The Big Benford Show

This weekend is the big band trip. We’re heading to Houston (yeah, yeah, I know; I go there all the time) to perform at Langham Creek HS on Friday then the rest of the weekend, is Astroworld, NASA and some other fun stuff. Of course, we’ll have around 200 people with us (mostly high school kids) but since I spend many fun hours with most of them, this trip shouldn’t be all that bad. Len’s going to join us…he gets to see how fun my crazy life can be! Some have said he’s very brave for coming on this trip….. He is jumping in head first but he’ll be alright. He’s braved well at the football games and other of my work activities he’s come to so I’m sure this will be fine.

Today was exhausting!! Since we’re leaving for this trip tomorrow, the last minute stuff really did jump into my lap and I ended up spending more time in my car than I did in my office. And everywhere I went seemed to have unusually backed up traffic. Luckily, everywhere I had to go had many side streets I could take so I did. If not, I might be still out trying to accomplish the first of the many errands I had to run today!!

Hope everyone has a fun and relaxing weekend. If you get to have a few drinks, drink one for Len and two for me.
~B

So Len & I went to see Kung Fu Hustle (Gong Fu is the original Korean title) on Sunday. I dare say it was interesting. Len LOVED it! There were plenty of funny parts but since I’m not a consistent kung fu movie watcher, I guess I didn’t get some of the jokes or signs of satire in this movie. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a horrible movie, just not my taste. I can see that many regular readers of my blog would like this movie, though so give it whirl. 3 out of 5 stars.

Firsts.
First best friend: Tina Hoelscher
First car: 1978 Ford Fairmont
First date: Cody Deike
First real kiss: Paul Zuniga
First screen name: big_benford (Actually, I think I used to have something different when I IRCed years ago but I can’t remember what it was)
First self purchased CD: Maybe Kathleen Battle & Wynton Marsalis “Baroque Duet”
First pets: JJ and Henry — 2 cute white mice
First piercing/tattoo: Ears
First musician you remember hearing in your house: Pavarotti
LASTS.
Last cigarette: A few months ago…maybe New Years?
Last car ride: This evening, coming home from work
Last kiss: almost 2 weeks ago.
Last good cry: maybe about a month or so ago. Don’t remember why. But they’re always healing.
Last library book checked out: something I needed in my Elementary Music class a year ago
Last movie seen: Ray
Last beverage drank: Mango Kool-aid
Last food consumed: Chicken and veggies
Last crush: Len Casarez
Last phone call: Len. He’ll be my next phone call as well!
Last time showered: This morning
Last shoes worn: a pair of brown sandals
Last cd played: the one Jon Faddis gave me last weekend — Dizzy Gillespie’s All Star Alumni Band
Last item bought: lunch today
Last annoyance: One of my students was doing a good job pushing my buttons and he knew it. But he’s a good kid most times.
Last disappointment: how complicating this supposed simple gig this coming Saturday is becoming
Last shirt worn: short sleeved denim button up
Last website visited: Mine (looking for the last movie) Before that, Nino’s
Last word you said: stop (to the cats)
Last song you sang: who knows…I’m scatting things all the time!
What color socks are you wearing? my feet are NAKED
What color of underwear are you wearing? wouldn’t you wanna know?
What’s under your bed? empty luggage, storage bins with sweaters but no cats
What time did you wake up today? about 5:30 am. I got out of bed around 6:15, though.
FUTURE
Where do you want to go? all over the world
What is your career going to be? conductor (music, not trains)
Where are you going to live? where ever I end up
How many kids do you want? 2
What kind of car(s): I like my Honda Accord. I’m not sure what other car I’d want!
CURRENT
Current mood: calm
Current music: none. TV’s on
Current taste: Mango Kool-aid
Current hair: long and straight. A little layering at the bottom. Bangs growing out. It’ll be different TOMORROW!!!
Current clothes: short sleeved button down denim shirt and khaki pants
Current annoyance(s): none!
Current desktop picture: Homestar Runner “Seriously.”
Current book: Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
Current color of toenails: I’ve got clear nail polish on them.
Current hate: people that won’t take responsibility for their own actions

(x) - you’ve done
(_) - you haven’t done
(X) been drunk
(_) been high
(X) kissed a member of the opposite sex
(_) kissed a member of the same sex
(x) crashed a friend’s car
(X) been to Japan
(X) ridden in a taxi
(X) been dumped
(X) been fired or laid off
(X) been in a fist fight
(_) snuck out of my parent’s house
(_) ever had a crush on someone of the same sex
(_) ever dated someone of the same sex
(X) had feelings for someone who didnt have them back
(_) been arrested
(x) made out with a stranger
(_) stole something from my job
(_) celebrated new years in time square
(X) gone on a blind date
(X) had a crush on a teacher
(_) celebrated mardi-gras in new orleans
(X) been to Europe
(X) skipped school
(_) cut myself on purpose
(_) been married
(_) gotten divorced
(_) had children
(X) seen someone die.
(_) been to Africa.
(_) Punched a friend
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show
(_) Thrown up in a bar
(_) Purposely set a part of myself on fire
(x) Eaten Sushi
(_) Been Snowboarding
(X) Met someone in person from the internet
(X) Been moshing at a concert
(X) had real feelings for someone you knew only online
(_) been in an abusive relationship
(_) been pregnant or got someone pregnant
(_) lost a child
(X) gone to college
(X) graduated college, community
(X) had sexual intercourse of any kind
(_) tried killing yourself
(X) taken painkillers
(X) love someone or miss someone right now

A picture’s worth a thousand words. Here are 6,000 words:

Look at the non-fuzzy guys in each picture. Which one is which?

That Jon Faddis is a funny man!

And yes, he did call Katie’s mom!!!

I got this today in an email. Anyone interested?

Hello Cathy,

Your Friends at BLOCKBUSTER Online

Friday was Joe’s birthday. Len & Damon worked very hard to put together a very fun surprise party for him. Of course, it didn’t go over exactly as they’d planned but Joe was still VERY surprised and had a lot of fun! I had only known the overview of the plans for that night but periodically, I felt like the details weren’t working out so I improvised and filled in what seemed to be blanks and it seemed to help.
“You know what I love about Daylight Savings time? It’s 5 ’til 8 and the sun’s still up. Can you believe it?”
“OH, my friend Blanca was telling me the other day how Spanish Flowers was her favorite Mexican restaurant in Houston.”
Good times!!

Saturday, Len & I went to Galveston and hung out on the beach and watched the cruises take off. While there, I had an instinct to call Cheryl and it turned out she & Steve were having their annual crawfish boil. So, we headed out to Kingwood! They had plenty of food, beer, jello shots and hurriacanes. Wow, did I have quite a bit to drink, too. We met some interesting & wonderful people.

Sunday, Joe, Len and I headed out to see Sahara. It was still just as good the second time!

The drive home was utterly tiring so I’m going to head to bed. Long day tomorrow.
~B