Still Busy But Surviving

Almost got into a conversation about only-children with one of the rocketry guys yesterday. LOL. This time I don't think any innocent people would have cried, so it's okay.

Band came in 10th at Grand Nationals! So, they were 4th overall in super-regional (mostly state with a few neighboring state bands) competition and 10th nationally. Fan-flippin-tastic!!

Went to the Texas Stars game last night with Rich and Laura. Great game. Unfortunately right at the end Chicago tied it up at 3 all. In overtime they scored first. Bah.

We had a bad experience with the Cedar Park Center, however, as did many others. First, there is no map on their website, nor is the address on my GPS or GoogleMaps or MapQuest. When we called the box office, a recording told us to leave a message and they would call us back during normal business hours. Beep. We had to ask at a Cedar Park restaurant how to find it.

When we got there, people were complaining that there was no clear direction on where to get tickets. Will-call was clearly marked- luckily we were there- but a lot of folks arrived just wanting to purchase tickets. There was some convoluted path to follow to get to where they needed to be, and it was not obvious and thus very chaotic.

Next, they didn't give us the free concession coupons that were supposed to come with the pack of tickets we bought. We had to ask three employees, who sent us to a fourth person who also had no clue about them. That person eventually gave us coupons we were supposed to have received at will-call with our tickets in the first place.

While in line to speak to the fourth employee, I got into a conversation with a woman who had been turned away at the entrance for bringing in a large purse. She returned it to her car, and then came back to find hundreds of others with large purses. The person who let her into the arena at that point said it was fine to bring in a large purse. Yeesh.

Laura said since it's a newly opened venue, they were just "working out the kinks." Well that place has got to be the kinkiest venue I've ever seen.

Heh.

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Saturday, Baby!

The Foundation party was really nice. I cried at the tear-jerker video, as usual. They gave Ginger and me flowers. Awwww.

The band has moved on to semi-finals! And the football team won their playoff game! So perhaps Lauren will perform her show at least one more time before the end of the season.

I'm off to a rocket launch- my second one ever. And later... a hockey game. Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend so far!

Song Lyrics of the Day

As I’m standing here and you hold my hand
Pull me towards you and we start to dance
All around us I see nobody
Here in silence, it’s just you and me

"Fallin' For You" Colbie Caillat

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Veterans Day

My grandpa was a colonel in the Army, as was my uncle. Cathy also served in the Army and was a field medic in the Middle East. A special thanks to them for their contributions around the world. And to all vets, for theirs as well.

All clear on the mammogram, so woohoo. For the first time ever, the process at St. Davids was a headache because of a paperwork problem. They treat you like a princess there and usually you want to stay all day and drink designer coffee and chat with everyone in your fluffy robes. Yesterday I was actually faced with the prospect of staying all day waiting for the physician's orders to be clarified, and I just wanted to get out of there. I did manage to figure out how to make sure it doesn't happen again next year. :)

Got the girl off to Indianapolis this morning! They are going to have her dress as a band member during the shows at competition. She was fitted for a full uniform and will stand in the pit with the alternates, so she won't stick out with her guard costume. She is getting a kick out of that. And I think she finally realizes that she isn't letting anyone down by being injured. I am certain she'll have a fabulous time!

And she gets a bus seat to herself to put her leg up. Nice.

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Disappointing News

Mammogram day. Blah.

Lauren got the final word from the doc on performing at the band contest, and he said she shouldn't. She's still limping and he had her do some sidesteps and other things in the hall. It's just not healed enough yet. We were formulating all sorts of possibilities, including her just doing the performances (up to three) at ten minutes each, since she wouldn't be able to handle a few three-hour practices. It became obvious that wasn't even possible.

And as EVERYONE has said to her and me, "You don't want to mess around with a groin injury." They can take forever to heal, if reinjured. She started physical therapy last Wednesday, and it is definitely helping. The doc thinks it'll take 6-8 weeks for her to be back to normal (she's at two now), maybe she'll be significantly better sometime next week. Ack-- just bad timing on Grand Nationals.

