Our Week With the Crossmen

Dave and I spent just under a week serving on the food crew for the Crossmen. Our greatest accomplishment was demonstrating our prowess as world-class dishwashers. Let me tell you, feeding 135 corps members, plus 30-40 staff and 10-12 volunteers four times a day is not restful. In addition to washing, rinsing and drying hundreds of pots and pans, we chopped scores of vegetables, prepared thousands of french fries and chicken nuggets, re-filled dozens of ketchup, mustard and salad dressing jars, replenished paper plate and plastic utensil supplies, and boiled LOTS of pasta. We did lots of other stuff too, but you've gotten the idea by now. Oh yeah, we also took delivery of a load of groceries for the Crossmen and for the Cadets (our sister corps). Dave spent much of that time arranging the perishables in the refrigerator/freezer, while I helped lug non-perishables to their proper trucks, one for us and the other for them. To give you some idea of the scope of that operation, it took the delivery guy two hours to unload his truck. We, of course, had to sort and store it.

This is the truck in which Dave and I lived when we weren't sleeping in the RV (something we didn't do very much). It's a full-size transport truck that's been outfitted as a canteen.


The meal schedule varies wildly from day to day, depending on what time our show begins in the evening, how long it will take to get from our housing site to the show site and whether we have to travel after the show. There is very little down time between serving one meal and preparing the next. Actually, someone is usually starting the next meal as others are clearing the serving tables. The truck is equipped with a generator, so we can run lights and ovens and feed the corps on-site after a performance. We ate at about 9:00 PM last night, in the parking lot of Giants Stadium (Eli Manning didn't come to the show - he has no idea what he missed). Unfortunately, we have no access to running water for road meals, so all of the pots and pans from a post-show road meal have to be washed early the next morning, before breakfast.

Now, some Crossmen terminology:
Reefer - no, it is not something one smokes illegally. It is the refrigerator/freezer unit.
IBS - no, it is not Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It is Ice Box Special - a fancy term for leftovers.
EPL - Eat/Pack/Load - this is what happens during the snack before a show, or the meal before moving to another venue. A 45-minute period is usually designated for the completion of all these activities.
Bones - the mascot who occasionally appears at shows dressed in a uniform and cape.

The corps does the bulk of its traveling at night, after shows. Last week, we moved with the corps three times and arrived at our housing sites anywhere from 1:30 - 3:00 AM. We were always ahead of the corps, which travels in a caravan of 9 vehicles: four buses, one food truck, one equipment truck, one RV, one concession truck and one van. They typically arrived anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour after we did.

The next two photos show Joshua during pre-show warm-ups. The horn line warms-ups together for awhile, then breaks into sections.



Here's Joshua "At the Gate," waiting for the signal to stand up, put on his hat and take the field.

Dave and I agree that the past week was incredibly busy, but fulfilling. If Joshua travels with the Crossmen again, we'll probably sign up for another stint on the food truck.

Another Jazz Festival

Joshua, Dave and I all got up around 6 AM today (yes, on a Saturday!) to drive to James Madison University for another Jazz Festival. The group played really well, and I was thrilled that they were playing in a room with lots of light. Dave and I shot lots of photos. We'll probably post more of them in the coming days. This is Joshua playing his trombone solo in a piece called Cajun Cookin'.

Of Photo Hosts, Blog Templates and Other Matters

Photo Hosts & Blog Templates
If you've checked my blogs in the past couple of days, you'll have noticed some strange goings on. Sometimes my photos were visible, sometimes they weren't. Sometimes my page backgrounds were visible, sometimes they weren't. The reason for this mayhem is that my photo hosting site began upgrading its server last week. The process was supposed to take about 24 hours. It took 5 days (I think they're done now, she says with her fingers crossed). All of the old links were still supposed to work. They didn't. So, I had to manually adjust the links for link buttons, photos, etc. What a pain in the patootie!

Since my photo links were messed up, I decided to revert to some plain vanilla blog templates sans photo backgrounds. Pedestrian, I know, but I'm tired of messing with links. For the time being, what you see is all you'll be getting.

