Kentucky Bypass

I've been keeping careful watch of the power outage situation in Kentucky, and it doesn't look promising for those poor folks.

And since I'm a selfish person, it also doesn't look promising for me.  Fortunately, I have taken a variety of routes to Ann Arbor from Dallas before...I think this is my 5th time driving there...so it won't be too much of a hassle. 

Still, I enjoy the scenery of Tennessee and Kentucky and going up through Ohio rather than the bleak winter-weary plains of Illinois and Indiana.  Spring through Autumn the plains are gorgeous, but in winter they are depressing, and the wind is fierce since there is nothing to cut it.  It's sort of like it can be around here, since we are a relatively flat area and are actually the southern part of the Great Plains.

Last year when I got caught in that blizzard and wasn't fully prepared, I was mad at myself.  This year I have a proper coat, just had new windshield wipers put on my car, bought a long-handled ice scraper, and will pack my snow shoes, more warm clothes, food, and water in my car....just in case.  I did have some of this last year, but the proper coat and shoes would have been helpful when I had to dig out my car in Elizabethtown, Kentucky after stopping for the night.

I have been thankful for my 4-wheel drive so many times since I bought this car on January 19, 2006.  I'm glad I didn't let the car salesman talk me out of it, because I have made good use of it on many occasions and draw great comfort from knowing that it helps me both in everyday driving as well as these special extreme circumstances.  The reduction in gas mileage is worth the piece of mind, for certain.

Friday Night Lights

I have discovered hulu.com and have been watching episodes of Friday Night Lights.

I now have a mini-obsession with Kyle Chandler.  

I heard from several sources that this show was excellent, and it really is.  I think the kids drink too much and have too much sex to be realistic, but then again, I'm not sure of the exact amount of drinking and sex that high school kids have these days.

I can vouch that the bleakness and ugliness in the portrayal of a small west Texas town is spot on.  I think west Texas is bleak, ugly, dirty, and poor.  And it is definitely big football country.  Did I say big?  I meant BIG.  HUGE.  GINORMOUS.  Texas is big on high school football and band, with even the worst football programs receiving huge funding.  

These kids from successful teams are treated like home town gods.  The only drawback is that for many, this is the pinnacle of their existence.  They may go on to marry, have a family and a career, and yet their 'best time of my life' experience would be playing varsity football.  I think it's a bit twisted that football could be a better thing in one's life than getting married or the birth of a child.  Imagine reaching the height of your greatness at the age of 17.  How sad that it might be all downhill from there.

Anyway, I was a complete slug today (woke up at 11am) and didn't go post any flyers, so I feel like I'm letting down the recruiting coordinator, whom I adore.  So, I've drawn out a plan to hit about 30 places tomorrow.  This means it'll be a long day of driving around, but at least I won't feel unproductive.  I always feel unproductive if I don't accomplish anything worthwhile in a day...even if I truly need the day for resting and relaxing.

I am a bit concerned about my drive to Michigan on Mon/Tues.  I hope all the power is back on along the route I'm taking and that I have good weather on the drive there and back. 

Aggravation!

I told the corps recruiting coordinator that I would help this week with posting flyers around town and also with posting free online classifieds for percussionists.  The hornline and the guard positions are filling up quickly, but we still need pit and battery to round out the drumline.

Translation of pit and battery:  pit is the vibes, xylophone, marimbas, timpani, etc. that are on the front sidelines...they are also called the front ensemble.  The battery consists of snare drums, tenor drums, bass drums, and sometimes cymbals...these folks march on the field.

Since I'm on vacation this week I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to drive around and post the flyers in some of the southern suburbs to hopefully pique some interest.  Because of the nasty weather the past few days, I've not gotten very far on that front, though that is my plan for Thursday.

And tonight I have spent a couple of hours trying to get a very simple ad placed on several free online classifieds/online advertising websites.  And I have to say I am really aggravated.  I have to go through the entire process of registering on each site, waiting for the confirmation email, clicking through on that, then navigate my way through each website's ad posting process.  I don't have the patience for it, I tell ya.  It seriously took me 2 hours to do 6 of these.  And one big failed attempt with Facebook, which I inherently detest, though not as much as Myspace.

I really really really really hate Myspace.  

