..........what compels someone to become a public school teacher?????

Today is one of the many days that I ask myself that question. I can only imagine what it is like to teach one of the core subjects that students are required to take regardless of their interests. My kids take band by choice. They know full well what is expected of them in the way of commitment months before they have to make the final decision concerning being in the performance group. We are an active performing group, and we have many performances that take place on Friday evenings, Saturdays, and sometimes even a holiday. Again, they know all of this way before the commitment is made. The marching band of today requires a great deal of effort and time if we are to be successful. I'm a motivated teacher with a great deal of ambition to have my groups perform well. I can't imagine not wanting to see and hear the best that my students have to offer, and I really couldn't tolerate being satisfied with sub-standard outcomes to our performances. I don't go for excuses as to why or why not. I expect results, and I expect them now! I push my students to excel, and I try my best to encourage peer leadership to the point that it will make the group successful. I always have students that surprise me, both in a positive and a negative way. It's a shame that my Seniors aren't my best band members. It never fails - I am most disappointed by my Seniors every year. They are at the top of their game and too often turn out to be the worst students in the program. This year is no exception. Then I start to "second guess" my leadership as the director. It's hard for me to accept that I can't do anything to stop the negative momentum. What do I have to do to put a halt to a downward, out of control spin? Should I give them something - some sort of reward? I don't believe in rewards for standard behavior. Standard behavior is expected, and with nothing less being acceptable. I do my very best to find something positive to say whenever I can. That doesn't seem to hold much water anymore. I really don't know what the answer is. I get my students involved in performance opportunities that many kids would only dream of. This year we're going to the BCS National Championship football bowl game - the biggest and most important bowl game of the entire college football season! Not only that; it's being held in the Louisiana Superdome! How many times in their lives will these kids have the opportunity to experience New Orleans? Currently, my kids are barely trying to get a performance on the field for us to use. I used to say, "it's like pulling teeth"! I've got to change that. Pulling teeth is a pretty straight forward procedure with only minor problems. Instead, I'll say that pulling this group into line is like, "dragging a dead elephant across desert sands"! That about describes it. Did I say dead elephant? Okay, maybe that one should be re-phrased too. At any rate, I hope that I can make a positive impact with these students soon. As "touchy - feely" as this sounds, "I want to make a positive inpact with my teaching, and I want students to enjoy what I'm able to show them." It so often seems like I'm making no difference at all. It hasn't always been that way. What's changed? What can be done differently? I can't and will not accept defeat. All of the "experts" say that all I have to do is challenge my students and they will step up to the plate and learn. Well, the challenge is certainly there, the plate's there, where's my homerun?

..........wow, what fun at choir!

We had the best time at church choir last night! I am always looking for new material to work on with the choir, and I happened upon a book of "World Anthems". The texts came mainly from prayers, Psalms, other more familar hymns, and that of the native lands where the tunes are from. We sight-read serval last night and had a wonderful time. We began with Korean tune that was so beautiful that it made chills run across me. We also worked on a processional tune from Catalonia (I hope I spelled that correctly), and a West Indian tune. All these use a variety of percussion instruments that will bring out more of the spirit of the tunes when we present them to the congregation. There are several more tunes that I plan to work on in the near future. One that really caught my eye was a Native American tune from the Dakotas. It's such great fun to fellowship with people through music. I also found a Christmas Cantata that I liked and will order it today. Some of those cantatas seem so "hokey", and I watch what I get for our group. I like to find cantatas where composers use a great deal of traditional music and texts as their base, but are not afraid to color outside of the lines a bit. After weeks of searching, I finally found one to fit the bill. I look forward to working with the choir on our annual Christmas music offering. Today is the last day before the four-day Labor Day holiday weekend. I'm looking forward to a break. We have a football game tomorrow night at Grayson Co., VA. The band is not going, but we will go to support Megan as she cheerleads. Oh, we won last week aganist West Caldwell 41-7. I have not seen a high school football team as bad as WC in a long time! Their season will be long. Congratulations to the Huskies! I hope everyone has a great Labor Day!

..........someone had better catch this before it becomes a problem the Republicans can't handle.

