The Exciting Lives of Scientists

Long story, but I found an article about a natural science museum in London. Here's to science with a sense of humor:

There is a genus of clam called Abra. So inevitably, in 1957, when they identified a new species within that genus, two scientists proposed the name cadabra. A few years later, scientists decided that "Abra cadabra" more correctly belonged to the genus Theora, and, says Fortey sadly, "there is nothing very entertaining about Theora cadabra"

I'm with you Fortey. Screw correct classification-I wanna laugh at my mollusks!

Quentin Wheeler, keeper of entomology, and a colleague named a series of slime-mould consuming beetles after the US administration: Agathidium bushi, A rumsfeldi, and A cheyneyi. He also named one after Darth Vader. One day he received a phone call that began "This is the president of the United States." He was about to answer "Oh yes? Well this is Darth Vader . . ." when he realised it actually was the president of the United States, who claimed to feel honoured to be immortalised in beetle nomenclature.

Err....call Bush "scum" and he'll probably get mad. Call him a "scum-sucking beetle" and he'll personally call and thank you.

Ummm...

The only purpose of this entry is to say I'll write a real one in a few hours after I get back from work. Why I'm putting this up for only a few hours is beyond me, but I blame Kristina for making me feel bad about not posting, so now I feel I owe the blogging world (her) an explanation.

Cheers.

Paris, Je T'aime

I seem to recall an entry that prophesied of future entries. Behold, on this day shall the prophecy be fulfilled as I tell the story of...

THE INFAMOUS PARIS ROMANCE!!!!

So long ago (the summer of '06), I was on my way to study abroad in Namibia, Africa. Namibia is a significant country because, as we all know, Angelina and Brad had baby Shilo there that same year. I went for the much less interesting anthropological things there. I mean live with natives for a month, kill snakes, see elephants? Pales in comparison to having a chance to actually see a real celebrity baby! I mean how many times do any of us have a chance to see that anywhere?

I digress...Paris plays a part in all this because my dad was able to find a flight that allowed me to meet my parents in Paris (my dad was going to take my mom to Italy right after for their 25th anniversary, so we were all there) and then fly to Africa.

So the first day that I'm not jet-lagged, I go run around Paris just looking at things, eating things and exploring the city. It's marvelous fun. I stop next to the river Seine to read my map. Apparently this signals "tourist" since not a minute later a Frenchman comes up to me and asks if he can look at my map too. However, I notice that he didn't seem interested in finding anything (at least on the map) as he quickly starts making conversation with me. Let's fast forward to two hours later when we're sitting in a cafe talking. Think American films that take place in Paris are full of stupid stereo-types...?

Ummm...they...really....aren't. Let me give you some highlites of our conversation: (Note that this must be done in a THICK Parisian accent)

"Ah, Laurel, your smile, it is so beautiful. I am not a painter, but you will make me one."

"Bravo, bravo Laurel to your parents for making you. I should send them a bottle of wine."

"I would send my heart to you across the ocean, but I cannot; I only have one."

"Ah, Laurel, your laughter! I must remember it. I am not a writer, but you will make me one."

I literally have a page of these written down because they were just so....French. Did they work on me? Well, if you hadn't kissed anyone for over two years because you were serving a mission most of that time, and a cliche Paris romance knocks at your door, what would you do?

Exactly. Kissing on top of the Eiffel Tower was awesome.

I Done Got Tagged!

I can't believe it, it's like a true initiation into the blogging world, but I finally got tagged. Here we go.....

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Tiff)
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

RANDOM #1: I have always wanted to be ninja and/or Catwoman. And of course my body would magically transform to fit the suit perfectly too.

RANDOM #2: I'm a complete nerd. I was even going to write a post about it-with the awesomely clever title "My Nerdy Little Secret." Evidence of my nerdiness includes (but is not limited to):
A. I love Star Trek. Well, OK, I'm really a Next Generation fan, but the other series all have their moments.
B. I grew up on NPR and didn't discover pop music until 7th grade. I was more familiar with Garrison Keillor than...well who was popular in '94?
C. I have the comic book where Dazzler first appears in the X-men. I also used to collect Marvel trading cards.
D. Conversations at lunch and dinner during my freshman semester usually revolved around deep religious truths or Platonist vs. Aristotelian ideals in the modern world. I was in an honors ward, among my own kind. :)

RANDOM #3: I could have added more to #2, but it was getting long, and I was getting wary of revealing too much of my un-cool side since I am definitely viewed as one of the cool people at BYU, and I have a reputation to protect there.

RANDOM #4: Ha! I got out east of #3, so now #4....Hmmm, this may be boring but I looove make-up. You know how some girls love shoes? Not me (although I appreciate their contributions.) I love make-up. Having never been blessed with great visual artistic talents in drawing or painting, it's the closest I come to it. Since discovering ELF cosmetics, I've had the chance to buy lots of make-up I never, but MIGHT, use.

RANDOM #5: I love video games. Maybe this belongs under #2, but with my guy friends it was an opportunity to bond, and usually guys I've dated found this nerdy quality attractive. I didn't get bored if my friends/boyfriend wanted to play video games-intead I kicked their butt! (Side-note: I had awesome roommates before I was married who also shared my love of video games. We had an X-Box, PS2 and a Wii before I left.)

