GREAT FIRST DAY

This first day was a great one!
With my flight having been rescheduled I had to leave home real early, so I had to “miss” the last day at school. Otherwise I could have gone to school, and catch a train at bout 1PM and get to the airport at ease. Well that changed when I found out I was rerouted through London on a flight that left at 7:20 Am. Su much for stopping by school…

In total I had been up and running (not counting the time I slept on the plane though) for a good 52 hours. And it still felt OK.
Angela (my long-time Blue Devils color guard alumni friend) picked me up from the airport.

I was so lucky at the airport. The line for US citizens at immigration was way longer than the line for non-US visitors. This was the first trip ever I did not have to fill out an I-94 form (visa waiver). Apparently the ESTA forms we have to fill out online before the trip are sufficient information for the authorities. So I got through Immigration in no-time. No problems at all. The friendliest officer ever at the desk!
Then my suitcase was one of the first to come down the conveyer belt, so I was the very first to walk through customs too. Waited a little bit outside for Angela to drive by the terminal and pick me up.

We went by the Cerritos High School where Angela teaches color guard. The band is not all that big. It was fun running into some other BD people I know there. Jessie is teaching visual and Nicole, who aged out with Angela back in 2004 is teaching the front ensemble. This trip is turning into a reunion already! I like it!
I stopped at Wal-Mart for a bit and do some errands. I had just remembered I forgot to bring my toothbrush.

Picked up Angela at the school and went to Long Beach, where she works at “District Wine”, a very cool new wine bar right in the middle of where it all happens in long Beach. The place is run by Mark Dunton (former BD and Scouts instructor) and his fiancé Angela Mesna.

What a great place they have. This would totally be something for me back in Holland!! I just might it another thought!
A bunch of other friends stopped by that evening too. My dear friend Gary Juarez came too. He was in town visiting his parents for the July 4 weekend. Gary came and stayed with e last year May when he was over for clinics in France. Fun guy!
Also Jennifer (BD guard 2009) came, and Preston Howard, who I believe I met ages ago, but really got acquainted to last year, when he was teaching Millenium drum & bugle corps from Italy. I saw him at the DCE Championships. And Jessie, who is on BD’s visual staff and will be on the same tour-bus as I will be on throughout tour. That will be fun. He brought a friend who marched SCV. We all turned out to have quite a few mutual friends!

The evening was a blast. The red wine they serve is excellent!!!
Took a couple of group shots at the end of the evening, before we left.
Jessie made blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs at Angela’s and Jarrod’s and I think we only hit the sack at about 4AM.

Enjoy,

HK