Anyway, these ads had better yield something substantial.  In all likelihood they won't, because they're just one ad among thousands and thousands.  Still, I shall choose to believe the ads will work, and I got to help out the recruiting coordinator who is a lovely gentleman, so that's nice.

Amazing Rehearsal

I played really well today for the most part, which makes me happy.  I also nailed the mellophone solo in the opener every single time, and that feels damn good.  I had so many people come up to me throughout the day and at the restaurant afterwards and compliment me on my playing, so I am one very pleased person.  I wanted very much to perform well today.

The running block killed me, so I need to work on that.  

And I'm so exhausted that I'm now going to bed; and I'm going to bed happy, which is a wonderful thing.

I'm On Vacation!

And tomorrow I have drum corps rehearsal.  I'm very excited.  There is a particular gentleman there whom I enjoy talking to very much, wink wink, so we'll see how/if that progresses.  He is quite reserved, so it mightn't go anywhere anytime soon.

I get to see my family on Sunday, and then I don't really have any engagements for the rest of the week after that.  It's going to be one heckuva year at work, so I plan on resting up for it.

I go to Michigan the week after next....brrrr.  I bought a coat from Lands End...a pretty pink-tinted one, because I was ill prepared for the blizzard I encountered last year.  Hopefully there will be no blizzard this year.

And great news:  my grocery store started carrying Rising Sun Farms Key Lime Torte.  Sweet toasted Jesus, that thing is tasty!  And the ones I bought weren't even moldy!  Remember my fiasco last time?

It was in the 70s here today, but tomorrow is supposed to be a high of 42.  I haven't felt the cold front whirl in yet, but I'm sure I'll wake up tonight when it does.  It's a good thing our rehearsal is indoors tomorrow, even the visual block where we're learning the first drill(shapes on the field that we march to) of the season.

And with that, I should get ready for sleepytime.

Goodnight.

THIS is drum corps

This is the Madison Scouts in 1988, playing Malaguena.

There are some differences between this and what I'll be doing.  Madison Scouts is a DCI (Drum Corps International) corps, which means that their members are 21 and under (or 22 if they turn 22 after June 1st of the marching year), while Frontier is a DCA (Drum Corps Associates) aka all-age corps.  And, Madison Scouts is an all male corps whereas Frontier is co-ed.  

In 1988, a corps could march 128 people, which the Scouts have in this clip.  This year, Frontier is going to march around 60+.  The other big difference is that DCI corps practice all day long in the summer and go on an extended tour of 30-40+ cities and shows.  Since many of us in DCA are adults and have careers, we rehearse a couple Saturdays a month, maybe a couple of hornline rehearsals a month, a few weekends in the summer, and travel to 5 or 6 different cities for shows.

All that being said, you can just watch and listen and see how exhilirating it is to be a performer or an audience member.  

There is absolutely nothing in the world like the high you get when the crowd cheers.  I was reading something earlier today that I think is rather true.....The purpose of drum corps is to make the audience stand and scream.

My God how great that feels!

Vacation Next Week

I'm using a week of vacation next week.  Our PTO (Paid time off) year ends the 31st of January, so it's 'use it or lose it' time.  I don't really have any plans other than sleep (a lot), practice my mellophone, do some chores around home, and work up to running at 180 bpm (beats per minute) for 10 minutes.  This last one is to get into good shape for corps, as the show is a maximum of 12 minutes at multiple tempos, but the visual caption head (ie marching instructor) told us that we're going to build up to 180 bpm for 10 minutes during stretching/conditioning at each camp, and if we can achieve that, we'll each be in good shape to march the whole show.

I don't want to go anywhere out of state, but I might take a few day trips to various undetermined places.

What do you think I should do on my vacation?

What Age Is Too Old?

This is a question for the ladies, with an alternate question for the gentlemen.

In your opinion, and based on whatever criteria you wish to use, what is the oldest age at which a woman should have a baby?  And I thought of another one...what is the ideal age range during which a woman should have a baby?  Basically, how old is too old to become a mother for the first time, and what is the best time?

And for the men...how old is too old to become a father for the first time, followed by what is the ideal age range?

I don't know if I'm going through a very early midlife crisis, or if I'm just feeling liberated to be all I can be since I have branched out to things other than just work.  I don't currently want kids, but I'm also not currently involved in a serious relationship, and I know the baby part could change with time in the relationship part, if I were to be so lucky at some point in the future to have one that I would classify as 'serious'.

