Day 4 – On to Nashville – Part 2

The Corps just wrapped a very productive final Ensemble rehearsal here in Hattiesburg, and are in the middle of our last EPL here with pullout time at 9:30. Estimated drive time with stops is 7+ hours which will put us there around 4:30 a.m. Say a small prayer for travel mercies😀

Of the 9 members who fell ill, 6 were back on the field today at almost 100 percent and the other 3 are much better. What a great job the med staff did quarantining and containing this with members falling ill two hours prior to being on the bus for last night’s show.

The crispness of tonight’s final run has me feeling great about the Corps opportunity tomorrow night and then DCI- Southeast in Atlanta on Saturday.

I continue to be impressed with the work ethic , respect, camaraderie, and Espirit de Corps these young men exhibit day in and day out.

So the members are enjoying a feast of barbecued brisket, salad, a waffle bar with all the toppings, and fresh fruit.

And then it’s off to the Music City!

Good bye Hattiesburg! IMG_2078

 

 

Day 4 – On to Nashville! -part 1

Well , the corps woke up in their normal business-like way and got to work. I missed them altogether at breakfast because I was out on my morning walk.

Right as I was finishing that up, I helped out one of our own (parents) by running down her son who has been a little under the weather, snapping a quick pic of him and then relaying the message he was just fine.

With walk over, and after showering off a day of jungle rot, three of us drivers visited a local laundromat. I’ve never been so glad to wash my clothes in my life!

While out, I picked up a knee brace in hopes that the drive to Nashville won’t be as tough on my knee as the trip here was. Bouncing in the seat of that truck combined with holding the accelerator all the way to the floor for hours just to keep up with the buses and semis will take its toll on the right knee and hip.

Just got back, took four Advil, and shutting down for a few hours to sleep this afternoon before driving  from 9:30 tonight to around 4:30  tomorrow morning.

Planning to go to evening full Corps runs at 6:30, then load and leave.

One last thing about last night. The corps faced their first real adversity last night with a high heat index in rehearsal all day and holes in the show last night. They would be the first to tell you they know it wasn’t their best run. But they fought through it with persistence. I think that bodes well for the rest of the season!

Time for zzzzzzzzz!

Day 3 – Mr. Heat Miser

I woke up early on Wednesday and this is what I saw when I walked outside: IMG_2017

Not a cloud in the sky, right ? Beautiful morning right? Check on both counts! But this would become less of a blessing as the day wore on.

I walked the campus, checking out the many rehearsals underway and again marveling at how hard these guys work.

Morning blocks gave way to lunch ( chicken salad sandwiches, green salad, and a seemingly never-ending supply of watermelon) and then to afternoon Ensemble block.

Thus is where that beautiful day thing began to work against the Cavaliers . It was hot…and humid…with no cloud cover at all to speak of…on turf. I’m as hardcore as it gets and I could only stand it for about 45 minutes before I had to come in. I found out later that several kids had to tap out of Ensemble not feeling well. And even later than that, some kids had a stomach bug.

This is where I have to stop and praise the Cavs medical team. They got them off the field, into a ” sick bay” immediately.

As we did the “Eat, Pack, and Load” drill , word got around that the Cotps would march several holes later that night at USM.

Once loaded, we did the short drive to USM and unloaded . I made my way to the show to watch.

Quick show thoughts:

1. I’m loving the evolution of Madison Scouts show. It is entertaining! I think they may move up a couple of slots.

2. Blue Stars is well done. I just don’t see much evolution in it since the beginning of the season.

3. Having several horn slots out hurt Cavs, but those men bowed up  and put on a great show. But I could tell they were tired.

4. Blue Devils are amazing again. If they properly clean their show, everyone else is playing for second place.

Back at the trucks we waited for scores.  IMG_2047

About what I thought. I think a full staffed and rested Cavs put up an 89 or so. But that’s the staff’s dilemma. You have to clean to improve. Cleaning can be tiring. Pick your poison!

Back at housing, a midnight snack.

IMG_2049.JPGIn bed by 1:30 a.m. On to Nashville after a full day of work here tomorrow.

Convoy!- Day 2

When I left off, the Cavaliers had just put up an 87.5 in Lafayette, LA.  It’s 11:00 p.m. And time to move the corps to Hattiesburg, MS. overnight.

Time for my first service as a volunteer…driving the 26 foot Penske truck with field props and equipment in it. Earlier in the day I rode with the driver that was rolling off the tour to learn about the truck. I’d never driven a truck with air-brakes, a Diesel engine that had to prime before you start it, no “P” on PRNDL, etc.

And so now was my turn. As we pulled out of ULL’s parking lot, I noticed the drivers seat bounced like a trampoline even on the smallest bumps. Uh, that’s not going to work. Then it started raining. The wiper controls weren’t intuitively located either. Whoops. I hadn’t learned all I needed to know!

As I bounced my way to I-10 I had the scary thought, “If I bounce like this for 4 hours, my lower back will never be the same!”

