Thank you to those of you who have stuck with me through my crappy blogging month of February! Who knew that the hard part of this New Years Resolution would not be actually doing a new thing everyday, but writing about it! Lucky for me I never said in my resolution that I had to blog every day! So needless to say Jaryl and I are having a good year trying new foods, inventing new games, and learning a lot. I am excited for the summer months to come so we can do more outdoor activities!
Tonight we got a rare opportunity to have dinner with our friends Chris and Rena. Sadly this was the first time we have entertained all year. (Unless you count our best friend Brandy sleeping on our floor! Which is…..not really entertaining, just our life Hi Brandy!). Firstly we were very excited to get to use the 4 person pasta serving set that we got as a wedding present almost 3 (wow!) years ago. It seems we always have more than 4 people over. Not only that but in this particular circle of friends we have someone allergic to dairy, fruit and of course me! (a strict vegetarian.) So we had delicious spaghetti and I even sprung for some dairy free mozzarella.
Trans Fat free
Dairy free
Free of all animal products (Vegan)
Free of common allergens including: Dairy (casein and lactose), soy, gluten, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts (excluding coconut)
Free of Artificial Ingredients
Free of Preservatives
Free of Hormones & Antibiotics
Kosher
So you may be wondering could something like that actually taste good?? The answer is yes. Although it had an oily feel due to the coconut oil, it has great flavor and texture!
We loved seeing our friends and their beautiful baby. It was long over due.
We ended the night by playing Mario Kart on the Wii and Jaryl placed first on Rainbow Road for the first time ever!!
So let us play catch up on the world of Madison and Jaryl.
Saturday February 25th
Saturday I had a call back for Renton Civic Theatre. (Nailed it by the way! And you will be hearing about The Purse Thief in April). Then we headed up to my Uncle’s and Cousin’s Birthday party. THEN we had to head back down to Jaryl’s show. Needless to say time to try something new was slim.
So around 11PM when life started winding down we decided to try some new demos on The Wii shop channel. We tried a game called Fluidity. Which was a physics based water game where you are a pile of water. You tilt the wii remote different directions to get through the various mazes, gears, and even jump over holes and enemies while collecting more water. The music is calming and the game itself is quite charming. Just be careful not to lose all your water! We both recommend you check it out on your Wii or right here http://www.nintendo.com/gamesites/wii/fluidity/
Jaryl says “It’s AWESOME! I want to get the full game!”
After that we tried a not so awesome game called 3D Pixel Racing. Which at first sight is a cute racing game that is made out of knock-off legos. But that is as far as it goes. if you veer off the track even slightly it flashes in a glitchy sort of way that Excite Bike for the NES used to do and puts you back a few seconds on the track. LAME. I think we can leave the world of Legos to…..LEGO.
Sunday February 26th
Today was also packed full of work, work, and a performance. However when looking at the ads I did find a coupon for a new interesting product. Philadelphia Indulgence. A new line of chocolate cream cheeses. Now I must find I was slightly intrigued, however I knew it was just a ploy to get people to think they were eating something more healthy. Regardless, later that day I came around the corner at the grocery store and there it was….. They were sampling out the chocolate cream cheese! Was it good? It was just eh. A dulled down version of frosting. If I am going to have chocolate I am going to have it all the way! I would rather dip my fruit or cookies in ACTUAL frosting!
Monday February 27th
Today Jaryl took me to one of my teaching jobs on Mercer Island. On the way we decided to stop some where we always wanted to, Island Books. It was a great size, a nice feel and a big selection. (Not a used book store though, which is our favorite.) The children’s section was awesome and filled with cool instruments and toys. But the most important part of this story is the most beautiful stainless steel water bottle I have ever found! (The picture does not give it justice.) The colors were vibrant and called out to me. “I am going to make Jaryl buy me this water bottle” I thought. UNTIL we turned it over to look at the price…..
That’s right. 42.50. Eww. NO WAY Island books! No way.
Today I decided it was time to take Jaryl to the Fremont Troll. So we trekked down to Fremont and explored! we used the Fremont Center of The Universe sign to find our way around.
We found many amazing places including Ophelia’s Books! A great used book store with a beautiful spiral staircase and plenty of scripts and monologue books. (We each picked out a new book).
On our way to find the Fremont Troll we were in search of “Rapunzel”. I read in a Washington Tourist book that she was on the Fremont bridge. But I was disappointed to find that she was just a neon light.
After This……
That’s right a RECORD store.
And This…
And This…
We finally were on our way …..To the Troll.
Unfortunately there was this……
We tried to go past it…… but we could not.
No Troll for Jaryl….Thanks alot construction. The worst part is I had just told some tourist to go see the troll…. SORRY random guy at the Northgate Mall. I had no idea.
Another Day…..Another Day..
