Rhythms and Reputations

Hi everybody!

Hope ya'll stayed warm and cozy given the weather. Just as I was all pumped about it being -4 mother nature caught up with us.

Wes and I hit the highway friday afternoon due south for Sioux Falls South Dakota. Come hell or high water we were gonna get there.

Well 8 hours, and several cups of disgusting caramel gas station coffee, we arrived at Famous Dave's Rib Shack ten minutes before they closed! It was a wild and whacky drive.

Really not the worst conditions I've ever seen. It rained most of the way, and just outside Aberdeen, fog, rain, and ice, caused us to slow to a crawl for about an hour.

We arrived though. Woke up early saturday for a great clinic session with the Dakota and District Pipes and Drums. This group never ceases to amaze me. Every time Wes and I get down there they get better. January is a special trip because it is also their Burn's celebration.

Unlike traditional Burn's nights this one is held in a pub. McNally's to be precise. Great atmosphere, great people. After the haggis was all finished the band played to a packed house and didn't let us down. Great show! Then it was our turn, of course with a little brown liquid courage, to step up to the stage and strut our stuff.

Gigs like this are a blast. Wes and I get to forget all the hard work and studied playing we practice with the band and just cut loose. It isn't always pretty, but we really enjoy it! A varied rendition of our new medley, some showy drumming, and a reel set and we received great crowd response.

Got to head out and see a bit of the town after that. Wyatt, one of the band's great up and comers, took me out to a local bar packed full of folks. Of course our kilts got plenty of attention but it was all good!

I woke up Sunday morning to Wes whipping me with a wet towel screaming "GET UP"! I then rolled out of bed packed and proceeded to sleep in the van through a blizzard until we arrived in Fargo.

Blizzard conditions kept up with us all the way home. Cars were lining the ditches, but hey, we're from a prairie pipe band, snow will not stop us!

Finally got back home last night, caught some sleep and woke up to a frozen and shut down Winnipeg.

I know "Winnipeg? Snow? Blizzard? GET OUTTA HERE!" but it's true. Just when you think you've earned a new reputation, mother nature kicks in.

But we're Winnipegers, and as much as our beautiful city has it's reputations so do we. We canceled Juvenile practice tonight due to weather conditions, I've already had phone calls from the grade 2 drum corp wondering if we can have a practice tonight since the kids aren't using the hall.

There's a reputation for you.

Keep the shiny side up folks, drive safe!

Sean