Life after band

The Oiler band turned in the best score it's had in years -- 73.65 -- at the state Flight III band championships at Ford Field Saturday night.


The performance was crisp and tight. The musicianship was top-notch. The guard turned in its best performance of the year.
Everything went right. The Oilers finished eighth.

















The competition has become extremely intense in Flight III. Last year, that 73.65 would have been good enough for fourth place. This year, four bands broke 80 with beautifully choreographed, beautifully written and performed shows that were a true joy to behold.
The young Oilers had a great time.

The show was about being there, provoking crowd reaction, and the crowd in the stands loved it. The familiar strains of "Another Brick in the Wall" and "Comfortably Numb" got the crowd moving -- and the sophisticated rock'n'roll drew the people in. They bought it.
It was a great show.

Here are the final standings in the Michigan Competing Bands Association 2007 Flight III competition:
1. Ferndale.............................86.85
2. Stevensville Lakeshore.......85.55
3. Grand Rapids Northview.....83.8
4. Farmington Hills Harrison...81.7
5. Marysville ...........................78.4
6. Allegan................................75.7
7. Byron Center ......................75.4
8. Mount Pleasant .............73.65
9. Redford Thurston...............72.75
10.Fruitport.............................72.3

One show to go

The band invited the community to come to Community Memorial Stadium for a performance of "Socially Numb," and the performance was amazing.
"Well, it could have been better," Robert said. That's always his attitude.
About 150 people were in the stands for what might have been the rightest, tightest, most dynamic performance yet. Kissy Missy, Andrew and I watched from the press box, and the sound was just amazing.
They've added a few new wrinkles, and the show reached the point where it should be -- it brought tears to my eyes.
Band Director Matt Taton says he's approaching this as just another chance to perform, a bonus, and extra show.
Even if it's in front of a few thousand people at Ford Field.
More later from Dee-troit.

It's finals day

The band is psyched.
After what might have been one of the best practices of the year, the Oiler band is ready for one more road trip -- to the state band championships at Ford Field.

First up today is a community performance. That's at 10 a.m. at Community Memorial Stadium. Then it's on to downtown Dee-troit. The Oilers' performance is set for 5:20 p.m. Awards are at 8.

Kissy Missy and I will make the trip to Detroit. Andrew's staying here. He's the technical director for the school play, "The Foreigner," which debuted last night.

In all cases, the show must go on.

The Creatures at the Office

It's now official -- I have been named the Online Editor of TheMorningSun.com. I asked if there were a job description.
"No, just make it up as you go along."
I big part of the task of doing videos, either to go with stories or as a stand alone feature. This story -- people who dress up for Halloween at the office -- seemed tailor-made for video.
Clearly, I had fun with this.

On to Ford Field!

The Oiler Marching Band is headed to the state finals at Ford Field for the second year in a row.
Mt. Pleasant's "Socially Numb" show landed in seventh place -- the top 10 bands head for the finals.
Saturday’s Flight III competition begins at 4:35 p.m. The tentative performance time for Mt. Pleasant will be 5:20.
Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for students and senior citizens, cash only. FordField.com lists presale prices of $14 and $10; call Call 313-262-2000 for more information.
Parking is $6 at Ford Field parking facilities

Here are the Michigan Competing Band Association Flight III Standings. Top 10 schools move to the state finals at Ford Field.

School--------------------------------Score-----Above/below bubble
1 Ferndale......................................80.075......12.952
2 Stevensville Lakeshore...............78.025.......10.900
3 Grand Rapids Northview.............76.100…....8.975
4 Farmington Harrison..................75.550........8.425
5 Marysville....................................74.350.......7.225
6 Byron Center...............................73.000.......5.875
7 Mt. Pleasant............................69.575.....2.75
8 Allegan.......................................69.550........2.425
9 Fruitport......................................69.175.......2.050
10 Redford Thurston......................67.125..........0

11 DeWitt.......................................67.075.....-0.050
12 Gibraltar Carlson.......................66.675......-0.450
13 Dearborn Hts Crestwood...........65.800.....-1.325
14 Linden........................................65.250......-1.875
15 Trenton......................................65.075.....-2.05
16 Hazel Park..................................63.600.....-3.525
17 St Clair Shores Lake Shore........59.250.....-7.875
18 St Clair Shores South Lake........57.875......-9.250
19 St Clair Shores Lakeview...........51.375.....-15.750

The field is full of veteran bands.

