Studio 54

We have a new building opening up soon at school. Subsequently, they've been testing the fire alarm almost daily for two weeks. Flashing lights, sirens and the ever-annoying precorded Slim Shady-esque announcement "Can I have your attention, please? There has been a fire reported on your floor...." We've been told to ignore them. Meanwhile, I'm ready to have a seizure due to the flashing lights. But today, I discovered that if you go into the bathroom and turn out the lights, it's like Studio 54 in the 70's, minus the coke. At least I think it is. I was but a child back then.

Favorite Posts

So there is a new sidebar entitled "Top 5 Posts" and yes, I realize there are more than 5 posts listed there. It is my feeble attempt at 2 things.

1. It has come to my attention that I have a few new readers. This is a way for you to scroll through the highlights, although EVERY post is "reader worthy."

2. This gives everyone a chance to weigh in on their favorite post. Interaction makes for a successful blog. And some of you have been very lazy in the "posting comments" department.

So make your choice here, and I'll leave the top 5 by the end of the week. Toodles!

Big Fat Weenie Meanies

Some people just seem to go out of their way to be cruel to people and say things that aren't true but hurt their feelings anyway. I just found out that some people I care about have been subjected to this very behavior. The sad part is that it's coming from someone who should KNOW better, someone who's JOB it is to build people up, not tear them down. My instinct is to stomp on their face, but God's tellling me that I shouldn't. I just need to wait it out, pray about it and see if there is another way I can approach the Big Fat Weenie in a more Matthew 18 sort of way.

If THAT doesn't work, I'll stomp on his face!

Black dye and digestion

FYI - there is a LOT of black dye in licorice. It doesn't digest very well. Don't ask how I know that. I just do.

Favorite Subject poll results

I have to say, the voting in the latest poll was a bit biased, as I posted a link to the "Note from a Parent" entry on one of my band geek chat groups page. There were more band directors voting this week than I usually get TOTAL voting viewers in any week.
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The results: What was your favorite subject in school?"
Band 65% 11 votes
lunch 18% 3 votes
PE 0% 0 votes
any one that started AFTER 1 PM 12% 2 votes
any one where the teacher let me sleep 6% 1 vote (Dudeface, perhaps?)

17 votes total
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In honor of the road trip sugar rush, we are paying homage to candy in this week's poll. Remember - vote early and often!

Road Trips and Sugar Rushes

Tia and I are in Orlando, waiting for the new "Genesis" service at First Pres, which D-Man is launching. It's been a fun road trip so far and I'm sorry we have to leave today; it was a nice mini-vacation. I do have to warn you, though, of the effects of half a bag of black licorice on one's blood sugar. As Tia and D-Man will testify through observation of my ingestion of said substance, the highs are incredibly high but the crash is highly amusing. They said my eyes were quite glassy and unfocused. I do remember the productivity of the sugar rush, however, as I attempted to play electronic "Catch Phrase" without batteries while on the drive up. Other than the fact that every clue began with "OK - this is by the side of the road....", I think it was a great game. Tia got EVERY clue!

It's the WEEKEND!

YEA! It's FRIDAY! I had an awesome day at work, maybe because V and I are going to ORLANDO tonight. No, we're not going to visit the rat that lives in his own fantasy world. We're going to visit one of our bestest, bestest friends, the D man. WHEEEE! Hope your weekend goes as well!

Great Gate!

Last night at community band rehearsal, the saxes were SO out of tune that instead of hearing "Great Gate of Kiev," I was thinking it sounded more like "Great Gate of Kielbasa." EWWWWWWWW!

I'm SO behind!

So it seems like I can't catch up. I'm at school until 7ish every night working on outside projects and then I'm out until 10 PM or later Monday - Thursday every week with small groups or rehearsals. It's going to be a long year if something doesn't give way soon! Luckily, I see the light at the end of the tunnel for a few projects and I'm heading to Orlando this weekend! (V and D - PLEASE don't be offended if I sleep. A LOT!)

