(no subject)

And so comes fall, the days get shorter again, another school year starts. Angus is starting high school, though not at the one he thought, Gareth is in his last year of middle school, and Avalon in her first year of it. Angus has been taller than me since last Christmas, and I just realized a couple of days (when I was trying to figure out t-shirt sizes), that Gareth is about even with me - he hasn't even turned 13 yet! And Avalon, at 11, wears a size 8 women's shoe now - still two sizes smaller than me, but about the average women's shoe size. Cripes!

She's starting in band this year and she's decided she'll try learning my old alto sax. She took it in to school today for the first time, but this weekend we'll take it in for a tune-up, and possibly renting one for a few weeks while it's being fixed up. I don't think it needs a complete overhaul, but it's been quite a while since I played it. It'll be the third generation it's been played - it was my mom's in high school, probably in the mid 50's? Anyhow, today at lunch I ran out to a nearby music store (I'd thought this one was just guitars, but apparently they do band instruments as well), and picked up her beginning music book, a new ligature for the mouthpiece (the old one is missing a screw) and some reeds. Sheesh. Those have gotten steep since I last bought any; they want almost $9 for three of them! At the store, looking in the cases at the flutes and piccolos, and checking out the cases - the original one is starting to fall apart - I was feeling some serious nostalgia, being overcome with marching band memories. Although the last band I was in did not march. It was called Band X, and we participated in parades on the back of a couple of flatbed semis. We were billed as the world's largest non-marching marching band. At football games, we did not march onto the field for half-time; we boogied. Think Steve Martin in his "Wild and Crazy Guy" act.

Where was I the other day when I heard a marching band playing 25 or 6 to 4? I think it was even the same arrangement we used to play.

vwsrmylife doesn't post here anymore, but I follow her other places. She belongs to a community marching band for adults in her area - it'd be great if there were something like that around here. There are community bands, but generally they're more orchestral or symphonic-type groups associated with the city and want people who are a little better than rusty amateurs. I should check with the community colleges - Band X actually was associated with the junior college I went to.

runsamuck just called me. He said the band teacher says they don't have a storage place for instruments, so she's going to have carry it back and forth every day, and I'm assuming, to all her classes, as that school no longer has lockers. When I went there, band had a storage room for instruments. What the heck? I know it starts feeling really heavy taking it back and forth to school, and I can't imagine have to haul it with you for all your classes. What about people learning the tuba? Do they expect everyone to play the piccolo, so it'll fit in your backpack?