Ferndale didn’t quite match its phenomenal 80.65 performance at West Bloomfield, turning in a 79.5 to win at Huron Valley. Ferndale is defending champion, winning last year’s event with an 81.80.
Stevensville Lakeshore slid a bit, too. Lakeshore’s score slid from a 78.35 at Jenison to a 77.70 to win the Reeths-Puffer festival.
Lakeshore came into last year’s event with a top ranking, but was surprised by Ferndale. Lakeshore finished second last year with an 80.8.
Grand Rapids Northview continued to improve. It scored a 75.9 at Jenison and a 76.3 at Huron Valley. Northview is an experienced band, finishing fifth in Flight II last year.
Farmington Harrison’s got momentum. It scored a 73.85 at Clarkston, then rolled to a 77.25 at Huron Valley.
Harrison finished third last year at Ford Field.
Marysville is nothing if not consistent. The baseball show scored a 74.35 at West Bloomfield and precisely the same score to win at Durand.
Marysville came in ninth last year.
Byron Center’s best score was a week ago at Jenison; it lost a point at Reeths Puffer. This will be the Byron Center band’s first appearance at Ford Field.
Mt. Pleasant gained nearly three points during the last week of competition. Can the young Oilers keep that momentum?
Allegan’s coming on strong, adding 5.5 points over the last week. Allegan finished fifth last year.
Fruitport couldn’t quite break 70 at Reeth Puffer, scoring a 69.5 after scoring a 68.85 at Jenison. Fruitport finished 10th in 2006.
Redford Thurston squeaked into the top 10 with a 68.15 finish at Huron Valley to go with a 66.1 at West Bloomfield. That gave Thurston just enough – five one-hundredths of a point – to knock DeWitt out of the top 10.
The Thurston band came on strong last year and finished fourth at Ford Field.
Dewitt competed in only two events this year – it didn’t compete at all last year – and scored a 64.6 at Clarkston, followed by a 69.55 at Durand. So, so close, but they’ll get the refund, instead of the bus ride.
Two bands that competed in the Flight III finals last year won’t be there – Comstock Park and Trenton. Comstock Park made the finals in Flight IV this year, but Trenton missed the cut, finishing 15th in Flight III.

Breaking 70

It won't be official until the Michigan Competing Band Association posts the scores, which could be as late as Monday, but it looks as if the Oiler Marching Band is headed back to the state championships at Ford Field.
Mt. Pleasant scored a 71.05 at Durand Saturday. That probably is enough to keep the Oilers in the Top 10 in Flight III.
None of the bands I saw Saturday that were chasing the Oilers -- Trenton, Gibraltar, Dearborn Crestwood, Redford Thurston -- appeared to turn in a strong enough score to propel them past Mt. Pleasant.
I'll post the scores when I get them.

It ain't no dirt road no more

The project has been promised for a very long time, and now, it's reality.
The gravel road in front of our house at Lake Isabella now has been paved. It's just getting much too civilized, I guess.
Next thing you know, we'll be moving to town and moving into some fancy condominium townhouse.
Wait a minute ...

The Siamese Siamese

Minden and Munchen, spotted one recent morning curled up in a chair. Yes, they're tomcats. Yes, they're cuddling each other. Watch for teeth.

Following the band?

Here are the directions from Mount Pleasant to the Oiler band competitions Saturday:

To Huron Valley from Mount Pleasant:


View Larger Map

Click on "View Larger Map" for detailed, turn-by-turn directions and an interactive Google map.

Mount Pleasant performs at 1; the awards ceremony is at 3:30.

Then it's on the road to Durand:

From Huron Valley to Durand:


View Larger Map

The Oilers perform at 5:45.

Back to Mt. Pleasant for the Gaylord/Mt. Pleasant football game:


View Larger Map

Game time is at 7; the band performs at halftime.

Entering the final week

Oh, man, it's tight. The score at West Bloomfield was good, but not good enough to prevent Mt. Pleasant from sliding a couple of spots into seventh place, entering the final week of competition.
Mt. Pleasant is only 2.05 points above elimination, and it's a given that schools beneath them will see improved scores. There's no coasting heading into the critical Lakeland and Durand festivals.
The sense at practices is focused. These guys know what they need to do.

