Whew.

I'm beat.  I feel like I have been preparing for the band trip all over again...as I'm really just preparing for my churches youth retreat this weekend which is about 75 fewer people.  In the last 4 days I have written 3 youth sermons along with their corresponding powerpoints, video segments, and small group worksheets.  I also prepared six devotionals for our quiet times at the retreat.  Then I had to make all the copies and stuff the folders.  Eventually it dawned on me that I needed a Father's Day sermon for Sunday so I wrote that today...I'm sure my dad will appreciate the pictures I have put of him in the PowerPoint! (Here's an example. He's lucky that all my really good pics are on my computer at home!)

Basically, I put the above paragraph in so that you don't think I just sit on the beach all day.  (Speaking of beaches, I just read an article regarding the radiation in the water from the Japan tsunami a few years back--maybe I'm going to just skip the ocean for the next 10 years and swim in hotel pools instead.)  

But to Susan who fears I may not spending enough playing and too much time working...here's a bit of island beauty for you....

The Break In....

I had "one of those days" on Saturday. If home hadn't been 8000+ miles a day, I just might have hopped back on an airplane. (Well, there's the distance and the whole I hate to fly thing.)

A couple of guys from the Philippines are traveling to visit all the Naz churches in Micronesia. Since they were beating me to Guam, they let themselves into the house.  I arrived at midnight before they needed to leave for the airport at 5am.  I told them to just return all the keys in case my personal set of keys didn't have everything I needed on them.  When I woke up on Saturday morning, I discovered on 2 of the 3 needed keys were there.  The missing key is the only one that unlocked the outside
screen door.

I wiggled the door.  That didn't work.
I wiggled the door harder.  Still didn't work.
I circled the parsonage looking for an open window. Nothing.
I beat on a few windows. They didn't pop open.
I tried the front door....and the back door....nothing.
I emailed the pastor in the states hoping someone had a key.  He did...on his keychain...IN the house.

The only logical thing to do at this point is bust out my criminal skills and BREAK IN.  I was a little worried about somebody calling the cops. Thankfully, it was 6:30am. However, it was daylight and the last time I had to break in to something around here was well after sunset.  (See post from July 8, 2012 for more details on that adventure.)  Also, the parsonage is known for random break-ins.  One a few months ago (hence the all the extra locks around here) and one when I was living on island (they stole jewelry, computers, and my friend Ben's Rav4 that he left at the parsonage because he felt it would be safer than leaving at his apartment while he was off island.) This gives me an idea....

I recall the break in of late December 2006.  I recall the details of how the criminal entered the parsonage.  Would it still work!?  No way...surely in the 7 1/2 years since that break-in someone has fixed the slight glitch in the parsonage.  I take a chair the side window...and wah-la...it opens!

Now for a ladder....

Looking back, it would have much easier to have sent Perry inside, but I wasn't really thinking.  I was thirsty.  I needed toilet paper.  I just wanted INSIDE.

Up the ladder I climbed and down onto the dryer, I fell.

And the side window of the parsonage that someone should have blocked years ago....I did that too.

The Flight

If you know me...I HATE to fly. If I could think of a stronger word than hate right now, I'd use it.  There is one small thing that can help when I'm flying--flying on an airline without USA roots.  No offense to the good ole Red, White, & Blue, but airlines based in that country are terrible.  However, airlines without their roots in the United States have service, good food (lots of food actually...including ice cream and chocolate bars), and MOVIES!  (Yes, other airlines have movies, but they are usually on a set repeating schedule...and the sound is usually broken.  This airlines had 200+ movies.)

I had been dying to see the movie Saving, Mr. Banks.  Of course, my local movie theatre never brings the one movie a year I want to see.  I had anxiously awaited the day it was to play at the McSwain Theatre--only to be given State Band Solo and Ensemble times that put us home too late. But finally...on my dreaded fight I was able to watch the most anticipated movie (for me) of last year!  But that isn't even the best part. The best part is that they also were showing Mary Poppins which I played immediately after Saving, Mr. Banks.  Of course, I sang every word (hopefully to myself or the poor Japanese lady and gentlemen on each side or me had a most miserable flight).  And then what did I do...played it all over again...and again!  Until...

Perry discovered that Phineas and Ferb was also playing....

Happy Halloween!

 It was a spooky day in Thursday's Halloween Rehearsal.   Guys, you are required to shave before the court show.

I must admit, that I'm curious to what Kai, Michael, Eric, and Andrew are looking at...hmmmm....And C-baby is certainly acting like himself.

Band gang sign

While in Lawton with the color guard,  what do we find as a decorative piece in our hotel room? A statue of the band gang sign! (F#\ b-natural)

The Curse of the Byng Band

This year started out like any other year.  Band Camp. Iron Man. Swim Party.  And then...something dark and mysterious came upon the Byng High School Band. Okay. It wasn't so dark, nor mysterious.  Most of the world just calls it rain. I call it---"The Curse of the Byng Band."

State Fair Parade--RAIN
ECU Homecoming Parade--RAIN
Annual Hamburger Fry--RAIN (& cold)

Today was like any other Hamburger Fry day.  We try to squeeze one more jazz rehearsal in and 1/3 of the band was late, so I get cranky and yell at people.  (Am I so much a freak that I can only recall once in my life that I was ever late?  I was 16 and in England.  I'm not sure if it was pure exhaustion or inability to set my alarm.  But I got a "wake-up" call one morning that the entire orchestra was on the bus....except for me. Oops.)  Back to the curse....

