LONG Weekend

I'm not going to say that I'm glad it's over, just that it was long and very very busy. Saturday we were up early, Girl had to be at her music instructor's house by 8:00 to carpool out to the music festival for her concert. Grabbed some coffee, and got to work for the day. No, not work work. We rent out to our neighbors the parking space next to our garage - since parking in our town is just ridiculous. The space had gotten overgrown and we hadn't had the tools to clean it up. Friday, after I came home from work to take care of my sick boys, PC ran and picked up a saw at his parents house. So Saturday morning was spent cleaning out the spot. It was BAAAAD, I gotta tell ya!

Girl's concert was at 3:00. It was wonderful. There was an orchestra, a choir, and a band....and about 1000+ family and friends crammed into a hot, stuffy, high school gym. Each group performed 4 -5 songs. The orchestra did an absolutely beautiful piece , Ashokan Farewell by Jay Unger, arranged by Calvin Custer(click here and go to track #9 for soundbyte). All of the pieces were beautiful, but this one was just...oh WOW! Of the orchestra members, I'd say 3/4 were violins with the other 1/4 divided among the violas, cellos, and basses. Girl plays the viola -which I enjoy. The piece began with an incredible violin solo (mind you these are all middle school students) and ended with her solo while the rest of the orchestra faded out. It was breathtaking. I can't say enough about the concert. The chorus sang a piece that I had sung in high school. That was kind of fun. Girl just told me that she could see, from where she was, me singing along. The band was awesome. They started out with the song that's the theme to 2000 - A Space Odyssey (or is it 2001 - I can never remember). They also played the theme to Monty Python's Flying Circus. You saw all of the "grown ups" in the crowd sort of all nod and smile as each realized what the song was. It's really called The Liberty Bell March, by Sousa. They also did a really funky piece called Snakes, by Duffy.

Later that evening was a surprise party for our band's drummer. We totally surprised her. Both bands that she plays in, The Dukes of Wellington and Code West (which she and I began together) played for her - yes, we made her work at her own party. We were happy to see that our former back up vocalist (let me know, if you want a link here) was able to attend and sing with us a couple of times.

After recovering from the bash, PC, LargeBoy, and I went along with SmallBoy and his scout troop to Cantigny Park to visit the war museum (and to climb on all the tanks!). Finally home and pooped. SmallBoy was going to do a post tonight, but I'm not sure if he'll get to it after doing all of the homework that he missed at school on Friday.

PC is still feeling icky and is sound asleep. I think that I might make some tea, grab my RDI books, fill up the tub and do some light reading (yes, that was sarcastic). Talk to y'all from work tomorrow.