Here are the Michigan Competing Band Association Flight III Standings. Top 10 schools move to the state finals at Ford Field.

School-----------------------------Score-----Above/below bubble
1 Ferndale......................................75.6.........11.775
2 Stevensville Lakeshore...............73.4...........9.575
3 Farmington Harrison..................72.025.......8.2
4 Grand Rapids Northview.............71.125......7.3
5 Marysville....................................68.35........4.525
6 Byron Center...............................67.475......3.65
7 Mt. Pleasant............................65.875.....2.05
8 DeWitt.........................................64.6.........0.775
8 Fruitport......................................64.6.........0.775
10 Allegan.......................................63.825..........0

11 Dearborn Hts Crestwood...........62.275.....-1.55
12 Gibraltar Carlson.......................62.05.......-1.775
13 Trenton......................................62.025.....-1.8
14 Redford Thurston........................62..........-1.825
15 Linden.........................................61.25.......-2.575
16 Hazel Park..................................60.45.......-3.375
17 St Clair Shores Lake Shore........58.25.......-5.575
18 St Clair Shores South Lake........54.725......-9.1
19 St Clair Shores Lakeview...........48.2........-15.625

Great scores at Clarkston, West Bloomfield

(updated 11:32 p.m.)

The Oiler Marching band turned in its best performance of the year by far at West Bloomfield tonight.

Mt. Pleasant scored a 68.1, good enough for third place behind always-potent Ferndale and surprising Marysville. The Oilers finished second last year at West Bloomfield


The Oilers "Socially Numb" show finished ahead of traditional powerhouses Redford Thurston, Allegan, and newcomer to Flight III, Dearborn Crestwood.

Earlier in the day, at windy Clarkston, Mt. Pleasant's score was a 64.8, which was, for about eight hours, the best performance of the season up to that point.

Next weekend, it's Huron Valley at 1 p.m., with Ferndale and always-contending Farmington Harrison on the same bill, followed by Durand. That show is set for 5:45 p.m. Marysville and West Michigan power Stevensville Lakeshore precede the Oilers, who, as defending champs, play last.

A spring storm - in October

The lightning was intense. The wind howled. It hailed. It rained buckets at Lake Isabella and across the state.
It was one of the most awesome storms I have seen in a long time. It hit right after my Thursday night class. Andrew and Robert were with me, just having completed a Scout leadership meeting. Kissy Missy and Katherine had gone home.
When the storm hit Lake Isabella, Kissy Missy said she and Katherine huddled in an interior bathroom; München just cuddled up and wanted to be held, while Minden simply freaked and "couldn't be caught."
I shot some video for the Sun - it's above.
Andrew's take on the whole thing: "This is the kind of storm I was waiting for last spring - and it never came."
Until October.

Tech says, 'Come On Up!'

It was the "large envelope."

Dear Andrew,
Congratulations on your acceptance to Michigan Technological University. Based on your academic achievement and your potential for success at Michigan Tech, you have been admitted into the College of Engineering to major in Mechanical Engineering for the fall 2008 semester.

The acceptance letter was dated Oct. 10. The first marking period of his senior year has just ended.
This doesn't mean that Andrew will be attending Michigan Tech. It's certainly a possibility - it's nice to have one in the bag. But there are other applications out there, and NYU continues to send an impressive amount of information.
Michigan Tech is ranked among the top 50 public universities in the country. Its mechanical engineering program is ranked No. 22 of more than 180 by the U.S. News & World Report rankings.
For this guy to be grabbed up this quickly ... Wow.
And he likes snow.

The new Senior Patrol Leader

Now, he's the boss.
Robert tonight was elected senior patrol leader of Troop 604. A Scout troop's SPL is essentially the head Boy Scout in a troop.
Robert has had other leadership experience in Troop 604 -- he's been the assistant senior patrol leader in the past, and has held other leadership posts.
He says he has a plan, and he's fully prepared to put his plan and vision for the troop into place. He's got about 20 guys with a wide age range -- some are as young as 10, others are as old as 17. He knows their strengths, and knows how to use his resources.
Robert's SPL election means all three of the boys now will have been senior patrol leaders. Matthew led several troops -- the one I am most proud of was when he rescued the Harbor Beach troop from near-oblivion, and practically single-handedly recruited an entire troop.
Andrew has led Troop 604 a couple of times, and has always been ready to supply leadership on short notice.
Bert doesn't put up with failure -- he does what's necessary to succeed. It will be interesting to see what happens.
As they say in the Scouts, "Be Prepared."

