Found in Fishers

Magic Music Days...or, the wheels on the bus go round & round

What has 24 wheels, 2 door, 78 teenagers and 9 adults? Two motorcoaches headed back to Fishers, IN with a very tired bunch of marching band members. Just after noon on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week I climbed aboard bus #2 for a 20-hour overnight ride to Disney World in Orlando for the Royal Command & Guard's 2009 Disney Performance Tour. I was going to photograph the trip and help as a chaperone. As I write this post our buses are about two hours outside Nashville, TN on the trip back home.

It was a great trip, though I really missed being with Flora and the kids for Thanksgiving. did 4 parks in 4 days: Disney Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. On Friday night, the RCG led the SpectroMagic nighttime parade through the Magic Kingdom. After going "backstage" to assemble, dress and warm up, the band stepped off from the park entrance on Main Street and headed toward Cinderella's Castle, then made the turn through Frontierland. The whole thing lasted maybe 15 minutes for them, but it will be 15 minutes they'll long remember. According to our Disney escorts 60,000 people were on hand to see and hear the RCG. The kids were really excited and more than a few had a bit of a struggle staying in "marching mode". And why not? Flashes were going off by the thousands as they became part of the photographic & video memories for visitors from all over the world.

Thanksgiving night was also neat: The group enjoyed a private dinner at the Coronado Springs Resort. A Disney DJ kept the kids hopping on the dance floor, while Mickey & Minnie made an appearance for about 90 minutes to be photographed with everyone. They also posed for a group photo, dance to YMCA and Thriller, and added quite of bit of the famous Disney "magic" to the night. Say what you will about Disney -- especially those rather significant Disney prices for everything from park tickets to sodas -- but they are incredibly successful in getting everyone -- adults included -- to suspend reality and be a kid again.

I'll be glad to be home; we arrive at 4:30 this afternoon. With both Mark & Liz graduated and out of the band program it was nice to be able to accompany the band and share in the some of the fun. While I didn't get to ride much in the parks I'll be back in June with the family, Flora's sister's family and parents for our 25th anniversary and my brother-in-law's 40th birthday. Make mine an Epcot ticket.

Oh...lest I forget: Say what you will about teenagers, but these young people represented themselves, the RCG, their school and community with real class. Zero problems, lots of compliments about the group from park visitors & other hotel guests, and no one was ever late getting to our meeting locations!

October already?

The last time I checked, it was August. What the heck! I can't believe how fast the weather has changed and how quickly it has already started to get darker and darker each day. Boy, do I hate shorter daylight. Had a great dinner last night with my friend Debbie. She stayed the night in order to go to a conference in Indy. We caught up on the old Highland neighborhood news and tried to solve the world's problems. It is also nice to have someone to share teenager "war stories" with.

Over the weekend, I went with some band friends to Centerville, Ohio. We watched the Royal Command and Guard perform in the Bands of America competition. It was pretty clear -- at least to me -- how the politics of BOA affects the "regulars" and the bands that are not. It was still fun; we did some tailgating and lots of laughs.

Sunday called for a major Jammy Day. I just love Jammy Days. I was productive doing some deep napping...er, cleaning...of the bathrooms and the kitchen floor. I got the  laundry done including sheets and towels. But I also got to lay around on the couch watching my Sunday fav "Moving Up" on TLC, as well as catch a movie. I think it was around 3 before I got in the shower and got out of my PJs. These kinds of days are just the best! Makes going back to long work hours during the week worth it.

A view from the top

I haven't participated in the activities of the marching band since Mark graduated last year. Until last weekend. HSE sponsors a band invitational in the fall. It was that time of year and I decided to volunteer. After all, I ran the concession stand two years in a row so there was no other job that could have been more time consuming and exhausting that day.

Much to my excitement I was asked to be the assistant to the scorekeeper. I know, you're thinking how amazing that was. Me too. They needed a math expert. I arrived at the press box after helping set up the concession stand. Our friend, Randy, needed someone to manually check the scores and wanted someone he could tolerate to be around for four consecutive hours. That was me!  I came with my solar calculator in hand. It's the same calculator I used 20-plus years ago to average grades when I was teaching.

Once in the press box, Randy explained how I was to add the scores by hand. What I did not have was a highlighter because there are several different scores and when certain ones are added up they create the final scores for categories like music and general effect, etc. I am not a former band geek so those details never concerned me. Until that night. Fortunately I was thinking quickly and made a code on my sheets with stars, circles and triangles representing which columns had to be added together. Randy, on the other hand, had an Excel spreadsheet on his computer.

Everything was working just great. I had a cushioned chair. I got to see all of the bands. There were band kids offering me all sorts of snacks and drinks. I had great conversation with Randy. And we were having fun! I was thinking that the lack of highlighters would be my only challenge until it got dark! The judges decided they liked it better with the lights off in the booth. Uh, oh. Solar calculator!