Other Matters
Dave and Jonathan had a good weekend in Christiansburg, VA. Jonathan had a night off from rehearsal on Monday, since the band had played all weekend. I guess that's their reward for good behavior - or good playing - or maybe the bandmaster was sick of them and needed some solitude. Dave is still editing the hundreds of photos he took. Better him than me! Joshua had a good time in San Antonio at another drum corps rehearsal. He came home with a new Crossmen jacket and a baritone to practice. On Friday night, I tabulated scores for middle school band festival performances. Then I vegged at home for most of Saturday and Sunday - tough life.

This weekend, Joshua will have two festival performances with his school bands. On Friday night he will be playing the clarinet with a concert band. On Saturday night he will be playing the trombone with the symphonic band. I will be going as a chaperone for both performances. The band booster president was surprised that I volunteered to go with two groups, but gladly accepted my offer. I figure that if I travel on the buses with the bands, I don't have to bother parking my car at a crowded venue. In the meantime, Jonathan will have divisional youth band, or perhaps drama, rehearsal this weekend. He has been playing in the band but was recently asked to participate in the drama group (which rehearses when the band does), so I'm not sure what he'll be doing at camp - but he'll be up to something.

Anyway, that's a quick review of what's been happening recently and a quick preview of what's going to be happening pretty soon. Life keeps going and going and going. . . .

Juke Box Dance Night

Last night, the jazz bands at Joshua's school did a fund-raising concert with a name something along the line of Juke Box Dance Night, or Juke Box Saturday, or Juke Box Saturday Night Dance.... As you can see in the collage, Joshua was there, playing, laughing, having an all around good time. The groups dressed informally, but still looked pretty nice. Nothing looks as good as their white tuxedos, however. Those are so sharp!

After the two jazz bands performed, an a capella group from William and Mary College performed. Dave and I stayed for their first few numbers and thought they sounded pretty good. We left early, however, since I had promised Joshua I wouldn't embarrass him by trying to dance in public.

Busy Times - Again

This is a photo, from backstage, of Joshua's Symphonic Band concert, which was held this past Thursday evening. Joshua is in the trombone section, but only the side of his head is visible. He is the fifth trombone player from the end.

Last night, Joshua, Dave and I traveled to Harrisonburg, VA so that Joshua could audition for the Virginia All State Band or Orchestra. This evening we'll find out whether he made it. Anyway, we all just got home awhile ago, and we will be out again shortly for Joshua's jazz band performance this evening.

There's always something or other going on in our family. This is just one of those weekends!

Another Family Photo

Since people have been sharing family photos recently, I thought I should add one to the mix. This is Dave in a familiar pose. He was probably watching a John Wayne movie. Apparently, John Wayne has the same effect on Dave that he has on me.

It's COLD!

A week or so ago, I was sitting around with some friends talking about what an incredibly warm, mild winter it's been. Guess what? Winter is here in all its fury! Well, lots of cold but little snow. I guess that counts as lots of fury.

Joshua had the day off from school. The ostensible reason was the inch or two of snow that fell overnight. The bitter cold probably had something to do with it too. I assume he practiced his trombone and did homework all day.

Jonathan hates school days. When the kids are off school, he has to spend the entire day with his before-and-after school program kids. That means he's got to keep them occupied all day rather than for just a few hours.

Dave had to make a fairly short business trip. Since it stopped snowing early this morning, it probably was not too big a deal. It's been cold and sunny all day, very pretty, actually.

I had a very quiet day at work. My job is usually quiet when the weather is disagreeable. Bad weather days are good work days - easy money.

This evening, Jonathan, Joshua and I have to go out again for band and songster rehearsals. Dave will stay home and keep the house warm for the rest of us.

Before you head out into the cold, check out the video below and enjoy Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan!

Weekend at Virginia Tech University

This past Thursday evening, Dave, Joshua and I drove to Blacksburg, Virginia so that Joshua could participate in the Virginia Tech University Honor Band program. It's about a 4-hour drive each way.

