From the DI:
Dancer Herky, which was sponsored by Dance Marathon and sat in front of the IMU, and Reflections of U, sponsored by the UI Alumni Association and once situated north of the Pentacrest, were removed and damaged beyond repair by a group of unidentified vandals, said Rick Klatt, an associate director of athletics.
West Music just called me back. The entire bell of my tenor is out of alignment and so there is straightening and sodering to be done. $80 worth of it. snuh. The guys words were something to the effect of “you’ve probably been having problems with the low notes?” Heh. With any kind of luck, I hope to be able to not have to have it fixed again for a very long time. *knocks on the fake wood in her cube*
But in other repair-based news, I got my oil changed and my tires rotated *insert double-entendre laugh here* and my car feels nice and zippy. Good to go until January 2005. 2005, can you believe it is approaching 2005 already? I actually stared in disbelief at “01/05″ on the little “next due for service” sticker in the corner of my car window.
Being in my marching band mindset, I busted out my marching tenor when I got home from work. Plastic reed still in place, neck cork not dried out, no visible problems on the horn itself, I assembled my sax, took a deep breath and quickly remembered that something is wrong with it. I think it is just out of alignment, hopefully, but only about two notes work properly. Thankfully, I live close to West Music, so I tossed my sax in the trunk and drove right over. The guy at the service counter wasn’t overly excited to fill out the information about my life and my sax, but when he looked at me and said “What is wrong with it?” I just laughed. I have no clue, dude, that’s your job. I’ll be awaiting a call tomorrow informing me if it can be put into “good playing condition” or not. Heck, I don’t even need good condition, I just need it to play all the notes mostly in tune.
I love West Music. I love that while I was there I saw a co-worker and her daughter, and Damien, the current HMB drum major, who I know in passing because he was a sax player and I met him at a party at some point after I graduated. He was dropping off a sousie with some other random HMB member. I was nice and just said “hi” instead of railing on him for putting his name on the fundraising letter that was sent out about the uniforms saying that the current band uniforms are 11 years old. Except for the fact that they aren’t. I haven’t even been out of high school 10 years and we got those uniforms my sophomore year in college. You do the math, because apparently the UI Foundation can’t.
I was probably nice because just before that I went over to the counter to get a few soprano sax reeds to have for beer band. The nice guy at the counter, after understanding what I needed (just something to play and not care if I break), he just gave me three Rico No. 3 reeds and wished me “Happy Homecoming.”
Every New Year’s Day should be spent like today: with an Iowa win, good friends, a roaring fire, time in the hot tub, and college football on the big screen tv.
Watching the Rose Bowl at the moment. Michigan needs to get its act together as they are currently losing to USC 0-7. The coolest part of the Rose Bowl for me was before the game even started. The Michigan and USC marching bands were on the field together for a combined performance of the Star Spangled Banner conducted by none other than John Williams. It was so classy and so cool. The Rose Bowl knows how to do it right. Iowa needs to get to the Rose Bowl and the HMB needs to get up to snuff to make a good showing when they get there.
I guess I have to actually get myself together and drive home later. That’s just unfortunate. At least its only 70 miles or so.
I’m still shaking!
What a game!!
My apartment is so clean since I used all my nervous energy dusting and vacuuming.
YEA HAWKS!!
That would be the poor person who has to wear the sad brown rug that is the Nittney Lion costume for Penn State. You can actually see the person through the open mouth in the head. It is so ghetto.
And even more unfortunate for Penn State, we (the Iowa Hawkeyes) beat them today 26-14 in a really bizarre football game in the sunny and breezy confines of legendary Kinnick Stadium.
It’s been a great day. Lisa Schebler, a former HMB tsax player, was back from England and her and her friend, Gwen, stayed with me last night and then we all went and partook in the fun of a BigTen football Saturday.
mmmm. tailgate.
Good friends, good food, decent game, lovely weather, and a halftime show by the marching band that had drill that was actually inspired and interesting and pretty well excuted, all add up to a wonderful Saturday.
In a bit, I’ll go buy a bottle of wine and head to the Roethler Housewarming/Birthday Bash up in North Liberty.
Its a great day to be a Hawkeye.
Michigan State always makes me nervous.
A lovely university and campus.
A quality marching band.
But their football team freaks me out.
And right now my nervousness is totally founded as its 14-0 Michigan State over the Hawks in the first quarter.
*breathes deep*
*has faith*
