Speckled Green

Date: Thursday 28th August, 2008
Waking up later today at around 7 am, to get ready for breakfast at 8. Today we were going to play to the old folk at nursing homes. First stop: Port Macquarie Gardens Nursing Home.

We arrived around 9:30 after our great breakfast. Originally the plan was for the Stage Band to play for the old folk, and then the Flute ensemble and Clarinet ensemble would play as well, while the others mingle and/or talk with the people. After arriving though, Mark discovered there was enough room for the band to set up in, so he got the whole band to play. We played through a shortened version of our repertoire using pieces which would be more appealing to them. Also Mark got us to play softer, so that we didn’t ‘blow their heads off’. We wouldn’t have been that loud….. =] yeah right. Of cause we would!!

Anyways, after that, as we were packing up, an elderly couple started talking to Mark about their children who went to baulko in its early years (1970′s). I overheard and asked the lady which year her sons went, and wondered if my dad knew one of them…. in the end he doesn’t know any of them, but still, reminds me of how my dad once said you could go anywhere in NSW and still see someone local on your trip.

After that we went off to a Hydro Golf range. For those of you who don’t know hydro golf, it’s a golfing range on a lake, and you hit the golf balls into the lake. Most people decided to do hydro golf, so the smart ones of us chose to do putt putt!! In total 9 of us did putt putt, and we had a great time. I was in a group with Matthew and Ed. Both Matt and I sucked, while Ed was being his pro self and getting 2s and 3s, with the odd 4. Despite that, both Matt and I got a few hole in 1s, while Ed was lamenting that he didn’t get any, but he still beat us…

Lunch was pre-packed chicken rolls and a popper. Filling. After lunch and golf, we went off to our next performance at Bethany Lodge Hostel (a Salvo’s aged care centre). There, because the room was limited, the Stage band was the main performance, with the Flute and Clarinet ensembles doing a few pieces as well. The stage band played several pieces while the ensembles practiced outside, and the other students stayed on the bus. The last piece was ‘The Legend of Danny Boy’ where the Stage band and a few flutes and clarinets made up for the whole concert band. Funny, cause it still sounded really good.

Afterwards we lugged all the equipment back to the bus and went off to Settlement City (shopping centre). While we were driving around, we saw Girraween Place!! All the way out there! Anyhows, we shopped around there for a hour and a bit. The yr 9s went wandered around and went to The Reject Shop, baught up on cheap food, and then wandered off to McDonald’s. After our time was up, the band met up and we learnt that Mark Barnsley had made an ‘investment’ in a $2 self-inflating whoopie chussion. Sandra loved it. While we were waiting for the bus to drive into the bus bay, Martin fell off a pole he was sitting on, and hurt his arm. Poor Martin.

So, we started setting up, and just about all of us had to stand up. We played through many of our pieces. Mark was getting the trombones to play as loud as they could, which didn’t make the people around them happy (and made the Trombone players a bit tired). Although not many people stopped to listen to us, people thought we were good. Which is good to hear. We finished around 5ish.

Being the person that I am, I predicted that when we go outside to pack the bus, it’ll be raining in some way. Low and behold, when we went outside, it was dizzling. How did I manage to predict that… It had nothing to do with the dark clouds in the sky *wink wink nudge nudge*.

After that we went back to our accomd. at Bonny Hills Conference Centre. Dinner was nice again, and it was another night of card games, poker, tv, junk food and loud talking. At midnight, the yr 12s, yr 11s and a few others celebrated Sam’s birthday. I went to sleep early that night. I was tired.