Once the Convoy was on I-10 and things had calmed down, I found a switch on the side of the seat that lowered the seat with a rushing of air, and no more bounce! Yeah!

That was a temporary “yeah” though. An hour later my right knee and hip are throbbing! Evidently you need “some” bounce as a shock absorber to the road. Played with switch again and finally dialed in the seat.

What I left out from the beginnng was the truck’s radio didn’t work.

So…4 hours to myself with no music. Fun!

All of this to say, I was driving a 26-footer like a total spaz, while the bus and tractor trailer drivers just make it look so easy!

We finally arrived at Oak Brook High School at 3:30 a.m and were squared away and in bed by 4:30 a.m.

I woke up at 9 a.m. And walked out to find the Cavaliers already up and working. Color Guard working in the Gym, Brass at an Indoor Football facility, drums and ensemble under covered walkways. Rain doesn’t stop the Cavaliers.

Since there was no contest today, and I had no schedule, I took an Uber to a local mall to buy a blanket. By the time this weeklong stay with the corps is over, I’ll have what I should have brought with me in the first place!

Because of predicted evening lightning and rain, the Cavs staff cancelled evening rehearsal and to make use of the time bussed the members to a laundromat to wash their jungle rotting clothes.

I bumped into Davis who with genuine excitement told me…”We GET to go do laundry tonight!” My first thought was that Laurie probably passed out in Atlanta and didn’t know why!😀

Day 3 will be a Contest Day… more as it comes!

A LONG Day 1!

IMG_1997So…as it came time to load up and leave San Antonio for  Abbeville, LA., I thought my assignment was to ride shotgun in the Corps’ van, sleep the first shift, and potentially drive the second.  The travel coordinator encouraged me to just ride the volunteer bus and start driving on Monday. Cool!

And boy was it cool! I was in shorts and a t-shirt and the bus interior was a polar refuge. So, to set up a theme for this trip that all lies squarely in my lack of preparation, at the first refueling stop, I went looking for a blanket! And I found one! It was in a big square zipper case…warmth at last! Well, almost. Had I been paying any attention at all I would have noticed it was a 27 x 54 warming blanket for your legs that you plug into a cigarette lighter in your car. Yeah…details.

Upon waking up in Abbeville High School after securing a room in their library, I decided to get the walk  over as quickly as possible. Strapped on the almost brand new shoes and walked out of the building to find the corps already working on a grass football field.

So about twenty steps into the walk I realize that not only am I what is synomous to a rice patty, I look back at the corps and they are marching in one themselves unfazed. Mud and water flying everywhere. The new shoes are “broken in” to say the least.

Last night we drove the hour from Abbeville to Lafayette to ULL’s stadium for the show.

Long story short, the Cavaliers smoked!

IMG_1998

Davis had told me earlier in the day that his “backup” deodorant had melted in SC, he needed some more black socks, and a towel. I myself needed a twin sheet set for my inflatable bed, so I walked to the strip center across from ULL stadium and bought all that.

So… to the theme… purchases so far…

Truck stop blanket, twin sheet set, two towels, socks/deodorant for Davis, additional t-shirts for me. 😀

Tomorrow in Day 2- My deep respect for Truck Drivers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Cavaliers Need a Van Driver…”

Those words in a post yesterday grabbed my attention. Why couldn’t ” I ” be that van driver? So immediately the logical objections began to pile up.

1. Where would you meet the Corps on the road? How much is THAT going to cost?
( But wait, Mark…you’re flying to San Antonio on Saturday to see that huge regional in the Alamodome…what if you just didn’t fly back? )

2. Well, Mark…you promised Laurie you would stay an extra day in San Antonio to go sightseeing with Laurie and leave Sunday evening!
(But wait Mark, the Cavies are staying in San Antonio all day Sunday, too! You could just not take your flight home and drive the van back to Atlanta with the Corps! )

3. Yea, but after staying up all day with Laurie, you won’t be in any shape to drive all night from San Antonio to Lafayette, LA!
(Mark, I bet if you volunteered, they’d let you RIDE the first night and DRIVE from Lafayette on! )

4. What about the work you’re doing with PRA Audio? You have new artists contacts to keep up with! You have social media to manage!
( Yea…that’s what a mobile phone is for. And mobile email. )

5. What if I don’t have a place to plug in my APAP unit to sleep?
( Really…Really? )

And then the opposite of the objections…

1. Mark, you’re going to see Davis for only 1/2 a day when this tour is over in August. Then he’ll leave for Jacksonville State the next day and you’re likely not to see him again until Thanksgiving due to football marching schedule, etc. Even though you won’t get to spend much time with him during that week of tour,  you will be in each other’s “presence”.

And that’s what closed the deal! Van Driver Mark Henry reporting for duty in San Antonio on 7/22 to drive all dates til Atlanta on 7/29!

I’m going to use this site to post sights and sounds from the tour. Check back next week as the adventure begins!