She thought she would be relieved just to have an answer one way or the other, and she knew it would probably be a no, but she was still incredibly disappointed. She's able to go on the trip though, which is great! She'll just sit out during practices and shows. They leave early tomorrow morning. I hope they don't walk too much.

Song Lyrics of the Day

To the world, you may be just another girl
But to me, Baby you are the world.

"The World" Brad Paisley

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20th Anniv- Fall of the Wall

World leaders in Berlin to mark fall of Wall

Dominoes! I've got to see that video later.

The Men Who Stare at Goats wasn't that great. Even an unholy love for The Clooney couldn't save it for me. It has several really funny moments, just not enough to carry a couple of hours. And oh my gosh... all the Star Wars references with Ewan McGregor there!! LOL. Loved those. Otherwise, just kind of "eh."

Best line: "He was dying of a broken heart... and maybe the cancer as well." Bwahahaha!

Tonight is the big send-off performance for the band. Will Lauren perform? Stay tuned. She has a physical therapy session about 5 hours before practice. I am really hopeful, but she's still in a lot of pain.

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Back Home this Weekend

First of all, a big kiss and a grope for Cathy, who agrees with my treatise on "cell phones in the car" and does not talk or text on hers while driving.

Went to the band contest in Houston, back to the area where I lived from 5th-12th grade. The band did super well, except for a costly technical mistake that took them from 1st place to 4th overall. The show is really amazing. Top notch musicianship and precise and expressive drill from the guard. The color guard's costumes are beautiful and the makeup they are wearing is glam city.

After the morning performance, I met Cathy for lunch and we did some shopping. I showed her Charming Charlie's. Gosh I love that place.

Went back for the day awards for band, then left the stadium again to drive around. I had spoken at length with a woman who lives in the area, who moved there about when I left. She told me where to go to see new stuff, including our newly rebuilt high school. But Kathy's parents intercepted me and invited me to come over for dinner and to watch some of the A&M game. So nice!! I got to see the first half before returning to the stadium for the band finals.

Aaaaaaaaggieeeeeeeeeeees.... WTC? (That would be "What the CRAP?" a la Cathy) Everything was going so well at first! They do show such potential though!

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Beautiful Rainy Saturday

The song lyric for today is from "LoveGame" by Lady GaGa:

...hold me and love me
just wanna touch you for a minute
maybe three seconds is enough for my heart to quit it...

I'm seriously thinking of starting a Lyric of the Day blog or app or something. Fun, eh?!

Yesterday's bathtub guy never showed. This has happened with two contractors in the last week. I'm glad I'm not having to take off work for these jokers. Bad enough I have to hang out waiting for them. Grr.

The football game last night was great fun. It was misty rain, which gave me "Florida hair," but what can you do. It was also pretty cold, between the cool breeze and the dampness. Me in my wispy dress. I'm making it sound miserable! lol. It was perfect football weather. And we won, so that always rocks.

OH, and Lauren got a great new piece of choreography in the halftime show, where she is the featured dancer in her group. She looks so awesome! I can't wait to get back on the home side to take a picture/video of that part. Watching the band from the visitor side bites. We could barely even hear the music.

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TGIF and All That

Donna has finally had enough of friends' highly partisan (either way) postings filling up her Facebook wall. She's going to start blocking. I think of those postings as unavoidable, especially during a heated issue in Congress, but I do think we should keep in mind that constant posting of highly charged political opinions will turn some people off. Not our "real friends," but still. I understand the free speech and "it's MY facebook" issues, but if you use Facebook for networking, it's probably wise to keep the partisan stuff to a minimum.

The high school football game was a rout. We won pretty easily, and looked really good! The band was great. Lauren has such expressive and pretty dancing form, and is a skilled performer in front of a big crowd. She's front and center quite a bit. It's hard to believe she was shy when she was little. The show is really fun to watch! No videos can be posted until after regional marching competition in October. Wah.

The paint looks GOOD. Oh man, was I a mess over it. Today is a finishing up day for everything. Lights, plumbing fixtures, second coat of paint in the linen closet, measuring for mirrors (again), final cleanup. The shower glass won't be in for another couple of weeks, but that will be all that's left. Oh and I have to get a window treatment and art piece on my own.

