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Sunday, November 23, 2014

The pressure is off


Taking Emily and Joe to inspection last night, there were groups of people at every drive and intersection along the long, long route to school. They jumped and cheered and waved homemade signs at passing autos, exhorting the team to victory and its fans to cheer loudly. The enthusiasm made me smile and wave back. There was no such joy from the rest of the car.

We passed police cars staged along the route. I remembered the newspaper said the team would be given a police escort the several miles from the school to the freeway. The band and team busses would not leave for another ninety minutes, but quite a crowd was assembling. I thought how nice the whole send off would be.

The game was televised on a very local television station and at half time Jan and I tuned in to watch the band perform. They are very good. The home team led by ten or fifteen points.

Toward the end of the third quarter I wandered by again and Jan spun the dial. The boys in blue and white were up by far more than twenty points. I called my son-in-law and simply said there was little chance of a loss, so we needed to discuss options. He asked for the inspection time Saturday and calculated what time they would leave Cincinnati to arrive on time.

The stony face that came through the door at midnight confirmed the probable victory. Miss Emily avoided me so completely I finally asked her to stand still while I delivered my news. She went to bed without a word, and I stifled a grin.

I had an email this morning from the chief band parents, explaining the great victory and providing a link to a written form to request absence from next Saturday’s game. It can be turned in only on Monday; any later and the absence would be unexcused. That did make me smile. I wonder how many will not perform.


These footballers are two victories from a divisional state championship. There’s a lot of skin in this, including the grandma who drove two band members to practice or games three times a week. Let’s all cheer the team, and the band that plays at half time in their support. They've gone a long way.


19 comments:

  1. That's a mightly fine looking band! Congrats to the team's win! It is neat to see the support of the community too with it!

    That is nice they are providing an option for an excused absence.

    I do hope the team goes all the way!

    betty

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  2. I looked up the Swing Marching Band on youtube. They look and sound awesome. The name has not changed in thirty years. :-)

    Go Team!

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  3. The only thing about a football game that interests me is the marching band at half-time, so I grinned at the final photo in your post! WOW!

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  4. Miss Emily is reminding me of our cats. Whatever doesn't go to their plans it is all my (your) fault.
    Congratulations to the team and the band - and I hope family harmony is resumed quickly.

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  5. oh gee now I am wondering how many band players will not show up

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  6. Hari OM
    ...I hope you will relieve us of the suspense in due course! (Well done the team...) YAM xx

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  7. How many are in the band? It looks quite large.

    Love,
    Janie

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    Replies
    1. Wow! I thought Favorite Young Man's high school band was huge with about one hundred students.

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  8. Can you hear my cheers in Ohio? -- barbara

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  9. Miss Emily is learning about commitment...

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  10. As long as Miss Stony-face doesn't start exuding frost from that cold shoulder, I think you'll be fine. Eventually, when Emily sees that value in showing commitment, seeing things through. You know, when she's 25 or so...
    I hope things pass smoothly and the team keeps winning. What a victory that will be, an undefeated season.

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  11. It's tough, yes? Especially when so many parents allow their children to opt out of things. Bing often has parents write notes for their children excusing them from class. She keeps some of the more incredible ones in a notebook:
    1) Please excuse Mary from class today. Her goldfish died.
    2) Please excuse John from class today. He is feeling sad.
    3) Please excuse Marsha from the field trip. She isn't interested in learning about cyber bullying.
    And so on and so on....

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  12. Wow, 300 in the marching band; what a grand sound they must put out.

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  13. so Emily's father is going to pick her up after the game? don't you know she was praying for defeat the whole game.

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    1. Her father was taking them downstate for five days. Now he's bringing them back a day early, so Emily can march.

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  14. 300 in the marching band? ! How amazing. Let's hope Emily finds some joy. From the previous post: Exudes grumpiness.

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  15. Congrats to the team and the band! Your grandchildren are very lucky to have you! I'm glad Susan sent me over! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

    Julie

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