Answers, thoughts, advice?  

Hornline Rehearsal

I have just returned from hornline rehearsal.  We rehearsed at the very lovely Park Cities Baptist Church and had 27 horns present, plus a few from the guard, and the percussion caption head along with a couple of relatives of the younger kids.

I've been practicing every day and improving as I go, so I played fairly well.  Another mellophone and I traded off playing the solo in the opener.  It is such a sweet, kickin' solo.  

I'm getting to learn many of the peoples' names, and I try best I can to greet the high school-age kids to help make them feel included and special in an room half full of adults who are 2 or 3 times their age.  

What's funny/interesting is that I'm actually using my skills as a GM and a Trainer with these folks as well.  I am not in charge and I have no seniority whatsoever, but I think it makes people happy to know that I notice when they do a nice job at something or are obviously trying very hard to play something right and I make a little comment to that effect.

Several of us went for a quick bite to eat at a mexican restaurant after rehearsal, and I got to spend time talking with a couple people I hadn't talked to before.  I'm getting to really like some of these folks.

I'm going to be tired for work tomorrow...have to be up in 6 1/2 hours.

I can't wait until Saturday when we have a full corps rehearsal and begin learning the drill for the opener.  Our show is called "Pastime" and is baseball-related music.  The opener is "It Don't Mean a Thing (If You Ain't Got that Swing)"...get it?....swing?  hah!  I love it.  It is a super-terrific arrangement and is really amazing.  Once we get it all down and record it and post it to our website, I'll provide a link here.

Goodnight.

I'm Either Very Smart or Very Stupid

Let's put it to a vote.

Today I passed on the opportunity to be promoted to district manager at work.  To be accurate, I passed on the invitation to go through the interview process.  I didn't even apply for this position because I thought someone else was going to get it due to some shifting and realigning.  But I learned I was their primary person of interest, and I know I would have gotten the job because I'm qualified and ready and can prove how I would be successful in it.  

And you're probably wondering why on earth I would pass on this.  Drum corps.  Yep, it's true.  Taking the position would require me to move several states away, and I wouldn't be able to march drum corps because I'd be too busy learning my new role and learning a new city/state.  

So I gave up a career opportunity to be able to pursue another passion.  I let it pass by so that I can create a better work/life balance here and now.  This is very unlike me.  I am always the one to grab every opportunity at work.  I knew this position was open, and I honestly kind of thought I'd be asked to go for it.  And as I was thinking about this last night, I almost cried alone to myself because I didn't want to give up my drum corps just yet to take that position...not when I've just found my music and marching passion again.

I feel ok about my decision, but am wondering if I'll regret it later.  On the flip side, I know I'd have VERY bittersweet feelings if I had said yes.

What would you have done?  What are your thoughts?  Was this a smart decision or no? 

Drum Corps Rehearsal, Take 2

I just had THE best time at rehearsal today.  God, I had such a great time.  Even when I was sweaty and out of breath, I was never too sweaty or out of breath.  The people are fun, the music is great, the esprit de corps is strong.  I didn't want rehearsal to end.  I wasn't too tired to keep going.  Many of us went out for pizza afterwards and had a great time.  

It is so wonderful to be developing this new peer group of lively, intelligent, fun people.  

We have a brass only rehearsal on the 19th, and another full corps rehearsal in 2 weeks. 

I can't wait!

My Travels in 2008

I could get all sentimental and philosophic about mental, emotional, and spiritual travels in 2008, but how dull is that?  Instead, I'll recap the physical traveling I did last year...if I can remember all of it.  And yes, I drove all this.

Detroit, Michigan--I think this was early March.  Each year I have my field trainer conference in either Ann Arbor or Michigan.  I specifically remember this trip for the hellacious time I had driving back in the blizzard that hit the mid-west.  It was a terrifying and tense trip home.  And I got a speeding ticket about 90 miles from Dallas.  States covered include Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan.

Orlando, Florida--This would be the first of two trips to Orlando and occurred the week after my trip to Detroit.    I was facilitating a training session for Managers.  It was a good drive there and back, and the hotel was nice, though we didn't get to see any of the actual city.  States covered include Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

Orlando, Florida--Back again a few weeks later, at the end of April, for the company spring GM conference.  Again, we didn't get to see the city, but we stayed in the Peabody and it was lovely.