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Band Camp Blues

Lauren went to Spring Band Camp last month, and learned the show music for next year's marching performance. She loved that.

This week is marching camp, every day from 9-5. On Monday, Lauren and Henry got "Rookie of the Day" for doing so well. That afternoon after camp, Lauren told us she hated marching. This has been something she's looked forward to since elementary school. Originally she was only in middle school band to get to march for the high school band. Middle school band turned out to be a great experience, but really the goal was this.

Once Jeff and I got over our initial shock, we understood where she was coming from. She says it's tedious, not what she thought it would be, not worth the extreme time commitment required, and most importantly, not "her." Everyone else seems to love it. The repetitiveness of the process and complete absence of any social time there (they aren't allowed to talk during practice, etc.) is killing it for her. I really believe in being true to yourself. Oprah would say being your "authentic self." ...Egads. I'm quoting Oprah Winfrey... Looking back, it was during times I wasn't being my authentic self that I was unnecessarily stressed and miserable.

So. She will not be marching. She'll stay in concert band though, at least for this year. She also wants to finish out the week of marching camp, no matter how awful she thinks it is, which is good. Figuring out the process of getting marching band off her fall schedule will be the next order of business.

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Band, AI

And so, the adventure of high school marching band has begun with Spring Band Camp. This one time... at band camp...

The kids are totally psyched. DD has her marching baritone and music. Now if she can just build up those arm muscles to hold up her instrument for a couple of hours at a time, she'll be great. lol. She's one of the strongest bases on her cheer team. You'd think that would translate, but marching is holding a light thing for a long time, where cheer is holding a heavy thing for a short time. Kind of like short-distance vs. long-distance runners. Eh. I make this stuff up, but it sounds logical.

American Idol. I cracked up with David A's "...my boo..." Not to mention that he looked like he was going to blank on the lyrics at any moment. He's still a great singer, and I'm sure this week has been extra-stressful for him. David C rocked as usual. And Syesha cannot stay away from songs that leave her looking generic. She only chose one of three though, so she's not totally to blame.

Hey, weren't we supposed to see the hometown visits? I saw the YouTube vids of David C in Kansas City (here's one). Maybe that's tonight?

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Correction

I misunderstood one of the awards the band got in St. Louis. It wasn't Best in Class for one division, it was Best in Class of the entire competition! Wow! That included five high school bands. She said it was a nail-biter, with one of the high schools certain they had won it.

So I've edited my other post about the trip.

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National Adjudicators Invitational

This is the school band festival DD is currently attending in St. Louis.

The final report:
DD's band got Superior ratings.
Her section received the award for "Outstanding Brass Section." Woo!
Their band also won "Best in Class" which is the award for the top band of the entire competition, including high school bands!
As Madam President, she got to carry the giant trophy.

Yesterday, she called me from the top of the St. Louis Arch. She informed me that the elevator holds 5 people at a time. SITTING. And it takes a few minutes to get to the top. Yikes. I'll just take her word for how cool it was.

Now they're headed to the Science Center and Hard Rock Cafe. Tomorrow it's more sight-seeing before heading home.

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Blah-dee-dah-dee

Yeah, I got nothin' for a cutesy or relevant subject today. lol.

If you have not downloaded the studio version of David Cook's Music of the Night at iTunes, you are totally missing out on the amazingness. Just sayin.

We now have tickets for Rascal Flatts in San Antonio June 22. Boo-yah! Can you say mucho dinero? Ticketmiser is now charging fees beyond fees. So start with a $75 ticket (or FOUR) and add the $12 per ticket fee, then some kind of $5 surcharge and another $9 mystery fee and $2.50 to print your tickets on your own printer, and you're broke.

The kiddo is gone to St. Louis with the band through this weekend. Apparently, there is no sharing of blankets on the buses. Every student is to be wrapped in their own blanket, "like a burrito." Ahahaa. I love it.

Chuy's is open at William Cannon and Mopac. MARGARITAS, BABY. I can walk home from there if need be.

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Hard American Idol

I beat the American Idol game on the "hard judging" setting. Simon told me that I was sailing through the competition "on personality" and in the end I beat Kelly at her own song. So, HA.

