Seven Years to Make a Piper

Drew is flaking out. But then, what do you expect from a high school kid who spends his summers piping for free in Nauvoo, IL, 1500 miles from home? Maybe he just wants to get away from home. He also just got his wisdom teeth out, and the dentist has said 'no piping' until the incisions heal.

He and Lee and Erin are supposed to be doing a trio for the Dave Barclay competition (trio in this instance meaning 2 pipers and a drummer, Erin being the drummer), playing Heights of Dargai/Battle of the Somme/Brogues on the Cobbles. But he hasn't practiced with Lee and Erin yet. At all.

So Lee, panicking, called in a second: me.

After band practice last night we went over it. Definitely stumbling, I would say. Gotta work on that, y'know. But it was better than last week, so progress is being made. When Erin had gone, Lee and I went over his harmony on Battle of the Somme and tweaked it here and there. Sean was sitting over there listening. When we were packing up, he asked us to play that set for the band next time it's played (I read into that: next week). Cool.

I told you that since I'm the piper that has been with the band the longest of the two of us, I get to play PM in this group. So far, I've done OK.

This was a tuning practice. Since Sean has returned from LA, he's spent a lot more time tuning. We tuned for an hour and 20 minutes, then spent 20 minutes more marching in and out of the circle. No breaks. And that was it. We were excused.

Dave and Teagan were there last night. Seems Teagan made the hockey team, so he was exempt from practice last night. It was good to see them.

Daughter #1 has scheduled her final interview with the Stake President for Sunday. We are discussing mission pictures and farewell parties. We are waiting for a location and a date.

I have begun the Total Fatigue portion of my week, Tuesday through Friday. Ugh. I wish they would pay me and not make me work.