Virginia Tech's Honor Band program is an opportunity for middle school and high school students to participate in an intensive clinic. This year, 550 students from 5 states participated. Their weekend began early on Friday morning with auditions. The students were then placed in one of five bands: two middle school groups and three high school groups. Joshua made it into the top band. On Friday afternoon, the bands met for their first rehearsals. The evening concluded with a concert presented by Virginia Tech's wind ensemble.

The original plan was for the kids to rehearse all day Saturday, have a free evening, then present a concert on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, a weather event (aka: snowstorm) prompted a change in plans. Since the storm was expected to hit Blacksburg late Sunday morning, the kids had a long rehearsal on Saturday morning, a late lunch and then a late afternoon concert. Some families left on Saturday evening. We elected to stay overnight and leave early Sunday morning.

When Dave woke up about 6 AM this morning, the snow was just starting. He quickly roused Joshua and me and we got out of town just as the snow was beginning to stick to the road. We got home about 10:30 this morning. The snow has been coming down in Fairfax for about 2 hours now. No big deal, we're only going to get 1-2 inches.

Virginia Tech has a beautiful campus nestled in the mountains of western Virginia. Most of the buildings are beautiful stone structures. The first one below is a classroom building.



This is a view of Burrus Hall, where the concerts were held. This building houses a quaint old concert hall.



This photo shows some of the details by the entrance to Burrus Hall. I wish contemporary architecture had nice details like these.



The student concert ended at about 5 PM on Saturday evening, just as the sun was setting. Since we were parked near the duck pond, I took some shots down there.




All in all, it was an enjoyable weekend. Joshua is looking forward to going back next year. Dave and I will be glad to go with him.

Jonathan and National Capital Band

Jonathan just left to go to the weekly rehearsal of The Salvation Army's National Capital band, which is based in Washington, DC. He has no idea that I've just finished raiding the band's web site and downloading photos of him. I'm sure he'll be pleasantly(?) surprised the next time he visits my blog!

I've assembled some photos into the three panoramic images shown below. I've taken the liberty of highlighting where Jonathan is in each one since he is obviously the most important person in the group. If you want to see larger photos, click on each one.



This one has a repeat, but I'll leave it.

I'm Really Late With These. . .

I know Christmas is long past, but I finally finished the roll of film that was in my camera and got these back yesterday. That's one of the drawbacks of using film. I usually post my digital pics on the same day that I take them, or the next day.

Anyway, I caught the guys lounging around in the living room and had to try out my brand new flash diffuser.



The final photo is one I took of the Christmas tree using my brand new cross-screen (sometimes called star) filter. I think I'm going to enjoy this toy.

The 21st Century Family

This morning I decided to update my calendar - a coil-bound paper contraption - and note all of the family's pending activities for the next few months. I think it's emblematic of the age we live in that, in order to get the information I needed, I consulted several web pages, checked their events calendars and duly noted the relevant facts.

To find out about Jonathan's activities, I went here. To find out about Joshua's schedule, I went here and here. This second page also has information about events for which Dave and I will be volunteering. Another site I visited was here. I haven't copied much from this page yet. We won't know until Sunday night whether these events - and more - will be added. I just wanted to scan the horizon for possibilities. The final site I visited was here, since I don't want to overlook an important extended family event.

Last week I wrote a post about our family outing to Blues Alley. When I made the reservations in December, I immediately emailed - another sign of the age - Dave, Jonathan and Joshua and told them to clear their calendars for that evening.

Dave and I haven't made any plans yet for a winter getaway. Those will depend largely on whether Joshua gets into the Crossmen. Once we know that, we will plan accordingly. It would be nice if we could do this the old-fashioned way: in person, face-to-face. If all else fails, however, we can either confer via email or check each other's blogs for updates.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan!

Jonathan turned 23 today. I am pleased to say that he has grown into a wonderful young man. He's even-tempered, tender-hearted and generous, and when he commits to doing something he throws all of his energy into doing it well.

Jonathan is a great son who is always willing to do whatever he can to help our household run smoothly. He stops for groceries on his way home from work, drives Joshua to and from activities and runs various other errands for Dave, Joshua and me. And he asks for very little in return.

