A Long, Hot Four Days, Part II

After leaving the parent's party (see post below), I headed for the symphony rehearsal I was missing. It was our last chance to really work out the kinks, because the remaining rehearsals would be held onstage at the concert site. But first, the stage would have to be set up, and all the other production things that needed doing.

FRIDAY--I showed up at the site at about 7:30AM, prior to the semi and stage crew showing up. I was armed with pictures from last year's set-up, which seemed to work pretty well. As it ended up, we were about a foot off on one corner, which forced the whole stage to point a few degrees further up the hill. Which was a good thing. Almost like I planned it! I don't have any pictures from Friday, since they look remarkable similar to last season's pics, which can be seen here. The scary thing about Friday is that the entire stage set-up (including platforms, chairs, stands and percussion) was done about 2 and a half hours earlier than any other year. Obviously, we were forgetting something. Surprisingly, we hadn't. We have just gotten very good at this!

Not only were we on top of things, but so was the staff from Carroll College, who took care of the things NOT included with the stage. We were all on top of our game! The temperature was killer--mid 90s with no breeze. And absolutely no moisture of any kind. Lots of water consumed that day!

SATURDAY--Since an estimated 10,000 people were expected there were a few people who came out to lay down tarps/blankets a day early. The first one went up at 12:20 PM on Friday! Dozens more came out on Saturday morning, as early as 6AM to claim their spots. We rehearsed at 10AM for one last time, which went very smoothly (again, surprisingly). I stuck around for awhile afterwards, taking care of last minute detail stuff. I was able to get home, take a long-needed shower, and head back for the night.

Because it was so blasted hot all day, people claimed their spots and headed home so they could return after the heat died down. At 5:30, the hillside was pretty full (couldn't really merge the pics, but you get the idea. As always, click the picture to get see the full effect!). Where else could you leave chairs, tents, tarps and the like for hours on end, knowing they wouldn't be disturbed??



The South was apparently represented...


A view from on top of the hill.
The concert started at 8:30, and was superb! We played quite well. Any glitches were very minor, and unnoticeable. We played movie themes, ranging from "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone With the Wind" to "North by Northwest", "Lawrence of Arabia" and Disney themes. Of course, you can't do movie music without doing some John Williams, so we did "Jaws", the flying theme from "E.T." and, of course, the main title from "Star Wars" (which is an absolute bitch to play!). We then ended the concert with Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", which has nothing to do with movies or even America, but makes a great background for fireworks. And we had 2 and a half minutes of virtually non-stop fireworks, complete with a 15-second finale, which ended just as the orchestra was playing the final chords of "1812". Nothing quite like the roar of 10,000+ people directed at you. Sure, it was because of the fireworks, but the sustained applause was for us. And frankly, it was well deserved!

Below is the view from the back row, looking from the extreme left over to the far right, just as the concert was getting started. I haven't heard the estimates of the crowd size, but there's no question that we had well over 10,000 people there. I wouldn't argue with a figure of 12,000. I'm sure that by next season, the number will creep up to 15K, but I'd highly dispute that one.



SUNDAY--A day of rest. For some, but not us! It hit 100 degrees early in the afternoon, but by that time just about everything had been done. I was back making a quick check of the stage area. The stage truck left at around 2AM. The sound guys were out of there at about the same time. Clean-up crews did a fantastic job. There were only a handful of things left to do that had to wait until Monday. All in all, a fine effort put out by all. The out of town players were all impressed and grateful for the opportunity to play (mostly because their own orchestras might get a few hundred people to show for their summer concerts). I still find it amazing that we can get thousands of people to come out to a concert to hear a volunteer community orchestra! Next year, it'll probably fall on the 3rd weekend of July. Mark your calendars now!

A Long, Hot Four Days, Part I

THURSDAY--The sisters and I threw a party for my parents to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. We held it at the country club, which seemed appropriate, since so much of our family's activities and memories have taken place there. The only ones that didn't make it were BIL3 and the Nephew. His baseball team won the state championship and had to run off to regionals in Washington. I invited Rachel along though, since she loves my family and wants to be adopted.