Today Jaryl had a big audition at the Seattle Center House…… Auditions can be stressful, nerve-wracking and you need to find a good way to keep your focus and warm up your body. So today I took Jaryl to the EMP and we went into a vocal room. What a great idea!! I never thought of going there to warm up before but most of our auditions take place in the center house which is right next to the EMP. (Some of you may know Jaryl is a super sci-fi nerd and because the EMP also has the sci-fi museum he has an annual membership).
So we spent about a half an hour in the vocal room. (You are technically limited to 10 minutes but on a thursday afternoon it is not too busy). We did our usually vocal warm-ups, tongue twisters and then we sang some songs from the few choices on the computer screen. We even messed with our voices using some sweet effects. (The one that make my voice super low is my favorite.) After we rocked out Jaryl did his audition pieces for me one last time and off we went! (not before stopping at the Battlestar Galactica Exhibit and the Avatar Exhibit….AGAIN.)
I would recommend rocking out at the EMP for anyone who loves music, fun and needs something to do.
This year I decided it was time that I finally learn how to do taxes. I never needed to do them until I met Jaryl and it might seem as though I married him just to make him do them . But it is time for me to hold my own.
But boy did I pick a year to do them! I have not one, not two….but NINE that’s right nine W-2 forms this year. Oh and Jaryl’s one. However with the help of our friend Turbo Tax (he visits us every year), I had a pretty simple time of it.
So can I file taxes? The answer is yes!
Watch out world. This year I will also attempt to change a tire, climb a rock wall AND make a you tube video. Woah.
This is the story of 2 new things. An audition and how I got the courage to do it!
Tonight I auditioned for Renton Civic Theatre’s The Purse Thief. I had a very long work day and so I was not feeling very energetic. I was drained…I was in need of…..super power! So in order to prep for my audition I tried this natural energy Drink called….. Hi Ball. 10 calories. No Carbs. No Sugars. No preservatives. No Artificial sweeteners. PLUS filled with natural caffeine and vitamins. (They also have a juice version, but that’s too many calories for me!) The only reason it has taken me so long to try it is the price. 2.40 for a small bottle! But this was a special occasion.
So I tried orange! Did it do the trick? It sure did! Jaryl looked at me and said ” how bad is it?” I knew he did not like carbonated water so I told him to imagine the worst as he took a swig.
“It was the worst! It was the worst!!!! Guess I will be the only one with energy tonight.
So we headed down to the Renton Civic Theatre, got a little lost. (Not to unusual for us). When we did arrive I was a little skeptical of the theatre. We were in downtown Renton which I am unfamiliar with and the theatre was right next to a convenience store with posters of beer everywhere. But this is a true story of not judging a book by its cover. We were both delighted with the theatre. The inside is so cute. There are pictures everywhere of past productions (I think more theatre should do that). And two stair cases on either side of the doors that enter the theatre. (Where they go? I guess that is for another time) But the point is I really enjoyed the nostalgia feel of the theatre. The stage itself was great. Not too big, not too little. The Audition went well and maybe just maybe, it was my orange Hiball. Next time I will have to try grapefruit or vanilla.
We’ve all wished at one time or another that we lived in another time. I wish I could live in the distant future. Sailing around the universe in the space ship “seeking out new life and new civilizations, boldly going where…”
anyway.
The time…the…afternoon sometime. Madison and I wanted to see either the Vow or Studio Ghibli’s new move, the Secret of Arrietty, based on the story of The Borrowers. We have had 4 free passes since christmas, so we were ready and willing to sit in a dark room for a couple of hours while munching down on salty buttery corn that has been “popped”. But when we looked at the theaters we had free passes to, the movies we wanted were not playing. So…we went home. We stopped off at Fred Meyer and got some french bread for spaghetti. As we left we looked in the Redbox. ”Do you see anything?” “What about Midnight in Paris, we’ve been wanting to see that”. “Okay whats it about?” ”Owen Wilson in Paris at Midnight”. When we got home we put in the movie and…a couple hours later…MY MIND WAS BLOWN!!! It was great. Kind of Sci Fi which is right up our alley.
The story revolves around Gil, a Hollywood screenwriter portrayed by Owen Wilson. He is engaged to be married to Inez, played by Rachel McAdams. We know by the way that she treats him they shouldn’t be together. One night she goes dancing with her friends and Gil decides to go for a walk. He gets a little drunk and they sits down on some steps outside. The clock strikes midnight and along comes a car from the 1920′s. A bunch of people open the door and ask Gil to come with. So…he does. They drive and he is transported to the 1920′s, what he says is the golden age. There he meets Cole Porter, Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and many others. Every night he goes back to the 1920′s. He soon realizes that the people in the 1920′s believe that the 1890′s are the golden age. What happens to Gil? What happens in the 1920′s? What happens to his marriage?
Watch the movie. Its wonderful, probably one of my favorite screenplays lately.
So it took 48 days for me to fall behind on the blogging. Not bad considering I am juggling 5 jobs and rehearsals. But don’t you fret! Jaryl and I have still been sticking to out plans of something new every day! And here is our weekend update for you!