A third straight first-place finish

The Oiler marching band marched to the Lamphere Invitational in Madison Heights Saturday, and brought home yet another first-place trophy.
Mount Pleasant scored a 63.65 in the tiny, well-worn field a couple of blocks off I-75 in the inner Oakland County suburbs.
But the band members weren't happy with it. They called it an "off week," and some of the self-critiques were downright brutal.
This band knows what it wants. Its members know the sound and the show they can produce, and they're aiming to get it. They've got a great show. A critical mass of band members has been to the finals at Ford Field.
They want to go back.

Here are the Flight III results from Lamphere:

1. Mount Pleasant 63.65; caption awards for music and marching
2. Trenton 60.4; caption award for best general effect
3. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore: 57.75
4. St. Clair Shore Lake View: 49.65

Pending the outcome of the other invitational Saturday, the win gives Mount Pleasant a competition score of 63 -- good enough for fourth place in the state.

'Socially Numb' gets tighter, more exciting

The Oiler Marching Band's 2007 show, "Socially Numb," so far has won two competitions, and the band is ranked fifth in the state in Flight III. You'll see why in this video I recorded at the Mt. Pleasant-Dow High game.

And the opening act wasn't bad, either. The Oilers shut out the Chargers 28-0 and clinched a share of the Saginaw Valley League football title.

Another first for the band

The stands were jammed at Linden High School stadium Saturday night for the Linden Invitational -- and the Mt. Pleasant Oilers came home with the first-place trophy.
It was tight -- Mt. Pleasant and Marysville tied for first on regulation scores, but the Oilers won the tie-breaker -- music.
Amazing what Pink Floyd can do for you. Actually, there are three scores involved -- musical ensemble, individual music and two musical effect scores. The
Oilers came out on top by less than two points, but a win is a win.
Mt. Pleasant's scoring better than it did a year ago -- a year that
ended up with a trip to Ford Field and a sixth-place finish. That's
truly remarkable, considering the number of first-year students
who are part of the 2007 Oiler band.

Brazilian exchange student Felipe
jams on "Another Brick in the Wall"










Katherine pauses as the show is about
to begin at Linden.

The Townhouse

This townhouse is very likely to be our new home before Christmas.
We've had the place in Lake Isabella for sale for the last two years. The real estate market in Michigan cooled dramatically about the time we put the house on the market. January of this year was the worst month ever for the local Realtors association, and sales this year are 9 percent below last year -- which were about 20 percent below the year before.
But we've struck a deal with the builder of this new townhouse in town. It's fairly complex, but it pretty much guarantees we'll get the money out of the house in Lake Is and get into this brand-new place.
The kids like it. It overlooks a large park, they each get rooms about the size of our current kitchen, and it's nice enough to do some good entertaining.
If all goes right, we'll be telling stories about moving before too long.

Homecoming 2007

Chris and Katherine, all dressed up for homecoming

Andrew and Kitty, ready for the big dance

Homecoming at Mount Pleasant High School is a big, big deal.
The Lumberjacks of Saginaw Arthur Hill surprised the Oilers with a 39-29 win at Community Memorial Stadium in the football game -- the Oilers' first loss of the season. (I guess I can accept an AHHS win; that's where I graduated.)
But the big deal is the homecoming dance. It's formal, it's fancy and it's crowded. Out of a school of about 1,200 students, the student council sells nearly a thousand tickets.
That's one heck of a budget, and a heck of a good time.

Down the Chippewa

Sometimes, I absolutely love my job.
The assignment: Do a feature story about fall and changing leaves. How to tell the story was up to me.
Sun photographer Lisa Yanick and I decided the best way to tell the story was to come up with a better kind of fall color tour: In a canoe.
Check out the video Lisa put together:



And the colors will just get more intense as the fall wears on.