Some of the band kids are missing school all day today, traveling around to feeder elementary schools to recruit 5th graders for next year. I went to their presentation at DD's old elementary. The 5th graders were primarily concerned with trips. "Do any parents go?" one student asked. "Are there ever food fights and stuff like that at the hotel?" asked another. Watch out for the wild class of 2015!

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Kudos for DD

DD opened and closed the Veteran's Day Assembly at her school on Friday. We are incredibly proud of her! She spoke perfectly, not too fast, just loud enough. She was quite the pro. She's come a very long way from the little girl who wouldn't turn in boxtops for the weekly fund raiser in elementary school, because they might draw her name to win a prize, and she would have to walk up to the front of the cafeteria in front of everyone to collect it.

This weekend was cheer Nationals in Houston. Seniors won their division and got Grand Champion for their level, against some amazing uber-gyms. We are all so thrilled! Throughout the two days, we parents were talking about which of us would be having an aneurysm first, from all the excitement. They were just so good. Video later...

If you ever go to the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Hilton there is beautiful. It is also attached to the building, so less walking, not that we didn't walk a million miles anyway.

DD also made District Band. Wooo! She couldn't try out for Region, due to cheer conflict this weekend.

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Macy's Parade

DD's high school band (she'll be a freshman next year, omg) will be marching in the Macy's Parade in 2008. Only 10 high school bands from across the country are invited each year.

The director has planned an awesome trip for the students, including a couple of days in Washington DC. We need to decide if we'll fly up and meet them in New York City. It really is a once in a lifetime thing, so I think we'll want to see them in person.

Must find parade-attending tips and tricks...

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Hello, world.

It's me! I am finally on little enough pain meds to type, and direct myself to a website.

Surgery went perfectly. Came home Saturday. I'm now on alternating Darvocet and Motrin. Other than expected pain, everything else is good.

DD was elected President of her school Band. How cool is that?!

DH got his L3 rocketry certification! I saw the video today.

Wayne Newton just got voted off Dancing? Wha? lol. Now they're playing"Had a Bad Day." That reminds me that I need to watch the new American Idol show with the bands. Should be good.

Well, I ramble enough sober, so I'll spare you my trailing thoughts while I watch Boston Legal on pain meds.

Ta!

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iPod Touch and stuff

The iPod is way cool. Basically an iPhone without the phone.

Commercial on the radio today: "Wouldn't it be great if you no longer had to shave your rocks?" Actually she said, "...had to shave or wax?" but I didn't hear that at all.

I've been checked out by all my doctors, had lab work out the wazoo, some of it twice. I'm in perfect health. Thank you very much. Surgery on Thursday!

DD is first chair in band again.

I like Rascal Flatts a lot, but I'm not getting into the new album.

DH is back from a long trip to Nevada, where he went to a national rocket launch and became a master rocketeer with his latest certification.

Last weekend at the high school football game, some high school guy surrounded by a big group of his friends was trying to pick a fight with someone, and Kim (another band mom) went right over and told him to stop. When he didn't, she got the policeman and the guy was escorted out of the stadium. Go Kim!! I was just standing there waiting to duck and cover.

Tomorrow I'm going to clean my house from top to bottom, and give myself a pedicure, since I won't be able to do either for a while.

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Football Game

The Band played at the football game tonight. Always a good time!

Observation: The most popular tackling method of eighth graders is to grab you by the back of your jersey and swing you around like a discus, then toss you directly to the ground.

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Football season

It has begun. DD's boyfriend is on the freshman team, and they play the day before Varsity, and of course one must attend the Varsity game, and then the middle school girlfriends all play volleyball and those games are another day, and if you can catch high school band practice, that's always cool...

Fun in 8th grade! Try it!

Looks like this year we may not have to attend every game. More parents are willing to drop off their kids than last year. You never see the kiddos the entire time anyway, since they are hanging out with their friends. Reminds me of the old "When are they old enough that I don't have to stay with them at birthday parties?" days. (First grade. That's what we kind of decided. Now you know!)

In other news, it seems DD can take driver's ed next fall. Wow. One year until all my hair turns gray.

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