We sent the grandchildren off to pick up my parents in a limousine, complete with sparkling cider, flowers and pictures. We allowed extra time to get across town through the rush hour traffic, but Clyde, the limo driver, must have taken the side streets. The limo arrived about 20 minutes earlier than anticipated. Which worked out well, since it allowed them to check out the decorations and let each of us officially congratulate them. But it played into Mom's biggest fear.


Dad & Mom, Clyde, the grandchildren


Me and Rachel - Rachel, S2, N2
S2 was in charge of sending out invitations, and failed to add RSVP info, or that presents were not necessary. Mom was afraid that no one would show up. Well, we had well over 100 people show, so that wasn't too bad. There was food, OPEN BAR, pictures, cake, flowers, and alot of hand-shaking and reminiscing.


As the oldest child, it was up to me to give a toast. My sisters were paranoid that I'd be rude or embarrasing, but I actually behaved myself, much to their surprise. Soon after they cut the cake (a replica of their original cake, and yes, it's tilting--we're lucky it didn't melt on us completely!), Rachel and I left. I had to get to a rehearsal that I was already over an hour late for. Which begins the story of the rest of the weekend. TO BE CONTINUED...

5 Things

Tagged by the lovely alien Lori:

5 things always in my purse /briefcase (rarely use a briefcase, but...):

1. Powerbook
2. Various cables
3. File folders
4. Pens
5. Paper clips

5 things always in my wallet (mine's a wallet/checkbook thing):

1. driver's license
2. quaff club card from the Brewhouse
3. checks
4. blood donor card (AB+)
5. Albertson's club card

5 things always in my refrigerator:

1. Diet Coke w/lime
2. Eggs
3. Fruit (oranges and/or apples)
4. Beer (Kokanee, if poss.)
5. Ranch dressing

5 things always in my closet:

1. Shirts
2. Tux
3. Pants
4. Caps
5. Dust

5 things always in my car:

1. Sunglasses
2. Music stand
3. Quilt
4. Jumper cables
5. Sombrero (don't ask...)

5 things always on my desk (at work):

1. G5 iMac
2. POS PC
3. Huge beer stein filled with writing utinsels
4. Scratch paper
5. Stapler

I'm supposed to tag 5 people. Yer it!

Too Pooped to Post

I'm getting too old for this shit! All of the weekend's activities came off remarkably well. It's way too hot for Montana. I can't sleep in my un-airconditioned apartment. Why is it un-AC'd, you ask. It's in MONTANA! Will do a real post soon--I promise!

In the meantime, get your anonymous pics and Mystery Guest pics in! I only have 2 MG pics left in the mix!

Busy, busy, busy HNT

BULLETIN!!....THIS JUST IN!!....OSSHIRT HAS BEEN SPOTTED HERE!!....GO TAKE A LOOK!!!....WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BROWSING.....

So this is the week that's kicking me in the pants. Lots of stuff going on. Trying to get it all taken care of. I try not to take care of personal or other business during my "day" job (other than the occasional blogging/chatting that some of you know I do). But this week, I broke down. I'm not sure what exactly is going on in the pictures below (note the summery haircut and the use of two different phones!), but it could be any one of the following:

--Confirming that the stage will be here Friday.
--Calling the music librarian to be sure a piece of music was sent out.
--Confirming the piano movers.
--Confirming the parking logistics.
--Calling Rachel about her post.
--Checking on details about my parent's party tomorrow night.
--Confirming the limo for said party.
--Confirming with the paper that an article would appear tomorrow.
--Confirming the stage crew for Friday/Saturday.
--Confirming possession of the noise permit.
--Confirming the port-o-potties.
--Confirming the police/ambulance/fire departments.
--Arguing with store about miscalculated bill for office supplies.
--Chatting (briefly) with No One In Particular.
--Ordering lunch.
--Confirming fireworks for end of concert.
--Confirming paychecks for everyone expecting them.
--Trying to come up with catchy toast for a 50th anniversary.

Any one of these things could have been happening when these were taken. Though I'm relatively certain that #3 was taken at the same time that Crimson had just sent me a preview of her HNT. I'll try to get some pics of all the activities of the next few days. I try to hit as many of your sites as I can!

