I TOLD YOU I WOULD... ONE DAY

and that one day.. is TODAY.
Ready for take-off!

I follow the night
Can't stand the light
When will I begin
To live again

One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
What more could your love do for me
When will love be through with me

Why live life from dream to dream
And dread the day when dreaming ends

One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
Why live life from dream to dream
And dread the day when dreaming ends

One day I'll fly away
Fly fly away

(composed by Joe Sample, Will Jennings)

70

Still the score to beat in the QUIZ!

135 EMAILS

My fingers hurt!!!
Yep,.. sent out this number of emails last night and this morning. All Tour-related.
As you know I will be in California over the weekend to discuss out corps’ trip to the USA scheduled for late July. Drum Corps International will have its annual winter meeting in 68 degrees Pasadena (19-20 Celsius! Nice!!)

Flying out tomorrow morning. Booked a rental car for the necessary transportation… Can’t go there without hitting the town a little and cruising down Rodeo Drive, right?

Have received some very positive replies on my email.
Booking a flight is easy (well,… not when they find out how many instruments we’re taking over) and so are charter buses. The hitch is finding an equipment trailer we could use/borrow/rent and even more… a food truck!

Let’s see what this weekend in Pasadena brings us. Will be doing some serious networking there!
Will keep you all posted…

TAKE THE TEST

Got a neat tip from a friend, who had created a quiz on her weblog.
My score was pretty good.
Now go to this QUIZ and find out what you know about ME.

Enjoy!

HK

PARTYTIME

Kakofonieband De Rammen at Ramspoed

Tonight is our annual Band Festival RAMSPOED in Bibelot (Dordrecht). Absolutely GREAT party! Total of 18 bands will perform on two stages tonight ! Great variety of musical styles. Theme of tonight is MARDI GRAS ! Should be fun!

Today is a busy and long day then. We're all going over to Bibelot (which is a former church!!) to decorate the place at 9 AM. Party tonight will only be done by 2:30 AM.

SHOP TILL YOU DROP

Harrods - London during the Holiday Season

Something I can do any day,... all day. Some find it strange a guy likes shopping,... I simply cannot resist. Unfortunately I haven't been out on my shopping-adventures too often lately. Did buy some stuff in the sales. An afternoon of selecting Christmas gifts was probably my last real mission.

Favourite stores when abroad are definitely Galéries Lafayette in Paris, Harrods in London (make sure you bring enough money though!) & Macy's in New York. FAO Schwartz is a close second there!

Toughest thing to buy? SHOES. God I hate buying shoes! I need to see the pair I like right when I walk into the store... if not? I probably won't fine a pair I like there.

DORDT IN STOOM

My hometown of Dordrecht (Netherlands) will once again organise the largest steam power event in Europe wthis year (May 20 & 21). This will mark the 12th anniversary of the event.
Holland's oldest city draws about 250,000 visitors to this steam celebration. Admission to 'Dordt in Steam' is free. Day-tickets will be sold for round trips on historic transport (the 'Steam circuit Dordt' - Stoomrondje Dordt).

On Friday evening, May 19, Dordt in Steam will open with an impressive naval parade on the river. This spectacle can be seen for free from the Groothoofd and the Merwekade between 8PM and 9:30 PM.

The gigantic event is spread across two areas in the city which are linked with ships, trains and old-timer busses. By purchasing a day-ticket for the 'Steam circuit Dordt', the visitor will have unlimited access to the various forms of historic transport at the event. It also includes admission to the Model Building Show. A round trip lasts at least three hours!

A MUST SEE !

GREAT SONG

Great lyrics too!

YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND
Music & Lyrics by Carole King

When you're down and troubled
And you need some loving care
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend

If the sky above you
Grows dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind begins to blow
Keep your head together
And call my name out loud
Soon you'll hear me knocking at your door

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there

Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold
They'll hurt you, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them
Oh, but don't you let them

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend

DOUBLE DUTCH DARTS FINALS

This year’s Lakeside World Darts Championship today will end in a Dutch-Only final match. Dartgiant Raymond van Barneveld (6 time finalist!) will meet the future of this sport, the 21-year-old Dutch darts sensation Jelle Klaassen.

