Emery Room 315
19 September 2010
9:56a
On the Events of yesterday, 18 September 2010:
Even though it was Saturday, I dragged my sorry butt out of bed at my usual time (6:45a), got ready, and headed down to Rathbone for breakfast. It being Saturday morning, I was the very first one inside and chatted a bit with the chefs scattered around as I ate a large bowl of fruit and gulped down a few mugs of hazelnut coffee. Finally feeling some semblance of wakefulness, I patted my pockets to make sure I had everything before giving my plates to the cleaning crew, I walked back out and down the stairs to Zoellner. Plopping myself down on a random granite bench, I waited.
Call time was at 8:30a, but I thought it was 8 - so I was there since 7:56a.
To keep myself from freezing to death, I got up and walked around, only to run into one of the officers driving up to Goodman Campus carrying the food and drinks for us before the game. He offered and I accepted the ride and helped him carry milk crates of drinks and platters of sandwiches up to the loft in the indoor track.
I set up my instrument and using my old and ugly neck strap, hung it from my neck like a ridiculous necklace. Because there were other people in the loft and trickling in through the doors, I didn't want to try and play for fear that I would squeak. I put my lyre on my sax and followed everyone to the practice field.
The first person I met in my rank was Alex. She helped me set up my sax, gave me a reed, my neck strap, a sax, my lyre, music, my "poop", etc. She's my main mentor but after the first day she doesn't hang around much. I don't blame her because she's busy but she does find some time during the show to count off at certain points that give me difficulty. She's really supportive and helps me understand certain things around me.
We practiced the show a few times including march-on, march-off, and the way we go on for the national anthem. At one point they had us stop playing because they wanted us to save ourselves for the halftime show. So we had to sing. x)
The next person I met is Matt. When Alex is away, he helps me. He is always next to me when we march (Alex is on my other side) and on occasion will explain things to me if Alex isn't there. He's nice and really helpful and doesn't seem bothered that I'm a freshman, even if everyone else jeered when the freshman band members had to march around the stadium as a sort of initiation.
Once practice was finished, we all went back to the loft and got ready. I got some sandwiches and then got fitted for my uniform, hat, gloves, and marching shoes. Our jumper things are brown with a yellow stripe and our jackets are cream with yellow epaulettes and a brown and white sash with LEHIGH on it. We have yellow berets we tuck in our hats which are white with a bright yellow plume at the top. Our gloves and shoes are white.
Behind Alex are Eamon and Dan. Dan is the "ass" of our section, meaning he is the last person in the line. Eamon is nice and sometimes talks to me when Matt or Alex doesn't. I haven't had much of a meaningful conversation with Dan. In front of Matt is Hope and in front of her is our "lead", Lauren, I think her name was. I forgot. :/
The band got ready and dressed and lined up in two long lines by rank order and we all marched out together. Drumline played a cadence and in the pause of the cadence, we all yelled out 'HERE KITTY, KITTY' (Princeton's mascot is the Tiger x) ) We marched through the tailgaters and stopped every once in a while with the cheerleaders to play a fight song or two.
It was around 4 when I got back to the dorm, hauling my alto sax in. I checked my messages and found that the swing dance outing was at 6:15, I called mom for advice on what to wear and then showered, changed, and hauled myself painfully down to the bottom of campus.
I got back around 1-ish, changed, slapped some Salonpas on my sore shoulders, and collapsed on the bed. I need a nap. Tutoring at 2. Will sleep after. :(
Soooooooooooooo tired
~E
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