There's no doubt in anyone's mind at this point that I'm a Democrat. I don't lean so far to the left as to keep me from supporting some Republicans and their ideals. I usually profess that I am a "moderate" of sorts. Politics in this country are presently very polarizing. I still have some conservative views; but I have to admit, these views are subdued somewhat by our national leadership. I don't want to align myself with these people in any way, shape, or form. I like a balance of power. I don't like to see both the Senate and Congress under the control of the same party. By my point of view, that weakens debate, and weakened debate prevents both sides of an issue being stated and considered. If teaching has taught me anything at all; it is that there are two sides to most every issue.

The Republican Party had better get a handle on things. Young Americans are moving their blanket of support away from the Republicans. Wheather this is the result of the liberal media or actual happenings, it is going on. Some polls are worth listening to. Listening to the American people is an important issue. Take this information as an example:

Poll: Young voters disenchanted with the Republicant Party

A Democracy Corps poll from the firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner suggests voters ages 18 to 29 have undergone a striking political evolution in recent years. Young Americans have become so profoundly alienated from Republican ideals on issues including the war in Iraq, global warming, same-sex marriage and illegal immigration that their defections suggest a political setback that could haunt Republicans 'for many generations to come,' the poll said.

It's worth taking notice, and some action wouldn't be bad either. There is currently no Ronald Reagan in the Republican fold that will present the optimism that younger Americans are looking for. See if from their prosepective - these people [voters] are in college or are beginning their careers. They are looking for something to be optimistic about. There are many positive things about America, and someone in leadership had better get on the wagon and present them. Flag waving and a salute to the troops won't do it all.

..........what missing weapons? Oh, you mean "those" missing weapons.

It's not news to any mouth breathing mammal in this country that 190,000 guns and a whole bunch of other deadly stuff "somehow" turned up missing in Iraqnam under the command of General Petraeus before his promotion to Supreme Commander in the Permanent War to save White Civilization from the evil islamonazicommiejihadifascist extremists that are threatening to come here and behead our kids and make all of the women wear burkas. But how did all of those weapons disappear? He probably Doesn't Recall.
Several federal agencies are investigating a widening network of criminal cases involving the purchase and delivery of billions of dollars of weapons, supplies and other material to Iraqi and American forces, according to American officials. The officials said it amounted to the largest ring of fraud and kickbacks uncovered in the conflict here. The inquiry has already led to several indictments of Americans, with more expected, the officials said. One of the investigations involves a senior American officer who worked closely with Gen. David H. Petraeus in setting up the logistics operation to supply the Iraqi forces when General Petraeus was in charge of training and equipping those forces in 2004 and 2005, American officials said Monday. The suspect is a Lieutenant Colonel who reported directly to Petraeus and worked closely with him. And yet the Army’s Inspector General is opening a large inquiry into how weapons, munitions, and explosives have been lost and misused at a time when the White House wants to blame Iran for arming the insurgents. Expect THAT investigation to go nowhere, unless it all can be blamed on the Clintons. Yeah.....THAT'S the ticket. Or, if that doesn't work, we can raise the terror alert again!

..........it's a witch hunt, I tell you!!! "I am not gay, and I have never been...."

Easy there Senator Larry. Let's not get upset. It's just the liberal media after you. We know you would never do anything like these allegations suggest. And that whole investigation from 1982 concerning congressional pages - don't worry, we know you would never do anything like that either. You're a Republican, and Republicans don't do those "gay things". Sen. Larry Craig said he "overreacted and made a poor decision" in pleading guilty to disorderly conduct after his June arrest following an incident in a Minneapolis, Minnesota, airport bathroom.

Tuesday, in his first public statement on the arrest, the Idaho Republican said he did nothing "inappropriate."
"Let me be clear: I am not gay and never have been," said Craig, who has aligned himself with conservative groups who oppose gay rights.
With his wife by his side, Craig said he is the victim of a "witch hunt" conducted by the Idaho Statesman newspaper.
"In pleading guilty, I overreacted in Minneapolis, because of the stress of the Idaho Statesman's investigation and the rumors it has fueled around Idaho," he said. "Again, that overreaction was a mistake, and I apologize for my misjudgment." Watch Craig say he did nothing wrong » So, you plead guilty, but you're not guilty. Isn't that perjury when you lie in a court of law?