RANDOM #6: My husband has a ring-tone that plays the whole Harry Potter theme. Think I'm kidding? It started like 2 minutes ago and it's still playing.

And now I TAG:

1. Ryan
2. Taylor
3. Joel
4. Kristina
5. Mary
6. Julie

I'll get back to my regular posting soon

NYC is a shameless flirt

So for all (one) of you who have commented on my lack of posts, I will explain: I'm in NYC. I'm on my friend's computer (it's weird) and she also uses Internet Explorer which I don't like (Yeah Firefox!), so I won't be linking my usual randomness. However, I WILL tell you all about the shameless flirt that is New York City.

So first off, I'm here to audition for two things that aren't even in NY, but are having their auditions here and I'm also seeing a host of friends out here who are much more sucessful and/or daring than I. This city is a place I always imagined myself living, and the two or three times I have visited over the years left me with a deep longing and conviction that I was destined to live in Manhattan like an actor is destined to wait tables. But coming here now that I'm a little older and more married, I was like "meh, it's a big city with more arts, more theater, and more pretenciousness." But New York wouldn't have it. Let me tell you the ways New York City has teased me:

-The weather here has been insanely perfect. It's not August in this city right now. I think they jumped to early October/late September.
-I have heard horror stories about the rats, mice, and cockroaches in this city-yet have I seen a single one? Not even in the tracks of the subway!
-It's pretty laid-back right now (for the city.) Most New Yorkers are getting in their vacation time right before the fall so lots of places aren't as crowded.
-One of my friends is letting me stay at her place while she is off with her family to see the Olympics (in China.) She lives in a nice studio apartment right next to Central Park on the Upper West Side. The neighborhood is a beautiful one with lots of cute familes taking walks down tree-lined streets.
-There are tons of natural food stores and restuarants that aren't ridiculously over-priced. I mean, everything is overpriced to a point in NY, but at home, the natural food choices are way more expensive in relation to other food choices-but here they're only slightly more expensive and sometimes even cheaper! (Note: For those who don't know, I have to stay on a pretty strict diet, so this is a very good thing)
-I was going to take a class at THE Broadway Dance Center, but a friend of mine recommended New Dance Group instead and boy, am I glad! No dance-diva teachers, no overcrowded classes with overcrowded egos and actual individual attention! It felt so good to dance again and not feel intimidated by all the "big-city dancer" stuff.
-This is the biggest shocker: I haven't met any mean New Yorkers. In fact, I've had some great experiences with the people here. A few days ago I was lost on the Subway (got on a train going the wrong direction) and one of the Subway musicians yells over to me (in a true NY accent) "Hey, sweetheart are you lost? Do you need to find the Upper West Side?" Then proceeded to tell me exactly what train I needed to take and where.

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Obviously New York is shamelessly flirting with me..."Seee? (bats eyelashes) there are no rats here! And everyone is always soooo nice and helpful-see how all the neighborhoods are safe and beautiful with consistently perfect weather? I'm suuure you'll be able to afford to live here where things don't get too crowded and you can always eat healthy!"

Well, as long as NY is going to pander to me, I may as well enjoy it. I did get my bag of questionable character in Chinatown for $35 (though I'm still mad that I probably could have talked him down to 30.) It says it's a Coach bag. Let's not judge lest we be judged also-and bags can be very judgemental.

Well, I'll head home Tusday night after being torridly wooed by the seductive New York City. Will it work? Maybe, but I imagine that once I leave, all the rats get some signal that it's OK to come out again.

Light in the Piazza

So I went to an audition again, mostly just to get back into the habit of it, and went out to SLC for a musical at the Pioneer Theater Company. I didn't know how it would go since I'm just getting back into the audition thing, and they don't exactly have a lovey-dovey rapport with BYU students. That's not to say that there's actual enmity, but things have never been congenial. But walking into that theater was wonderful. It was a real theater. Like the kind you find in Minnesota.

But anyway, if the picture and title of this post mean nothing to you-the musical is The Light in the Piazza and it takes place in Florence. Mystery solved. Oh, and I got a call-back. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I was seriously so happy leaving I wanted to cry because it was just reassuring to know that I can still do a good job at an audition after being sick for sooooo long. It wasn't until I got home that I thought about how I didn't know the story or the music and my call-back was in 16 hours.
Luckily I found a synopsis so the sides they gave me to read will make sense. It's a beautiful bittersweet story and one I would love to be a part of, but hey! I'm just sooo happy I made it to call-backs that I'll be singing romantically to myself all week.

I am just grateful for moments of grace like these.

Best Interview Ever

Just a quick word of advice.

When you're interviewing for a children's story-teller position at the Public Library, and you're doing your sock-puppet routine, make sure you plan out your act in a little more detail so you don't accidentally say the following:

Sock Puppet Princess: But Daddy! I want a pig! Did you know they don't even sweat! That's more than you can say for your courtesans-NO! I meant COURT! Court!