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida--Just two weeks after that I drove to Ft. Lauderdale to hop on a cruise ship.  I had just been diagnosed with pneumonia 3 days before leaving and was in bad shape, but I'll be damned if I was going to miss that cruise.  After all, it was a completely free trip...a company sales contest prize.  

Key West, Florida

Cozumel, Mexico

Belize--These were the ports of call on the cruise.  I sunbathed and swam and snorkeled, in order, at these locations.

Bar Harbor, Maine--Six weeks later, I traveled through Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee,Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine during a trip to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.

St. Louis--The first week of November I traveled to St. Louis to facilitate another training session.  States covered include Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

All together, I believe that is 21 states, 3 countries, one ocean, and one gulf traveled this year.  I have no idea how many miles that is...certainly not as many as someone who travels for work each week, but more than I've ever traveled before in one year.

I'm sure there are lessons I learned along the way, and wisdom I gained through the travels, but really, no one wants to read about that, do they?

Where did your travels take you in 2008?

Allergic to My Watch

I have suddenly and inexplicably developed an allergic reaction to my stainless steel Fossil watch.  I know, it is ridiculous sounding, isn't it?  In fact, it's the stupidest allergy I've ever heard of.  

When I went to the doctor on Saturday (after being sick since the first week of November), I also showed her the bright red patches on my wrist under my watch.  Contact dermatitis, she said...I'm allergic to my watch.  

I like my watch.  I have to have a watch.  At work I monitor things in 10 minute increments and hour increments.  I must have a watch.  And what kind of a person becomes allergic to stainless steel?  Is that even possible?  

When the rash first started to appear a month ago, I thought I had gotten something on the watch, so I scrubbed it and cleaned it and put it in hydrogen peroxide and later bleached it and thoroughly cleaned it.  It didn't work.

So along with a host of other drugs that have me feeling much better (I can breathe and sleep and am not sneezing every 2 minutes and am getting over an infected head), I also have some cream stuff that I apply twice a day.  It seems to be helping, but I still wear my watch...I wrap my wrist in rolled gauze first, of course.  

So I'll need to buy a new watch, one that does not have stainless steel on it.

Any ideas?

In Loving Memory of Jimmy the Turtle

Yesterday I learned that Jimmy the Turtle died on Christmas Day.  

You may recall I turtle-sat Jimmy over Thanksgiving weekend while his Mom was visiting relatives out of town.  I have to admit I shed some tears when I found out because I know what it's like to lose a loved pet.  Jimmy's Mom was also still very upset when she told me.  I told her I had taken some pictures of Jimmy when he stayed with me, and I have just returned home from Walgreen's where I had this one and another made into 8x10s and a few smaller pics as well.   I think I'll find a nice frame for this one tomorrow and give them all to her on Monday.  Jimmy's Mom has a little boy of 2 1/2 who was surely devastated upon hearing the news.

Rest in Peace, Jimmy.  You were a good turtle boy.

My Christmas

I woke up too early yesterday, fully congested as usual, so I got up and tried to remedy that.  Sleep evaded me for a while, but I was finally able to fall to slumber again, thankfully.  At 10:45 I had to get up, shower, and make ready for driving to my parents' house.  

I thought I might not make it down the stairs with my bag, two bags of gifts, a vegetable tray, and my horn, but I did.  My legs and knees and feet are so sore from these past few weeks of running around the store that I did not want to have to climb up to the third floor again.

Traffic wasn't too bad, and I didn't see any cops, so I was able to drive swiftly.  We ate lunch at 1pm, and I realized I wasn't hungry.  I haven't really been hungry for a while, which is very unusual for me...too busy, I suppose.  I had some ham and a couple rolls and bypassed all the veggies and cranberry sauce and the cold mashed potatoes.  

I noticed my mother had gotten her hair highlighted, but didn't say anything, because that would detract from her melodramatic performance later in the meal about how no one notices her and how we all pick on her.  Hmmm, we each of us have our roles to play, I suppose.  When she started talking...again...about how she was so mistreated as a kid and how she's still scarred by it (no kidding), she completely does not see that she did the same to my sisters and me.  No, of course she doesn't.  So I pointed out her behavior and told her to stop it...again.