In between bands I would quickly add scores before the lights went off. Once they did, I was challenged by my old eyes and cell phone calculator. Randy and I had a great system going. We even found 2 errors in addition that the judges made. But my strive for perfection ended about 9:00 when I made 1 mistake. Remember...I have issues with perfection. But come on, it was dark in the booth. Fortunately Randy and I had a system of checks and balances. He entered the scores in the computer, I did it by hand and we compared our results.

Note to self: Definitely sign up for that job again next year. Bring a light or at least get a battery operated calculator. Plan to enjoy lots of yummy snacks while watching the bands for free!

That's one big stadium

Wow! Got an inside look at Indy's brand-spanking new Lucas Oil Stadium today and it's a beauty. For just a tad under $800 million it should be. But this puppy is ginormous, dwarfing the soon-to-be imploded RCA Dome. A group of 26 HSE & Fishers band parents headed to the stadium today to run two concession stands for a season ticket holders open house. We work the stands every year as a fundraiser for the marching band. The draw for me (and others in our group) was a sneak peak at the house that tax dollars built. (Okay, to be fair, old man Lucas kicked in $170 million.)

If you're visiting Indy and don't have tickets to a Colts game, $7 buys you a guided tour of the stadium. Fork it over; it'll be worth it. In the photo the north end zone window is open and the roof is in the process of being opened. I'll never complain about washing a window at home again. The end zone window covers a whopping 22,000 square feet! And the roof: It's 4 acres operated by 140 7.5 horsepower motors. You can shop for a new flat panel TV before the game at HH Gregg on the main concourse, or apply for a loan at Hunington Bank (in order to finance the new TV, your season tickets, and have some pocket money for concessions during the big game). If your tummy gets to growling during the game there are 150 concession stands to choose from, but bring your piggy bank. Soda is $5.50, popcorn $4.75, a burger $8, and if a cold brew is more to your liking they're $7 for 20 ounces.

Besides football, this year the stadium will host NCAA Men's Regional Basketball, concerts, conventions, the Bands of America Grand National Championships, and a host of other events. And in 2012: The Superbowl. A fitting event for a super stadium. Go, Colts!

Fluffy goes to school

This morning we took the requisite photo for the first day of school: Mark standing on the porch with his backpack. We've been doing this since kindergarten; today is the last time. Mark's a senior. But we also took a second photo which made the blog and seems more appropriate now that he's driving. (Senior...driving...Mark...doesn't seem possible that this much time has passed by.)

Not only is today the first day of school, it's the first day for Mark to work a real job. And what a deal! He was accepted into a program that gives seniors real-world experience and pays them accordingly. Mark will work 3+ hours each school day in the attendance office. Not a bad deal: Go to school and get paid in the process. The wake-up call begins: No more "First Bank of Mom" when he wants to buy something or rent a video. He does have to be at school an hour before class begins, and during marching band season his afternoons will make the day seem even longer. For example, today he was out the door at 6:45 a.m., was home for about 75 minutes in the afternoon, and then had to return for marching band rehearsal until 8:30 p.m. Our little Fluffy is little no more!

Parading Around Town

Today was the Fishers Freedom Festival Parade. This is an annual tradition but only the first time I've had a chance to see it since moving here three years ago. In our first year we moved right after the parade; the next year it poured rain and the band didn't march. Last year I was in China. Today, the weather was wonderful for a parade. Warm, sunny, and a bit of a breeze. Here is the lowdown on the parade; it's a bit different than up north.

First, we had a variety of emergency vehicles. That was the same as our old stomping grounds except they're much more considerate in Fishers. No loud, blaring sirens for the first section of the parade. But we did have tractors. Don't often see those up north. There was also another oddity that I wasn't use to seeing: Grocery carts. Lots of 'em being pushed along the parade route. They seemed to be used to carry stuff like candy for the crowd or water for the walkers. Target, however, had grocery carts that actually made sense.

Speaking of candy, the local dentists must have called the town hall. There was hardly any candy! Up north you could be guaranteed enough candy to fill a small bucket. The kids next to me didn't even have enough candy to fill the palm of their hands. What's up with that?!  We did have a lot of the traditional parade entries: Annoying Shriners, politicians, military folks, church floats, Boy Scouts, parade kings & queens. We also had some interesting things as well, like a strange group of bikers who would stop from time to time and run around their bicycles. We even had an Uncle Sam on stilts.

