flat on the table like Kansas

I spent most of this week visiting my grandma in Kansas. This promises to be the easiest subject line ever found.

It was a nice visit, though I was lazy because I have to be told to do things otherwise I lie on the couch and think about ... whatever it is I spend most of my time thinking about. Played a lot of Bejeweled on the nice fast new computer, but got some work done too. Not enough, considering the mess I came back to yesterday.

I went to FHE with my aunt Janae, which was fun. I don't spend enough time around young (probably loosely used, though I wasn't the youngest by any means) single adults anymore, and we had a great time thinking of Gospel Principles to be found within the movie Pinocchio.[1]

We also went to half an hour of Institute, which was interesting because it was taught by Brother M, CES Coordinator for the area. (More on that in my grateful post tomorrow.) Also, we went to the Lawrence High School Winter Gala, where they did excerpts from The Messiah, an orchestra piece complete with glowsticks tied to the bows, and a marching band routine. I'm a sucker for marching band, and the drum major was good.[2] The dance team, though, didn't do anything that I couldn't do (well, with two fully functional legs) so I wasn't impressed by them.

Wednesday was my aunt Janae's birthday, so we had a little party. I learned some Russian words that I can't remember from Andrey, their Kazakhstani friend (he was an exchange student when I was younger, and now goes to KU) and played with the cousins that also live at the house. All boys, so we don't have an awful lot in common. Oh well. Mom and I also had a tour of the campanile, which was a-maz-ing. I totally should've taken the carillon class at BYU.

On our way to the airport on Thursday we stopped by the Liberty Missouri Temple site. They're clearing the ground in preparation for the groundbreaking. How exciting!

That's kind of what we did. Not the most super exciting trip, but still fun.

Then Thursday night I had to rush off to the Imogen Heap concert, which was a personal tragedy (we left when she was less than halfway through, but I was tired of standing and breathing the cigarette smoke). I just hate fun, I guess.

Yesterday was good, though! For a Friday the 13th. (Luckier than some, at least.) No major problems with the concert for which I had a good amount of responsibility (accompanists are so self-centered!) and it was okay all in all. So glad to be home!

(I try not to make boring travelogue posts, but sometimes it can't be helped. Like when I can't resist the temptation to talk about Kansas so I can use one of my favorite songs as a subject line.)


"Kansas" ~ Vienna Teng[3]


[1] Obviously the entire story is pretty much allegorical, so that wasn't any fun. If the movie itself states the conscience is a "still, small voice" it doesn't leave much to the imagination. We thought of things more like, "Flirt to convert." "Sometimes when you change for the better, people want to you to stay the same you were and don't believe that you've changed." "Polygamy always has strings attached." "Puppets can't drown." "Satan will tempt you away then leave you alone to be locked in a cage with no hope for escape." That sort of thing.

[2] If I were a high schooler, I might have a crush on him. Something about arrogance and power is so attractive. Not to mention the way he says "dot dot dot dot." Oh, baby.

[3] Actually, eastern Kansas isn't very flat, and the weather was amazing. So my use of that line for the subject is just artistic license. I enjoyed all the hills and not being lost to the winter. Lovely!