Not so cheap heat

Been running an bit of a mostly uncontrolled experiment here. We got a new furnace two weeks ago, and the house seemed so much warmer. Even with the thermostat set at 67, it was comfortable all over (except maybe for the girls' bedroom, which has no source of heat and faces West, into the wind). The new equip. is more efficient, so I was thinking, hey, forget all the work of keeping a fire in the stove and actually heat the house with the furnace. What a novel idea! So, here we are 2 weeks later and I finally get around to checking the oil tank, only to find that I've burned about $250 worth of heating oil!! Holy moly! Damn the chilly house and oven-like living room (so comfy to fall asleep in though), I'm bring firewood up and lighting the stove!

Home for the Holidays

Perrin at her Jury

Perrin's home! Took the Greyhound red-eye from Knoxville and got in early last Wed. morn. The house is somehow warmer with everyone home (no, it's not just the new furnace). She played her flute jury piece, LOOKOUT by Robert Dick, for Robin and me. Yowza. It's an avante-garde thing where she plays and sings harmony with herself. We were blown away, partly by the realization that people are composing music the likes of which you never imagined, and partly by her skill. If you're wondering about her garb in the photo, LOOKOUT is inspired by Cream's Sunshine of your Love, and Dr. Binder asked her to come dressed like a rocker . On an almost completely different topic, I was listening to AirAmerica Radio the other day, and they interviewed the guy who founded pandora.com. Give Pandora a song title or artist you like, and it generates a radio station of songs with similar characteristics. It's a great way to listen to music. I'm not doing it justice here, you should just check it out.

Hammer On!

It's been a while since I've played a gig for a listening audience and not a room of dancers. Last Sunday I had a gas, playing percussion for the Hammer On! Christmas concert at the Liberty Church. What a great space. The building is a post-and-beam barn construction, and is gorgeous. Sounds awfully good too. And what a fun, and talented bunch of guys to play with. Thank you Randy, Dan, Bob and Mark.

Hoops@Home

The JHS home basketball season started Tuesday night, with the Johnnies ranked in the top 10 in the state. Madeline tells us it's a blast cheering for basketball. The crowd is closer, and much louder (I'm wearing hearing protection from now on). The student section has a whole litany of funny cheers, a bit edgy, but not quite overstepping the bounds of good sportsmanship. It's going to be fun watching the cheerleading squad mature through the season, the girls have heart. We're looking good for a third straight Mid-Buckeye Conference championship, and maybe another shot at the state tourney.

Now that's what I'm talking about!

I have been a big fan of marching bands since I was a kid. I marched in high school, and was fortunate enough to march in Purdue University's All American Marching Band for 2 seasons. I appreciate the The Ohio State University band's precision, Ohio University's Marching 110 is just as funky as the bands throughout the South, and Stanford is just a hoot to watch, but I've got to tell you, University of Tennessee's Pride of the Southland Band is the epitome marching bands.

My parents and I visited Commonwealth Stadium on the University of Kentucky campus last Saturday to see Perrin march, and watch the Vols take on the UK Wildcats (finally found someone they can beat). The Pride marched their Circle Drill, and I was blown away. The announcer starts in with how this is "the most difficult circle drill ever," and the partisan crowd starts into laughing and mocking him, but by the time the band inverts this curvey pinwheel (about 1:50 into the video clip), the crowd was into it. Click on the picture to watch the circle drill portion of the halftime show.

Vandy not so dandy to Vols

Last weekend we all trekked to Knoxville for the Vanderbilt game. Madeline came along and got to spend the weekend with here sis'. I can't tell you how great it is to see those two together. We were hoping the girls would get the afternoon together, but we got a later start than we had planned (if it could go wrong, it did), and didn't get to Perrin's dorm until about 7:30. The girls did Waffle House with Perrin's roommate, while Robin and I went to the MicroTel and crashed.

Game day was a crisp, but sunny. We found a spot overlooking the band's Salute to the Hill. Man, three hundred plus musicians can really crank it up to eleven. The band lines up around the corner. Then the two block formations each split down the center, letting the majorettes and the cheerleaders through. After a rousing rendition of Rocky Top (one of many, many, many, ...) the band marches off and disappears into Neyland Stadium.

I watched pregame from the upper deck behind the endzone. Pregame is a lot of fun, so much tradition and pageantry.

Sadly, the Vols lost, eliminating them from any bowl game invitation. Too bad, that would have been fun. Bowl game or no, I'm still looking forward to seeing the UK game. I hear that the UK cheerleaders may be the best in the nation, and the Pride of the Southland is putting their Circle Drill on the field. Rumor has it, we might even win the football game.

Circle Drill Reprise

I got the good news last night. The Pride of the Southland will be performing their circle drill at the UK game in a couple weeks - and I have tickets. I'll probably show up video camera in hand. Watch this space for a highlight reel.