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I would imagine that many of you will figure out who this week's Mystery Guest is. Her legs are legendary among HNTers! She'll be revealed on Thursday afternoon, but feel free to go ask her, if you think you know who it is! Mention something to her about the hot guy in her lap, too!
Mystery Guest this week is the long-legged Texan No One In Particular. Go say hi over there. She's had a rough week with the Bee Pollen!

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"...the Other HNT" is definitely on the NSFW side this week. And we have some new participants, too! Be sure to check out the site!

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Haven't gotten alot of word on early participants, but Jes posted dirty pictures from Korea, and Rachel, (who had a really bad day and went to bed) posted her legs. Also check out le chat qui a peur and Redneck Eskimo who are up early too!

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As always--turn off your word verification for the day!

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Note the newest buttons in my sidebar. I'll be posting about them when things settle down!

Weekend Stuff

As anticipated, things are getting pretty busy around here. Though I will say that the weekend turned out pretty good. I wish I could tell you what happened Friday night, but I honestly can't. Not because of any drunken debauchery, but because I just don't remember. Other than I stopped in at the office at about 11:30 PM. Couldn't tell you anything else about the night...

Saturday was our first rehearsal for the big concert this weekend. No surprises, no problems. Other than the room temperature was unbearable. Won't get any better as the week goes on, either...

Sunday we had a symphony picnic, which could have been disastrous. Turned out quite nicely, however. Didn't overindulge, other than the potato salad and beans (paying for that now, however). I got a phone call while I was there from just.a.girl. She informed me that she was going to be in town in about an hour, and flying back to Portland in the morning. What a wonderful surprise! I met up with her at the Brewhouse (our standard spot), and drank lots of beer. Below are phone pics from the evening. I don't know who the woman in black was--don't think I want to. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't do justice to the shirt creeping up to her shoulder blades and up over her belly. And I give you the raw picture of the two of us. No time to crop it or anything. Yes, I look toasted. I think I was. And she was pissed at her ex-bf, who was taking the picture. She was happy to see me!

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As mentioned earlier, this is a really busy week for me. The sooner you get Mystery Guest and/or anonymous pictures in to me, the better. Time is severely limited this week!

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Still need 940 reasons for Rachel not to move to D.C. (see post below). I could use some help on this...

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I got a slew of Monkees' mp3s sent to me over the weekend!!

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Sporadic commenting/chatting/emailing from me this week. Sorry, that's just the way it's going to have to be!

They're Here!!!

Contessa had her twins on Tuesday!

Mom and babies are doing well, though the babies still have at least another month in hospital. For any of you who have followed her story over the past few months, this is GREAT news! Go stop by and congratulate her! She's got details and pictures up, too!

International News, Round 2

We've done it again! After basking in the glow of international journalistic recognition in November from this article in the Nov.18-Dec. 1, 2005 issue of Business & Economy magazine, "India's Most Influential Business and Economy Magazine" (page 106), HNT has once again found itself the subject in an international publication. On this past Thursday, the Winnipeg Free Press website featured HNT on its blog by one of their staff. Complete with a half-nekkid photo of the author, Doug Speirs. Yes, the world domination is continuing quite nicely, thank you!

And thanks to Shumpy for bringing it to my attention. I'm not sure how/why a guy in Texas would be the one to do that, but I'm glad he did!

I investigated a little more. He also wrote a column for the paper that day. Even mentioned my name *blush*! BUT, to get to it you have to Google the words "Speirs" and "nekkid". And then click on the cached link. If you click on the regular link, you get sent to the subscription page (gotta pay to see it). I don't know how long you'll be able to get to it, so go Google now!

Ooh--did you see you can now attach images to your comments???

