BREAKING NEWS: HJB IS BACK!!!

BREAKING NEWS: HJB IS BACK!!!
by Bettyanne Bruin

KKK. Oops. I should probably just say, K,K. I have been swamped, but I've had a blast. I've been working, fulfilling some media relations obligations with a few film companies:

Believe, a movie that is a spoof on multi-level marketing. This is NOT a MLM bashing movie, but a "Let's have a good laugh at ourselves," film. I think Loki Mulholland did a great job on this film and was a super guy to work with.

I'm also having fun working with Chris Heimerdinger on Passage to Zarahemla, another film that I think was done very well, has a great adventure and provides an interesting, entertaining story line about the Book of Mormon. Has a great super effects guy: Steve Sobisky, who worked on Shrek, ANTZ and other movies as a member of the DreamTeam. He is fantastic! And Bruce Wing, the props guy who collects incredible props, Shari Ohman who has done costuming for countless Church-produced films and other LDS and non-LDS films, the wonderfully talented Summer Naomi Smart, Alex Petrovitch, Brian Kary, the list goes on and on. Today, I spoke with Bryce Chamberlain, who played the father in Man's Search for Happiness and now plays the grandfather in Passage to Zarahemla. That was awesome!!! Who would have thought, when I was sixteen and so affected by that film that it changed my life (cheesy, but true) that today I would have the privilege of personally thanking him.

I'm also working with Kieth Merrill and Peter Rancie's new studio, AAMPS, otherwise known as Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios. Wow, what an experience this has been as well. All I can say is, there is SO MUCH TALENT in the LDS community !!! I have truly felt in awe of these people. They are all incredible. Kieth is so awesome and such a gentleman and a gentle man. Peter is so great. I love his g'days (he's from Australia) and he's a real mover and a shaker and has a determined focus on using his time and energy to give back to the community what he believes the community is seeking: movies that are high quality and filled with moral integrity. Way to go, Peter!

I am also a correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune's Close-up section, an online editor for Writer's Literary, a freelance writer for Utah Spirit magazine, a Mia Maid Advisor, a vacationeer, a lover of fun and variety, a David Letterman addict, and a collector of strange LDS happenings, sightings, stories, happenings, etc. because I LOVE our community; the uniqueness, the insanity, the charity, the ups and the downs, the famous, the not-so-famous, etc.

So, here goes:

Possibly the Only Top Ten Strange Things That Could Only Happen in Utah: (Unless YOU have some!!!)

1 - A bumper sticker on a car in Provo with a picture of the Salt Lake Temple on it and the words: I am always worthy.

2 - A woman on the local news who gave the local traffic report, then accidentally closed her on-air, live report, "In the name of...." (I think you can find this on YouTube.)

3 - A sacrament meeting where a man played, "Oh My Father," on his saw. (I think the Church came out with stricter guidelines the next week for Sacrament meeting musical contributions.)

4 - A man (many might know) who thought it would be a great attention getter to yell really loud as the introduction to his Sacrament Meeting talk and, in so doing, made a young girl seated in the middle of the chapel throw up. (And seeing everyone scramble to help clean up the mess, while the man, not knowing what happened, continued on with his talk.)

5 - Walking into the chapel for the Children's Sacrament Meeting and seeing two seven-year-old boys standing next to the pulpit choking each other and learning one of them was my son.

6 - In the Summer, the people standing in line for a snow cone at a snow cone booth is longer than the lines waiting to get a drink at a bar. (My non-LDS brother, from California, could not believe this!)

7 - The signs posted on homes throughout Utah that read, "Welcome Home Elder." (Or Sister)

8 - That the candy aisle fills a complete aisle and the beer covers a small corner, where in California, it is totally the opposite.

9 - One of my favorites: Seeing families picnicking on top of graves while children run around and play, and cars create traffic jams in all of the cemeteries on Memorial Day

10 - A school bus filled with children singing Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree during a school field trip (even the teachers were singing). This just happened last week.

Crazy.

Feel free to comment with your own sightings.