Batten Down The Hatches!!!

This has got to be the strangest week I have ever worked in my entire life. So we get to school this morning and it's already going to be a packed day because of the unexpected half-day yesterday as well as other reasons we'll get into in a moment and we get an e-mail from the higher-ups that states that due to possible inclement weather (see the picture to the left) on Friday night, that the Varsity football game will be moved from Friday night to Thursday night and the JV and JH games will be either cancelled or postponed for this week. Heaven forbid that here in South Texas we actually cancel a football game for the 0-2 HS squad.

Now for most people in the school, the change of a game to one day earlier is not that big of a deal. The football team has one less day to practice, but they're out there every day, and you've got to arrange for all the concession stand food to be delivered one day earlier, as well as make sure all the fans know of the switch. All of these things are relatively easy to deal with. The hard part comes when you're in the band and you only practice one night a week, and you're preparing a feature for either the "drill team" or the twirlers that has to change because we were going to involve some elementary kids that won't be coming, AND it's Band Parent Night! Things are just a little tense here in the great Karnes City. Add to that the fact that a huge storm is projected to hit land 80 miles away from us and it's a wonder we haven't just called it quits for this week!

As if this weren't enough on the plate of a band director this week, we also had our band drive today. This is an event that is called something different in GA, although I can't remember what we called it, where the 6th grade students come and pick up their instruments and books so we can begin the long process of teaching them to play their instruments. This is a lengthy process of meeting with parents and answering as many questions as we can about a great many subjects, as well as keeping the excitement of the 6th grade student under control, compounded with keeping the other JH/HS students out of the band hall in order for the band drive to go smoothly. Added to this chaos are a sound board training for an hour in the middle of it in the auditorium, and after school HS marching practice and the threat of inclement weather and you've got one pooped assistant band director. As if that wasn't enough, at the conclusion of HS practice after 9 pm tonight, we somehow got a huge bullfrog loose in the band hall tonight. You know you teach in the sticks when you look out your office window at a student trying to keep a bullfrog from leaping his way underneath the keyboard instruments!

And oh, by the way, this is the week I chose to surprise my wife and child with their trip to Athens to visit friends and help with their newborn child! At first I thought I had put them on a plane on the 11th, but they go out on the 12th. Not that I think anything would have happened anyway, but it still just feels wrong to get on an airplane on the 11th of this month. I wonder if it will always feel that way. So anyway, I'm trying to get the house and belongings hurricane proof as well as flood proof should it come to that. Any suggestions on how to accomplish that efficiently and speedily would be greatly appreciated. Remember I've also got two pets with me as well. I just hope that I don't have to evacuate and have to load the pets into the Honda that has no air and minimal space for anything at all, not to mention a leaky trunk! Ah well, that's the excitement that comes with living here in the beautiful sweltering wasteland that is this particular part of Texas, I guess. I'm really rather envious of Kayla and Brenna who get to look forward to evening lows in the low 70s and 60s next week, while I'll continue to die in the low to mid-80s at night. I'll keep everyone informed as best I can from my little corner of the world through this site, Facebook, and if you're lucky enough a phone call or two.

Now I'm off to bed so I can prepare for the end of my week hoping you'll join me in saying prayers that nothing else out of the ordinary happens this week.