheese, broccoli cheese soup, and roasted corn chowder with bacon. I also demonstrated how to make a roasted vegetable soup.
The third day was pan frying and sauteeing. Delicious marinated pork chops with a citrus pan sauce served with mashed potatoes with sofrito was entree #1. Dale guided them through making chicken with an apple cream and mushroom sauce which they served with oven roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic. Yum.
Our last session taught them delicious dinner rolls and homemade pie crust, into which they put a Hershey Bar chocolate cream pie topped with tons of whipped cream.
Their final session will be next week. The four of them are going to plan a menu and cook for both families plus Spence and I and Dale and his wife. I can't wait. Should be yummy.
I must admit I was EXHAUSTED after the week, but a happy camper, and the kids were amazing....and think of the hundreds of dollars we all saved!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
