Sunday, February 24, 2008

Best Laid Plans


Do things in this photo look wet? Oh, let me tell you. DD added some bits to his beloved 45-flathead and was eager to take it out to test them, so he listened to the weather report and decided Friday (not this Friday) was the perfect day for a ride. He asked at work to have it off, and eagerly waited all week for his adventure. He took off for coast in a light drizzle, so was wearing his rain pants. Never mind that the weather forcast predicted dry and partly sunny. He saw sun and blue sky ahead to the south, so headed that way, and wound his way eventually to Florence, where some little tiny thing broke on his bike and he fixed it, but the surge caused a headlamp to blow. I don't remember which one, bright or dim, but I notice new ones arrived in the mail this week. The drizzle never stopped. He's just passed Sea Lion Caves in the photo, and on a clear day you could see Heceta Head Lighthouse from here, which is just down the road. When he eventually returned home, he handed me his gloves and said "feel this." They were dripping and so HEAVY. I think he had fun, but his jacket and gloves felt like they'd been held under water until they couldn't absorb any more, and they left large puddles on the linolium. The next day was beautiful.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Sure, I'll Do It


In Community Band we're playing the 4th movement, Via Appia Antica, of The Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi, which begings with a Roman Legion marching into Rome after victories in the East. They're tired, and feeling the weight of the journey, and the piece begins with tubas and low brass. My part is measure after measure of a repeatted quaver/eighth note only playable on my horn in 7th position. AS helps me keep in tune, BS says I have to be excited about it, BC says I have to blow fast, and SM says I have to stay with the tubas. I think it's the hardest thing I've done, and I need all that help. I try to psych myself up thinking of Avus and trying to picture his shiny armor all dusty from the long trek. When I first saw my music, I thought "They've got the wrong part, it's a drum part," and I was right about it being a drum part, but it's for trombone.

I think I have something every night but next Sunday for the next 2 weeks, and I'd better get friendly with my calendar now, so I can see which performances of Hello Dolly! I can make. I'm going to be in the pit. I will have to take up afternoon napping, since I guess I'm already committed. That was soon after starting with the new community orchestra, and thus sitting too close to BH, who talked me into playing for Hello Dolly. I'm not so sure about the advisablity of my actions.