The Big Benford Show

WOW - What a week!! I got home from TBA only to jump right into a fun FILLED week of band leadership camps. The days have been long and intense but hopefully, everyone got something good from it. Brian & I have been running our leadership camps for a few years now and although it takes a lot of work, we like doing it because it puts us closer to our leaders and we can mold the sessions to the things our kids need.

Speaking of TBA, I need to update on that, huh? It was a whole lot of fun. Got to see some really good sessions on jazz, judging and such as well as see some good drum corps and old friends. I probably should have taken more pictures during the weekend but for some reason, I’ve gotten out of the habit of taking pictures of everything I see that seems fun or interesting or worth having a picture of. Now that I have an uber-small camera (yes, I’ve splurged a bit), it will be easier to have the camera around to take pictures with.

On Friday night, we went to Magic Time Machine to celebrate Brian & Kelly’s anniversary. Most of the folks who work there are good at their characters and we had a lot of fun. Joshua (their 5 1/2 year old) got to see Peter Pan (his favorite in the world) and Kim (their 13 year old) hung out with Kim Possible. Good food, happy family, good evening. From there, I met up with the S-Dub crowd at Medusas (a place we “discovered” at TMEA) and had some drinks and more fun times. See how much fun martin & I had? We were watching Daniel & Roland hit on girls. That always makes for a good floor show…

On Saturday, there were some good clinics that happened at the same time as the DCI Southwe Regionals but I did make a point to run over to see Revolution kick off the day o’ drum corps. I heard their show at the Texas Drum Corps Preview early in the season and their show has come a long way since then! I’m so proud of what they’ve accomplished this year!!! It was good to see Kelli & Traci (sisters from Stony Point that are marching with Rev), too. Speaking of Revolution, they’re having some problems on the road right now. One of their busses has some mechanical problems and they’re stuck in Quanah, TX and not sure if they can continue their tour at all. If you can help, please go their website - www.revolutionpya.org/drumcorps - to see the type of help they need. Mostly, it’s financial but I got a call yesterday saying they could even use donations of non-perishable food items. They have the chance to win Division III World Championships again, it would be a shame if they didn’t get a chance to go at all.

Okay, on to the rest of the drum corps review. Martin did a good job with reviewing them and I only saw the top 4 or 5 corps so there really isn’t much to say.

And that’s about it for the drum corps review. Short, sweet and to the point. Last year, I spent the entire day watching every show. This year, I spent the last hour or so in the pressbox watching a few shows. I guess that’s one way to balance it all out.

The rest of TBA was fairly good. On Sunday, I got a bit overwhelmed and didn’t get nearly as much accomplished as I had wanted to but I made up for that on Monday. I do have one regret and that’s not getting my picture taken with Sammy Nestico or Jay Bocook. I figure I can get one with Jay sometime in the future, seeing as travels quite a bit between drum corps and publishing LOTS of music but I’m not sure I’ll ever have a chance of talking with Sammy Nestico again. I just got my wires crossed about which booth he was supposed to be in and I was continuously checking at the WRONG BOOTH! How cruel is that? Maybe I’ll make an IAJE Convention one day. All the big named Jazz Cats are at that convention….

The TBA bar-b-q was pretty lame. Thank goodness we brought dominoes and played chicken foot all evening.

That’s about it. I’ve got more pictures to post in this update but right now, I’ve gotta run. We’re going to see the Zilker Summer Musical - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - tonight so I’ve got to hit the grocery store for munchies and head out to meet the gang.

Bud light Presents Real Women of Genius……..(singing) REAL WOMEN OF GENIUS”…

“Today we salute you, Mrs. Deliriously consumed Myspace survey taker. You thought you could just take one survey, yet little did you know it would consume your entire life. Taking, over and over, asinine surveys divulging to the entire world every ounce of detail involved in your existence. (Singing) TOO MUCH INFORMATION”!!

Whoever said skeletons are supposed to remain in the closet never met you, ole Queen of no secrets. Thanks to you we know the name of your prom date, how many times you had sex in public; youre most embarrassing moment and what really happened to your cat “Fluffy”!! (Singing) GONNA MISS YOU FLUFFY!!

So go ahead and crack open an ice cold Bud Light, Mrs. I have nothing to hide. Because thanks to you…the world can now rest easy knowing you weren’t always a “GOOD” girl!!!!

After a few fun-filled and packed days at TBA, I’m home. I’m SO tired but I feel refreshed and ready to go for the 2006-07 school year!!

I won’t go day by day in my review of the weekend but I do have several pictures to post, some stories to tell and some drum corps to review so I’ll try to get that done this week. Give me a day or two and hopefully, the tidbits that I remember and want to share will be the most interesting. Right now, I’m going to sort through all the stuff I brought home and play with the cats. Pfema really missed my computer…he’s petting himself with it. Too bad he’s not missing me that much!

Jack wakes up with a huge hangover after attending his company’s Christmas Party. Jack is not normally a drinker, but the drinks didn’t taste like alcohol at all. He didn’t even remember how he got home from the party. As bad as he was feeling, he wondered if he did something wrong.

Jack had to force himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins next to a glass of water on the side table…and, next to them, a single red rose! Jack sits up and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. He looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotlessly clean. So is the rest of the house. He takes the aspirins, cringes when he sees a huge black eye staring back at him in the bathroom mirror. Then he notices a note hanging on the corner of the mirror written in red with little hearts on it and a kiss mark from his wife in lipstick:

“Honey, breakfast is on the stove, I left early to get groceries to make you your favorite dinner tonight. I love you, darling!
Love, Jillian”

He stumbles to the kitchen and sure enough, there is hot breakfast, steaming hot coffee and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table, eating. Jack asks, “Son… what happened last night?”
“Well, you came home after 3 A.M., drunk and out of your mind. You fell over the coffee table and broke it, and then you puked in the hallway, and got that black eye when you ran into the door.”

Confused he asked his son, “So, why is everything in such perfect order and so clean? I have a rose, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me??”

His son replies, “Oh THAT! Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your pants off, you screamed, “Leave me alone, lady, I’m married!”

Broken Coffee Table $39.99
Hot Breakfast $4.20
Two Aspirins $.38

Saying the right thing, at the right time…PRICELESS

No, the plans for this weekend aren’t “To Be Announced”; this is Texas Bandmasters Association convention weekend. I love these conventions not only because I get to add a few tricks to my trade but because it’s almost guaranteed I get to see friends I only get to see at these things.

Also, Saturday is the DCI Southwest Regional Championships and although I really won’t get to see too many of the corps early in the day, I will be able to see my kiddos that are marching Revolution and of course, all the top corps at the end of the night. Many folks who don’t make it for the whole convention will be at DCI in San Antonio so it’s always makes for a social occasion as well. Hopefully, Sami’s feeling MUCH better and the Millers will be there! My ticket is for section 114 but my friend Ronnie says I’m to sit with him in the pressbox. He’s said the past few years so we’ll see if that actually happens.

I’m sure between Daniel and I, there will be plenty of pictures posted after Monday. I hope everyone has a safe and fun weekend!!

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2″ in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous - yes.

The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and proceeded to pour their entire contents into the jar - effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, and your children - Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

“Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented.

The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers.”