Worn smack out...

Tonight will be our third concert in 9 days... that's a lot! Usually we have one a month and 3-4 rehearsals for the month... so to have so many grouped together can take a lot out of you!

I do love playing, and I certainly don't want to complain... it's good to have the gigs (it helps fill up our band account so we can buy new music and what not)... but it's A LOT!

Thankfully tonight is close to home (this one always has a great audience), which means it won't be a late night... and SIL has generously offered to keep the boys while we go... which means the boys will have fun, and we don't have to worry about them while we get our job done!

Next week... we're off! It will be nice to be able to relax in the evenings and not worry about who needs to be where, when, and for how long!

Rest in peace, Jack

Please say a prayer for the repose of the soul of Jack. Jack is a friend of ours from the City Band. We'll always remember him because the first day we went to a rehearsal, we were taken aback by how "experienced" most of the band members were. We didn't know the band was composed mostly of retirees, but they were very welcoming and happy to have some young blood join the group. (There were a few crotchety old exceptions, but overall, we immediately felt like we were at home.) We remember Jack in particular because after every number, he would set his horn down and insert his oxygen tube into his nose! We were pretty impressed with the old guy!

Jack always beamed with pride when he spoke about his two children, who were adopted and grew up to be very successful. He was so excited the day that we shared the news that we were adopting. That was interesting news to break. Some people were nervous. Some people thought we were unprepared, or down right crazy. But many people were happy for us, and Jack was just plain ecstatic! I didn't even know that his children were adopted before then, but he loved them as much as any father could. He always said that they turned out so much better and brighter than any natural born children of his possibly could have. He loved showing off magazine articles in which his son, a PhD economist, was published. And he loved hearing about our sons and seeing new pictures of them.

He loved music, and loved talking about the great deal he got on that new bass trombone. (I heard the story 30 times!) He joked that his wife didn't like to listen to the noise, so she made him practice in a closet. Well, I thought it was a joke until the day he invited us over to his house and showed us the closet with the music stand and chair in it! But he had such a sense of humor about it.

I only wish we had more time to spend with him. But he lived a long and happy life, touched many people with his passion for life, and his eternal happiness is well deserved. Rest in peace, Jack, and pray for us.

Totally Cool!!!!

Okay, so I had a freakin' amazing evening in rehearsal tonight...

First... the director actually used a real tuner to tune the group up... now I play flute/piccolo, and was playing first chair this evening (usually second chair, but first part still... for all you band/orchestra nerds out there). He came to me... Bflat... IN TUNE, sweet potato pie, are you kidding me... this never happens right out of the gate for a flute player... rest of the band, NOT IN TUNE.

Next, our line up this evening happened to have several flute solos, ones I don't usually play but tonight - spot light on the Llama... and drum rolll please... NAILED THEM! Seriously people, I was flyin' high.

Then during break time, a friend of mine came over who is a head director of a local high school... and here is what went down:

Clarinet: "Hey Llama, I was wondering what you had planned for next week?"
Me: "Um, not much, why?"
Clarinet: "I was wondering if you wanted to come and help me out with band camp - flute/picc section. It is an all day gig, 10-3 Monday thru Thursday, I'll pay you $400 or so for your time."
Me: (Inside my head- sweet Moses, are you asking me to come and help you, that would be the coolest thing ever, of course I will do it, who cares about the money, seriously awesome) What I actually said: "Wow, thanks for the offer. Let me check and see if I can get a sitter to watch the kids for me... can I call you tomorrow and let you know?"

People, FLATTERED doesn't even beginning to describe how I felt with that sort of offer. I played it cool, though. You would have been proud, I didn't go all high school on him. Ugggg, I just wish I could actually do it... I wish I had a sitter who could follow our routine and could watch the kiddos for me...

Wow, what a fantabulous ending to the day!