The reason I came to the parade wasn't so much to celebrate our country's birthday as to see Mark. This is his last parade as a member of Hamilton Southeastern High School's Royal Command & Guard. He is in his fourth year of marching as a high schooler and on his 4th instrument as well. He began with the mellophone, then flugel horn, next came trumpet (his "regular" instrument), and this year he's playing baritone. Mark was asked to switch from trumpet to baritone for the marching season. Check out the beautiful new silver baritone; $5K each! Mark has to wear gloves to keep the oil from his fingers from messing up the finish. What a beautiful instrument. Thank goodness we were able to rent it from the school at a reasonable rate. Mark is second from the right. I was the proud Momma today!

The wheels on the bus go 'round & 'round

Ah, the joy of riding a school bus for 2+ hours with a bunch of guard girls. The trip to Cincinnati went quickly; the ride home seemed to take forever.

I did something I vowed never to do: I rode the school bus to Cincinnati, Ohio last weekend for the band competition at Colerain High School. It's not that I necessarily mind riding a bus, but school buses do not have the leg room for tall people like me. My legs don'tt fit in the seat unless I sit sideways. And noisy kids for three hours, well...not exactly my cup of tea. However, with the long week of preparing for and greeting my Chinese guests John and I both agreed that it was not safe for us to drive to Ohio so tired. We were afraid we would get there, but struggle to drive back home. We were right; way too tired to be driving home at 1 a.m.

Kelly Daniels, one of the guard directors, applies Liz's makeup on the bus ride to Cincinnati. The girls start getting ready long before arriving at a competition.

Once we arrived at the high school, I got to see more backstage preparations, as I usually arrive a bit later and immediately sit with friends in the bleachers. Liz and the guard girls put makeup on during the bus ride. I actually enjoyed my bus ride to Ohio. I got to talk about my favorite subject: China. There was one gal in particular, Tori, who wanted to hear all about the visitors last week and my trip to China. The time flew by. We arrived about 11 a.m. and the kids had to get dressed almost right away. There were 29 bands performing during the day and only the top 10 bands would go to finals. Mark and the band members dress outside in the grassy areas. The guard dresses on their bus or in the school; it just depends on a school's particular facilities.

There was a lot of standing around and sitting on bleachers with very little leg room. But the Royal Command & Guard came out of preliminary competition with a 1st place in their class and the trophy for best color guard and best percussion. That was wonderful with such competition. We went into finals as one of the 5 top bands. The group, me included, rode to a local mall after the performance because there were quite a few kids feeling sick and they needed not only some rest but also some food. We had a 9:15 p.m. finals performance.

That's Mark on the left getting dressed with the rest of the band before heading off to warm up prior to prelims.

Our score improved again and we were against bands much larger than the RCG. We were happy to take a second place overall for the color guard and 5th in placement. The color guard should be proud; they were competing against some big dogs! The ride home wasn't pleasant as the trip there. By 11 in the evening my hips were sore from having to sit all day in uncomfortable settings, my foot was throbbing, and the bus was too hot. Yikes! 2:15 a.m. couldn't come fast enough for my sore body. I did keep reminding myself that the bus ride did save me gas money. What a way to celebrate Sweetest Day.

A ton of calories and a broken foot

Well, the totals are in:

• 520 slices of pizza
• 400 hot dogs
• 118 brats
• 240 hamburgers
• 300 pretzels
• 137 nachos
• 985 pieces of candy
• 299 bags of chips
• 1488 drinks

Looks like the concession stand for the Royal Invitational last weekend was a popular place. It sure was rocking all night long. Can you imagine how many calories were consumed in about 6 hours? I heard lots of positive comments so far from those who participated in the contest, as well as from numerous volunteers. That's very exciting.

Trust me when I tell you, this hurts!

As I stated in a previous posting, my feet were aching. They have been kinda sore lately, but boy, were they sore today. Actually, my toe was numb. Broke down and went to the doctor only to find out I not only have a broken toe but also a broken foot. Don't ask me how I did this because I really don't know. I wish I could tell you something really exciting like I was water skiing or mountain climbing and slipped. All I do know is that my feet were not sore in China. After that I don't actually remember when my left foot started hurting so much. I have to see a podiatrist on Thursday so I don't have any news about the treatment plan.

The board meeting went smoothly last night. Mark, another Fulbright Scholar, and I talked about China for about 30 minutes. The audience of teens getting meeting hours for Government Class enjoyed the discussion. And, in celebration of the Moon Festival in China, I had mooncakes for everyone to eat. They students were pleased to have treats at a board meeting. I'll fill you in later this week on the status of my foot and will include a lovely picture of "the boot".

Almost 4000 were found in Fishers and my feet are killing me

Saturday was the big day: The Royal Invitation. A day that we have planned for since last spring. Over 280 volunteers manned their stations and 18 bands came to Hamilton Southeastern High School for this marching band competition. When I volunteered to manage the concession stand, I must have been delirious. Things started quiet and then it was incredibly busy for 5 straight hours. I don't have the exact totals yet, but I know my Dad helped grill over 800 hotdogs, hamburgers, and brats. I will get those totals to you later this week.

