Post Homecoming Blues

Either I got better in the presence of others or everyone else was as bad as me. It was good to spend some time with friends, but sad to not spend much time with others. Also sad that many people I would love to see didn't even show up.

Aside from a bruise on my ribs and arm I feel fine. They gave me a 3 valve horn this year instead of a heavier 4 valve. 10 lbs makes a difference, trust me. I wish they had extra bits as one wasn't enough and it didn't even fit in the shank correctly. Even with the shoelaces the damn thing kept falling apart. Even after three different arrangements with the shoelace it just wouldn't stay in one piece.

I need to explain run-in. Per tradition, the alumni band will run into the Hall of Music. Two people hold the doors open, we run in and go down the stairs while the percussion beats a cadence. This is somewhat dangerous. If you trip and fall you have a few hundred people behind you. You can opt out. The building is very long, but with narrow halls so you just keep running and sidestep into rooms or maybe even the lobby on the opposite side of the building. It is a tight fit. Have I mentioned that tubas occupy a lot of space? Tubas are the last section to do run-in (the percussion stays outside and does breakdown). The reason we are last should be obvious. If something goes wrong with us it goes really wrong.

I swung my bell down to clear the door, then had to do a quick S-curve to get to the stairs and SOME DUMB WOMAN WAS WALKING UP THE STAIRS! I swung the bell up and forward to try to avoid decapitating the idiot (I'm not exaggerating here. With 35lbs of heavy metal going downhill at a fast jog I will inflict serious injury because I can easily knock someone over the handrails.) Personally I didn't care too much about her safety as I feel if you do something stupid it is your own fault, but I HAD 15 TUBAS BEHIND ME AND I DIDN'T WANT TO DIE! I've never been scared during a run-in until that one moment.

Overall it was a great weekend. A shame the game stunk. How does a potential call go from being either a touchdown or feet touched the sideline at the 1 yard line to a touchback for Northwestern? How does an accurate field goal kicker keep missing the uprights and sending the ball into the band? How does a defense continue to allow game winning drives against it at the last minute? Time to put in the sophomore backup QB and accept this will be a rebuilding year. I still don't know what to do about the defense.