I must have gone through a bottle and a half of Bourbon, the number of singles and doubles I had on Friday night, all started innocently enough on the Gold Max Beer… but as soon as I hit the Bourbon that was the beginning of the end, I have to say it MUST have been a good night, because I have a few pockets of amnesia! Somehow I managed to have the presence of mind to get a taxi home sometime around 3-4am (the night started at 5.30pm the day before by the way)…at least I didn’t wake up in a gutter at around 5.30am and start chucking my guts up - like ’some’ colleagues I could mention!!

As you can imagine I didn’t get up too early on Saturday, in fact lets just skip Saturday ok..? It’s full of not feeling so well moments, and flashbacks etc…

So….Sunday! Today, another day of rehersal, marching practice and more rehersal, and just so we get the marching drill right, we had some pointers off the drum major for the Central Band of the New Zealand Royal Air Force! So we learned a little about dressing by the centre and by the right, and of course check pacing; I think if we all just concentrate on the day we might just pull it off!! We also have to memorise the march - apparently we will get more points for that!

And that’s my weekend done… next stop? BRISBANE!

I’ve spent years and years “thinking” I knew how to play the cornet. When in fact I didn’t really ‘get’ the finer points, luckilly the crowd I’m in with now at Wellington Brass Band are helping me to step up; and it’s a steep learning curve! Having to ‘unlearn’ years of bad practise and habit, and replace it with the new and improved version…. In part I guess I know a little of Vista’s pain now, but that still doesn’t make me wanna go out and buy a copy!! I’ve got a LOT of hard work to get myself ready for the Australian Nationals, we’ve got two pieces and two marches to get perfect, and they are not the easiest pieces on the planet - she’ll be right though

Sigh…Keith should be in Welly (pet name for Wellington - duh!!) tomorrow, and so I’ll be out forcing myself to have a good time, and drink copious amounts of alcohol. I must admit I have been extremly tame since I arrived in NZ. I haven’t even gone out for that sake of going out?! Well, no excuses tomorrow I’m on a mission…who knows? I might even get noticed?!

In other news? Nothing much goin on…

I’ve just got back from taking part in the Christmas Parade with Wellington Brass Band; and I am a little bit tired to say the least, it’s glorious hot sunshine over here today, and the march was about an hour long [EDIT - was only about 20 odd minutes march but felt like an hour!!] and easily over a kilometer!! Still we all made it to the finish line, and there were loads of crowds, unfortunatley I didn’t have anyone there who could take any pictures, so I “borrow” some from press footage later on perhaps ;P Anyways - Here’s another photo, of me in my new uniform, and it’s also a glimpse of my bedsit too!!

This was certainly a show to remember, with the show starting off in Kyle’s appartment - they somehow managed to fit a loose plot round all of the songs; I won’t give it away for those yet to see this but it was almost like going to a live version of the movie!!  I loved every minute, apart from the support act - (though clever gig psychology ensued!) - the support was some wannabe comedian dishing out deliberatley un-funny and bad-taste jokes to us….  although insainly bad, this ploy was pure genius by “The D”

Well - let’s face it, absolutley anything that follows an act like this comedian would be sheer awesomeness!  In my own humble opinion I doubt “The D” should need to resort to this, given their shining example of greatness and showmanship! The encore was eggsellent! With a fine rendition of “Tribute” - The Greatest Song in the World?!

This was a great way to spend my burfday indeed - Fankyoo to my Bruva and Sister-In-Law!