What a day!! It was awesome, tiring, exciting, and draining all at once. So, let’s go through it step by step. I got up around 3:30 this morning and got all of about two to three hours of sleep before getting on the bus in Vestal. I took an early morning drive to the Vestal elementary school and met the students there. I no more than got there than Jonathan had said we need to go find the bus. Apparently, the bus driver got lost trying to find the elementary school. A problem that would follow us for the rest of the day. We got into Jonahtan’s car and found that a parent managed to find the bus and we made an immediate U-E and followed the bus to the school. We all got on the bus and Jonathan and I talked shop on the way down for a little while. We discussed some the props for this years show and what we wanted them to look like and then I took a little bit of a snooze. I was going to have to if I was going to sit through meetings all day today.
The Vestal kids seemed excited and nervous all at once. It was interesting because the “die hard” marching band students had opted not to go to the “Music is Cool” clinic. On our way down to the clinic we got lost in Pennsylvannia and then in New Jersey trying to get to the stadium. Then we got to the stadium and even managed to get lost in the “Giants” Stadium parking lot. We finally got settled and then got off the bus and headed in for the clinic. I have to say that walking into the stadium wasn’t any different than the first time I did it almost ten years ago. Man, does that take me back! Anyway, the kids were immediately sent into the clinic and there was some confusion about what the staff were doing at first, but it got better and we headed into a nice air conditioned room to sit for our clinics. Some of them were really good and really well put together and others weren’t so good. I got some out of each of the workshops, but they really do live in a diffeent reality in Drum Corps. world than we live in, in High School Marching Band world. I even put a question before them that they could not answer and were even stumped with.
We ate lunch around noon or so and went back to clinics and workshops. Around two o’clock or so, we got a chance to watch a show of the students working with the Cadets members and I’m sure it was a memorable experience for them all and I have to say the day was nice all around. We then watched part of a Cadets rehearsal, but were abruptly asked to leave the stadium so they could get ready for tonight. They shuffled us out an hour early for dinner time, but it was nice as it gave us an extra hour to eat dinner. We found a place acrossed the river and managed to eat at a nice steak/hamburger joint not too far from the stadium. We then went back for a competition among a lot of D.C.I. Corps. Some were incredible, like the Cadets and I have to say, the Carolina Crown surprised me with an amazing show. However, there were dissapointments too, non as bad as The Crossmen. They were horrible. So bad, that I was tempted to offer to come down there and just teach their Corps. some basics. It was a nice show and I have to say the results weren’t a shock. We got on the buses and headed home and got home around two in the morning. By the way, while I was gone, Heather managed to take the day off from work and have a Jewelry Party at our house tonight. Needless to say, it was a good thing I was gone this evening.
Okay, so enough of my day, let’s talk about Part 3 of Chapter 10 of “Star Wars: Outbound Flight” by Timothy Zahn…..
Chapter 10 (Part 3): As Thrawn signaled for the door to open, a tall female Chiss walked into the room dressed from head to toe in white. Thrawn greeted Admiral Ar’alani and she returned the greeting. The Admiral noticed strangers in the room and Thrawn introduced the off-worlders to the admiral. Car’das said he was pleased to meet them in Cheunh and the Admiral seemed shocked that they knew the language as the Aristocra had not told her this. Thrawn said the Aristocra did not stay around long enough to find out. The Admiral noted that only two of the three were present. Thrawn said he could summon the other if she wished. She was surprised he was allowed to roam freely on a Chiss ship, but Thrawn said he was studying his new captors. Ar’alani asked what he’s learned and Car’das grimaced at the idea that they were being studied. Ar’alani asked for a report on Thrawn’s observations, but Thrawn said this was neither the time nor the place for such a conversation. Thrawn then offered the Admiral to their newly captured ship. Ar’alani agfeed and pulled out her comlink as she said she needed to tell her passenger. Thrawn was surprised and said no passenger was mentioned. Ar’alani said she brough him here as a favor to the eighth ruling family, as she said this, a male Chiss entered the room wearing a grey cloak…..
