SHORT STOP IN ALABAMA

French Toast on the grill...

The corps only stopped in Jacksonville (Alabama) for the show last night. Got to see the Cavaliers also. They’re doing a Billy Joel programme. Will see it many more times, but already really enjoyed it. Fast paced and well performed!

I just missed Glassmen’s performance, for I heard the announcer ask the crowd for a round of applause for them when I got off the bus. Cavaliers and Devils are absolutely awesome. I go to see the shows from up front, so can’t really judge. Have to see them both from up top one day. Plenty of time for that on this tour alright!

In Jacksonville I met my buddy Cozy Baker (colleague writer for Drum Corps World). He spent some time with Jubal while we were on tour in the States last summer, and joined us for the HK Chinese dinner on the Wednesday night if Championships week in Madison. Also ran in to John Donovan (owner of Drum Corps Planet and board member of the Blue Devils). I have known him a few years too now. Always great to see a lot of familiar faces when here. And I’m sure I will get to see a whole lot of them. Brian Hickman and Rod Owens (Glassmen) were there too. They took their corps on a tour in Europe last summer. Had a little chat with both of them. After the show I finally saw Erik. I told him I was going to get him the stuff his folks gave along the next day. I will fortunately get to see the Glassmen quite a bit this tour.

After the show we had to get on the buses quickly again, for the tour was taking us to Tupelo Mississippi. Yes,.. TUPELO,… where Elvis was born back in 1935!!! Quite hot in Tupelo, especially in the morning. The afternoon wasn’t all that bad.

Today (Monday) was also the first day my “job” at Blue Devils really started. I was assigned to the food truck kitchen staff – Devils Food – and will be cooking for the corps these for weeks.That should be fun. You probably know I am fond of cooking, and especially for others! So no problem there, for there’s 170 hungry people lining up at the tables four times a day!

Made French Toast this morning (the translation of “wentelteefjes” freaks them out!!! French toast,… some 400.

Yes,… these meals here are something else alright. Unbelievable how much food is stacked in all the cabinets and on the shelves in the food truck! Pretty amazing. And every Friday a new order of food comes in (delivery).

The corps rehearsed at various fields on the school premises. For lunch we made hamburgers on the grill. Again,… 400 !!! Can you imagine the heat in that food truck, when it’s around 32 degrees outside already?

Also made two massive pasta salads, but these didn’t go very well. Guess the members didn’t really feel like eating pasta salad today. Well,.. they will be seeing it again one of these days. Leftovers always return to the table as snack later the same week. Got to check out some of the rehearsal this afternoon. Pretty intense!
After dinner (800+ fish sticks in the oven) the corps warmed up and got ready for the show.

No,... these are Fish Sticks, not Ladyfingers (lange vingers)!

In the meantime I had a chance to see Glassmen’s show. A gipsy themed programme, which works very well for them. Rhythms that stick in you rmind. Erik is doing a great job with them. Took a couple of shots of him during the show. It’s hard to find him the first time you get to see the show. He was happy with the Belgian Waffles (and I bet his bus partners are even happier!)

Devils didn’t put on a very good show. They dropped in score just a little. Tomorrow they will study a new ending. New music & new drill. Will be exciting to see that!

We will stay overnight here and have a full day of rehearsal scheduled in Tupelo. Then it’s a long drive to Dallas, Texas. We will be staying just outside of Dallas in a town named Little Elm. Some 600 miles from here. Am I glad I have a bed to sleep in while we’re driving there!!! I have a bunk on “the Nest” - the support staff bus. Very convenient!! Both in 2004 and 2005 I spent most nights in the souvenir truck, first year as co-driver, in 2005 as driver, so mostly slept during the days then. This year is different. I am cooking all day, shooting a lot of photos again, and get to sleep at night.

Enjoy,

HK