Somehow, I Slept Right Through the Alarm
I got in a bit late this morning after oversleeping. Mid-week band practice really messes with my circadian rhythms, which have otherwise been pretty awesome lately. I haven't even been using an alarm clock for several weeks now, and I get up early enough to get through my morning routine (including a walk) in plenty of time to get to work. I guess staying out until 1:30am on a random Wednesday can still throw a kink into that.
Band practice last night was a mixed bag. As usual, I did all the set-up between the end of work (at about 6:30) and the beginning of practice (at 9:00). But for whatever reason, it took me a long time to get everything moved and ready this week. I felt plenty strong and energetic, but it was almost like it took more trips than usual between the office where we store our gear and the training room where we practice. So I just had enough time in between for a quick run to Taco Bell and a brief rest in the "comfy chair" (a recliner in J's office) instead of the snooze I've grown used to.
By the time everyone was actually ready to play, it was quarter after nine, and our plan to get through the first two sets was already slipping away fast. As we had pretty much anticipated, the first set was a little uneven . . . it includes songs, like "Before You Accuse Me" and "Peter Gunn", that we haven't played in more than a year. So there was a fair amount of rust to shake off. But those began coming together quickly enough. We've also got a couple of songs that have never been quite ready yet, and we nudged those a bit closer. (I've got some serious work to do on a bit of harmony in "If You Could Only See".)
Holding that whole mess together were the songs that we've got in something like a ready-to-play state, and even some of those sounded shaky after dedicating a month to the anniversary party interstitial music and taking a couple of weeks off. Man . . . you really just have to keep practicing all the time.
What with the false starts, do-overs, and an occasional musical meltdown (but no temper tantrums yet!), and allowing for a 10-minute break to go after the left-over Dilly Bars in the freezer, we only got about five songs deep in the second set. Still, it's a start. We've got three more practices, and we'll get it together as well as we can for the party.
Today's Reason to be Jealous of My Job
You mean to tell me your employer doesn't let you store your band's gear in an empty office, and practice after hours where you work? I guess my boss is just a little bit cooler than yours.
Nerd Skills Update
Typing speed (Dvorak layout): 223 cpm (1.7% error rate) . . . and I set my home PC so that all applications default to Dvorak.
"Best & Greatest" Burndown Counter: 1102 songs still haven't had even one play yet
Quote of the Day
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. -- Robert Frost