Christmas Dance
Glenna and I arrived at Brady's (Mark and Char) in Michigan just before midnight last night. We'll be spending Christmas here, and returning back home Tuesday night. It rained almost the whole way here -- miserable driving -- but traffic was light and the trip uneventful. Jon flew here from Nashville and arrived just a few minutes after us; Dave is flying here on Sunday, so our whole family will be together for Christmas!
The whole Brady family is home, also -- Mark & Char, Michelle, Melanie and Tim -- and Corey, their huge black lab, who I met for the first time. Corey didn't like me at first, but I think I'm growing on him -- he slowly wags his tail now when I pet him. Jackie Clark (Cal & Carol's oldest) is also with us for Christmas, and, of course, Mom and Dad Clark.
Tim, Michelle, and Melanie taught me how to become an elf and how to dance -- quite an accomplishment! I was so proud of my new moves, I've put a little movie online for you to view.
Click here to see my Elfamorphosis!
Belated Happy Thanksgiving!
Glenna and I had a nice day at the Allenberry Resort and Playhouse in Boiling Springs, PA (near Harrisburg) yesterday. I drove for our annual Hagey Tour there -- third year in a row that I've done that on Thanksgiving. It was nice -- some of the same people go every year. Allenberry had a great Thanksgiving feast with all the fixings, and then followed with a musical called "Santa Has a Sister." The only negative was that it rained almost all day, and driving on the way home wasn't too pleasant. But we made it safely and in good time.
Today Glenna and I are off to Baltimore to see Dad. Saturday I have a trip to NYC, and Sunday to Longwood Gardens.
Monday I'm off, but then Tuesday I start a very busy -- and unusual -- week, with six trips in a row to New York City! I average a NYC trip about twice a week this time of the year, so this is definitely not an average week. Five of the six are Hagey Tours, four to Radio City Music Hall for the Christmas Spectacular (the best this year ever, in my opinion -- I got to see it last week), and one to a Broadway show. The sixth is a private charter but also to Radio City. So by the end of the week I should know how to get to NYC! LOL
If you haven't looked lately, check out the Portraits gallery in my online Photo Gallery; there's a nice shot of Glenna I did a couple of days ago just as a lightlng experiment, but it came out so nicely I put it online. Don't tell her it's there. She never remembers to read my blog so she won't know. ;-)
Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!
Lazy Day Today
Glenna arrived home safely last night from her weekend visit to Ohio. Sounds like she had a great time.
I've been off the last two days, but work now the next five days -- all day trips. Tomorrow to Harrisburg, and Thursday to Lancaster, both are school trips. Friday and Saturday I have trips to Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular in New York City; Glenna and some of her associates at work will be on the trip on Friday. Sunday is the next Eagles home game.
I uploaded a bunch of new photos to my Photo Gallery today. Check 'em out if you like.
I voted today, too -- did you? I wasn't very excited about it, though. First time our voting district used computers for voting instead of the old mechanical lever machines. Very simple to operate.
My Wife, Centerfold Model
Move over, Keith -- there's another model in the family!
This full page spread appeared in the AM Magazine section of the Allentown Morning Call newspaper on Friday, October 27, 2006. The cover story is a fashion article about finding jeans that fit, and Glenna is the model in the center of the page! Jill Strickland, owner of Frox, the store in Perkasie where Glenna buys most of her clothes, is featured in the story, and had asked Glenna a few weeks ago to pose for the story, along with several other of her customers. She looks great, don't you think?!!
Click on the photos for a larger view.
Dodge Nitro
Here's a quick photo of Dave's new 2007 Dodge Nitro, sitting in our driveway. I haven't had a chance to take a ride in it yet, but it really looks sharp.
Winners
I'm headed home tonight from my Georgia trip -- four coaches, two trucks and a trailer, and, of course, a band ... and they are winners! There were 43 bands competing in the super-regional competition we took them to at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA, and they were competing at a higher level than they'd ever competed before. Their hope was to make the finals -- 12 our of the 43 bands would make the finals and have a second performance for the final awards. They made it! And they finished 11th overall in the finals competition. The kids were absolutely thrilled to have done so well. The competition was almost unbelievable -- I wouldn't have believed I was watching high school bands if I hadn't been so involved myself. Their movements on the field, the quality and difficulty of the music they played, and the lengths they went to with props and set design on the football field was unlike anything I've ever seen -- all for fifteen minutes of fame! In fifteen minutes, they had to move the band and all their equipment onto the field, play their program, and then have everything off the field for the next band to begin their fifteen minutes. Amazing. The photo above is of the band I drove, performing in the Georgia Dome on Saturday.
We left the Atlanta area at 6 AM this morning. I drove almost ten hours to Winchester, VA, where my relief driver took over and will take the group the rest of the way home tonight yet. I'm spending the night here, then taking a van back home in the morning. I'm off the next two days, then have day trips every day this weekend -- Friday through Sunday.
Band Practice in Atlanta, GA
Problem: You've got a high school band -- about 140 members strong -- taking part in a major regional band competition, and they need to do some final rehearsing before the big show. You need a football field. But it's raining, and the competition begins tonight! What to do?!!
Solution: Fortunately you have a good friend with connections to top brass at the local Naval Air Station -- in this case, Dobbins Naval Air Station in Marietta, GA, just north of Atlanta. With a phone call, they agree to move a jet out of a large hangar on the base, and allow four motorcoaches and two trucks, one pulling a trailer, onto the base, drive onto the skirt of the runway and park right in front of the now empty hangar. Problem solved!
Believe it or not, that's about exactly what happened Thursday when the high school band I drove to Georgia needed a last minute place to practice in the rain. Previous contingency plans called for practice in a local high school gymnasium in case of bad weather, but that would have severely limited their practice -- it's a large band, with very complex movements across a 100 yard football field, most of which they'd have been unable to practice effectively in a gymnasium. So one of the parents of a band member, who's husband is in the Navy Reserves, made a couple of phone calls, and the photos here are the evidence of the results!