Then I force the next there classes to free labor.  (Just be glad you weren't on ice chest clean up duty! Neither was I. I let Mr. Farris head up that department.)  Eventually, 11:00 comes around and I realize we are still short on cheese and desserts.  (Dear Sarah J. & Nathan--I doubt you read this, but if you did, you would know that we have never, ever, ever had as much cheese as the year we ate grilled cheese sandwiches for two months straight.)    I make one more frantic run to Walmart.  I almost ran over two people. I apologized and apologized.  I wonder if they just wrote me off as one of those crazy Walmart people or if they knew I was legitimately sorry for bringing near death to them?  And then...I drive home to make 13 dozen cookies & cupcakes.  I should open a bakery instead of the band room each morning.  Of course, they were "fake" cookies & cupcakes.  But for the record, I can bake real ones too.

Somehow, all of my blogs come back to my not-so-handy-dandy-radar.  Yes, I watched it today.  And for two hours it showed it was raining on top of us.  However, we at best had light mist.  So, THE moment I have you take chairs and stands outside, the real rain decides to come.  However, I have decided to look on the bright side of the rain....

1) Let's face it. The Hamburger Concert is always awful musicianship. Year after year, we fail to come through in a peak performance. Today, we blame it on the rain!

2) Since half of you have already lost your music, you'll get a nice, fresh copy for free and I'll never know that you didn't have your music (cough--cough--Cade).

3) Since we did our warm-ups indoors, you were given the opportunity to come up with that really strange hold-your-instruments-up-in-the-air-thing.

4.) Since Josh was cold, he decided that if he played faster he would stay warm. So finally, we were able to keep our jazz songs up to tempo. (Well, almost....but I have never in my life breathed such a sigh of relief! Except every time I touch down safely from a plane ride. Great job jazz band!)

5.) No one could do anything else since it was rainy and cold. Therefore, we had a record crowd and sold all but 3 of the 350 burgers!

I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of The Curse of the Byng Band.  But....if this rain turns to snow and I have to start canceling things, I will not be happy.

ECU Homecoming Parade

Smitty would like to blame Andrea and Kai for today's little pre-parade episode.  It seems that they have jinxed us by their little comment (Andrea) and prayer (Kai) in regards to how fun it would be to march in the rain.  I think that we just might have rain for every outdoor event this year.  Thanks. Thanks alot. I'm now really looking forward to the Hamburger Fry Concert next week.

Today started out like any normal Saturday morning with a band event.  I sat two alarms (which I only do on band contest/concert days--or when I have an early flight to catch).  The first alarm wakes Perry and I up at 8:55 am.  Hey, we were sleepy because we couldn't fall asleep until about 2am.  I decided this would be a good morning for a warm bowl of steel cut oatmeal with butter and brown sugar.  As I began preparations for my breakfast, my second alarm went off. Perry reminded me that I always forget about the second alarm. I reminded him that's because I only set two alarms about 5 times a year.

At 10am we leave the house for the Byng Band room. Why, you ask, when our meeting place is in Ada? Because just as expected four people did not follow directions and get their instruments and uniform parts.  I later learn that the number is actually six because two others didn't have hats.  I planned ahead and had a few extra in my car.  I know how you people operate. While I'm waiting around for kids to show, I decided to check the radar for fun.  (I have a secret obsession with meteorology and often kick myself for not going in that field. However, I probably would have had to have gone to OU and we all know that would never happen. So band directing school it was.)

I got a good look at radar.  Everything was east of us and moving north east.  It was going to be a dry day!

And then....

Five minutes later it starts pouring outside!  Calls from Byng and Francis parents start pouring in.  Is the parade on? Do we still go to Ada? Are we marching today?  I check the radar again.  A random little storm had popped up over Byng.  However, I assure all the calls that it is moving northeast--away from Ada.  In fact, it wasn't even raining in Ada.  I start to leave, but the gutter starts flooding and the hail starts falling, so I decide to wait it out a bit.

Eventually, all dries up and I make my way to Ada. I was quite relieved that I didn't hit crazy traffic, road blocks, and found an easy parking spot in front of Ada Music Center!  The band begins to gather with a few little comments about the cold.  The ECU International Student Association gives us donuts and we LOVE them for it!  A few kids ask if I think it will rain. I assure them that all will be dry because the radar shows everything to be east of us and moving east!  It was going to be a great parade!

Then...

Out of no where...

Lightening.

Thunder.

The skies open and I yell run!

We all found a night little....LITTLE...awning across the road where we squeezed....SQUEEZED....to keep from getting struck by lightening.  And there we huddled.  I expressed my love for the band in case we were to die and apologized for all the times I yelled at them.  I, of course, immediately took back the yelling apology because I wasn't really sorry for that.  While we were gathered and huddled the drum major arrived bringing my first pumpkin spice latte of the year. She is immediately forgiven for being late. (Note to band: I can be bribed with food, drinks, money, and nice gifts.)

Eventually, the bank across the road opened a covered parking garage where we could spread out and dry off.    We finished preparing for the parade, played a warm-up, did some tuning, got yelled at by the cave man, and decided it was time to brave the mist outside.

To end a really long blog, the parade kicked off almost on time.  The band looked and sounded quite possibly the best we have ever looked or sounded in a parade!

And now, I'm in my warm cozy house trying to decide whether to brave the "cold' and head out to the ECU Football Game to watch all my former students as promised. But I can hear thunder and my not-so-trusty-radar shows rain headed our way.