1000 Reasons Rachel Shouldn't Move To D.C.

1. Too expensive.
2. Too far away.
3. No Brewhouse.
4. No Beltian White.
5. No Mt. Helena.
6. Dog will be mistaken as a rat.
7. No Alive @ Five.
8. Can't take weekend off to see Jones.
9. It's stinky and crime-ridden.
10. Can't run at night.
11. Have to root for the Nationals.
12. And the Redskins.
13. Terrorists will attack D.C. long before Montana.
14. Can't get deposit back on new apartment.
15. No York burgers.
16. No pool table at work.
17. No beer at work.
18. No air hockey at work.
19. No foosball at work.
20. Gas is more expensive.
21. No sales tax in MT.
22. Clumsy Lovers don't play D.C.
23. Neither do the Clintons.
24. My Dad would hate to see you go.
25. So would my mom.
26. And S2.
27. S3.
28. BIL2.
29. BIL3.
30. N1.
31. N2.
32. N3.
33. Neph1 (up in the air on this one...).
34. I haven't seen you nekkid yet.
35. I haven't taken those pics yet.
36. My 50th won't be the same without you.
37. No Howard's Pizza.
38. No Kokanee.
39. No bald-headed bartenders like what's-his-name @ the Brewhouse.
40. No Carroll College Saints.
41. No Osbasso (thanks, Geekgirl!).
42. Thousands of miles more away from Hawaii.
43. Midget doesn't travel well.
44. Your multi-language skills aren't very good.
45. The humidity would raise hell with your hair.
46. Washington, D.C. isn't even in a state!
47. No "Symphony Under the Stars".
48. No Canyon Ferry.
49. No Sleeping Giant.
50. Running into parked cars gets you arrested.
51. Or mugged.
52. Getting up 2 hours earlier due to the difference in time zones.
53. Going to bed 2 hours earlier due to the difference in time zones.
54. No long lunches at the Windbag.
55. No Al Marks.
56. No Helena Independent Record.
57. No Queen City News.
58. No Ox.
59. No hottie behind the deli counter at Van's.
60. More bloggers per capita in MT than in D.C.


Need to come up with 940 more reasons.

Reflective HNT

Well, summer has hit me dead on. The big concert next week is taking up a majority of my time over the next 2 weeks (see post below), and my sisters and I are throwing a reception/party for the parent's 50th anniversary (anniversary on Wed./party on Thurs). On top of that, work is getting busier, which means my regular blog surfing that I've been able to do during the day is getting cut back. Mind you, I'm not complaining. It's nice to be this busy. And in the case of the concert--the hassles are worth the effort. But something's got to give, and this week it's a new HNT. Good thing I keep a reserve!

I wanted to go musical, so I went back to the pictures with Amy (not Michelle). And since they weren't taken for this week, I'll give you two. You may remember that these were taken when I got my new camera. The curvature of the bell makes for some very interesting shots. And not necessarily flattering ones, either. But there you have it. With luck, I'll get some time before next week to do something better!

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This week's Mystery Guest also went the musical route. She even said she did it for me. Awwww...
This sweet bird is a long-time HNTer (though there was that hiatus this winter...). She's going to allow me to reveal her tomorrow, but if you think you know, go ask her--she'll let you know!
The Mystery Guest this week is none other than the funny, cute and always witty Robyn. Stop by and say hi!

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"...the Other HNT" is a little NSWF and a little sparse on participants, but not too bad. Leave some comments!

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As usual--please turn off your word verification for the day!

Couple of things...

The supply of Mystery Guest pics is just about depleted. If you're interested in being the MG, please get a picture to me. No guarantees about which week you'll be featured, but you will be featured!

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Similar call for anonymous HNT pics. They always come in great, but my life would be much easier if you got them in earlier!!! A little new blood wouldn't be a bad thing, either. Remember--it's only intended to be more risque than you might put on your own site. Full nekkidness isn't a requirement!

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Yesterday started the two-week build-up towards our big summer symphony concert. Last year we had about 7500 attend. This year, the magic number is 10,000! My computer time will probably be quite limited. Those of you used to seeing me late at night probably won't for the next two weeks. It's not because I don't love you, believe me!! If you want to see what last year's concert was all about, go here, here and here to see last year's take on things.

God has a sense of humor

Either He's got a sense of humor, or He wants to torment me even more.

What did I find this afternoon when I got home from work? Yep--a 4th bird on the balcony to kill (read below if you haven't read the bird stories). So I got a new box, put it back up where the old one was, and duct taped it down. I'll keep you up dated.
UPDATE: I watched this one take a header from the box, all the way down to the concrete. It was briefly stunned, then ran to the bush. Godspeed, little one--you're on your own (you have a better chance than if you stuck around here!)

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There seems to be great interest in seeing the tutu as part of a future HNT. Sorry, boys and girls. It no longer exists.

Let's lighten the mood a bit...

