Every Friday I’ll indulge my order-crazed brain in a list of randomness. Welcome to my Friday Fives.

Before I talk band camp, can we go back to the Fitbit? This thing = awesome. I’ve hit my step goal every day since I started until…today. Wah wah. I have a little over 2000 steps to go, but considering it’s been pouring rain since I left work I guess I can try to pace my living room?

After my post I had six people say they either were going to get one or ordered one. Love it! Let’s all be Fitbit friends.

I’ve been walking solo this week since Joe has been wrapped up in all things band camp. Lee, his brother–our best man, is here helping. Just like last year.

With band on the brain, I thought I’d sort through my buried high school memories and pull out my favorite marching band moments.

5. Busted

That one time….at band camp??  When the 6’5” trombone player marching backwards ran into me and drove my mellophone into my teeth? Yeah, it was horrible. Blood dripping down my chin, black lip, but lucky all teeth intact. It was a small miracle. I’m still friends with that guy…he now has a PhD in higher education and works for a Seattle university. I plan to cash in on his guilt someday so Joe and I can visit. I’m comin’ for you, Josh.

4. Rain or Shine

When I was a freshman we did a marching contest in a torrential downpour. I think we were the last band to perform before they deemed it too dangerous for anyone to be contained in a metal stadium. Lovely! I remember the band boosters finding some basement or church or something where the entire band crammed it to dry off. One parent bought out Walmart’s stash of athletic socks. We were covered in mud and dripping in our uniforms, but we were loving it.

3. Stink Eye of the Tiger

Speaking of weather, my sophomore year was the senior year of a one Rocky Calmus, superstar of Oklahoma football. During a playoff game, rain turned to freezing rain as the sun went down. Woodwinds got to pack up and go under the stands, but the brass? We played “Eye of the Tiger” (get it? ROCKY Calmus?) over and over and overandoverandoverandover. My valves were frozen. My lips were numb. I thought I was going to die playing the Rocky theme. (We won.)

2. Crowd Surfing

My first two years of high school were spent at a football dynasty school. The crowds for which we played are probably some of the largest crowds I’ve EVER performed before. I remember the pure adrenaline rush when I had my first solo. Just thinking about it gets my heart pounding. There will always be a special place in my heart for “Someone to Watch Over Me” because of it.

1. Sibling Love

Four out of five of my memories are from my first high school, mainly because I abhorred my band directors at the second school. ANYWHO…I do have one very special memory from my junior and senior years…and I didn’t have to go far from home to get it. I absolutely loved seeing my brother perform as drum major. He was amazing and it gave me so much pride to see him up there doing his thang. He was a total natural, as a leader and as a conductor.

Pictures of this week to come soon. Anyone else have favorite band camp stories?