Perfect Seats

1. A Meal on the Way

How long would a bowl of oatmeal and one veggie taco take to make? Just a few minutes at most is what we figured. So since we were early for the concert, we stopped on the way there for just a little something to eat.

But things as they are, it took forever for the waiter to appear (even though they got us our tea right away). And after he turned in our order, it seemed to take a very long time for the food to appear.

Of course, appear it did. And the food at Magnolia Cafe does not disappoint.

As we left the parking lot, I said to Trudy, Man, they make great veggie tacos!

She agreed.

2. Arriving On Time

As we were sitting in the restaurant, we both nervously watched our watches. But as we pulled into the parking lot outside the high school auditorium, we saw we had plenty of time left. Plenty of time.

But there was no one standing around in the lobby as they usually do before the concerts. Did we get the time wrong? Sheesh.

As we looked at each other wondering how we could have messed up, the kids began streaming out of the practice hall, headed to the auditorium.

Jazz Band that way. The rest of you follow me, their director commanded.

The golden tubas. The black and silver clarinets. The trombones. The trombones! There was Ben with his trombone. He was standing there looking at us smiling ear to ear. And then he turned and followed the jazz band musicians down the hall.

We squeezed in line between two bass clarinets and went the other direction. We were right on time.

3. In the Auditorium

The auditorium was almost full. But Ben's mom had saved us two seats in the middle. She motioned for us to sit where she had set her purse. When we sat down, we could clearly see Ben behind his music stand.

What perfect seats! I said.

I think they thought I was joking. I wasn't. The trumpets would be aimed straight at us. And the trombones, too. Sure, the saxophones would be buried behind the heads of the rows of people in front of us, but the brass is what we came to hear, anyway. The trombones. One trombone.

They were indeed perfect seats.

4. In The Mood

The Jazz Band played first. And their last piece was In the Mood.

Halfway thru, soloists started standing up. A saxophone. A trumpet. A trombone. There they were, playing the music, the saxophone section swooning as they do in that song, and then he stood up with his golden shining trombone held up high, bell pointed straight at us in those perfect seats.

He stood tall, the chaos of his hair in stark contrast to his black pants, white tuxedo shirt and black bow tie. He stood tall and blasted out the solo he had written.

He blasted it out with volume and tone that surprised me. Just two days ago, he was struggling with two measures where the eighth notes climb up quickly and then fall away. Just two days ago, he would get to those measures and his tone and volume would diminish and he would struggle to get the notes out -- the notes that he had written himself.

Just two days ago, he didn't have it down. But tonite he did. He belted out that solo as if he were warming up.

And we had the perfect seats to hear it.

11:41:24 PM   permalink: []   feedback:   comments: []  

Eminem video

Here is a link to a Quicktime version of the new Eminem antiwar/antiBush video. It made me sit up.

Come along, follow me, as I lead through the darkness.
As I provide just enough spark that we need, to proceed.
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength, come with me, and I won't, steer you wrong.
Give your faith and your trust, as I guide us through the fog, to the light at the end of the tunnel.

(Hat tip: Talk Left for the link, gnn.tv for the snippet of lyrics.)

1:07:05 AM   permalink: []   feedback:   comments: []