Update Update

[MartyNeilan]

UPDATE:

Ich bin müde.

Du bist hässlich.

Ich bin hässlich. Und Fett. Ja.

Auch sonderbar!

Jeder! Fahren Sie bitte fort!

(Have a good trip)

[Tuba Guy]

Today is my little tuba's birthday!!!

She's 14.

[Chadtuba]

Update,

The wedding went well and she was beautiful (and she's ok with my horn collecting habits so she's definitly a keeper). In Duluth for a few days and then off to Minneapolis for a few days before we head back to ND and real life.

You have been updated.

[MaryAnn]

1. For some reason I started reading this thread at the beginning and saw that Rick was at the U of AZ in April of 2008. Rick, you never call, you never write, you don't even let me know you're coming to visit. Sheesh.

2. I started a yahoo list about embouchure dystonia if anyone is interested. So far we have only sufferers and no fixers; one claimed-to-be-fixer signed up but has been mute so far.

3. Oboe still sounds like an unhappy duck. In about three weeks it is going to sound like an unhappy duck playing in a moderately good community band.

4. Horn still sounds like an unhappy moose. Got it out last night for the first time since April and the valves were stuck. That sucks. It was like bumping into a lover who has dumped you; it feels so good to hug them but it just reminds you of the pain so you turn away and go back to your new lover.

MA

[TMurphy]

Summer program concert went well last night. I was particularly proud because it was the first concert in my short career where I was the ONLY band director. I prepared the whole concert myself in just five weeks, and I'm proud of that, and I'm EXTREMELY proud of the hard work my students put in. I'll never get rich being a band director, but this is definitely the most satisfying job I've ever had.

As fun as it was, I am REALLY glad it's over...now for a month off (woohoo, 32 day weekend!), and next week, my girlfriend and I leave for the Virgin Islands for a week, with her parents. Can't wait.

[MartyNeilan]

I'll never get rich being a band director, but this is definitely the most satisfying job I've ever had.

Sounds like you are already richer than most!

As fun as it was, I am REALLY glad it's over...now for a month off (woohoo, 32 day weekend!), and next week, my girlfriend and I leave for the Virgin Islands for a week, with her parents. Can't wait.

C'mon, bring the band too!

[pwhitaker]

Really enjoying the Conn 20J I recently purchased from Bloke. Using the 5/4 Rudy at home only for practice and the 20J on our Trad Jazz gigs. At home I use my monster gold plated mpc Zottola made for me in the mid 80's, and on the Conn I use its titanium twin made by G&W (Ivan). It's a most enjoyable form of tuba bigamy. The two horns have many characteristics in common and are both very enjoyable to use. I find that if I warm up for an hour or so in the early morning on the Rudy then the Conn seems very easy to play on the gig. (Similar to playing basketball in practices with ankle weights and then removing them for the game.) It is also nice to be able not to have to risk transporting the Rudy in its gig bag - I've crinkled the bell slightly on trips and don't want to exacerbate that.

[TubaRay]

UPDATE:

I like Bloke's latest post on this thread.

[tbn.al]

Too hot for chicken and dumplings. In a couple of months I'll join you. I'll even post a killer semi-homemade chicken and dumpling recipe that you can throw together and be eating in 30 minutes. At that point you will have been updated.

[TMurphy]

UPDATE:

I leave for the Virgin Islands in 2 days. I will not, despite Marty's suggestion, be taking the band with me. We fly into St. Thomas on Saturday, then on Sunday board a chartered yacht and sail around the British Virgin Islands for the next week. Can't wait.

[tubatooter1940]

UPDATE:

I leave for the Virgin Islands in 2 days. I will not, despite Marty's suggestion, be taking the band with me. We fly into St. Thomas on Saturday, then on Sunday board a chartered yacht and sail around the British Virgin Islands for the next week. Can't wait.

TMurphy, I sailed there, twice.
Try to go snorkeling at "The Baths". Pretty reef with lots-o-fish. Take a loaf of bread and feed the fish. They will remember the color of you bathing suit and follow you around all day.
Hope you make it to Yost Van Dyke. Say hi to Foxy. He owns the island and his three wives run the tiki bar, souvenir shop and customs office. Foxy plays guitar. I gave him a song called, " I Lobster but Never Flounder". Tell him Dennis remembers him well. He will look at you and compose a song for you on the spot.

[windshieldbug]

then GO FISHIN' !!! (...not really...I'm going to dig in and work on a bunch of stuff that I've bought to repair and either keep or offer for sale.)

Update: The bass in the blokepond are VERY relieved!

[Tuba Guy]

then GO FISHIN' !!! (...not really...I'm going to dig in and work on a bunch of stuff that I've bought to repair and either keep or offer for sale.)

Update: The bass in the blokepond are VERY relieved!

Well what about the cello?

[windshieldbug]

then GO FISHIN' !!! (...not really...I'm going to dig in and work on a bunch of stuff that I've bought to repair and either keep or offer for sale.)

Update: The bass in the blokepond are VERY relieved!

Well what about the cello?

It's the violas I'm worried about...

[Tuba Guy]

It's the violas I'm worried about...

Don't worry...even if they complain, I'm sure we couldn't hear them

[Kevin Hendrick]

Did bloke ever get those fish a better cell phone? And what about those worms? Never heard the followup on that one.

I've wondered if their texting account had "dried up" yet (apparently not) ...

[Kevin Hendrick]

then GO FISHIN' !!! (...not really...I'm going to dig in and work on a bunch of stuff that I've bought to repair and either keep or offer for sale.)

Update: The bass in the blokepond are VERY relieved!

Well what about the cello?

There's always room!

[The Jackson]

Darn! If only I had brought my shorts. I could have gone Wade-ing in it.

[MaryAnn]

Oboe update: my trial by fire is less than two weeks away. I'll be sharing the 2nd oboe spot in a small half-decent concert band. I finally gave up fiddling with horn playing in the midst of dystonia. Since the first oboe is the librarian and the second oboe is timid, my guess is that I'm going to be sight reading a bunch of first oboe parts and sounding like a terrified duck that is out of breath. Oh well....it can only get better from there.

#2: I gave up trying to get high speed internet from Qwest, because they kept slamming me to their own ISP instead of the one I signed up with, and after the 2nd time I don't play that game any more. I'll be looking into Comcast, which is my only other choice if I want to go high speed. Oh well....I like my ISP and really wanted to stay with them.

MA

[Donn]

#2: I gave up trying to get high speed internet from Qwest, because they kept slamming me to their own ISP instead of the one I signed up with, and after the 2nd time I don't play that game any more. I'll be looking into Comcast, which is my only other choice if I want to go high speed. Oh well....I like my ISP and really wanted to stay with them.

Good for you! but ... can your ISP follow you to Comcast? I would think not, in which case it would be like shooting your cow so the wolves can't kill it.

We just got a Qwest line service upgrade, and our ISP alerted us that they have seen customers get slammed, but in our case all went well. So in theory, it's possible.

I don't know if I would count your first oboe out just on grounds of being a librarian. One of the bands I play in has a librarian who's quite the life of the party, a masterful director when called upon for that, a fearless musician even though it's honestly pretty clear that it isn't something she has much chance to practice, and I haven't really scratched the surface in that description.