Alright, here's some solid proof that Senator Larry would never have taken part in some sort of inappropriate and gay actions. His voting record removes him from all suspicion.

* Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)

* Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)

* Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)

* Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)

* Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)

Where there's smoke, there's usually fire, Larry. Pleading guilty didn't help your case any at all. Be very careful of hypocrisy. It will come back to haunt you when you're in the public eye. I know, you're just another victim of the liberals. The next time this happens, don't plead guilty. Call Ted Nugent if you want to "fix things" and "make them go away". I wonder if Ted taught the art of the hunt to Dick Cheney????

..........takin' one for the team!!!

Another member of the Cheney/Bush Administration bites the dust! Another fall guy for the "lets do as we damn well please" way of doing things in Washington. The attorney firings were the last straw. Illegal wiretaps were a small part of the issue, and how about that border security. Okay, lets re-visit the attorney firings one more time. No, it is not unusual for an administration to fire U.S. Attorneys. It is unusual for it to happen in such large number and in mid-term by the same administration that had them appointed in the first place. Yeah, yeah, I know; Clinton fired attorneys, too. Yes, but he did it upon coming into office; as most administrations do. These attorneys were not playing ball with the White House. They were prosecuting according to the Constitution and were finding wrong-doings among some Republicans and their supporters. This does not sit well with the Sith Lord. The only obvious answer - get rid of them before they can make a link to us! Oops, we didn't win control of Congress in the mid-term elections. What do we do now? We have to find someone to take the fall and keep the heat off of the real problem. Alberto is a team player - he'll have no problem protecting us. And so, the saga continues. Executive privilege reigns supreme. No, I don't take pleasure in this at all. I don't want to see our government completely dissolve before my eyes; but, we have to play by the rules of the land. Sure, a great deal of this is politics. If things were being done according to the book (the Constitution), then we wouldn't have so many problems. Enjoy "spending more time with your family", Alberto. Remember you allowed (forced) you to do it. I wonder if this decision to resign was made at the point of a red light sabre????

..........the first home game of the season.

Here we go - the first home game of the football season for the Huskies! We are going to perform our first field show selection tonight and play some "trash tunes" in the stands. There is so much to do today in the final preparation for tonight. I have one and one-half hour to get it all accomplished. Not only is the game tonight, but we have to have a brass ensemble ready for a special Veteran's Appreciation tomorrow. I hate it when someone calls me the week before something is to take place and asks; "Can you bring some of your students over with some entertainment music this weekend? We only need about twenty minutes of music." Does anyone out there know how long it takes to work-up twenty minutes of music with high school students. Lets not even mention the other logistics with having the group perform (buses, stands, chairs, clothes pins if it's outside). And what about just getting the students to work it into their schedules. In the twenty-five years I have taught school, I have learned that I should have everything planned and in print at least two months out. Even then, there will be problems in getting the students there. Well, it's for the veterans; and we will be there (a brass ensemble). I hope everyone has a great weekend. Mine will begin after 1:30 PM tomorrow (I also scheduled a Flag Corps and Percussion rehearsal for tomorrow 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM). I know, I know - quit whinning!!!

..........school, school school.

You know, about two-thirds, and maybe even more, of my time is spent defining problems and fixing them. With a music performance group of high school students that task seems like climbing Mt. Hood some days. Often times you can settle back and say that the problems I face are the result of teen angst, laziness, or varying levels of ability. My problem in the whole matter is that I am expected to produce a certain level of performance for the public; not to mention that I'm a perfectionist as well with my work. I always strive to do my best and provide something that our students will enjoy and learn from. Today, I heard something new from a student. One more reason that teenagers have problems. Yep, you got it - their inadequate parental units!!! That's not so new in itself; but, today I was told about a new form of child abuse by one of my students. Now this kid in question is not one of my better students. I know him and his family pretty well. I had the older brother a couple of years ago. Both are decent musicians and carry their own weight on the field, but they are both wound pretty tight. Every parent has their own unique way of discipline, and some border on abusive quite often. There are many forms of abuse, and many forms of abuse are legal as long as you are in the act of disciplining your child. Again, this was a new one. The kid was being disciplined by his father. After a brief yelling session, he told his son to get into the truck. Without saying a word, the father drove about eight miles from the home to a store. Upon pulling into the store, the father gave his son some money and instructed him to go in and get a drink. When the son went into the store, the father drove away, leaving the son to walk home. It was several hours before the son got home, exhausted and certainly not well rested and ready for a day at school. I understand the father had a good laugh when the kid, his son, walked in. This is mild to what I often hear. It's a real shame to hear such stories and know that they are true. When I do hear something like that, I thank God Almighty for the parents that I had growing up; and I strive to be a good parent to my own kids.