After the food was put away and the china washed, we all met in the living room to open presents.  There were 10 of us total.  Eight of us had decided last year that we would draw one name and only have to buy a gift for that one person plus my nephew.  The arbitrary spending limit was $50.  I had picked up some neat puzzles and games at my store when they went to $1 earlier this year, so his gifts were $5, and I made some of my Umm-Art for my sister, so all of Christmas cost me about $35.

After the gifts were open, my younger sister, who was sitting next to me, announced that she and her Um-er Allan got engaged the prior evening, on Chrismas Eve.  Awww, how sweet.  I must be an evil person because my first thought was, dear god, don't ask me to be a bridesmaid.  And it just now occurs to me that Charles' premonitory dream was right...through 2 degrees of separation, he knows someone who got engaged on Christmas Eve.  I've decided one thing.  I'm not wearing a dress.  Screw that.

I showed my family my bugle, and my two sisters played on it a bit.  Older sis played flute in band, and younger sis played flute then switched to horn after I made her.  I also held the horn so Nephew could try to play it.  He actually buzzed out a few notes and thought it was mighty keen.  Maybe he'll be interested in band some day.  He needs an activity like that to keep him focused and give him goals to work toward.

I gave the Pets with Tourette's to my younger sister, and it got passed around to everyone.  All but my Aunt thought it was hysterical.  I'd never seen my older sister laugh so much or my parents turn so red in the face!

I ran around the back yard with my nephew, and then we all decided to go home.

It was a nice day, all in all.  Today I work and need to go now to get ready for it.  Have a good day.

Two More Days

Yes, just two more days until Christmas, and I am glad for it.  The entire world decided to wait until Sunday to start their shopping, which means that sometimes my store is so crowded it's difficult to maneuver from place to place.  

My M.O. this time of year is to be friendly but quick.  I don't have the time to hear you talk about the 4 possible morning shows where you think you saw/heard/learned of a book that might have been written by a man or a woman on the topic of history.  You gotta give me something to go on.

There are 15 other people behind you that want help, too, and they might have come prepared, so don't make the world wait for you.  If you want a recommendation and ask for it, then take it graciously when I recommend it.  After all, you had no idea what to buy Aunt Sally anyway, and I just gave you a perfectly appropriate recommendation, so you're already better off than you were.  Just take it and wrap it and give it to her and be thankful I helped you out of a predicament.

And while you're at it, don't even think of giving my staff a hard time.  If I sense one bit of trouble coming out of you, we're going to have a chat, and you're not going to like the result.  There really is only so fast a person can ring on a register, there really are only so many phone calls a staff can field while also taking care of online reserves, not to mention all the people that are physically in the store.  Don't give my staff the evil eye when you see them walking to the bathrooms or the office area to take a break.  My store is over 30,000 square feet.  I'd like to see you run around that all day and not get tired.

And now...

Thank you if you were courteous and patient.  Thank you if you came prepared with a list.  Thank you for not getting mad when told we're sold out of something that all bookstores on earth are out of, and the publisher is out of as well.  Thank you for appreciating when I make a thoughtful and appropriate recommendation.  Thank you for donating a new book to the book drive for the children's home.  Thank you for trying to pick up after your kids, spouse, parents, friends.  Thank you for wiping off the toilet seat and the sink counter.  Thank you for complimenting my staff.  Thank you for shopping at my store and helping support the local economy.

Merry Christmas.   

I Did Not Do

Christmas cards this year.  I'm tired and I haven't felt right/good/healthy since October, so I didn't do them.

Sorry.

I Bought Me a Bugle

A pretty one.  When it arrives I'll post pics.  It's used, but a new one costs $1010, which is more than I'm willing to pay right now.

Hooray for me.

Pets with Tourette's

I found THIS book in my humor section on Saturday.  It has a parental advisory on it, so of course I opened it to see what the deal was.  I took a look and started laughing so hard that I brought all the copies to a table at the front of the store...I sold them all in 30 minutes.

It's so vile and inappropriate and dirty...and it's awesome!  Who can resist laughing at a photo of a cute bunny with a quotation bubble above his head housing naughty phrases?

Apparently, this is the American version of the book.  The authors are British, and there is the original British version with different naughty words and phrases in it...search the title on youtube for a short snippet on it.

Too damn funny, really.