On a lighter note: Yesterday, I thought my running schedule was supposed to bump up to 7/1 X 8 (7 minutes running, 1 walking, 8 times). I managed to hit 6 sets, but 7 and 8 gave me some fits, mostly due to a blister that's started up on the ARCH of my right foot (of all places). I was feeling a bit disappointed until I got home and re-read my schedule. I was supposed to do 7/2 (that extra minute of recovery would have been nice) and only 6 sets. So I actually kicked my own butt. And it's a little sore today.

Needed: Poll topic for the week. I'm too tired to think! Please respond!

New Musical Terms

NEW MUSICAL TERMS (by Tom Hurd on piano-teachers@yahoo.com)

In order to keep you abreast of the ever-developing world of musical terminology, we provide herewith the latest additions to the esteemed Harvard Dictionary of Music:

ALLREGRETTO - When you're 16 measures into the piece and realize you took too fast a tempo
ANGUS DEI - To play with a divinely beefy tone
A PATELLA - Accompanied by knee-slapping
APPOLOGGIATURA - A composition that you regret playing
APPROXIMATURA - A series of notes not intended by the composer, yet played with an "I meant to do that" attitude
APPROXIMENTO - A musical entrance that is somewhere in the vicinity of the correct pitch
CACOPHANY - A composition incorporating many people with chest colds
CORAL SYMPHONY - A large, multi-movement work from Beethoven's Caribbean Period
DILL PICCOLINI - An exceedingly small wind instrument that plays only sour notes
FERMANTRA - A note held over and over and over and over and . . .
FERMOOTA - A note of dubious value held for indefinite length
FIDDLER CRABS - Grumpy string players
FLUTE FLIES - Those tiny mosquitos that bother musicians on outdoor gigs
FRUGALHORN - A sensible and inexpensive brass instrument
GAUL BLATTER - A French horn player
GREGORIAN CHAMP - The title bestowed upon the monk who can hold a note the longest
GROUND HOG - Someone who takes control of the repeated bass line and won't let anyone else play it
PLACEBO DOMINGO - A faux tenor
SCHMALZANDO - A sudden burst of music from the Guy Lombardo band
THE RIGHT OF STRINGS - Manifesto of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Violists
SPRITZICATO - An indication to string instruments to produce a bright and bubbly sound
TEMPO TANTRUM - What an elementary school orchestra is having when it's not following the conductor
TROUBLE CLEF - Any clef one can't read: e.g., alto clef for pianists
VESUVIOSO - An indication to build up to a fiery conclusion
VIBRATTO - Child prodigy son of the concertmaster

He was a ROOSTER!

an exchange with a student today:

student: What was the name of the chicken on Bugs Bunny?
me: Foghorn Leghorn. Oops! Other students just heard that; should I write myself up for an honor code violation?
student: No, nobody heard you.
me: Why do you want to know?
student: It was extra credit on a social studies test today. I didn't know it.
me: Well, technicaly he was a rooster, so I think you should file a protest.

I LOVE my job!

I'm a bad mommy!

My almost-15 year old terrier (Peanut) ran out of canned dog food yesterday morning. She always has dry food in her bowl, but since she's missing half of her jaw, she has an easier time with canned. I knew we were running low but hadn't had time to get to the store. I even put the empty carton in the car to remind me, but I've been out until 11 PM every night this week for rehearsals, meetings, etc. So yesterday, my dog got "Fortune Snookies" dog treats for breakfast. Is that the same as giving your children chocolate cake for breakfast? I'm SUCH a bad mommy!

Kids and Cartoons

In Homeroom today, the kids were studying for a science test on ameobas. We decided it might be interesting to write a cartoon show called "Ameoba High", following these little organisms through their lives in school. The screen would not be letter-box like a movie, but would have eye holes like a microscope. The only problems that they saw were that a) some reproduce so fast that the scenes would start off fine, but by the end, there would be so many of them that you couldn't see what was happening and b) the cafeteria scene would be a little awkward, since some organisms feed off of each other. Of course, the boys were trying to find ways to make the whole thing PG-13 or R.