..........oh no, poor Michael Vick is being treated unfairly. Give him another chance, it was just dogs!!!

Yeah, I waited for the Vick Camp to implode before I posted about this thug. Here's the living proof that "you can take the thug out of the 'hood, but you can't take the 'hood out of the thug. Another prime example of our athlete/entertainer worshiping society being disappointed that one of our "role models" has fallen to this stupid "Hip-Hop" way of life. Too much money, too much praise, and far too little moral judgement make Michael Vick another fallen sports star. The only thing that makes me feel remotely sorry for this guy is that he was used from the point that someone saw the promise of a professional sports career coming his way. He never really had a chance. He obviously wasn't raised with very many moral standards, and he seemed to surround himself with dirtballs as well. Well, he's going to pay dearly for it now. Prision, high-dollar fines, and the possibility of never playing professional football again await Vick. Should he be banned from the NFL? That's a good question, and it all depends on the whole role model thing. If we expect him to be a positive role model, I say; "no, don't take him back. He blew any chance he had of being a positive role model to young people." This "athletes are positive role models" thing is such a crock! Young people need role models, but they need to see role models who are outstanding citizens. Why do we consistantly believe that people who can run fast, throw far, and hit homeruns are positive role models? I had a role model - it was my dad. My dad was not an extrodinary athlete, he didn't have a multi-million dollar contract for his talents, and he didn't have the praise of strangers all over the world. My dad went to work every day to support his family, he loved his wife and never cheated on her, he served in the military when his country called, he saw that I had everything I needed to live a good life, he taught me the difference of right and wrong by his own example, he came to events that I participated in my whole life, and I never saw him take advantage of anyone. I never needed an athlete to be my role model.

Who's that other guy pictured? Oh, that's the head of the Atlanta branch of the NAACP who stated today that Vick is being treated unfairly, and he should be given another chance. He wouldn't be treated that way if .................blah, blah, blah. I don't care what they let Michael Vick do after his sentence. He is only an entertainer, nothing more, nothing less. I don't expect anything more from him just because he has athletic talents. I hope he is able to see his error and I hope he changes. Only time will tell. Good luck Mike!

..........longest lunar eclipse in seven years!

During the early morning hours of Aug. 28, astronomers say sky watchers around much of the world will be able to watch as the moon crosses the Earth's shadow, becoming completely immersed for nearly 90 minutes -- a much longer period of time than occurs during most lunar eclipses. NASA said the event will begin 3:54 a.m. EDT, Aug. 28. The eclipse will be visible from Australia, parts of Asia and most of the Americas but not from Africa or Europe.

Are we moving slower?? Should I be worried?

..........the practice field saga takes a positive turn.

