"Smashing" time @ Neptune's . . .
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 7:06 pm
I promised Jonathan that I would post about how England survived one of it's darker hours, and for Jonathan it was most assuredly one of his darker moments. Apologies to him for taking so bloody long.
The Woman Who has put up with Me the Past Twenty Five + Years and I were visiting her brother and his family. As I was creating an itinerary that included a brewery tour of Hook Norton, I was privileged to be a guest at Jonathan' home in Andover. My wife and I enjoyed a superb home-cooked Chinese meal of pork, chicken, salmon, vegetables, and green tea. Jonathan and Mei are a delightful match and warm, gracious hosts. For those TubeNetters who've never met him, Jonathan is a gentleman of the first order.
Before we tucked into Mei's delicious supper/tea, Jonathan allowed me to play several of his horns. Little did he know what havoc an Ozark hillbilly can wreak when inspired by playing new tubas
. Jonathan has an entire room (not a wee one either) displaying some of his tubas. Got my hands on his BBb 5/4 piston, 4/4 German-style rotary, and his 4/4 CC and attempted to play through my Christmas beard and moustache. Couldn't get a good seal, despite playing on some great Denis Wick mpcs, due to my 'stache. Never could play with one . . .
When Mei announced that the meal was ready, Jonathan (being a gracious host and valiant protector of his inventory) carefully put away all the tubas I played except for one. Eager to help my host, I assured him that I would put the big 5/4 piston in it's stand. As I picked up the tuba, I also stood up to place it - all 76" of me. I forgot about Jonathan's steeply sloping ceiling in his elephant room. I smashed to tiny pieces the overhead fluorescent light. My blow sent pieces into the tuba I held, into two or three other innocent horns; underneath his piano, and several other pieces of furniture. The phosphor powder wasn't everywhere, mostly on me, but I vacuumed everywhere I could see and even where I couldn't. It was NOT my finest moment. My face was as red as my neck (insert your favorite redneck definition here).
Mei quickly came to my rescue with the "hoover" and I gratefully accepted a dustpan and broom from Jonathan. I forced £5 on him as small recompense for the damage.
I was never so glad to eat a meal as I was after that episode. Certainly enjoyed some fine English ale, for calmative purposes only, when I got back to our place.
The Woman Who has put up with Me the Past Twenty Five + Years and I were visiting her brother and his family. As I was creating an itinerary that included a brewery tour of Hook Norton, I was privileged to be a guest at Jonathan' home in Andover. My wife and I enjoyed a superb home-cooked Chinese meal of pork, chicken, salmon, vegetables, and green tea. Jonathan and Mei are a delightful match and warm, gracious hosts. For those TubeNetters who've never met him, Jonathan is a gentleman of the first order.
Before we tucked into Mei's delicious supper/tea, Jonathan allowed me to play several of his horns. Little did he know what havoc an Ozark hillbilly can wreak when inspired by playing new tubas
. Jonathan has an entire room (not a wee one either) displaying some of his tubas. Got my hands on his BBb 5/4 piston, 4/4 German-style rotary, and his 4/4 CC and attempted to play through my Christmas beard and moustache. Couldn't get a good seal, despite playing on some great Denis Wick mpcs, due to my 'stache. Never could play with one . . .When Mei announced that the meal was ready, Jonathan (being a gracious host and valiant protector of his inventory) carefully put away all the tubas I played except for one. Eager to help my host, I assured him that I would put the big 5/4 piston in it's stand. As I picked up the tuba, I also stood up to place it - all 76" of me. I forgot about Jonathan's steeply sloping ceiling in his elephant room. I smashed to tiny pieces the overhead fluorescent light. My blow sent pieces into the tuba I held, into two or three other innocent horns; underneath his piano, and several other pieces of furniture. The phosphor powder wasn't everywhere, mostly on me, but I vacuumed everywhere I could see and even where I couldn't. It was NOT my finest moment.
My face was as red as my neck (insert your favorite redneck definition here).Mei quickly came to my rescue with the "hoover" and I gratefully accepted a dustpan and broom from Jonathan. I forced £5 on him as small recompense for the damage.
I was never so glad to eat a meal as I was after that episode. Certainly enjoyed some fine English ale, for calmative purposes only, when I got back to our place.