The post below this is a bit morose, in spite of its brief glimpse of cuteness. So I figured I'd better do something a little more "light". So I offer some of my true geekiness.

Last month, I did a post on "6 Things Weird About Moi, Osbasso", where I mentioned my Dr. Pepper can collection. People wanted pics, here's pics. My two favorites. The infamous alcohol one, and an upside down one. These were both purchased at different times from the vending machine in the Music Building at Montana State University in Bozeman. Late seventies.

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On another post from February, I alluded to a photo existing showing me in a tutu. Many of you seemed to want to see that, so here it is.

From the early 90s, when I worked for the State. One of the auditors had a "Come As Your Favorite Christmas Character" Christmas party. Out of over 30 of us, only three came dressed up. The other two came as elves. I, of course, came as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

My apologies.

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Send in those anonymous pics for "...the Other HNT" soon please!

Beware: The Ugly Side of Os (with a touch of cute)

A very disturbing thing happened this weekend. Three times. No, not the legal thing. This was much more life-or-death. In fact, no life, all death. Let me set it up for you...

Many of you who have read my blog for over a year remember my writings about my slut girlfriend bird. She sits outside my bedroom window and screws whatever comes by from sunup to sundown. Loud, squawking, jungle sex. The inevitable result is little baby slut birds. Now, for whatever reason, the nest is built inside some sort of a stovepipe in the corner of my balcony. I don't know why there's a stovepipe. It goes into the balcony above me. But I digress. The nest is up there.


Friday night, while watching SVU reruns hosting a BBQ on the balcony for some lovely local babes, I noticed a pile of nesting material in the corner. And some chirping. There, trying to hide, was a little baby sparrow. Feathers not developed, chirping incessantly, and obviously not in the nest 10 feet above. My first thought--leave it, this is nature at work. Then I noticed 2 really disturbing things--his brothers. Maybe cousins. One didn't have feathers yet, and looked to be freshly deceased. The other one had the same feathers, but looked mummified. Dead since the last batch, I think. Sorry, no pics. I have some standards, you know!

I decide that the St. Francis of Assisi thing to do would be to find a small box, gather up some of the nesting material (disposing of the dead kin), and scooping this poor fallen soul into the box, keeping it nearby so that all the birds that come by will hear it's incessant chirping and take care of it. I checked on it late that night and it seemed to be doing well--asleep and breathing. The next morning, it wasn't. I felt badly, but at least I tried. Even chewed up some worms to feed it, but I was too late.

So imagine my surprise, and sense of redemption, when I heard another chirping coming from the balcony. Was it the ghost of my newly lost friend? No, it was a sibling! A couple of days older, and a little more lively. Kept trying to get into the house. So I decided to try to do the right thing. I got the box again and cornered it. It found an escape route though.


Notice the little drainy thing? It scooted right out, flapped its non-existant wings, bounced off the concrete, into the grass. I watched it for a little bit. It didn't move. And then, like a miracle, it shook the cobwebs out, looked left, looked right, and scooted to the first bush it could find. And it just hid there and chirped. I went down there this morning to check on it. It died where it had hid.

So now I'm sort of depressed. Then early this afternoon, I hear another chirp. Yep, another one. This one looked a little more developed, and was definitely the fiestiest of the bunch. So yes, I grabbed the box, cornered the thing and got it into the box. This time, I put the box in the corner up by the stovepipe thingy, and waited. This one was not a happy camper. It scratched, chirped and bounced around and raised all sorts of commotion. It must have worked. I saw it poke its head out of the box, other birds were stopping by and acknowledging it, and things finally felt right with the world. Until the gust of wind.

I looked out, and there's no box. Out on the lawn, there's the box, and all the nesting stuff clumped out there. I figure that it was a healthy bird, and the fall probably didn't kill it, so I'd run out there while it was dazed and scoop it up again. And as I ran around the corner of the building, I hear them. The roar of twin John Deere riding lawn mowers. I'd like to say it ain't so, but you've guessed it. I didn't see it, but the little dark patch of nest in the last picture is all that was left.


Three days. Three birds. Three deaths. I am a bad person.

