BUS BREAKDOWN

The ultimate nightmare of every corps on tour! But you still hear stories about these from pretty much every corps. This year Blue Devils had quite the experience. It turned out not to be a very big problem after all (for the bus that is) but it definitely changed the schedule a bit and the drive to Little Elm (Texas).

At about 3AM (I was still awake) we pull over to the side of the highway, and phone calls are made between our bus and corps manager Pete Emmons in the motor home, a few miles behind us.

Apparently the lead bus (Funliner) had some issues and had to stop, so all vehicles stop. The Souvie truck/trailer was travelling with us. That vehicle took the exit, went through the toll-booth and came back the other direction, but Toby (the driver) told us to make a U-turn BEFORE the toll-booth and go back. The funny thing was, he had explained the situation to a cop at the toll-booth, and we made the U-turn seeing the patrol car right there at the booth, so you can imagine our driver (Warner) got a little nervous.

When we got to the buses (after another U-turn – funny you can do this on a highway, probably not supposed to though…) the problem seemed to have been solved, because everyone was ready to roll again. Well,… within two miles we all stopped again. It was definitely a bus-breakdown.

All members on that bus were to be divided on the other vehicles. We would get 13 extra people on “The Nest” (our staff-bus). The other staff bus got a bunch too, a few extra members on the motor home, and the rest had to travel on the other two member buses (I really feel sorry for those guys!)

Before they moved to the other vehicles we (six of us on the support staff bus) helped move all the members’ luggage from the bus into the souvie truck & trailer. I guess the whole operation took about an hour before we could continue our way to Texas (another 400 miles or so).

Once we got to the school the truck drivers had cereals and stuff ready for everyone to eat. Because of the delayed arrival, the afternoon block was cancelled. Everyone got to sleep in a few extra hours till 4PM. That meant a short rehearsal day with only the evening block at the school district stadium. Kind of weird waking up and having dinner being served right away.

I added a little DADA to the mashed potatoes. (In general I have become known here at BD for adding things to the food here that normally don't always go in...)

The Little Elm High School we’re staying at is probably my favourite school building of any of the tours. We come back here every year. I posted about the school here on the blog a few years ago too. It’s HUGE! I got the know the band director Frank well too over the years.

A great thing this school provides for the members is the Walmart/Starbucks-runs they do on their school shuttle bus. The band director or his assistant drive the shuttle back and forth to the shopping area nearby during the breaks, and early in the morning before rehearsal starts. Great service!

My dear friend Charles Kendrick (who lives in Dallas) had come to watch tonight’s rehearsal. Too bad I wasn’t there. Fortunately he stopped by the school. So good to see him again! Last time was in 2010. He has been trying to “steal” me away from the corps and take me to Dallas to show me his work and studio. Unfortunately it never worked out, but guess what… I am spending the day with him and his wife Susie in Dallas this Thursday!

Enjoy,

HK