Bad Cooks Anonymous

I'll start out with this. I shouldn't have used anonymous as part of the title for this blog post. I'm not very anonymous because my name will be on the bottom of this post, which in fact will not make me anonymous. So how about this?

"Hello; my name is Hollie. I can and will cook better. I guess, if I half to."

I'm not a the best cook in the world, but I'm not the worse either. But after what happen tonight well..........One would classify me as the "worse in the world."

• The pic, is in reality the toxic waste (Brownies) that I tried to make. Looks yummy huh?

I took a brownie mix and tired to make brownies. Ha! You'd think that I'd be able to do that with no mess up!


I did follow the directions. To make things short, the batter came out as toxic waste. The things that I do because of chocolate cravings. Now this is what makes things interesting. I tried to make it better. You know by adding sugar, coco, vanilla, butter, and flower. It didn't work, it just made things worse. It tasted as bad as it looks after I cooked it.

So now it is where it belongs. I thrown it way. It should go to where other low levels of toxic waste is being held in Utah. So what did I learn from all of this? Stay away from box mixes.

Cheers everyone!

A Rosy Complexion

Yesterday I have found that I some how developed a rash (rosy complexion) on my face. It itched like crazy at 4. A.M. I still haven't found out were this rosy complexion came from, but I have a pretty good idea.

You see there is this bag of chocolates that I fell for when I first tasted what was inside. It's called Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. Before when I would eat the stuff I would notice little things but didn't think anything of it. So when yesterday when I had total 4 big hand fulls of this dark delicious stuff I started to get the unwanted rosy complexion. Confused I had one more had full of the delicious dark stuff and by 10:30 last night I end up with a bright rosy complexion! :D

So I started to hunt down what was causing the rash. Go figure it is in the Dark Chocolate Pomegranates. On the back it says food allergy information: This product contains Milk and Soy. So my plan Stan is to stay a way from this dark goodness. No brainier there...........right?

Cheers Everyone!

Rooted in my ward?

Time has flown-on-by for me. The past two months I have been looking for a new place to move into. With a lot of houses setting empty (unfortunately), you'd think that this task would be easy. It is not.

However something strange has happen. Let me explain, but please bear with me, as I try to make this easy on both of us, it's a bit complicated.

Two years ago on the last of May, my ward boundaries changed. The result of course my new ward was filled with lots of new faces, I hardly knew anyone. My poor bishop need to organize the new ward from scratch. People were outraged that the new boundaries had formed. I was excited to get to know more people in the stake; sure I would miss the friends within the old boundaries, but thought this was such an exciting time!

Now after the new boundaries was presented to us, on the following Sunday was time to meet my new ward members. We gathered in the cultural hall to introduce ourselves, it was loud. People were saying that they were freaked out about their new calling, others (including myself) was saying:

"Yay! I don't have a calling!"

Little did I know! Any how, I had this fleeting epiphany; it was fast and I thought I was crazy that time. This epiphany was that I would be moving. I don't know when and I still don't. Like I have said I am still looking for a place to live.

So came the realization of a decision, and while looking back, I think that this decision was a stupid one. It was that I would not try to form any real friendship's with any one, it would make saying "good-by" so much easier. At the same time I wasn't rude to anyone. I was still polite and talked to my fellow ward members; at the same time trying not to *root* myself in the ward. Do you know how hard that was? I thought that it would be easy, and that I was doing a pretty darn good job of it! Until last Sunday.

I didn't know how much I became apart of this ward. The choir director found out that I can sing a tune last spring. The *hidden* talent was found out while we worked together on the ward road show. For five months she persuaded, beg, and pleaded for me to join the choir. I made some pretty insane excuses,( if desired to look at some these lame excuses see Sunday the day of Confrontations and Hints, come what may! Please note: you have been warned, they are stupid!).

I did joined the ward choir. As last week practice came to a close, I happen to say to my choir director that I might be moving, however difficult that has proven to be. Her response along with another sister in choir, went something like this.

CD: "Inventing excuses, what is up with inventing such excuses? I don't see a problem if you do leave, all what needs to be done is to come back and do the songs."

SIC: "You're leaving?"

Their was more to the conversation that I will not type up. As I looked at this sister as she said that comment, I felt like how she looked. Like I had slapped her. I didn't physically touched her, but the news brought on a mental slapped for her. I was surprised. I have realized some things.

1. No matter how much I tried to *distance* myself from the fellow ward members, it didn't happen.
2. With the news of possible of moving away from the ward, bought on a mental slap for not only this Sister, but for myself as well. We became friends. Not close, but friends non-the-less.
3. If I leave my new *ward family* I will miss them. Life will go on, someone else will take my calling, but no one can, or will replace *me*.

Things I learn along the road of life. I thought that it would be easy to distance myself, but last Sunday proved otherwise.

Cheers Everyone!

Beaslty

I think that this needed to be 2.5 stars. First of all I liked the basic story, but hated all of the sexual harassment, groping, drugs, alcohol, and the sexual innuendos. If that type junk was left out then this book would be good.

