Now up--winter

I have neglected to write. Now, I'll be the first to admit that my life has been pretty busy, but I won't pretend that I had absolutely no time to write an entry. Another part of the lateness was just that I didn't want to at the time ("the time" being just whenever). Anyhow, here I am, back with you today, as if nothing had happened.
-First and most importantly, marching band season is over. And about time! We went to State in Columbus on November 4th. The high school hosting it was the size of a modest college. We were the first band to perform. Before going, we stood behind the field idling for twenty minutes while the judges combed their hair and read the comics. ("Hey, Mary Worth is good today.") Then we did our show just like we'd been trained to since July--excellently. Unfortunately, the judges didn't think it was quite so good. Perhaps because we went on first and if they'd given us a One they'd have had to give one to everyone else, or perhaps because our tone was off because of our nice break behind the field, or perhaps because they had a little indigestion and were in a bad mood, they gave us a Two. Well, a Two at State isn't so bad. Not the best, but nothing to sneeze at. Look at it this way: we hadn't even been to state until last year. So we're still cool.
-Seeing as marching band is done with, Concert Band is up. For our holiday concert we have such classics as Sholom Aleichem and A Christmas Festival, along with such actual classics as Hallelujah Chorus (from The Messiah) and Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. I haven't had a bunch of time to practice. I shall get on that this weekend. As well as my playing test (which I just have to record for Mr Canter on a tape).
-Moving Right Along
-We've had an abnormally warm fall this year. All up until two days ago, when I went outside, I felt like I was stepping into a warm September day, not anything like November. But then a highly organized and efficient straight line of storms made a sweep of the whole country, extending all the way from Mississippi or so up to Michigan or thereabouts, and towing a cold front behind them. As a result, we had some reasonably heavy sleet before the line had entirely gotten past us, and the next morning was below freezing. Today, a little puddle that always collects in a little depression on one of the school's sidewalks was frozen until at least ten o'clock. So, winter is finally getting its act together and coming off its stylish vacation in Australia to start working up here, and to that I say, "About time."
-We got report cards recently, and I'm pleased to tell you today that I've just signed legislation outlawing Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes. (Have you never heard that Reagan outtake?) Ah, I have strayed a bit. What I mean is that Mom says I got 2 B's and the rest A's. I haven't actually seen it myself, because Mom didn't actually show it to me, but that's what she says. One of them, I believe, is in English, and since that's a semester class I'm not exempt from the midterm. Crap! I couldn't say exactly what caused me to get a B in English (If that's where it was)--I seem to recall getting an A on everything she handed back. AP history I didn't really expect to get an A in, and no, that's not why I didn't--it's genuinely hard, and involves memorizing way too much stuff to be legal. But it's okay. Mr Volz told us that even you, BJ, had your bad moments. (He was saying that you can get a bad test grade and then get a 5 on the AP test, and that there was no doubt from the beginning of the year that the person in question was going to get a 5, and I figured it had to have been you, and he said yeah.) On the other hand, I have to take that midterm too. But the rest of that week is free & clear--almost like an extension of my winter break! I think. Is that how it's going to play out? Ah, I'll check it out later.
-Steven Hackmann, in charge of Youth Groups, has just now called and generously offered to let me rake the leaves of some woman from the church on Saturday morning at 0930, so I suppose I will.
-There's some other stupid band thing on Sunday-- the "rededication" of the PAC. I very much do not want to go. I don't know that I will. I've had enough with band functions. Mr Canter ought surely to have sensed that from everyone in the band by now.

-If I were hungry right now, I'd want some chili. Maybe later I will be.