Perrin on TV

I'm sitting on the sofa, watching the UT-Notre Dame game last Saturday, hoping that just maybe NBC will show a bit of the real halftime show (the marching bands, not the endless analyst's prattle). The first half ends. A reporter stops ND's Coach Weis for a chat. The Pride of the Southland band is lining up on the sidelines for their show. Wait! What's that? Here come the Flag Corps walking down the sideline. I edge closer... and... THERE SHE IS! For about a half-second, Perrin is on national TV. It's not what I had hoped for, and alas, I didn't have the VCR running. UT may have lost the game, but according to my sources within the ND band (a kilt-wearing member of the Irish Guard, no less), the Pride won halftime. Too bad that won't get the Vols into a bowl game.

Sleepless in Tuscaloosa

It's 3Am last Saturday morning and Madeline is roused by her cell phone. Awakened by her roommate's snoring and unable to get back to sleep, Perrin was killing time riding her Tuscaloosa, Alabama hotel elevator. Exhausted and near tears, Perrin reached out to her little sis. A touching moment, though I've never found conversation with Madeline was in any way sleep-inducing. A few hours later Madeline's cheering at the final JV football game at a cold, windy, and rainy high school football field and Perrin is marching before the Crimson Tide crowd in Denny Stadium. Unfortunately, both the Johnnies and the Vols lost. Bummer.

Suprise visit

So here I am Thursday night, lounging on the sofa, watching TV, winding down at the end of a long day. The phone rings: "Hi Dad, what are you doing?" "Nothing." "I'm almost to Columbus. Can you come pick me up?" Talk about your silly questions! UT had Thursday and Friday off for fall break and Perrin caught a ride home with some friends visiting friends in Cleveland. It was a joy having her home for the weekend. Not that we did anything special, but just having her around was nice. She looks great - I think she's thriving at school.

Cheerleading in Johnstown

If you thought that college marching bands, and the football game you have to watch to get to the halftime show is all we're interested in these days, you'd be wrong. We also enjoy the thrill of small-town high school football, where the Johnstown Johnnies are 5-1, and ranked in the top 10. Of course, the real reason we go, is to watch Madeline cheer. Yes, that's right, we are the proud parents of a high school cheerleader. You should see the girl go. So, tomorrow night is a big away game with East Knox. It's a conference game and the East Knoxians are currently #2 in the state (though not for long). Wish us luck!

Since I don't want the Zirilles and the rest of my old friends in the Big Red Band don't get too upset, Go Big Red!

Circle Drill

I was hoping to see one of the UT band's famous circle drills (imagine the band doodling spirograph designs on a football field) but I may miss out. According to our inside sources, the circle drill is being performed at the Notre Dame game, so Ellyn, you're in luck! The rest of us will have to hope and pray that they show some of the halftime on TV (yea right!). Robin, Madeline and I will be in Knoxville two weeks later for the Vanderbilt game, and then in Lexington to see the Vols take on UK the week after that. According to anonymous sources, it'll be the Christmas show taking the field at UK, and I have a feeling that's what'll be playing the week before. I'm sure it will be outstanding, but I was really hoping to get to see a famous Pride Circle Drill. Well, if there's a bowl game in Tennessee's New Year's plans, then maybe we'll catch some halftime on TV (start lobbying the networks now).

Blog as photo album? Maybe, maybe not.

I'm just starting to get the hang of this. Not sure I like a blog as a form of sharing photos, but I'll give it a try for a while. If you want to look at the pics in chronological order, you'll have to start from the bottom and work up. Maybe I can figure out a better way to go about this some day. For now, enjoy. This band can march! (You probably already know this, but you can click the pics for a larger version.)

Postgame Orange Crush So much orange and white. Reminds me of a creamsicle.

Halftime, UT v. Ole Miss

Halftime, UT v. Ole Miss

Halftime, UT v. Ole Miss

Halftime, UT v. Ole Miss

Halftime, UT v. Ole Miss

Halftime, UT v. Ole Miss That's Perrin, second from the left.

Halftime, UT v. Ole Miss Halftime featured songs from West Side Story. The musicianship is fantastic, the marching crisp, and the flags twirl with grace.

Pregame, UT v. Ole Miss

Pregame, UT v. Ole Miss

Pregame, UT v. Ole Miss

Pregame, UT v. Ole Miss Pregame is really colorful. About half the color guard marches with University of Tennessee flags, and the rest carry flags the colors of the SEC schools. That's Perrin with the orange and white UT flag.

Perrin in the UT Color Guard That's our girl! The band takes their seats in the stadium and plays while the crowd slowly fills the place (it takes a while to seat 107,000 +)

Salute to The Hill At the base of The Hill, the band stops and plays a few tunes, including Rocky Top, of course. The crowd is huge. You can't see it here, but there's a long set of steps heading up The Hill (Perrin's math class is up there, quite a trek), covered in people, covered in orange.

Heading down to "The Hill" They turn the corner, and are met by about 30,000 screaming fans, as the band marches to the bottom of The Hill.

Pride of the Southland Band parades to Neyland Stadium An hour and a half before kickoff or so the band marches from the music building to the stadium. It's colorful, and loud.

Here we go

So, Robin and I visited Perrin at UT this past weekend. The girl is thriving, the Vols won, and the Pride of the Southland Band rocks. I was looking for a way to share the pictures we took, and, well, that's how I wound up here. We'll see how it goes. Keep an eye out, photos are on the way.