Am I saying this because I am LDS, and I live in a bubble? Quite the contrary. while I was growing up I lived by a family with 4 girls. The first girl was 12 when she was pregnant, she now has AIDS. The second I confess, I don't know what happen to her. The 3 girl was in and out of rehab; had a little girl who was born without a brain. That was the result of the hard drugs, and heavy alcohol abuse. The last girl, well she end up in jail; with a DUI and possession of drugs. The best substance is abstinence.

Come on authors, you don't need sex, drugs, or alcohol, to write a good story. Notice that a lot of peoples favorites are books who by no means has that type of junk in it; I understand not all people but a lot.

Teen's and the family are under enough pressure. With the family under attack, mom & dad are hardly home, so-call-friends getting teens to do stuff because it is all the rage, or everyone it doing it; you authors don't need to part of the problem, but part of the solution.

Cheers Everyone!

My bout of jealousy

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to watch "Arsenic and Old lace" at a theater. It was very well done, but it was not the same "Arsenic and Old Lace" the I read. This theater did more of the movie version, and not the play, but still very well done.

These actors had 3 weeks of practice as a cast. When it comes to plays and musicals there are 2 types of casts that I love to work with. One is professionals, the other is special needs. The reason is with professionals, and special needs, they do what I tell them. I see the audience perspective, the actors on stage, don't.

The last cast that I directed was not professional or special needs. The result we fraught each other the whole time. My choreographer and I have heard every excuse in the book with this last cast. It was not until I have said:

"Don't question us, we will not make you look stupid, or do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable with."

Then that is when my cast started to trust me, and my choreographer. If the cast members are uncomfortable then the audience will know it, and the odds are that the audience will be uncomfortable also, some will start laughing and others will just feel for the cast member or members.

Why am I writing this? I am just plane jealous of Lee Anderson. The Director of Arsenic and Old Lace. He had a great cast. Yes I did spot some problem areas, but they were very miner, and it just did not matter.

Cheers Everyone!!

Hints come what may!

I keep getting strange hints from my choir director. Ever since she just happen to hear me sing she has made it her life mission to get me to join the choir. This is her latest attempt. She wrote me a note.

CD: "Hollie 11:00 A.M really isn't that early! Come join us.......pleas!"

What I wrote on her FB wall:

Me: " For some reason you keep hinting something at me. But I can't figure it out what it is. I should tell you that I sang to my plant and it got infested with bugs. The bugs killed my plant. So what would my singing do the congregation?"

I can just see it now. I start singing one Sunday and that day will end up as "SciFi meets LDS meetings." The congregation will get infested with bugs. It will be like "The Fly" allover again.

Her FB reply: "I have herd you sing! So get over it and come to choir." :)

It cracked me up, it made my morning.

So to my wards choir director. Thank so much for making my morning.

Cheers Everyone!!!

Sick! Come what may.

You know the funny thing about having a sinus infection, (or any other ailment), is that "they" tell you to get plenty of rest. So while resting up all day, your up all night. Go figure.

Yes, I have even skipped church. I didn't have the energy after the shower. So while I'm at home I thought I might as well be productive. I thought I'll try and make much needed banana nut bread. HAHAHAh that didn't work out. It's not that I'm a bad cook, but because I have ran out of steam fast. So I thought that I would take an arrangement that I wrote for the clarinet called "Come thou Fount of Every Blessing" and tweak it a little. Again hahaha that did not work.

So what is next? Of course is sleep, I was up all night. Now because I'll be sleeping during the day I'll be up all night again. The cycle never ends.

Cheers Everyone!!

Reading while sleeping

I know the title is weird, but I did happen to do that recently. It was a different experience for me.

What happen was that I was reading a fantasy book. I just incorporated the story into my dream. I thought that I was reading, it took me a bit to figured out that it was dream.

I guess that will happen when reading at 3:00 A.M.

Do or don't do the hair!

For those who know me, you know how much I hate my naturally curly hair. For those who are getting to know me, now you know I hate my naturally curly hair.

Looking on the bright side of my curly hair, I can just spray it with water and go. It's called fake hair do for curly hair. No matter if it was brushed or not, it looks the same.

3 more days until the road show is over!

I can't talk

Well for the last 4 days I have been sick. In fact I'm still sick! But on the up hill.

The result my voice isn't very strong. So this pose a problem for me as a director. But thank goodness for lemon juice. It keeps the voice from leaving me altogether.

Every little bit helps right!

Directing a road show while keeping your head!

If anyone knows how to do that please let me know!

I'm not getting enough cast support. So the plan is to give it two more weeks and if needs be, shorten the script. This is so that the 4th ward will have something. The problem? Our boundaries have changed so the ward is new, nobody wants to talk to each other. When we do, everyone is overly nice for the reason nobody want's to offend anyone else. But we are so worried not to offend anyone we end up offending everyone and ourselves. How crazy is that?