The Applefest crew

Kissy Missy is past president of the Mt. Pleasant Zonta Club, an organization of professional women. Each year, the big fundraiser for the club is Applefest, which takes place at the McIntosh Orchard west of town.
Well, Kissy Missy must have learned to "use her resources" somewhere, because she's pulled all of us into this thing. I designed the poster -- which looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. The apple art's original with me, as well as the design.
The kids have been involved as volunteers for several years, and this year, much of the Zonta contingent in the Mardi Gras parade looked suspiciously like, well, us.






Is this the new look of a Zonta lady?



















Robert and Andrew march down Main Street handing out Applefest fliers.

Kissy Missy sells, sells, sells the event to the crowd at Mardi Gras.

Zontian Monica Fox and Katherine cruise past the Broadway on Broadway.

Yes, I know the question -- Mardi Gras? In September? It's a downtown promotion, and a big one. No one seems to care that it's in the fall -- and that it's on Friday.

Oilers win at Atwood, in third statewide!

The Mount Pleasant Oiler Marching Band put on traditional band uniforms for the first time in three years, went to the Flushing Invitational at Atwood Stadium in Flint, and came back with a first-place trophy!

"Socially Numb," based on the music of Pink Floyd, still has some rough spots, of course. This was its first competitive performance. But the 50.2 the Oilers scored still was higher than the band earned last year with "Elemental Led" at the same event.
Other bands in the Michigan Competing Bands Association Flight III competed in two other competitions -- last weekend at Novi and this weekend at Brownstown. Defending state champion Ferndale is in first, with always-tight Dearborn Crestwood in second. The Oilers are third. The top 10 bands in the Flight earn a trip to Ford Field in November for the state finals.
The images are from the Oilers' home football game Friday against Saginaw Heritage. The football team, which entertains before and after halftime, is 5 and 0, ranked seventh in the state and the only undefeated team in the Saginaw Valley League.
Here are the Marching Band standings after this weekend:
Place Band Points Above Bubble
1 Ferndale 58.85 15.8
2 Crestwood 53.6 10.55
3 Mount Pleasant 50.2 7.15
4 Linden 49.95 6.9
5 Trenton 49.55 6.5
6 Chelsea 48.9 5.85
7 SCS Lake Shore 48.1 5.05
8 GibraltarCarlson 46.95 3.9
9 SCS South Lake 43.2 0.15
10 SCS Lakeview 43.05 0

Another year, another European tour ...

Robert's on his way to Europe.
Bert was among the very first musicians selected for the 2008 version of the Blue Lake International Exchange program's Southern Winds concert band.
He's excited as I've ever seen him. Last weekend, to help fund the trip, he and I, with considerable help from Kissy Missy, collected empty cans from CMU's Saturday afternoon fraternity parties and a massive tailgating bash before the game. Let's say that it pays better than radio did, but not as well as lap-dancing.
The specifics: Rehearsals are scheduled for November, April and May; Intensive Week begins June 6 (the day school gets out); the plane leaves from Detroit Metro airport June 14, after a concert somewhere around Detroit; the band returns July 12; there's a mini-tour July 24 and 25, and the homecoming show at 7 p.m. July 26.
The tour dates aren't set yet, but Southern Winds will be part of Blue Lake en France, and the band is to spend a week en La Belle France.
----
I have to apologize for the hiatus. Semester start has been, ahem, a bear, and it doesn't help that the newspaper lost another reporter. And now my Mac laptop has developed an apparent power supply problem. Not good. The CMU techs are tut-tutting; hopefully, it will be repaired soon. But for right now, all my images are on that hard drive, and I cain't git to'em!

Morning Sun video

The Morning Sun has launched into the video age, putting material on our Web site, www.themorningsun.com.

So far, I'm the only reporter to put anything up. I went out to the Blanchard Steam & Gas show last weekend, and met a man named Philip Simon. Here's his story:



I've got another one coming -- teenagers using pink flamingos as a fund-raiser. It just seems to take forever to get put on the site.

The band is back!

After five days of intense work, the 2007 edition of the Mount Pleasant High School Marching Band is back on the field.
Robert is back in the clarinet section, and Katherine joined the guard.

