WICKED

LAST SPRING, I GOT AN E-MAIL FROM MY JAZZ REP.

THEY WERE OFFERING SEASON TICKET HOLDERS 

$25 OFF ON "WICKED" TICKETS.

I WANTED TO TAKE COURTNEY FOR HER BIRTHDAY.

IT REMINDED ME OF TAKING CAMILLE & ASHLEY TO "GREASE",

HEIDI & KATIE TO "GREASE 2", AND ALL OF THEM

TO "THE MUSIC MAN."

LORI WAS DYING TO GO, TOO.

I DECIDED TO ADD LAUREL...AND THIS WOULD BE

THEIR BIRTHDAY AND CHRISTMAS.

SERIOUSLY?  IS COURTNEY TALLER THAN ME?

OUR TICKETS SAID ROW "2G." OF THE MEZZANINE.

  IN MY MIND,  ANYTHING WITH A "ROW 2" IN IT 

WOULD BE THE 2ND ROW!

IT WAS ABOUT 8 ROWS UP!!!

ON THE WAY UP, I HEARD SOMEONE SAYING

MY NAME.  IT WAS KAREN'S KIDS!!!

WAYNE & TARA AND JONNY & KENZIE!

COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!!!

GREAT PICTURE OF TARA & WAYNE.
CAMERA TURNED WRONG WAY...SO JONNY & KENZIE CUT OFF.
I'LL ADD THEIR FACEBOOK PICS.

WAYNE, TARA, KENZIE, JONNY

 YUP! TOTALLY NEWLYWEDS!!!

I SAW "WICKED" ON BROADWAY IN NEW YORK CITY

9 YEARS AGO.  THE WEEK AFTER

CAMILLE & MARK WERE MARRIED.
IT IS THE STORY OF HOW THE
WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST IN THE "WIZARD OF OZ"
CAME TO BE. 

A HIGHLIGHT OF MY CHILDHOOD . . . THE ANNUAL 
"WIZARD OF OZ" BEING SHOWN ON TV!
ANOTHER FLASHBACK . . .
WHEN I WAS IN 2ND GRADE, REID HAD CHICKEN POX DURING
CHRISTMAS BREAK.
I HAD THEM THE FIRST WEEK BACK FROM THE BREAK.
I WENT AND STAYED IN NEPHI WITH GRANDMA AND GRANDPA.
THEY HAD (DRUMROLL)
COLOR TV!!!
THE MOVIE IS IN BLACK AND WHITE, UNTIL THE TORNADO
DROPS THE HOUSE IN OZ.  WHEN DOROTHY OPENS THE DOOR,
IT BECOMES COLOR!
WE DID NOT HAVE COLOR TV IN OUR HOUSE FOR THREE
MORE YEARS...WHEN I WAS IN 5TH GRADE!!!
(PRETTY RANDOM, I KNOW...BUT THIS MEMORY JUST
POPPED INTO MY BRAIN.  IT WAS A BIG DEAL!!!)
 
I SAW THE ORIGINAL CAST.
KRISTEN CHENOWETH AS GLINDA.
IDINA MENZEL AS ELFABA.
(VOICE IN "FROZEN" . . . "LET IT GO")

WELL, WHEN I SAT DOWN, MY KNEES DID NOT

FIT IN THE TINY SPACE!

IT ALSO MADE MY FOOT HURT!  I COULD EVEN

FEEL IT SWELLING!!!

I KEPT SHIFTING IN MY SEAT, TRYING TO

GET COMFORTABLE.

I WOULD HAVE LOVED THE SEAT ON THE END OF THE ROW.

THERE WAS NO SEAT IN FRONT OF THEM!

I COULDN'T TAKE IT!!!

AT INTERMISSION, I TOLD THE USHER MY PROBLEM.

HE CHECKED WITH A HEAD GUY.

I HAD SEEN EMPTY CHAIRS RIGHT NEXT TO STAGE

IN THE SPOT WITH FANCY CHAIRS.

I HAD TO GO DOWN TO MAIN FLOOR AND CHECK WITH THE

TICKET OFFICE. THEY SAID THEY WERE SOLD OUT, BUT ONE

SEAT WAS AVAILABLE ON THE CHAIRS. 

THEN I HAD TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK UP.

SOMEONE ELSE HAD TAKEN THE ONE AVAILABLE SEAT.

THEY FINALLY PUT ME IN THE EMPTY

CLOSE BOX THINGY.

 RELIEF!!!

IT'S NOT AS ENJOYABLE THAT CLOSE, BUT

MY FOOT AND KNEES 

LOVED IT!!!

AND, I HAD SEEN IT BEFORE.

THE SEATS WERE LIKE RIGHT OVER THE ORCHESTRA PIT!

THE CONDUCTOR WAS AMAZING!!!

HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE MUSIC!!!

HE WAS VERY YOUNG, TOO!

LOVED HIS RED TENNIS SHOES WITH THE BLACK.

    

 WHEN WE LEFT, I SAW

DEBBIE AMUNDSON!  

SHE WAS THE SPEECH TEACHER AT ALPINE A FEW YEARS AGO.

HER DREAM WAS TO TEACH SPEECH TO COLLEGE STUDENTS

WHO WANTED TO TEACH SPEECH.

SHE NOW TEACHES AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY!

AFTER, WE WENT TO DINNER.

I WAS THINKING "MIMI'S" OR "SWEET TOMATOES."

LORI KNEW WHERE A "CHEESECAKE FACTORY" WAS.

I HAD NEVER BEEN THERE.

I MIGHT NEVER GO BACK...SOOOO EXPENSIVE!

WHEN WALKING IN, I SAW BONNIE DALTON,

FORMER RS PRESIDENT AND VISITING TEACHER.

SHE HAD A GRANDSON WHO HAD JUST BEEN TO THE TEMPLE.

 INSIDE, I SAW 2 MORE FORMER STUDENTS.

SCOTT & TARYN OWEN!

SCOTT RETURNED FROM A MISSION IN THE PHILLIPINES

LAST DECEMBER.

TARYN WORKS FOR HER DAD AND ATTENDS BYU.

WHAT A DAY FOR SEEING SUCH RANDOM PEOPLE THAT I KNOW!!!

 LAUREL & COURTNEY
OLDEST GRANDCHILD

AUNTIE ANN & LORI


THESE BAD BOYS ARE "FRIED MACARONI & CHEESE."

TASTES LIKE MAC & CHEESE WITH A CRUST.
GREAT APPETIZER.

I HAD LEMON HERB CHICKEN, MASHED POTATOES, AND CARROTS.

IT WAS PRETTY GOOD.
(DIDN'T THINK TO TAKE A PICTURE...THIS PIC OFF OF THEIR WEBSITE)

 LORI'S S'MORE
LAUREL'S MANGO LIME
COURTNEY'S OREO
MY DULCE LECHE

THEN, WE ALL HAD CHEESECAKE.

HENCE, THE NAME "CHEESECAKE FACTORY."

HOLY CHESSECAKE!!!