Because I haven't posted in a while...

First, after their fourth hurricane in six weeks it's high time for another check in from our Floridian friends and parents-of-friends.
Jean Chretien came to speak at the U of M a week and a half ago (has it really been that long since last I posted?), so I struck a deal with my geography teacher that allowed me to catch the second half of the talk on the condition that I find some way to relate it to class material and give a brief oral report on the appropriate day (ahh, British expatriot economic geographers--so flexible). I may not be so lucky when Garrison Kiellor comes to my high school this November as a special favor to the neighbor of my tenth grade English teacher.
I took my second sick-day-because-I-was-kinda-sick-but-really-just-had-to-finish-my-math-homework day in the last 6 years last friday. Self-imposed long weekends are nice--even though I still went to all my University classes.
Our high school decided to name the auditorium after one of our most capable superintendants who was misfortunate enough to have to preside over half a dozen school closings. Accordingly, there has been a lot of construction work redoing the entrance facade, but no touch-ups for the actual stage (how fitting!). My brass quintet was chosen to play a rather stunning piece for the opening ceremony as representatives of the band department. That's pretty much the only really positive thing going on in my music career. I got put in the third chair for the full band and was I-fear-not-erroneously left off the orchestra winds roster. Jazz has presented a similar story. I never should have admitted to my limited summer practice schedule.
Way to not die after being pushed out of the womb, Josh!

Adieu,
Michael