 

More than 3,000 people attended the Royal Invitational at Hamilton Southeastern High School on Saturday. And boy, did they eat!

The morning started Saturday at 9 a.m. when I went to open the stand and start cooking my cheese for nachos. My Dad and I ran to Sam's Club to get the frozen food, the Dollar Store for containers and back right to the high school to set up. We had lots of volunteers. Dad came on his own Friday night. He came in the house, threw down a couple hotdogs, and we were off for Senior night at the high school football game. Liz was recognized as a member of the color guard. It was nice; kinda got teary-eyed for a moment. It doesn't seem possible that I have a senior graduating this December. Of course, the color guard coaches are hoping she will fail a senior class because they really want her to stay in for winter guard. And, if you have seen her perform this year, you too would be amazed at how well she does. Mark continues to do such a wonderful job. It's so incredible to see these kids start out practicing in the early summer on the school parking lot and then today putting on such a beautiful show. Go Mark!

We didn't get home Saturday...rather Sunday about 1:30 in the morning. We did some talking around the table eating cold pizza and leftover hotdogs before going to bed and my announcement that we were sleeping in. But I couldn't sleep I was so physically exhausted and my legs were throbbing in pain. I finally got up about seven thinking that by moving around I might feel better. I did. Got some laundry going, emptied my car, cleaned up the kitchen. And then started thinking that my Dad was taking this sleeping in thing way too serious. I got quite a bit more work done before he graced us with his presence. It was almost noon! I decided to make scrambled eggs even though I should have made lunch. We talked a bit and he was on his way home. We didn't get much time to visit with each other, but it was cool to have my Dad come down by himself to see us. And many people sure came up to me at the competition telling me how much they liked my Dad. Neat.

While I was slaving away in the concession stand, John was down on the field photographing 19 bands, along with all the other activity surrounding the Royal Invitational. In just a little over five hours he took

Here's Liz tossing her rifle during the band's show, which this year is titled "The Sky's the Limit". Actually, guard folks don't call it a rifle; it's a weapon.

just a tad more than 4,200 photos! John was at the computer from 10 Sunday morning until sometime Monday morning without a break...uploading photos, editing and color correcting them, and then uploading them to his website. At the same time he had to squeeze in time to update the band program's website and write/publish the weekly newsletter that he sends out via email. You can check out his photos from the big event at www.indyeventphotos.com. Just select the "Gallery" menu and then "Hamilton Southeastern 2007 Royal Invitational". Next week he'll be in Louisville for another competition, and then back to southern Indiana beginning in October. It's a living!

 

And here's out little trumpeter, Mark. Despite the occasional complaint about early-morning practices and long Saturday's, Mark really does enjoy marching band.

Mom is feeling better. She had some minor surgery on Thursday and was resting. Sarah has a terrible cold so she couldn't make the trip. Bought a carload of breakfast food items for the daily breakfast program I run at the high school for the band program and unloaded them today. No rest for the wicked. Hmmm, what's next? A school board meeting on Monday night. I'm giving a presentation about China and education reform.

The last first day of school

It's so unbelievable that today marked the last first day of school for Liz. She is now a senior and as she reminds us daily, a one-semester senior at that. She's graduating mid-term. The kids were up at six, a real first for Liz, who usually rolls out of bed at 7:15 to leave by 7:20 a.m. After arguing about the bathroom for the better part of the morning, the kids ran around the kitchen trying to get everything together so that I could take a picture before they left for school. Not too excited about being the stars of the day, Mark and Liz were very hesitant about standing on the porch for the first-day photo. However, it just wouldn't be the first day of school without that photo. Off they ran with breakfast in hand for the first day.

Where did the time go? How can it be that I have a high school junior and senior this year? I also reflect that my first group of kindergartners at Ready School in Griffith are also high school seniors. I had a great day being the substitute principal at Durbin Elementary School for opening day.

This will be a super busy fall again. Mark is playing the trumpet this year in the high school marching band program, "The Sky's the Limit." Liz is tossing a rifle in the color guard. She already has the bruises to prove it. I'm so proud of them and their participation in the Hamilton Southeastern Royal Command and Guard. If you have not already seen the band program's website check it out at Hamilton Southeastern High School Bands. John is the webmaster, newsletter editor, and photographer. He'll miss some of their performances because he'll be at other venues hard at work as the official photographer for marching band competitions in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. His company, which he started a year ago, is Indy Event Photos. As for me, I'll add another 10,000 miles to my car traveling each weekend to watch their performances. Go Royals!