The Week Ending....

The Week Ending.......
6/22/2008 9:34:22 PM
What a hectic week. Started out last Sunday, the 15th - Fathers's Day - with a perfectly delightful day spent with Patrick and Nathan; first going to a driving range to let them whack some balls. Then we went to see a movie - Ironman. Sat in the very front row, ate lots of popcorn and shivered in the air conditioning. On Monday, my aunt arrived for a stay. The rest of the week I stayed home from (or for) work. Wednesday was Jamie's 18th birthday. We opened his presents in the afternoon (camera, art and computer supplies for VCU) and, at his request, had ribs for dinner. During the day we took my aunt out to Great Country Farms to pick strawberries. Nathan really collected a lot. The best part of the day though, was that all four boys and I played together....trading off Jamie or Nathan or me on drums, Patrick on piano and Chris on bass. What a gas!

Thursday as both his graduation and my aunt's 68th birthday. Everybody had to get up early and get over to LVHS for the graduatiion ceremony. Fortunately the weather was perfect and the whole production (480 students!) lasted only an hour and half. Then took my aunt for a birthday lunch at a very disappointing restaurant at Stonleigh golf course in Round Hill. Evening was a the big graduation party! Lots of Immortals friends and families. Eric Hurst, JCD's guidance (trouble) counselor came by. The kids all played music in the basement and many noted how good Jamie has gotten. Then Kyle and company took the tunes outdoors. Neighbors showed up and kept us going for a couple hours more

Friday I had to get up real early and get my aunt to Dulles for an 8:00 flight. Came back,slept and recuperated.

Another big day Saturday. The Immortals play at Loudoun Youthfest. In a cross-county competition, LMI bands all dominate the top groups....and the Immortals are #1 with Lethal Dose coming in #2 (these are 8th graders!). The reward was supposed to be backing up some NY band called "Senses Fail" But it turns out that "Senses Fail" decides to bring their own backup group. And the kids bands are going to be reduced to two songs each leading up to them.

As the crowd and kids are getting settled, big incident. Jamie and JT (one of the Immortals) go around back for a cigarette. The county cops grab them. Jamie is 18...but JT is not. So they throw him to the ground and detain him. He can't play in the show -- even after Frank and Maria Keim plead with the cops. What a bunch of solid gold assholes. I'm definitely writing a letter to the editor on this one.

But all of the LMI bands did fantastically. And blew away the other couple bands in the lineup. The finale was the Immortals who ended up doing four tunes and on the big stage with lights sounded marvelous. Frank even commented that he'd heard "Senses Fail" in their soundcheck. According to him, they can't sing and the Immortals 'have a better bass player, a better drummer, much better guitar player AND they can sing.'

Cleaned the headlights on the minivan too!