A blog post

I'm doing a terrible job of blogging during the school year....again.  Perry needs to do something exciting.  Or I need to at least take him somewhere exciting.

In the mean time, here's the Cowboy Marching Band with former Byng Band member, Paige!  Hopefully I can get a recording of an ECU show so that you can see Ed, Blake, Gabby, Tommus, & Sarah.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H89YkG_Xb04

BAND--Car Wash--Date Change

Due to a conflict at Ada Ford, they have moved our Car Wash to August 24th.  Please make that change on your calendars.

Bubbles

Put Mamma Smitty and her Brother Smitty together and what do you get?  Bubbles in a hot tub.  Not those kind of bubbles...suds...from soap.  We left our parents at his house and went to the neighbor's hot tub who surprisingly went for the idea.  Should we do this on the next band trip? Uhhhh, maybe not.  It's probably best we don't get kicked out of any hotels. I'd hate to be the Harvard band of Oklahoma.

The Curse of the August First

I just emailed a friend (who is probably one of only 5 blog readers) and that was the title of his email.  I decided it was such a good title that I should use it as a post.  One year ago was the dreaded kidney stone incident #1.  Today, I fear I could possible have an infection in my leg.  I had a few skin doodads removed on Tuesday...this one bled so much, I could have donated blood.  As of today, there is a large circle around it that it red, inflamed, hot to the touch, and firm...my brother says it looks like a recent staph infection he had.  So probably while I type, my leg is going to rot off and I won't be able to march along with you guys and I'll have to get a motorized cart since I'll have one leg and you'll all make fun of me and the other band directors will make fun of me and..... I decided that I couldn't possible make that run on sentence any longer.

As I type, I'm texting another friend.  She replied "Ohhhh my! Legs frequently do fall off in the night due to rotting...something about the lack of sunlight to hinder the rot process."  

Well, there you have it folks.  Your favorite band director may be succumbing to another strange ailment that only I could get.  Or perhaps this is a perfectly normal side affect of the freezing/burning process of skin. (But the spot on my nose doesn't look anything like the one on my leg.)  If I end up with one leg, I suppose I can dress like a pirate and become the school's new mascot.

If you're a student, see you in five days.  If you live in Micronesia, see you in 10 months. If you are my cousin Kent that I trust reads this from time to time see you Christmas (or Thanksgiving or Labor Day or the last weekend of September when I come for the Beth Moore conference or....).  If you are Susan, I have no idea when I'll see you, but I really should visit or you visit here!  And if you are Adam, maybe this year the bowl schedule will hit when you are at home visiting your family and the game is in TX...or there is cowboy basketball.  And to the rest of the world...I had no idea you are reading, but I'm glad you do.  And to that strange sensation I feel in my leg, please don't be my leg rotting off.

Perry Here

I have hacked the blog. Why does Smitty do all the talking anyway?  I was wondering if anyone heard me mentioned today on Jeopardy.  Anyone?  Okay, so they didn't actually say Perry, but they said platypus from Phineas and Ferb.   And since I'm the only platypus on that show--or on television--they were obviously talking about me.

But the real reason I'm posting is you should have seen Smitty. She was excited getting question after question after question correct. She thought she was an extra dose of smart today. I couldn't break it to her that this was the children's edition and they were all about 12.  

The Hike to Nowhere...

Perhaps you recall this hike from last year.  It was a nice little trek down a mountain to Tarzan Falls with a nice LONG trek back up the mountain.

Well, this year the Guam youth wanted to go on a hike and choose this particular falls.  However, I don't think that group had been there nearly as many times as I had.  For example, they were a little unsure of the name of the hike.  They only knew it was marked by the following...

Shoes.  This is the sign that it is time to pull off the road and hike into the jungle.

However, on this particular morning it had been raining--make that pouring.  And the trail looked a little something like this.

Rain or not, we decided to hike.  However, they didn't realize you were suppose to stay left. We went right.  I mentioned once that we should go left, but I was told all trails lead to the same spot.  And since I wasn't in charge, I wasn't going to be bossy.

 UNTIL--we got about 45 minutes into the hike, several miles into the jungle in the OPPOSITE direction of the falls.  I then got a little bossy and suggested we just turn around. However, our hike to nowhere became absolutely hilarious.  People were slipping and sliding all over the mud.  No one could stand.  We weren't even sure which trail we came down to go back up.

Of course, the hike was all fun and games until we discovered the sword grass. (I still have the scratches all of my legs to prove it.)

And here is the end--digging the mud out of my shoes.

Eventually we all headed to Inarajan pools and jumped in for a swim--clothes, shoes, and all.  How else would we get the mud off?

Band Starts Soon

Oh my! BAND STARTS SOON!!!!  You know you are all excited.  My spies have shared a few FB posts about people being excited for band (Hunter & friends).  I also saw that no one has practiced. Shame on you.  Tonight I found out from another band parent that one of you thought band camp started today and was disappointed when you discovered otherwise.  I would like to believe that it is my awesome teaching, my brilliant personality, and your love for the art of instrumental music.  However, I'm no dummie.  You're just bored.  For those of you dreading the beginning of band, I promise to make it fun.  Perhaps we should throw water balloons at the trumpets....or....hide the drummer's sticks...or....shove Cade in a tuba case.

See you next week!