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"So, Os," you ask (please note the anagramism of that sentence!). "Where's the touch of cute?" Well, as I came home from working in an unairconditioned office all afternoon Saturday, I had to drop some music off to someone. As I approached a stop sign, I saw two cute baby bunnies frolicking with each other! I sat and watched for about 5 minutes as I watched these two hopping on each other, chasing each other and blissfully enjoying their young lives. All I could do at the time is think about their birdy friends....

Patriotic HNT

As you can read in the post below, I was at the V.F.W. fireworks show last night. Since I didn't go to the lake as anticipated, it was either going to be a picture of me with fireworks, or me with a brass band (as someone suggested I do...). The fireworks were much easier to get together...

Here's the result. And the best part--this is how it came out of the camera! No Photoshop, no altering--nothing! Not in a million years could I get the same shot again! Well, maybe not a million, but a long time, anyway! Please also notice the very patriotic red, white & blue tie-dyed shirt! Don't ask about the goofy look. I have no idea. As a bonus--a couple more attempts of the shot. Be sure to click on the pic to enlarge it!

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This week's Mystery Guest is a former HNTer. Unfortunately, she's also hung up her regular blogging shoes. She did OK the use of this picture when its turn came up. It's a hard reminder, though, that real life generally trumps blog life. And there's not alot we can do about it. To this particular person--Godspeed and good luck. I know things are going well for you--I hope they continue that way. I know you're out there lurking. Hope you like all that you see!

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"...the Other HNT" is finally getting some traffic! We've got another good crop of pics for this week, though it's definitely NSFW! Be careful!

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No one let me know they were up early, so I guess everyone's waiting (yeah, right...).

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Please turn off your word verification for the day!

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Be sure to check out the rest of my posts from the weekend, because, well, I posted them and they're great!

V.F.W. Fireworks!

Didn't do much of anything for the 4th. I had hoped that I might get Rachel out of the apartment, but she had cleaning issues (go check her site for details). However, nothing was going to deter me from going to East Helena (about 3 miles, uh, east of Helena) for the annual V.F.W. fireworks display. I've been going to see these since Dad tossed us all in the station wagon and S3 would cry the entire time because of the noise. I think they had a new company running the display. Seemed more professional--but much shorter, timewise. I don't think they allowed the V.F.W. guys light them anymore. Thank you, Department of Homeland Security. They actually prevented the show about 3 years ago when unknown paperwork hadn't been completed!

Anyway...I camped out in my traditional place--on the shoulder of the highway, about 150 directly across from where they shoot them from. East Helena's claim to fame is that it was home to one of the only lead smelters in the nation. It's closed down. And most of the old homes in East Helena are lead contaminated. Most of the original town now sits on a huge Superfund site. The town is not thriving, by any stretch of the imagination. But they know how to celebrate the 4th! Almost every home has a day-long party, which is culminated by setting off their own fireworks just before dusk, watching the big show, then finishing off anything that wasn't taken care of earlier.

Safety? Who needs it? Cars coming down the road? Well, set off that fountain thing before they get here! Firecrackers? Here, set this block of 10,000 off at once! Anyone else need another beer? Did you see that video of the guy shooting off a bottle rocket out of his butt?

Seriously--it's just like that! A couple driving through from Texas parked a few feet down the road from me. She came over and asked if all these private fireworks were legal. East Helena allows the setting off of fireworks in town on the 4th and New Year's Eve, so yes, they were legal. And that's why I go back year after year. No, they aren't as spectacular as the big cities. But the atmosphere, the tradition, the spectacle and the universal "ooh..." followed by the "ahhh..." make it one of the things I must do every year.

Bonus this year--I took the camera. I've never tried taking fireworks pictures, but I must say that I impressed myself! Most of these were about 2.5 second shutter speeds, and my aiming and timing were strictly luck! These are all directly from the camera. No adjustments or anything else... As usual--be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge them and get the full effect!

Celebrating the 4th!

This is why I requested no bottlerocket pics for HNT this week. Don't know if you've had the pleasure of seeing this video, but it sort of sums up why it's great to live in the US. Not only do you have the freedom to do something like this, but you also have the freedom to get it posted on the internet! Hope you're all having a great 4th!
Apparently YouTube took down the video. Never fear! I found dozens of places to get it! Unfortunately, they're all autoplay, so I might take this down tomorrow night....
Sorry people--I couldn't handle the autoplay anymore. Go here if you want to see the video (it's quite amazing!).

