Friday night I motored up to Emporia to attend the Shrine Bowl band concert. My great nephew Bo was one of over 200 teens in this musical bunch, and the only freshman among 15 tuba players. I consider this quite an honor considering he’s yet to experience a single day of high school (but did some high school band gigs while an 8th grader).The band played a series of zippy tunes that had me clapping and shaking my head and tapping my feet to the beat of the music in no time. My other great nephew, 8-year-old Luke, slouched next to me, trying not to be seen with Auntie Goofball. My effort to energize him resulted in the bored “Back Off, Jack” glare.
Saturday night the band was to play at the Shrine Bowl football game, which was to be televised on PBS, so I was excited about catching the pre-game and halftime shows on TV. To heck with the jocks. I just wanted to see my bass-playing Bo. So, at 6:30 PM, I tuned in…. “Sorry, we are experiencing technical difficulty” the screen read. Rats! There went the pre-game show.
Finally, with 8 minutes and 44 seconds left in the first half, the difficulty was fixed. --Exactly fourteen seconds later, the game was delayed due to a nasty thunderstorm. Run for cover!
Forty-five minutes passed before the game resumed…but by that time, the storm that had been in Emporia blew south to Eureka, and with the first “ka-boom,” my satellite dish went blank. Oh, no!
Four minutes until halftime, the picture miraculously returned. No more close lightning strikes. No more reception problems. I’d get to see the band after all!
Halftime. Where’s the band? Oh, we have to listen to four Shriner’s promos first. I won’t begrudge them. They’ve helped a lot of people.
At long last! Here’s the band! --Their show is being shortened due to the earlier delay? We only get to hear three numbers? Where’s Bo? Somewhere in the masses. Quit zooming in on the percussion. Come on! Let’s give the tuba players equal camera time!
Three minutes later…and over three hours after I’d first turned on the TV…they marched off the field, no close-ups of my sweet Bo. Hmmm. Do you think I watched the second half of that lousy football game? You can bet your sweet brass I didn’t!
4 comments:
Stinkin weather. But we needed the rain. I am glad you caught a few beats. ;)
Don't feel bad, I went a few years back when my youngest sister played her clarinet, and she blended in w/ the other black specs on the field... perhaps cause we were in the nose-bleed section. Btw, I've been blog-stocking you for a while now ;) You always have something witty to report on. I was thinking I hope you don't read my blog and subconsciously grade my grammar errors, but I'm sure at this point it's second nature. Then, you even noted your own error in my comment, so I know it's hopeless. Don't feel you've failed us! You were great, my brain only has so much room for input!
Frustration City!! Remember our very own tuba player, RAT? So glad Bo has followed in his footsteps. You are such a great auntie. Teenagers and preteenagers are suppossed to be bored by our efforts to interest them in life but don't give it up!!
Yes, Diva, we have a new little RAT in the family. Of course, RAT is playing bassoon now, but we knew him when he was 1st tuba!!!
Post a Comment