The Saddest Thing in the World...

Well, probably not, but it's really sad if you're a teacher. And even worse if you are a band director. You've probably guessed it, the end of the summer. How have I managed to live the last remaining days to their fullest knowing that I hit the ground running next week with Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA) Convention, followed by a month of band camp, you ask? Why, by playing video games until all hours of the morning, checking Facebook (which my wife has newly discovered), and blogging at one o'clock in the morning when any sane person would and should be in bed, especially when they've got a wife as hot as mine to snuggle up beside! Ah well, at least I'll be a little productive tomorrow when we go to the grocery store and I mow the lawn. I've also been able to spend quite a bit of time with Brenna, who has been in a Daddy kind of mood this week. Kayla seems to think it's because she can sense marching season coming and knows that I won't be around all that much until November or so. But hey, at least I am gainfully employed! That couldn't be said at this time last year for those that remember. Alright, let's backtrack just a little bit now...

Yes, Texas does have such a thing called the Texas Bandmasters Association. I don't know, to me, if you're going to have a title like that, you should at least pass out super-powers to go with it. I mean, seriously, what band director wouldn't love to be called a bandmaster and have superpowers which entailed having any ensemble you listen to play in tune (particularly beginning band, yikes!). Okay, maybe that's just me, but it's like we as a group don't realize how dork-ish we already are, we've got to make it worse by calling ourselves Bandmasters? I digress...

I'm really excited to work on lesson plans for my general music course this next semester which will focus on movie music. I'm still trying to figure out what shape I want the course to take, but the beautiful thing is I've got an administration that is allowing me the opportunity to do it. I really do enjoy my job when I don't have to deal with certain people. I'm also hoping that because I'm not still a rookie teacher here in TX, and I do have my certificate that I can show to anyone because I finally finished paying off the loan to get it (not really, but it did cost something in the ballpark of $500 to certify myself here, because apparently my GA certification isn't good enough for the big, bad state of TX.), that I will be able to gain some ground in the respect department, now that I don't have to learn so many ropes this year.

This last topic will pertain to the next job I have. While I may have to live in the town I teach in when I change jobs, even though I prefer to live at least one town over, I refuse to live on another main street of the town I work in! This past week, I had some very sweet students of mine (I do type that with sincerity and not sarcasm), stop by to see where I had been over the past two weeks and to make sure everything was okay, which I appreciate. What I don't appreciate was the fact that they stopped by 15 mintues after Brenna's bedtime, so imagine if you will having our sweet-dispositioned doggy yapping at the front door, while my wife is diving under covers because she has already gotten herself into her pjs, I never left my pjs, because let's face it, it's summer, trying to answer the door without waking my sleeping beauty and act polite, but not too polite to the three teenagers who I found on my doorstep. TIMEOUT: I'm very glad that the people who read this blog pay no attention to grammar, as I'm sure that's one of the longest run-on sentences I think I've ever composed. TIME-IN: (Nice Saved By the Bell Reference!) If I don't say it, no one will, since you people are apparently allergic to leaving comments! Follow up this little situation THE NEXT DAY with some of the same students who came during nap time to borrow the phone to call a friend about a dog that may or may not have died! Just a few of the reasons I will not be living on main street in the town I teach in at my next job. Tune in next week for a full report on the Monumentally Epic Gathering of the BANDMASTERS!