Keeping me in Stitches

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So, if you're wondering about the previous video, I was the band director in charge on our middle school band's recent competition in Myrtle Beach, SC. Our band director had to have serious surgery that requires her to be out the rest of the school year. She came to me and asked if I would be willing to go as her on the band trip. A lot of our kids come from poor, poor homes and had worked so hard to raise money through fundraising for the trip. She hated telling them they couldn't go. I accepted, and I'm so glad I did. What you need to know about the previous video: our band was the only middle school who performed against high schools. AND WE BEAT ALL OF THEM! 300+ member bands from up north at that!! Though our school band has over 250, we only took the honor band which has 65. Many of these students play multiple instruments. For example, Abe, the guy spinning at the beginning of this video, plays sousaphone. Others in the pictures, play French horn, trumpet, clarinet, and saxophone. The video clips from outside are while we were warming up. It isn't everyone, because over half of our fourteen bass drums are inside performing as color guard! These kids rock.

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So proud

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Men are from Mars (by way of Cooperstown)

Chris, Brittany and I decided to try the new Firehouse Subs in town tonight. On the way back, Chris spotted an RV for rent in a parking lot.

Chris: One of my lifelong dreams would be to take an RV to all major league baseball stadiums in the United States. Just travel around and visit all of them.

Brittany: That would take a really long time, wouldn't it?

Chris: Well, there are thirty major league teams, so a few months, I guess.

Shannon: Sounds like a lot of fun for Brittany. What would she do while you were at all the stadiums?

Chris: Well, I'm thinking it would probably be just a guys' trip.

Shannon: Not if Brittany says otherwise. Maybe I'll go with you to keep Brittany company.

Chris: There are some pretty cool cities to see.

Shannon: Brittany, what is one of your lifelong dreams?

Brittany: To have children and be married.

Chris: Well, I'll give you a baby if you let me go on the trip.

Berry

Allie took bridal pictures for Brittany and engagement pictures for Brittany and Chris yesterday. It was a gorgeous day, and I was glad to be able to tag along. Obviously, I can't show any of the bridal pics yet, but I'll leave you with a picture of Barnwell Chapel.

Car for Sale

Brittany, my roommate, and I both live in Rome, and both work in Cartersville. With soaring and ridiculous gas prices, we both decided to park Uncle Luigi (formerly known as Massimo) in the carport and only use Ginger, Brittany's 1995 Honda Civic. We decided that we'd try to leave the house by 6:55. We would take turns driving. Some weeks she would drop me off at school and then backtrack to hers; some weeks I would drop her off and take Ginger with me. Today was the first day of our carpooling. I dropped her off.

Before she got out of the car, she said, "Oh yeah, Ginger has a few quirks you should know about. I know you really like the horn since living in Africa, but the horn doesn't work, so be extra observant and be a proactive instead of a reactive driver. Also, the windows whistle because of the sunroof. If it bothers you, either open the window or open the sunroof a little.
But the motor on the sunroof makes a horrendous sound when you open or close it.

"The wiring is screwed up, so if you use the automatic lock to lock the doors, it won't work. It will unlock the doors, but it will not lock them. If you push the lock manually on the driver's side, it will lock all the doors. But if you open it on the driver's side, it will only unlock the driver's side.

"Don't worry about the CD player. It decides when it wants to work and when it doesn't depending on how hot or cold it is outside. Sometimes you have to turn the heat off to make it work. If you want the listen to the radio instead, the antenna sucks, so you only get one radio station.

"If the steering wheel locks and refuses to start, you have to turn the keyhole on the transmission thing, take it out, put your foot on the brake and turn the steering wheel while trying to crank it.

"And the driver's window, if you open it, gets off track. You have to raise it slowly while pulling it back on track. Don't think you can open the window behind the driver, though. It doesn't open at all.

"Last, but not least, never EVER leave the keys in the car or ignition. You never know when Ginger is going to lock by herself."

And to think that when I went to crank it this afternoon, it wouldn't even turn over. Nada. Zilch. Nothing. She forgot to tell me the lights didn't go off by themselves. I wonder why.

Yet, in the whole scheme of things, $16 a week for gas is a heck of a lot better than $65 every five or six days.

Meet My Students

The "I-would-adopt-
her-as-my-little-
sister" girl





The "stick-a-paperclip- in-a-light-socket-to-see-what-it-will-do" guyThe "We-so-stole-your-camera-and-took-a-picture-
while-you-weren't-looking" girls

The "I'm-too-cool-for-a-haircut-ever" guy

The "I-can-think-of-every-little-thing-
to-get-out-of-going-to-second-period" guy

Passover

Sunday at church we observed a Passover Seder (Say-der). I had participated in one before, years ago when our church was very new. I took some pictures with my small, cheap camera. I sure do miss my Canon Rebel! Ok, so it never really was mine. That was probably the only perk to being yearbook rep.



One of the parts to the Seder was dipping parsley in salt water. The salt water represented the bitter tears that the Israelites cried as they exited Egypt.
This picture was inspired by one my sis took on Easter. She's amazing. Check out her site!
"By His stripes, we are healed." The matzah represents the body of Christ which was broken on our behalf.This was one of my favorite parts. On the left, horseradish. On the right, sweet apples. I know I'm probably really messing all of this up, but the horseradish represents our life before Christ, and the sweetness represents how he takes our life and makes it sweet.

Dr. in the House

The CRCT begins tomorrow! My A.P. and I walked around today to give check-ups on who was ready. She had a stethoscope and all. We gave them a "prescription for success."

PS -- Gary isn't too happy with me. Earlier in the day, after he screamed like a wussy, sissy girl at a cockroach, I printed out a huge picture of a roach and taped it to his locker. I guess that didn't make him feel manly. (Like the screaming and flailing of arms earlier wasn't enough.)

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Cheap Thrill

Recipe for a Content Cat:
1. Get large brown paper bag.
2. Open the bag.
3. Place the bag on floor.
4. Watch the cat go in, turn around, and chill out.

Analogy

Dad: Ask Allie what I did on the way here.

Allie: Dad saved a huge snapping turtle that was sitting in the middle of the road. But the turtle wasn't very appreciative.


I see an analogy here that sometimes applies to me.

I:God::Snapping Turtle:Dad::Ingrate:Savior

Thank God for His Grace.

Preciousness [sic]

Here is the adorable Hudson. I am including a video "key" so you can fully understand.

Mommy: Steph
Nannie/Na Na: Me
BarBar: Fruit Bar
Mawmaw: Colin's Mom (Apparently, not what she had in mind she'd be called.)
Dadaw: Colin's Dad (Apparently, not what he had in mind he'd be called.)
Uh-Oh: Realization that something out of his control is about to happen.

2nd video clip
Coughing: An attempt to get by having to answer Aunt Nan Nan's requests that he keep saying her name.
Spitting (AKA, "What does a camel say?"): His new way of telling you he doesn't like something or he doesn't want to comply with your requests.

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Weekend with the Clantons

Unfortunately, I think I successfully got Steph and Colin hooked up with and addicted to Facebook. But, on to more important things...

Hudson is growing so fast! He now calls me Na-Na (Short "a" sound) and associates me with the name and anything that is mine. My favorite is when he tells me, "No No Na-Na." He just melts my heart! I can't believe how big he has gotten. He loves his mommy, and she loves him too. I don't know what Steph and Colin are going to do; they already have the cutest kid in the world!

Dumb@$$

It's probably not the best of ideas to be wearing this shirt when a potential roommate comes over to look at the place.

I promise, it was from the Faculty Christmas Party Gift Exchange.

(No one has to know I fought for it.)