Friday February 17th
Jaryl took me to the dentist this morning. I have not been having good experiences there, although I know I am lucky to be going at all! I am on my 3rd dentist because of the high rate of turnover at this particular location. NOT good considering the first guy gave me bad fillings and now I am having to go in and have them all fixed. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME.
But back to the point. For quite sometime I have been grinding my teeth in my sleep. Jaryl has been great and constantly waking me up but I knew if I did not do something about it soon I could really do some damage. SO today the dentist said we could fit me for a night guard and asked me if I had received a price quote on that. I said no, so the secretary came in and said the insurance didn’t cover it. ( I don’t understand why. It’s not a cosmetic thing, it’s a I could lose my teeth thing!) It was $444!! I could pay half now and half later. Ha! Like that made a difference.
So the dentist said I could get some over the counter guards that were not the best, but would do. I had not gotten one before because I have TMJ and the box said to consult your dentist first. So today I tried one. It was weird. I had to boil it and then imprint my teeth on it. But when it was all said and done I realized I have the mouth of a small child and it was way too loose! Jaryl and I both decided I could choke on it in the night and also after some more research an ill-fitting night guard can shift your jaw. eww. So now I am back to square one. So if anyone else has TMJ, a clicking jaw or bruxism (teeth grinding) and has some tips let me know.
Saturday February 18th
Since my favorite holiday has come to pass I put on a little weight. Darn you Valentines day and your cute candy and baked goods! So it was time to get back on the horse and eat right and workout. So today was the big health kick off. Jaryl and I went grocery shopping and made sure to purchase lots of produce, protein and no snacks. Expect for our favorite Pop Chips! (So awesome if you haven’t tried them.) Next to the pop chips though was something new.
BEST purchase I could have made! Even Jaryl likes them. We decided they taste like chocolate drizzled cinnamon toast crunch. And finally a sweet treat that won’t wreck my diet.
Besides eating right today I HAD to work out. So Instead of going to the gym I was going to do some workouts from my latest issue of Fitness magazine and my Biggest Loser Yoga DVD. BUT my yoga dvd is sadly missing. So after I completed various workouts from the magazine I decided to look for some workouts on Youtube. I was surprised to find so much. (You really can get anything on the internet. I once looked up how to make a sonic screwdriver…It was there.)
So I ended up doing a ten minute kick boxing videohttp://youtu.be/ZlX_Gy4HP2E and then a 20 minute martial arts videohttp://youtu.be/yCekB36YGEc (super fun the people running it are very peppy).
Sunday February 19th.
Today Jaryl and I had a cozy night at home. Recently Jaryl decided that in order to find good monologues he is going to read all the plays on the Pulitzer Prize list. So Together we read Dinner with Friends By Donald Margulies. It is a delightful play about two couples and their lives together. But suddenly it all changes when one of the couples gets a divorce. Jaryl and I both loved how real the dialogue was. It was all very natural and some of the banter between the couples was very familiar to us . One play down! Many more to go!
Last night Jaryl and I indulged in a guilty pleasure. We have always liked ABC family shows and movies…something about them makes it so you can’t look away. Au Pair, I want to Marry Ryan Banks, and who could forget Kyle XY! I remember one time in college Jaryl and I got basic cable and he called and asked them if we could just add ABC Family for me.
So tonight we took time to induldge in their new show Switched At Birth.
Switched at Birth tells the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother. Meanwhile, Daphne Vasquez, who contracted meningitis and became deaf at an early age, grew up with a single mother in a working-class neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when the families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls.
Jaryl says: This show hurts my heart.
Madison says: It was good. I like the girl with red hair. Hot.
Today Jaryl and I tried Trophy Cupcakes in Wallingford. I was very excited to surprise him. We both love cupcakes, we even had cupcakes at our wedding. We usually go to Pinkabella Cupcakes in Redmond and they are the BEST. The store is all pinked out and the selection of flavors is great and they are all delicious.
I was excited to find another place to try. The inside was cute. Not pink so subtract a point there. The flavors were…okay. I guess towards the end of the day there is not much to pick from but still. I ended up getting a Neapolitan and Jaryl got a triple chocolate. I was so happy when they put them in a box. When we got home I opened it right up and bit in. EWW.
The cake is dry.
The taste is Blan.
The frosting is gross.
And of course….they do not celebrate the color pink.
Jaryl had the same things to say. These cupcakes are not worth the calories, and do not even compare to Pinkabella. Not to mention they were 50 cents more a piece than Pinkabella prices! You are better off picking up a cupccake at your local grocery store. Trophy Cupcakes….WHO gave you your trophy??
If you do want to check out Pinkabella cupcakes they are in Redmond, Lynwood, Bellevue, Queen Anne and South Center. They have the BEST red velvet cake I have ever tasted. Plus you can buy shots of frosting!
Although I look happy in this picture, I was not. This was before I bit in.
So needless to say Jaryl and I are having a good year trying new foods, inventing new games, and learning a lot. I am excited for the summer months to come so we can do more outdoor activities!