Am I reaching for a posting subject? I guess that's up for some debate. Anyway, I wanted you to see what I was talking about with that practice field. With the help of my very patient wife, and some band kids who didn't mind missing second period the other day; I finally got the practice field "band rehearsal worthy". Our first task was to see if any of the original lines were worthy of use. There was only one. The far sideline (over by the blocking dummy in the back) was the only line on the field that was correct. I began by re-painting that sideline and putting tic marks at each five-yard interval. Next, I took some green field paint and painted over the lines that were incorrect. As you can see, that green paint is not very close to the shade of real grass. The coaches gave me a couple of cases of paint to do that. They said that on the game field (The Field of Dreams), the green "boo-boo" paint turns a shade of blue. After painting the wrong lines green, we began to square the lines to the good sideline. Lisa and I worked until dark (about three hours) one evening, and didn't get very far. We just couldn't see well enough to get it done. The next morning, I got some band kids out there to help me out. I didn't have any surveying equipment, so we used some other rather primative techniques. All I can say is; "it worked"! We went to the first tic mark on the good sideline and laid down an ordinary framing square right in the middle of the line. From there, we stretched a string across the field from that point. I waved the kid on the other end of the string until the line appeared to be parallel to the framing square. We stretched the line tight and fastened it to the ground with screwdrivers. Now, with any luck the line we just ran is at a right angle with the sideline I painted. I tested it using the 3-4-5 method. I measured 30 feet up the string from the intersection of the string and the painted line and had one band kid put his finger on that point. I went to the intersection of the line and the string again and measured 40 feet from that point down the length of the line. Again, I had another band kid put his finger down to mark that point. If I have a good angle, the distance between these two points will equal 50 feet. All I can say is; "God loves marching band"! It worked! I quickly measured 160 feet across the sting, marked the point, and painted the line. We now have a sideline and one end zone line. I went to the other end of the field and did the same thing. Before running the other sideline, I had to check the distance in a couple of other places. Gladly, the measurements were correct within 4 inches - close enough! I then measured 53 feet 4 inches from the sideline to the hash mark, 53 feet 4 inches from hash to hash, and 53 feet 4 inches to the other sideline. After that we stretched the sting for each five-yard line and painted. We ran the sting for the hash marks last. Mission accomplished - we have a practice field that the band can rehearse on. The coaches were amazed that the field was off that much. Their comment was; "we played a scrimmage on that field last week. I wonder if anyone noticed?" No comment. Don't get me wrong, our coaches are very nice guys. I really do enjoy talking with them. I just have to keep the subjects of our talks within certain limits, and I don't use a lot of words over five or six letters. We had a four-hour band rehearsal yesterday (Saturday), and the field worked-out great. At the end of the season, I plan to pay someone to come over and survey the field and get it exact. I will then mark the points with large, visible stakes for next season. Go Huskies!!!

..........Burnin' Love!!!!!

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. I can remember the day Elvis died vividly. I had just graduated from high school a couple of months before, and at the time of his death, I was taking a summer school class at college. I was home when the news came through the media. This was the biggest media blitz I had experienced since Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States. In fact, to most people, the death of Elvis was probably more important. What makes people idolize celebrites so much? Is is envy? Do they live in a fantasy world? Who knows; but some fans are really disturbed people. I can't imagine so broken-up over the death of someone who is an entertainer, sports great, etc.

The candlelight vigil begins on the night of August 15 every year at Graceland. In the four-lane road in front of Graceland mansion, the crowd gathers with candles in hand. Everyone passes the flame which comes from torches lit from the eternal flame which burns at Elvis' grave. Songs are sung and everyone shares their memories of their idol. There is an expected crowd of over 75,000 that will pass by Graceland this week to pay their respects.

Now don't get me wrong; I love the "King". I have several Elvis CD's that I play from time to time, and I love the music. I admire the fact that he was such a perfectionist with his music. He recorded track after track until he was satisfied with it. I even played trombone in a backup band for an Elvis impersonator once. Elvis made great contributions to popular music and culture. I've visited Graceland, and I had a great time there. It is amazing to see the number of gold and platinum albums that Elvis produced in his very short career. I guess Elvis was American pop culture for quite a few years.

No doubt about it, the King of Rock 'n Roll lives in the hearts of his fans. The candlelight vigils at Graceland will, no doubt, continue indefinitely. How about the picture above of the ghost of Elvis as he welcomes our American Astronaut Neil Armstrong to the surface of the moon. Elvis is everywhere.

The estate of Elvis Presley was in a state of financial decline when he died. The entire estate was worth barely $3 million in August, 1977. Former wife, Pricilla Presley took the estate into her hands as daughter, Lisa Marie inherited the estate. She built Elvis Presley Enterprises to an enormous money making company that still reigns strong today. Elvis Presley ranked second in 2006 as the highest grossing dead celebrity, making $40 million. Who ranked number one, you ask? That honor went to Kurt Cobain of the rock group Nirvana. Rest in peace Elvis..............if you're really dead?????

..........Houston, I have a problem!

