Finding the Humor
I've pitched one too many fits to Flash's band director begging him to challenge my child to not then participate in what appeared to be such an opportunity. Flash came home the other day talking about Pep Band. What he was lacking, however, was details. He didn't know what it was, when it met, what it was about, who was directing it, when they would play...he just knew someone had come to band and talked about a Pep Band while he was at gifted class. So I hounded him. We need a flyer. We need information. Talk with your director. Talk with other kids in band. TALK!!
But to no avail. No one seemed to know anything. His director wasn't in charge, didn't have details and didn't keep a flyer. Flash's best friend and bandmate had heard about it, but didn't know anything more than Flash knew.
We went to school for a presentation the other night (unrelated, but equally as unpublicized) and Flash drug me to the band room door to show me the sign. "Join the Pep Band!" The flyer declared. It had some strange name that had nothing to do with Flash's school, and then said it was this Friday night at 6:45. No details. No information. Is this a performance or a practice? What is this all about and who is putting this together?
No information was to be gleaned. So, I put it on my calendar and arrived home from work tonight with thoughts on dinner and getting a bit done before we headed off to school. That's when Flash announced he had to be there at FIVE forty-five. Apparently they PLAY at six forty-five, but have to be there that much earlier. Again, we don't even know WHAT he is playing at. We do know that his buddy has the music, and Flash has seen it and it's easy-peasy. (So, lacking the challenge we were hoping for).
In any case, reluctantly but in a supportive effort, off we go, grabbing dinner on our way (so Flash could snarf it down in the car).
So here's what the deal was: A local elementary school was having a fundraising night at Flash's middle school because they have no gymnasium or cafeteria of their own in which to host such an event (a "hoopla" as they called it). The high school cheerleaders performed, a handful of the middle school band members played (hence Flash) and the faculty at every school it seemed EXCEPT that elementary school played a rousing game of faculty basketball. There was a silent auction and food and t-shirts and even an admission fee (which Flash got us around by sneaking us in the back band door).
It was lame-o, in a nutshell and totally unrelated to a) Flash's school, b) band or c) anything that would challenge my child.
So, I was disappointed to have put in ANY effort whatsoever. But, to salvage the evening, on the way home, I'm sharing the antics of the cheerleaders who were practicing (and changing and talking) in the hallway where I had camped myself (what?! I wasn't paying admission, I could hear the pep band just fine from the hall). Flash then shared some of his own observations.
1. Their gymnasium has no flag. So when the Banner was sung, the crowd started at a "Got Milk?" poster of an Olympian that happened to have a flag in the background.
2. There was a group of children doing a choreographed routine to "Thriller" (shocking, I know). Only, the person in charge of the music had started to download the song, but didn't realize it hadn't finished downloading before the performance began, so the song started and then STOPPED because it had to finish downloading. He said the guy at the mic even said, "students, let this be a lesson to you. Always download the song ahead of time."
3. They had students from the elementary school running around the basketball court with large flags with a "P" and a "U" on them (for the name of the hyphenated school). As if that alone wasn't funny enough, Flash said they couldn't seem to stay in the right order, so at different points the flags 'read' "P" "P" "P" "U" "U" "U" or "P" P" "U" "P" U" "U"
At least we were able to chuckle while we otherwise wasted our time. Oh, and I wrote a couple thousand words for NaNo out in the hallway to boot!
But to no avail. No one seemed to know anything. His director wasn't in charge, didn't have details and didn't keep a flyer. Flash's best friend and bandmate had heard about it, but didn't know anything more than Flash knew.
We went to school for a presentation the other night (unrelated, but equally as unpublicized) and Flash drug me to the band room door to show me the sign. "Join the Pep Band!" The flyer declared. It had some strange name that had nothing to do with Flash's school, and then said it was this Friday night at 6:45. No details. No information. Is this a performance or a practice? What is this all about and who is putting this together?
No information was to be gleaned. So, I put it on my calendar and arrived home from work tonight with thoughts on dinner and getting a bit done before we headed off to school. That's when Flash announced he had to be there at FIVE forty-five. Apparently they PLAY at six forty-five, but have to be there that much earlier. Again, we don't even know WHAT he is playing at. We do know that his buddy has the music, and Flash has seen it and it's easy-peasy. (So, lacking the challenge we were hoping for).
In any case, reluctantly but in a supportive effort, off we go, grabbing dinner on our way (so Flash could snarf it down in the car).
So here's what the deal was: A local elementary school was having a fundraising night at Flash's middle school because they have no gymnasium or cafeteria of their own in which to host such an event (a "hoopla" as they called it). The high school cheerleaders performed, a handful of the middle school band members played (hence Flash) and the faculty at every school it seemed EXCEPT that elementary school played a rousing game of faculty basketball. There was a silent auction and food and t-shirts and even an admission fee (which Flash got us around by sneaking us in the back band door).
It was lame-o, in a nutshell and totally unrelated to a) Flash's school, b) band or c) anything that would challenge my child.
So, I was disappointed to have put in ANY effort whatsoever. But, to salvage the evening, on the way home, I'm sharing the antics of the cheerleaders who were practicing (and changing and talking) in the hallway where I had camped myself (what?! I wasn't paying admission, I could hear the pep band just fine from the hall). Flash then shared some of his own observations.
1. Their gymnasium has no flag. So when the Banner was sung, the crowd started at a "Got Milk?" poster of an Olympian that happened to have a flag in the background.
2. There was a group of children doing a choreographed routine to "Thriller" (shocking, I know). Only, the person in charge of the music had started to download the song, but didn't realize it hadn't finished downloading before the performance began, so the song started and then STOPPED because it had to finish downloading. He said the guy at the mic even said, "students, let this be a lesson to you. Always download the song ahead of time."
3. They had students from the elementary school running around the basketball court with large flags with a "P" and a "U" on them (for the name of the hyphenated school). As if that alone wasn't funny enough, Flash said they couldn't seem to stay in the right order, so at different points the flags 'read' "P" "P" "P" "U" "U" "U" or "P" P" "U" "P" U" "U"
At least we were able to chuckle while we otherwise wasted our time. Oh, and I wrote a couple thousand words for NaNo out in the hallway to boot!
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