Klaassen made his debut at these Championships and amazingly outscored all of his opponents with impressive scores. His semi-final match was a thrilling 6-3 victory over Shaun Greatbatch, who had a 3-1 advantage earlier on in the match.

Barneveld is a veteran at Lakeside. He will be chasing a record-equalling fifth title today. Klaassen, the rookie of the Championships however will have him run for his money in the 13 sets to be played today.

IT'S NOT IMPORTANT WHAT YOU ARE, BUT WHOM YOU KNOW...

OFF TO PASADENA

In two weeks' time I will going on a quick trip to Pasadena (California).
Leave on Thursday - home on Monday morning... Yes... just one weekend!

The annual Drum Corps International meeting is held there, so all DCI corps boards and staff members get together, together with the DCI Summer Tour Event Partners in different seminar sessions preparing for the 2006 season.

Together with two board members I will be representing our corps (which will be travelling to the States this summer for a 3-week tour) there, hoping to finalize our tour schedule.

Back and forth in just four days will just be enough to hit you with a decent jet-lag, so I'm looking forward to that. I bet on the plane I will catch up on some missed sleep over the last few weeks.

Pasadena, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, is home of the Rose Bowl Stadium - famous for the Tournament of Roses Festival and the Rose Bowl Game National Championships.

TOO FEW HOURS IN ONE DAY !

So much to do,... so little time,...
Well,... not enough time rather.

On good day still has about 5 hours of sleep and 19 hours to spend doing other things.
Could use a few hours more these days though.

This week it's back to work after the Christmas break, which brings along tons of work (correction and stuff).

Then there's the upcoming USA Tour for this summer...
Being in charge of Planning and Tour Coordination I have quite a bit of responsibilty.
We will be going on a three week Tour with a little over 100 people. Some trip!!! Lookig forward to it!

Am making a new outfit for Carnaval. Theme for our band this year is Carnevale Venezia.
Found some pretty neat (tacky) black velvet fabric, decorated with a print in gold.
Should be ready before next weekend, when we'll have our RAMSPOED National Festival. Mom is helping out, thank God!

Suicide or Murder?

He would have turned 91 today. Actor George (Bessolo) Reeves was born January 5, 1914 and died June 16, 1959.

Reeves was best know for playing comic-book hero Superman on the 1950s TV series The Adventures of Superman. Before that he was working at the Pasadena Community Playhouse when he was cast as southern suitor Stuart Tarelton in the epic Gone With the Wind (1939, with Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh). He appeared in over three dozen movies through the 1940s (including a bit part alongside Ronald Reagan in 1941's Knute Rockne, All-American), then hit it big as Superman on TV.

The Adventures of Superman aired from 1952 to 1957 and made Reeves a familiar face across America. He made his final film appearance in 1956, in the Disney feature Westward Ho The Wagons!, before killing himself in 1959.

Reeves' death is considered controversial by some, though. The actor apparently shot himself in the head during a drinking party at his own home, and police ruled the death a suicide. But nobody witnessed the shooting, and some fans feel that other evidence indicates Reeves was murdered.This Reeves was no relation by the way to 1950s star Steve Reeves (who played Hercules on-screen) or to actor Christopher Reeve , who later played Superman in feature films.

A TRUE FRIEND

1. When you are sad :
I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue :
I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile :
I will know you finally got laid.

4. When you are scared :
I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried :
I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused :
I will use little words.

7. When you are sick :
Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall:
I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

9. This is my oath..... I pledge it to the end.

"Why?" you may ask: "Because I am your friend".

Have a great 2006 !

2006 is here... Much sooner than expected! Wasn't quite done with 2005 yet. Too bad there's only 24 hours in one day, 7 days in one week, and 12 months in one year... Could have used a few more days...

Oh well,... another 362 days to go this year!

Hope eveyone will be making the very best out of this year. I will certainly try! Will be tough at times, but I'm ready for it!

Wishing all of you a wonderful and joyful 2006!

HK