I went to see a surgeon yesterday afternoon, and yes, BOTEITG will have to have surgery! I have developed a hernia. What a stupid thing to do! In talking about my situation with other guys my age, it almost seems like a rite of passage. Mine is, at least, not very serious; and the surgeon says that I can wait until the surgery will be convenient for me and my schedule. Convenient? There will never be a convenient time for surgery. I have decided to wait until the second or third week of January '08 before I have it done. That way, I can get past all the marching band performances. I have to be careful and remain aware that I have this stupid condition when I am working, etc. If it gets larger or becomes painful to live with, I'll have to pause and have the "procedure" done immediately. I am assured that this is minor surgery. I should be in surgery for about an hour, and then home soon afterwards. I'll have to stay out of work for a few days (I'm taking personal leave days - I'm keeping those sick leave days for my retirement). The optimal time will be surgery on Tuesday, out of work through Friday of that week, and back in on Monday. Let's go back to the hernia itself. Like I said, it's not a bad one. It's not even down low where most guys have them. Mine is right at my navel. At this point, I will reveal how I got the stupid thing. I was on the podium demonstrating proper breath support as you would use playing a wind instrument. You know the drill......take a deep breath and use the diaphram to put pressure on the air as you distribute it into the instrument. At that point I felt a tear. This was followed by a sore feeling for about two or three days. I then began to feel a small bubble when I coughed, sneezed, sang, or yelled. All of these things could make the hole grow larger. It shouldn't be a problem who needs to sing or yell while teaching church choir and marching band? It is somewhat aggravated today, and is a bit sore. I had the drummers in last night for rehearsal, and I spoke loudly most of the evening. I will just have to suck it up. Lisa will tell you that I tolerate pain and adversities well, so that should be no big problem. I just have to remember; no yelling, no yelling, no yelling........................ Again, no problem - who would have to yell while teaching highly motivated, enthusiastic, and talented high school students in marching band?????

..........will this administration completely implode before the electon?

Richard Nixon, I thought, would be the worst president in my lifetime. How could he not be? His list of offenses seemed endless: sending young men and women to their deaths in the Vietnam War, justified by cooked claims of impending victory; getting the IRS to audit those who were on an enemie's list of political opponents, and uncooperative journalists; asserting executive privilege in order to cover his own lawbreaking; employing dirty tricks to gain and hold power. It all was so beyond the pale, I naively thought that no American president would ever again come close to that level of deceit and abuse of power. Enter the boy king, George Bush and his regent Dick Cheney...The devastation they have wrought to the constitutional order will last generations. It's not just about public opinion, as the administration would have you think. It's about so many "miscalculations" and "mismanagements" that it makes my skin crawl. The buzz concerning a military draft has hit again, and the gang in Washington says there is no need for a military draft at this time. Of course not, most of our soldiers are still only on their 3rd or 4th tour of duty! To pour salt into our wounds, the Iraqi government is even having talks with Tehran aganist the stern warnings of President Bush. Wow, they are becoming independent. I think the day has come sooner than we think when the Iraqis will decide that they may have more in common with Iran that they do with us. If these two nations ever become allies, we've got a problem that will have absolutely no positive outcome for America. Well, that's okay; we'll just call it a "miscalculation".

..........what lurks in the mind of the Sith Lord?

There have been all kinds of disturbances in The Force lately. It began when Darth Cheney went onto the hospital to replace a device that monitors his heart rate. To test the device, doctors had to induce a mild heart attack. The picture in the upper left corner shows the instant the heart attack occured. They told him the price of oil dropped $20 a barrel. The effects of the surgery are shown in the next picture.

The Dark Lord has been pushing for attacks on Iran - that's no secret. He also says that the administration ought to wait for "hard new evidence". If he's hinging this on "hard evidence", you can be sure he's already manufactured it. Any second now...............they will find some "good hard evidence"......which will be found to be flawed later on. If there's one thing Darth Cheney does effectively, it's producing "hard evidence" for anything he wants. Cheney, who's long been sceptical of diplomacy with Iran, argued for military action if "hard new evidence" emerges of Iran's complicity in supporting anti-American forces in Iraq; for example, catching a truckload of fighters or weapons (wait, didn't we misplace over 100,000 weapons that we bought and were to deliver to the Iraqi soldiers/police????) crossing into Iraq from Iran.