Happy 4th!

Suprisingly, I'm not going to go nutso with the template like I did with Canada Day. No desire to spend the time on it. So I'll just say it--"Happy 4th of July!"

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The main reason I'm less than excited to work on the template is because we had gigs on Saturday and Sunday nights. That wasn't so bad, but I had to get up an work on Monday. That sucked.

Someone had written that I haven't really mentioned the band recently. That would probably be due to the fact that we took an unintentional break for about 3 months. No one was hiring bands anywhere... The summer is upon us though, so things are picking up. As I said, we played Sat. and Sun. nights out at a lakeside bar, called (ingeniously) the Lakeside Bar. The place has been around for decades. I remember going there when I was in high school. It was sort of a dump then, but it's finally beginning to take on a sense of respectability. Fantastic food, big deck in the back, huge lawn sloping down to the lake, public beach, bonfires on the lake, but really nasty bathrooms. The crowds were respectable (though it doesn't look like it in the pics!). We had fun with both the music and the crowd. Did a couple of songs that we haven't done in over 4-5 years. Amazing how some of that comes roaring back! Just as amazing is how we botched some things we shouldn't have, but were rusty on. We even played a request or two for songs we've never done. All in all, it was a revitalizing, rejuvenating weekend! And the weather was superb, as opposed to the rain we've had for the previous few years of playing the 4th out there!

Anyway--here's some pics from the weekend. BE SURE TO CLICK THEM to make them bigger! All taken from my vantage point in the back row. Well, I didn't take this one. This was the PR shot that was in the local paper in the "music around town" section. I'd never seen it, but I like it! And look at all the gray hair!! A recap of the players--from the top: Terry-guitar player extraordinaire/vocals. I think he blew out some brain cells in the 70s. More talent in his pinkie than I'll ever have. Kelly-lead trumpet. Former student of mine from 25 years ago! Quiet, but a deadly sense of humor! Chris-bass guitar/trumpet/Buffett aficianado. Plays a mean bass. Sort of responsible for steering us down a more contemporary sound (slowly). Michelle-lead vocals. Great stage presence. When she's "on", she's phenomenal! New-ish mommy. John-drummer/leader/vocals. Without him, the band doesn't exist. One of the finest drummers in the state. The guy actually PRACTICES! Yours Truly-trombone/keyboard. You already know all there is to know. Leanne-alto sax/vocals. She didn't start doing vocals until a year or two ago, but she's great! It's wonderful to do some songs with female backup, or some dual female leads. Oh--she also is one of the best music sightreaders I've ever met. Katy-lead vocals. She and Michelle trade off, rarely ever at a gig together. Adds a great dimension to the band. She's a theater geek, so she's used to learning lines. Can learn a song within 2 listens. Has a great soul voice for a former California blond chick! Eric-trombone. He's actually no longer with the band. He just graduated HIGH SCHOOL! He's got great talent, and playing with us forced a little "real world" reality and maturity on him. So that's the band--In Cahoots w/the Mob Rules Horns! Hi!



Nothing terribly exciting here. I included the bottom right one since it shows the lawn and the lake in the distance.


We had dancers of all shapes, ages and sizes!
The girl in the cowboy hat looks an awful lot like one of our bloggers!


Goofy look from Michelle.
And the last picture needs no words...

Theme time again!

We did this last year for HNT, and it seemed to go over fairly well, so we'll do it again this year. For those of you in the US, we'll be celebrating the 4th of July this weekend. And July 1st is Canada Day. Beer, sun, fun, beer, road trips, beer....you get the idea. I'd like next week's HNT pics to be patriotic, fireworks, picnics, brass bands, Mom & apple pie celebrations. Take your cameras out with you this weekend and be proud you're a North American! Let's have some All-American/Canadian HNT pictures! However, I draw the line on bottle-rockets-out-the-butt pics. Please. For those of you who don't celebrate the 1st or the 4th, feel free to take pics this weekend on your picnics/beer drinking/road trips or whatever you do this weekend!

The important part--THIS IS FOR THE JULY 6th HNT! Don't try to sneak it in this week!!!