So, after lunch at Ed Debevics, we headed on to Shedd Aquarium to view the fishies! Check out some of these colors and cool species. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE aquatic life???
And the chaperones on display:
We were so tired! By this point, I think we’d been up pretty much 30 hours straight!
Thank goodness for the Sleep Number Bed in the hotel!!
Next, day 2 in Chicago – The Sears Tower, Magnificent Mile and Gino’s Pizza.
Over Spring Break, we took the Wind Ensemble to the Bands of America (now Music for All) National Concert Band Festival. This is not your ordinary, run of the mill band festival. In order to go, you must submit a tape of your ensemble playing concert literature and be selected. It was quite the honor to be selected and then, to perform on the Clowes Hall stage was magnificent. I have SO many pictures from the trip, which consisted of sightseeing in Chicago then the music portion in Indianapolis, that I’ll post the things that would make public sense.
On the plane, waiting to finish boarding and take off:
Arriving at the Chicago O’Hare airport:
It’s quite a neat airport.
“Mom, we got here okay!”:
I’m glad we’re here, too!:
It’s not time to sleep, yet!!
From the airport to The Windy City:
Fred gets goofy and Kristina enjoys the show.
Almost there!!!
Time for instructions from Brian, the boss:
Time for lunch at Ed Debevics. If you’ve never eaten here, be ready for some entertaining, yet talk backative waitstaff. After not having slept in 36 hours, some of the kids weren’t impressed, though. But we’re excited!!
Other than purposefully annoying waitstaff, Ed Debevics is also known for the World’s Smallest Sundae:
Obviously, before & after!
They teach you all sorts of things there, like how to talk back, how to read the trip rules and how to dance to YMCA (or as the one waitress called it, “Why Are We Here?”)!
After lunch, we loaded back on the bus and headed to the Shed Aquarium.
Living in suburbia, USA, there are lots of things that we take for granted. Like grocery stores and gas stations. Lots of people live in downtown Chicago and granted, they don’t need gas stations like we do, how do they shop for food?? Here’s how:
Did you know there was still sheets of ice on the water on Lake Michigan??
So, that was half of the first day on this trip. Next, the creatures of the Shed Aquarium!
I’m a little behind on my blogging. In fact, off the top of my head, I can’t remember the last real thing I blogged about before the iPod breaking, feeling tired and feeling better (and Connie, a little dose of vitamins does do wonders, doesn’t it?). A lot has happened recently, too. I guess the way I’m remembering how long back it’s been since I’ve blogged is to look on my camera to see what’s still on the memory. I have pictures from Super Bowl Sunday on there! So, it’s been about a month? Wow. Okay, enough about my not blogging…let me get to actually blogging.
TMEA was very productive and fun. I didn’t party at all – didn’t feel the need, really – but I went to some good clinics and met up with some fun people. I even got to meet Jonathan Newman! At first, it was without John Mackey but then, I got to hang in line for the All State Symphonic Band Concert with the both of them!!! So very exciting.
The more the days pass, the more I want the iPhone to come out. I’m really excited about the possibilities.
My physical therapy has been going well. Did I mention before that I’m going? I finally got fed up with my knees being inconsistent with the pain so I went to see Dr. Bosquez at Round Rock Orthopedic and he prescribed physical therapy for me. I’ve been going to Round Rock Rehab for about a month now and I can definitely tell a difference. I’m not as consistent as I’d (and my therapist) would like to be but I do get them done as often as I can at home. Dr. Bosquez says he can see muscle development already! YAY for knees with less pain without surgery!!!
The Wind Ensemble is going to the Band of America National Concert Band Festival in a few weeks and while there, I get to conduct a piece called Pacem by Robert Spittal. It’s a beautiful piece and I’ve started a blog about what the music has gotten to mean to me. It envokes so much emotion that I have to write this blog entry in stages. This concert is quite an honor for our band and this ensemble and for the program, we had to submit our bios and a formal picture. In case you didn’t see my picture on my MySpace (*cough*devil*cough*) or Facebook, you can see the picture here. Amy Weison is the photographer and she’s amazing! I’ve taken a lot of pictures (both snapshots and professional) over the years and I don’t think I’ve ever looked this good.
Tonight, I went to the Tx State Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band concert at Jackson Auditorium on the TLU campus in Seguin. Mr. Daniel Montoya, Jr. accompanied me and we had a good time. Frank Ticheli, composer, and John Whitwell, Professor Emeritus Michigan State, was there to perform and conduct several Frank Ticheli pieces so it was a real treat. My band is playing Amazing Grace, a setting by Frank Ticheli, commissioned by John Whitwell, and of course, with both of them there, they performed that piece. (Am I using too many commas – and in the wrong way – in that sentence?) I had a meeting/lesson with Dr. Ticheli on Amazing Grace yesterday and I have such a new perspective on the piece. And to have Professor Whitwell conduct it today with Dr. Ticheli there…wow! All that AND being accompanied by Mr. Daniel Montoya, Jr. …what a great night!!! Stay tuned to Daniel’s blog for some fun updates from today. Oh, Daniel, Fortress IS a Ticheli piece!
Well, I guess I’m almost blogged up for now. I’ll post pictures as soon as I get the pictures off the camera. Hope you all have a good week!
New Years was a really fun night. I had some folks over, prepped a yummy spread of food and there is quite a bit of beer and champagne now left over. 😀 I didn’t get pics of everyone hanging out but there are a few in the gallery. About 25 people came and went and at midnight, there were about 15 of us here for the toast. Thanks to Tamitha & Jimmy for bringing over the champagne and to Sam & Monica for bringing over all the beer. If you’ve never had Naomi’s cookies, you need to go to a party where she’s been asked to bake.
But we’re excited!!
Benford's Musings 
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