You know you're in band when…
You've been to Ireland.
Every year we have a spring trip. Usually it's an 8 hour bus ride to Orlando, Florida for a combination of marching and concert competition. We generally go to Disney World. But once in your four years in high school, you take on the Big One. The Trip of a Lifetime. The Big Kahuna: A trip to Ireland.
The actual traveling bit was awful. The flight attendants woke you up from your minimal amount of sleep to feed you. They switched the lights on to sell you things from Sky Mall. They would give you drinks until you felt you would wet yourself. And on top of all that fun stuff, the plane food makes you want to puke your guts out. Our poor band mom, Mrs. Greer (aka the most wonderful person alive in the world today) had so much to deal with that she needs to be awarded the Super Band Mom award.
After a rough start and being awake for over 24 hours, we piled onto the coach and headed out to Galway. The coach driver talked all the way to Clonmacnoise but no one was listening because we were all zonked out, laying against windows and fellow band member's shoulders. We finally arrived and I couldn't talk. Apparently colds plus freezing temperatures equals becoming a fantastic mute. I was forced to mime out things helplessly for a day and a half.
After everyone got adjusted to the time change, we started having a blast. I even wrote a lovely song on the way back from our concert entitled "Homework in the Fire." The entire thing went a little something like this:
I really don't wanna go home
'Cause I have to get on the plane
And the food there made me sick
Yeah I really don't wanna go home
I really don't wanna go home
'Cause I have to go back to school
And I don't wanna go to school
Homework in the fire
Homework in the fire
Homework in the fire
Put your homework in the fire
Homework in the fire
Yeah.
This is the product of mashed potato overload and band insanity.
(No band kids were harmed in the making of this song.)
After our stay in Galway, we literally drove cross country to Dublin. Dublin's food was not as good with the exception of Leo Burdock's Fish and Chips. Let me be the first to tell you that those are the best chips I've ever had in my entire life.
On the plus side, we got to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. I thought that people in Ireland would look at the silly American way of celebrating St. Patty's Day with disdain. Oh contraire. The Irish get really into St. Patrick's Day, climbing on statues and rooftops to get a better view of the parade. They wear just as many silly hats and masques as we do here, if not more. It was really quite surreal.
The plane ride back was sad. A few people (including myself) had to hold back tears as we left the runway. I looked out the window until Frankie decided to close it so he could sleep. We arrived in New York where we purchased overpriced chicken nuggets and smoothies at the gate and boarded our connection flight back home. The saddest part was when I got off the plane, looked at a picture of a cow and said "Moooooo! Cowwws!" Yeah, I was tired.
Whoa, a long one. There was just so much stuff to cram in there. Please read and review because I love you! :D