He's also been a great big brother to Joshua. He's taken his role as mentor and role model seriously and has always tried to be a good example.

In addition to be a very good cornetist/trumpet player, Jonathan loves working with people, especially children. When he's had opportunities to combine his musical talents with his people skills, he's gotten great results.

Jonathan is now preparing to enter The Salvation Army College for Officer's Training in Atlanta in either 2007 or 2008. I'm looking forward to that day because I know he has what it takes to be an outstanding officer. The Salvation Army will be privileged to have him in its officer ranks. And I'm privileged to have him for a son.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan!

Making History

Last night, the Sears family participated in an historical cultural event at our favorite jazz club, Blues Alley.


As you can see in the photo above, this club is literally located in an alley, just off Wisconsin Ave. (aka, Embassy Row). Blues Alley has been operating since 1965 and has featured many big name jazz artists, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis and Marcus Roberts. The group pictured below - the US Army Blues - can now be added to that distinguished list.


Last night was the first time an American military band ever performed in a jazz club. And we were there! Our family had a table right in front of the band, in front of two saxophone/flute players, to be precise. We were so close that Joshua and David could have turned pages for them! The band began at 6:00 PM with a jazz clinic. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to that session. Their first performance, which was sold out, was at 8:00 PM. We didn't make it to that one either. Their final performance, which was nearly sold out, took place at 10:00 PM. About two weeks ago, I managed to get reservations to that one, so that's the one we attended.

This group is good - - - very, very good. Many of their charts were arranged and/or composed by members of the group. That's good for several reasons. First, it testifies to their well-rounded musicianship; they are not just technician/players, they understand music well enough to create it from the ground up. Second, their repertoire is unique, even when they build upon standard tunes. Third, the arrangers/composers write specifically to highlight and challenge the skills of players they know. (Duke Ellington did the same thing with his bands. Instead of listing parts as first trumpet, second trumpet, etc., he listed by the parts by players' names: Eddie, George, whatever.)

The US Army Blues consists of players drawn from the larger US Army concert and ceremonial bands located here in Washington DC. This is the premier US Army musical organization in the country. There are other regional groups, but this is the one in which most US Army musicians long to play. The same standard applies to the other military branches - Navy, Air Force, Marine - the regional bands are good, but the best artists play in Washington.

The performance is only one part of the Blues Alley experience. The club itself is intriguing. From the outside, this place looks like a dive. When you go inside, the atmosphere is simple, almost Spartan: brick walls, little cocktail tables all smushed closely together. Since they can seat just 125 patrons, everybody gets a good view of the stage and the performers. Even the farthest tables are only 50 - 60 feet from the stage. The photo below shows the stage backdrop: an aged brick wall with a simple poster.


Blues Alley is a great little club. I've been to jazz clubs in Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit, but I like Blues Alley the best. The Zanzibar Blues Club in Philadelphia has a high class ambience and people dress to the nines when they go there. But it seats several hundred people, so there is no sense of intimacy. It's more like a pricey restaurant with live entertainment. Andy's Jazz Club in Chicago is smaller than the Zanzibar but bigger than Blues Alley. The music and food are good and the ambience is pleasant, but not intimate. The club I went to in Detroit (I can't remember the name, but they serve great soul food) was much like Andy's.

Blues Alley, with its intimate ambience reminiscent of the clubs of the 20s and 30s, grinds the others to dust. Audience and performers chat together before and after the show. No matter where you are sitting, you can watch the sweat drip from the performers' brows, and examine the dings and dents in their instruments. This is the way jazz was meant to be. Listening to jazz on the radio, iPod, etc., is okay - it's certainly better than not listening at all. And concert hall performances are definitely better than recordings. But jazz in a small club - that's pretty close to heaven on earth. That's the Blues Alley experience.

Gauley Marathon: 09/18/06

This is a video of our rafting trip down West Virginia's Gauley River. I've isolated footage of our raft from the rest of the DVD and added a better soundtrack. Dave is in the front on the right-hand side. I was seated behind him in the morning. After lunch, I traded places with the lady in the rear on the left side. Enjoy!