Loose in the City 6-28-08

“Woke up this morning, you were on my mind…”
Continental breakfast was followed by a 3 hour rehearsal with maestro Paul Caldwell who has the girls working very hard and really learning the finer points of this composition. It sounded fabulous, and he keeps them entertained as well. Gives them feedback with humor.
Following a morning inside we ventured out to the city and hiked down to the river front where we each had our CHOICE of lunch at the River Walk food court followed by a little window shopping before an afternoon at the Aquarium of the Americas. The girls and adults were all fascinated by the rays and sharks, jelly fish and seahorses, turtles and otters, macaws and piranhas. There was also a pirate, touch and jungle gym type area, and us adults enjoyed watching our mature ladies jump in lines to touch the reef shark and sting rays! They played like kids; it was very refreshing to see them not take themselves so seriously.
Well, on schedule, it rained, it poured so we stood outside under the aquarium canopy and girls, as usual, spontaneously broke into song, every passerby stopped to listen and enjoy. Walked home after the rain abated, still drizzling, we arrived back at the hotel, and had a brief time before heading out for a private showing at the original PRESERVATION HALL!!! Some of us sat on benches, many of us stood, we all clapped our hands sore and bought many CD’s and tee shirts. The hall is like nothing you would expect, and I think the girls were very impressed that such a homespun hall could be the famous home of so many jazz bands and well known musicians. Every president since and including Lyndon Johnson has sat on the same benches!
After our private concert we wandered to our restaurant and had chicken, catfish, and shrimp with salad, veggies and cheesecake for dessert. Our first true sit down dinner with all of us in one room. The kids had a great time. Then… Our illustrious leaders spirited away our ninth graders to have dessert at BRENNAN’s and the rest of us peons came home where a number of them took a night time swim on the roof tops outside! So headed to bed shortly- the end to another full day!