In other "disturbances", another Bushie leaves the sinking ship in Washington. The Sith Apprentice, Darth Rove will leave at the end of August to "spend more time with his family". Oh, and make no mistake about it, he is not leaving because of pressure in the attorney firings, or the Valerie Plame scandal, or ......................... Give the guy a break. He just wants to retire his light sabre and spend more time with the family.

..........school's back in session and so is marching band!

Yes, that's right, we're back in school. We had a good summer break (we got out of school on May 24). We had marching band camp July 30 - August 3 from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM each day, and started regular classes on August 8. I think I'm going to enjoy working with this marching band - they seem to be a nice bunch of kids.

One of my unplesant tasks during the marching band season is lining-off the practice fields. I normally do this on Sunday afternoon after church service. It usually only takes about 45 minutes to do if I can see the lines from the previous lining. I have what we call the "upper field", which is about 900 yards away from the band room and on the other side of the campus. I like working on this field because the grass is thick, it is away from most distractions, and the coaches don't have an automatic watering system up there. The only down side to the upper field is that it is not a full regulation size. I have a full 100 yds length, but the distance from sideline to sideline is not the regulation distance of 160'. I have about 12 marching band steps of 22 1/2 " past the backside hash mark. The lower practice field is 80 yards long and is regulation sideline to sideline width. The problems with this field are that the grass is thinner, it is where the PE classes are sometimes a pain-in-the-neck, and the coaches have an automatic watering system. I don't quite know and understand the love between coaches and their watering systems. All I know is that it has made life hard on me just when I need that field the most. At any rate, I thought that I would go to the lower field to work the band one day during band camp. I instructed the Drum Majors to get the band in "opening set", and I would be there in a few minutes. I went to the field to find the student leaders arguing as to why the formation would not turn-out correct. I soon saw the problem - the field was not laid out square. Now, I'm sure there are some intelligent coaches out there somewhere. The football coaches laid off the field themselves this year (I normally do it for them). They are an interesting lot, and they don't think very far out of their very small frame of mind. This field had absolutely no 90 degree angles anywhere. In fact, the field is a parallelogram. Those idiots marked the sidelines, measured each of the five yard lines, and proceeded to run the line from the 5 yard line on one side to the 10 yard line on the other side. This did not disturb them - they don't need exact dimensions to do their work. I asked them to let the rain and watering system wash the lines away so I could fix it. That would have only taken two weeks. We were on track until this past Friday, when they lined the field again, without correcting anything. These people are nothing short of complete idiots who care about nothing but themselves! To make a long story short, I am going to paint all of the existing lines with green paint, and then start over. I have two cases of green field paint - green you ask? Why do they even make green field paint? The coaches call it "boo boo paint". In other words, when the village idiots screw up on the game field, they cover it with the green. I'm not saying that I'm smarter than our beloved football coaches - the heroes of our community..........yes, I think I am!!! To put everything is perspective; common sense is not so common.

..........the post-trip post.

Wow, it's been a long time since the last post. I took my WalMart road atlas and traced our route with a Sharpie marker. It amazed me at the distance we covered on the trip. We traveled just a little over 9,000 miles! I saw things that I have only dreamed of. People have asked what we enjoyed the most, and my response has always been the Pacific Northwest. Lisa and I are definitely going back to Washington and Oregon in our retired lives. The real joy of the trip was not what we saw, but the time we spent together as a family. Being in the car together for an average of 400 miles each day makes you talk. We had some great discussions with our kids as we saw some of the most amazing sights that America has to offer. Each of us had a digital camera to take pictures by our own perspective. It was fun to see the different pictures of the same site. The 24 days that we spent on this trip was by far the greatest blessing I have received in recent memory. Our trip was made possible by Lisa's grandmother. Mrs. Nash was one of the greatest individuals that I have ever met in my life. She passed away in December of 2006 and left us enough money to finance this trip. We debated on what to do with the money (save it for college, get a car for the kids, home improvement, etc). In the end, the choice was to take a family vacation across America; and what a great choice it was. Mrs. Nash was all about family, and we truly owe her our gratitude for bringing our family even closer. I hope that anyone who reads my ramblings does the same thing with their family some day. This will be one of my most cherished memories for the rest of my life.