Band camp was over on Saturday, and the band took the field at Community Stadium to show off "Socially Numb," the 2007 show based on the music of Pink Floyd:



The band is scheduled to play at halftime of the Oilers' football game against Saginaw High on Thursday. The next show is Sept. 21 at Community Stadium during the game against Saginaw Heritage, and the first competition will be Sept. 22, during the Flushing Invitational at Atwood Stadium in Flint.

The answer was YES!

Matthew and Annie are engaged.
I got word at 4:30 Friday afternoon, when a text message popped in from Matthew.
It read:

You were right. She didn't let me finish. She said yes!

Matthew and Annie had been planning a trip in August for some time. Originally, the plan was to spend some time at a borrowed condo in Florida, but that friend's condo may have been the only piece of property in that state to sell. So they ended up in Petoskey, and they were on Mackinac Island when Matthew proposed.
Here's how Annie described it on her MySpace blog:

It was so romantic. We went for a hike to Arch Rock, such a beautiful site. He asked me there. I don't think I even let him finish what he was going to say before I said YES! My ring is still at home. He said we can go get it together to make sure it's perfect. He got me one while we were on the island in the meantime, but he said this one isn't for long. I love the one I got on the island. It's so pretty, too. I'd be happy with this one. We had a blast on the island, got those old-time photos taken, fudge, and ENGAGED! How could life be any better?

It's just the two of them Up North, which is the way it should be. Lexie, Annie's daughter is with us. She's snuggled up on my lap as I write this (one-handed typing is not my strong suit), and having a toddler cuddle close is just something magic.
Things are very tentative. At last word, the ceremony is likely to take place in 2009, after Annie gets her business degree from Grand Valley. Following that, the plan, I think, is for Matthew to adopt Lexie formally.
So am I a grandfather yet? Hey, I got the job, even if it might take a while for the paperwork to catch up.

MIT??? WTF!

If you'll recall, there was a lot of excitement when Michigan invited Andrew to come down and see the engineering school. Today's mail brought more excitement -- MIT, yes, THE MIT, simply sent Andrew an application.



Oh, Wow. What kind of a grin is that?



We had a very frank discussion -- MIT costs about $50,000 a year, a whole lot more than in-state tuition at Michigan. The university is very up-front, admitting only about 16 percent of the people they interview -- and yes, they interview applicants.
But it's all part of the adventure, and I'm more than willing to pay the application fee just to see what happens.
After all, they asked him.
Just a side note: Michigan's application is 23 pages long. MIT's is 28 pages.
Central's is, um, four, but applicants only have to write on two of the pages.

Snuggle kitties

Minden, left, and München share a kitchen stool on a summer morning.
Just 'cuz it's cute. Aren't they pretty?

The big fire

For about the last week, we've been distracted by a little fire Up North. Called the Sleeper Lakes Fire, it's grown from 5,000 to more than 18,000 acres in Luce County between Newberry and Pine Stump Junction. More than 220 firefighters have been trying to bring this awesome fire under control.
It's personal -- the smoke sometimes has been drifting south as far as Kissy Missy's Mom's place, making things uncomfortable. When the wind shifts, the fire moves toward the family's cabin.
These photos are by Michigan Department of Natural Resources photographer David Kenyon. Above, a Michigan Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter based at Grand Ledge hauls a 750-gallon "Bambi bucket" after dumping water on the flames.



All that was left in the wake of the fire was charred earth, and dead and dying trees.





At right, Luce County Sheriff Kevin Erickson and the flight crew of a National Guard Chinook helicopter based at Selfridge Air National Guard base near Mt. Clemens plan a flight over the fire.









Michigan DNR Fire Officer Mike Stearns from Gaylord sprays a foaming agent on the roof of a hunting cabin near the fire.

Other photos: Newberry-area photographer Gina Harman has posted some amazing shots.

WLUC-TV has a report

Campground owner Cathy Clementz has been updating her blog with news from near the scene, as well.

At Blue Lake's Stewart Shell

Robert performed Sunday at the conclusion of his adventure at Blue Lake with the Red Band. The finale of the show: Karl L. King's "The Trombone King," a classic mid-century march.





Robert's friend Jalen, an orchestra student, spent his first session at Blue Lake.






Things never seem to slow down during the busy 12 days.