Another problem. As one of the authors of the road show script, and both of us are history buffs; the need to keep the script historically correct is a must. We have found out that people are having problems with that aspect of the script. So it looks like we must follow the history books and teachers example's and "clean" up history.

My teacher made me stupid!

So what have I learned directing plays, road show, and mellow dramas?

1. Do not make a new ward do a road show. The support is not there.
   
2. Do not keep things historically correct.
3. Always go to the person who is over the stake road show and get all info.
4. Always have the back up from the bishop.
5. Stay positive, cry/vent at home.
   
6. Stay in contact of the music director, and choreographer
7. Have another director, stay within the same vision. If one is fed up at the moment and need time out, the other can take over.
   
8. Bounce ideas off of each other (ie. writers, directors, choreographer, etc.)
   

Porcupine's

What happens when you try to hug a porcupine? Well the answer is of course you are going to get prick hard. So the question is why do we try? There is always that person that will clash with your personality. Try we might to get along with our porcupine friend so that we might one day hug them, all we get for our efforts is their quills pointed at us.

You might have a porcupine within your family.
You might have more then one.

So what do we do?

Olives

Last night I went to the store and bought stuff for to day New years eve. I was buying stuff pacifically for 7 layer taco dip. One of the ingredients calls for a can of chopped black olives. All of the other ingredients got paid for, with the exception of the black olives. I got out to the truck and realized that I had stolen property! For some unknown reason the olives didn't get paid for. I was soooo embarrassed. I went back into the store explained the situation to one of the check outs clerk and paid for the black olives. All the while she was laughing and thanked me for my honesty. All what she could think was one small 4.25 oz. of black chopped olives, and I still came back into the store and bought it. Well I'll bet she will remember me after that incident. I know, by now all of you ( my4 readers) will be laughing right this very moment.

I think that if all people everywhere would be more honest then this world would be a better place to live.

Happy New Years !!!!!

I never make any resolutions. I'll break them any way. With that one year a friend of mine Char said her resolution was to never brink Mountain Dew any more. 5 sec. after she said that she stared to drink Mountain Dew. No Lie.

Also Congrats to Char and Al they are having a boy!!!

Blunders! My cooking gone bad

Well I did it again. I tried to make banana bread yesterday. It came out looking like it came out of an elephant's back side. So right now my Aunt will read this and laugh. It does tastes a lot better than it looks. It does, not kidding!!! What made it worse is that well I tried to take it out of the pan and it crumbled. On top of that I did put in M&M'S in it. So if you want anything that looks disgusting but taste great for Hallowing put M&M's in your banana bread. It does look seriously disgusting! No I will not put a picture up, my S.I.L Andria will freak and laugh at me forever.

On top of that I have discovered that my brother Jeremy has a "dog" that meows. She will play fetch. So if you believe in reincarnation the cat was a dog in her former life. In her next life she will be a mouse.

Curly hair

I have curly hair. Ridiculously curly, so much so it is embarrassing. With as such with curly hair I can't cut it too short or I would look across between a french poodle and Shirley Temple.

So what did I do? I cut my horrible curly hair too short. What was I thinking!!!???

But last year I got this book called "Curly Girl the Handbook" by Lorraine Massey and Deborah Chiel. It is a how to book. How to take care of your curls.

On the cover of this book it says "More than just hair.........it's an attitude (Well my hair has more attitude then I can handle, why do I want more?). A celebration of Curls: How to cut them ( well apparently I did that wrong) care for them, Love them (I still can't get the "Love" down right) and set them free, (my hair was already free. It did what ever it want; if it was anymore free I would loose it!!)

The back of this book says "Say no to shampoo, (think of all the money you will save by not using shampoo, but all of that money go to more conditioner!!! go figure) unplug the dryer, (now all I use my hair dryer is for crafts stuff) and find your inner curl. (please, please no more curls!!!!)

Includes:

• Curly cues and Quizzes (go figure only very girly books comes with quizzes)
• Daily routines for corkscrew (is that what you use to take the corks out of wine bottles?) Botticelli (mmmm pasta) and Wavy curls
• Homemade lotions & Potions (dang it. no recipe for love potion #9!)
• Q&A's for no more dad hair days (I must have failed the q&a. I still have bad hair days)
• Twelve-step recovery program (I must have joined the Curly Girl's Anonymous Program), that will change your life, (will my life is still the same, still single) one shampoo at a time (What!!! I thought you said "Don't use shampoo"!!??)

It is still a good book and to be fair, I have learned a lot from this book. My hair is more hydrated, less nots (my nots in my hair would get so big I would call them rats nest.) That is a good thing. Lots of people loves running their fingers in my hair. When they do they don't find "rats nest" and their fingers has stop getting stuck in my hair.

Here is a pome my mom used to say to me while I was growing up. I don't know why?

Once there was a Little Girl.

Once there was a little Girl.

Who had a little curl.

Right in the middle of the forehead.

When she was good.

She was very, very, good.

When she was bad.

Oh look out!!