All About It

I'm just about half dead from fatigue...perhaps I'm 3/5 dead...that's almost half, right?  So, this will either be incoherent, sleepily pleasant to read, or unfathomably insightful.  Let's try for something in the middle, eh?

I had trouble getting to sleep Friday night because I was so excited about going to drum corps rehearsal Saturday morning.  I finally got about 5 hours of sleep, then got up and ready (I even ate breakfast, holy cow!) and drove to UTA to try to find the Fine Arts building.  As luck would have it, multiple graduation ceremonies were going on that day, and it took me 15 minutes to find a parking spot, by which time I had no idea where the Fine Arts building was.  So I just started walking in my best-guess direction and came across a lady who pointed me in a more refined direction.  Then I saw a kid in a high school band jacket and knew I was getting close.  The kid directed me into a set of doors, and then I found my way.  

I registered and met Sarah, the mellophone section leader, with whom I had exchanged a couple emails.  She was bright and friendly and welcoming.  Then I learned that rehearsal was delayed a bit because of the parking situation and because the equipment truck wasn't there.  After piddling around and doing nothing useful for a while, they decided to get going.  We had a brief introductory meeting in the recital hall, then we all moved to the band hall for stretching and conditioning.  The stretching was good.  The conditioning was strenuous for me, but it didn't completely kick my ass, so this is a good thing.  I need to get on a cardio routine asap!  

I made it a point during stretching/conditioning to stay on the side of the room with the color guard.  A corps can be so cliquey, with very distinct groups of guard, percussion, and brass (and of course sub-groups within that), and I don't want to be cliquey.  No one knew me yet, or knew who/what I was, so it was a good opportunity to hang near the people I won't get as much time with later.  

If I could give some feedback to the caption heads and knew it would be well received (I don't know them yet, so I can't tell that yet) I would advise them to be more inclusive of new people.  Certainly no one was mean or rude, but neither were they exceptionally welcoming, aside from section leader Sarah.  Perhaps because I'm in the service industry, my perspective is different than it would be had I stayed in the music/marching realm.  Regardless, if a corps is trying to build a full hornline, they need to make newbies feel special.  And so, I'm going to make a point of being very welcoming and inquisitive and show interest in new people at future rehearsals.

After a short break, the guard left to do their thing, and brass and percussion worked on marching basics.  Oh my how I had forgotten how fundamentals kill the calves and feet.  It is MUCH more strenuous to stay standing in one place at full attention than it is walking around my store all day long.  My body is very different from when I last marched, and my balance is way off.  My brain remembers what it needs to do, for the most part...even 14 years later...but getting my muscles to execute that is a challenge.  I did fairly well when we were breaking down the forward march, but I'm going to need to practice the backwards march a whole heckuva lot. 

It's funny how familiar all this feels.  I can't say it's all comfortable...that only comes with hours and hours of practice.  I can say that the first time we hit the 'set' position, my brain and body recognized it as something familiar.  

Getting back into the practice of executing very specific instructions, such as "we're going 16 counts, vocalizing in 8s, each line leaving 8 counts after the prior line, remember to vocalize the push off and the close, and subdivide as well" while still trying to have good posture and march correctly...well, that was a blast from the past.

It was all those little things coming back into my mind again.  I had a lot of 'oh yeah, I remember that thing' moments.  It was very nostalgic for me.  My calves and feet still hurt, by the way!

We broke for lunch, and finally the instruments came.  There was a problem with the vehicle that was sent to tow the equipment truck, so several people had to go take their personal vehicles to fetch the equipment.  I had brought my white gloves and my melli mouthpiece, and I got to play a mellophone bugle for the first time in almost 19 years.  I can't believe it has been half a lifetime since I marched drum corps, and slightly less than that since I've played any instrument or marched at all.  Wow.

We practiced breathing, horns up, and played a few warm up exercises.  Then I had to leave to go to work.  I couldn't take the horn with me, and I missed their working on the ballad for the show, but I'll get all that on January 10th when I'm able to stay for the entire day.

It felt good, playing again, though I was just a few steps above total-suckage.  The horn felt good and right in my hands, and the whole experience made me smile.  I hated to leave.  

I've even found a horn on ebay and placed a bid.  Hopefully, I'll win it and can have my own horn to practice on before next camp.  I think if I practice even an hour a day, I'll be up to a decent level by January 10th.

Well, I think that's all for now.  I have to get to bed.