Virtual Coffee/The Happiness Project

Hey you guys! Today I am going to do two blog carnivals in one post. As you'll recall from last week, Amy from Lucky Number 13 hosts Virtual Coffee every Tuesday. It's a carnival where you just kind of talk about random things that you might talk about over coffee with a friend.

I'm also doing a Tuesday carnival hosted by Leigh vs. Laundry, which is called The Happiness Project. For this carnival, you post a photo of something that makes you happy. And there is a badge for it:

So, my picture for The Happiness Project is this one:

It's the exuberant Goldfish cracker!

Now, for reference, here is a (less blurry) photo of a regular Goldfish cracker, taken from the Internet:

Notice how the normal Goldfish cracker has that sort of lackluster, close-mouthed half-smile? Whereas my Goldfish is all Hell yeah, life, bring it on!

Or else that Goldfish cracker is saying, "Hey Shannon, please stop eating me and my friends." Because seriously, I bought one of those big cartons of Goldfish, you know, because "my kid" likes them, and isn't buying in bulk more economical? And then my kid ate maybe a small bowlful, dumped another bowlful on my carpet, and that was it. I ate all the rest.

You know the sound of that big carton opening? That quiet shhhh tearing sound? That is the sound of a bad idea.

Also bad ideas: gummi bears, soft pretzels, Trader Joe's letter cookies, homemade bread.

Anyway, since you came here for coffee, I will tell you that this will be the first of many cups of coffee I'll be having today. As I mentioned Sunday, this week I have rehearsals Monday through Wednesday nights, two shows Thursday, and one show Friday. I kind of enjoy feeling like I'm the master of the double-life. Like, Midwest Suburban Housewife Schlub by Day, Stage Star by Night. (I know, I am so lame.) But I am also The Exhausted Person All the Time. I wish I could be one of those energetic, perky people who can just go and go and go. But I expend a lot of energy worrying about things that probably won't happen, so I'm pretty tired by about dinnertime every day.

So I'm relying on coffee to get me through the week. And in my bio for the show, I had to list people who I wanted to thank. Of course I listed my family and friends, but I probably should have also included a shout-out to my BFF Keurig, without whom my performance wouldn't be possible. I love you, K.

So, can I tell you something about the show? It includes the song "Tomorrow" from Annie, which is my favorite musical. And there is this little girl singing it, and she doesn't really know the words, and the show is in three days, and I told the director I'd be happy to put on a red curly wig and sing it.

She laughed.

I wasn't actually joking.

I added that I dressed up as Annie for Halloween when I was four, and that was the year I trick-or-treated for UNICEF, and I saw the Annie movie at the drive-in ... yadda, yadda, yadda ... I'm a crazy person and I'm never gonna get to sing that song.

Oh well, it's better that I don't sing anything, because as it is I am so, so nervous about this show. (Also, minor technicality, but I can.not.sing.) I feel like I sound so funny in my head, and then in real life I rush the lines and sound a total dork. And I don't have to memorize all the lines, but I don't want to be staring down at my notecards the whole time, except when I try to memorize them I get all flustered and then I sound like an idiot.

And yes, I'm a little bit fishing for compliments here.

Goldfishing for compliments.

See how this post comes full-circle?