Isn't middle school GREAT!

Cereal poll results

Some of you have requested that I post the results of the previous week's poll. While I'm not one to succumb to peer pressure, I AM one to further my own blog cause.
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Poll for last week:
Name your favorite breakfast cereal.

Votes
Lucky Charms: They're magically delicious! 29% 2 votes
Honey Nut Cheerios: A Honey of an O. 43% 3 votes
CocoPuffs: I'm koo-koo for CocoPuffs. 0% 0
Froot Loops: Follow Your Nose 0% 0 votes
Frosted Flakes: They're GRRRRR-EAT! 29% 2 votes

7 votes total
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Poll analysis: You are all a bunch of sugar-crazed freaks who have just enough free time to waste entertaining my every whim. God bless you all!

And for those losers who don't vote: What's wrong in your world?

Note from a parent

This is word-for-word what a Beginning Band parent wrote on her son's practice chart this week:

"Diego and I discussed the method he should use to complete the "Progress Assessment" and agreed that he needs to document problems while he practices and not just at the end of the session. Seems to be enjoying the process. And, our dog was less frightened by the sax this week! Many thanks!!:"

Sax book: $7
Instrument: $500
Reaction of the dog: PRICELESS

Biblical Horror Movies

Biblical Horror Movies.

BY JONATHAN SHIPLEY

- - - -

The Garden of Bleedin'

The Ark of the Coven

40 Days and 40 Frights

The Bloodthirsty Apostle

Slain and Able

Give Us This Day Our Daily Dead

Gold, Frankincense, and Murder

Lazarus Returns, With a Vengeance

The Kingdom and the Power and the Gory, Forever

The Dead Sea

Thou Shalt Murder

I Know What You Did Last Supper

My life as a movie

Saw Little Miss Sunshine last week with friends, but it hit a little close to home.
1. My sister did the pageant scene when she was younger.
2. I have a family member of questionable sexual orientation (but WE'RE not allowed to talk about it)
3. My family left me behind. Twice. Once when I was 8, at McDonald's. Once when I was 14, and on crutches. True story.

Still, it's a great story. Go see it. NOW!

Life is good!

So we're all here, hanging out at The Cereal Bowl. We each had a bowl: I got the "Mama Knows More" (as opposed to "Father Knows Best") oatmeal with apple pie filling, brown sugar, cinnamon and graham cracker bits. It was yummy. Now we're playing Flux and watching the MTV awards. Life is good and it's also a cereal on the menu!

Love, peace and little tiny marshmellows!

On behalf of Sonic....we thank McD's

McDonald's Succumbs to Hedgehogs' Needs
Friday, September 01, 2006

LONDON — Fast food just became hedgehog-friendly. McDonald's Corp. said Friday it had redesigned the cups for its McFlurry dessert so that they no longer posed a danger to the spiky woodland creatures.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society has campaigned for years against the containers, saying hedgehogs had died while trying to eat leftover ice cream from discarded cups. Campaigners said the opening in the lid was large enough for hedgehogs to stick their heads in, but not to get them out again, and that animals not rescued by passers-by had died of starvation.

McDonald's U.K. said that after "significant research and testing," it designed a McFlurry cup with a smaller opening. McDonald's began deliveries of the new lids to restaurants in Britain last week.

"The smaller aperture of the lid has been designed to prevent hedgehogs from entering the McFlurry container in the unfortunate incidence that a lid is littered and is then accessible to wildlife," the company said in a statement.

Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said the change was "excellent, if long overdue news."

She said the new cups meant "many hedgehog lives will be saved."

The Lord is My Shepherd

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible; Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the verse.

Little Rick was excited about the task -- but, he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Rickey was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

AMEN!