Wombat in Philly

[BRWombat]

DS is only 14 months old, so I'm still in the oh my god don't touch the shopping cart till mommy wipes it stage....

First-kid parenting is such a fun adventure. Have you heard the progression? With a first child, if the baby's pacifier drops to the floor and the dog licks it, the parent will put it in boiling water to sterilize it before giving it back to the child.

With the second child, if the baby's pacifier drops to the floor and the dog licks it, the parent will wipe the pacifier on their sleeve before returning it to the child.

With the third child, if the baby's pacifier drops to the floor and the dog licks it, the parent will put it in boiling water to sterilize it before giving it back to the dog. :D:

[BRWombat]

It's been a month since the last update, so here we go...

UPDATE: The VM had our Spring show series this past weekend -- good crowds, great jazz-themed music lineup, lots of fun. And we performed our two contest tunes to close the first half of the shows, the first time we've performed them to an audience. We did them without choreography because of the show staging (and also because we don't have it at performance level yet!), but even just standing and singing there were standing O's. The songs are definitely top-rate, and when we add the moves we'll knock it out of the park in Philly.

With the Spring shows behind us, though, this means it is truly contest time -- lots of extra rehearsals, long hours, lots of time away from family working on little but these two songs. The payoff is worthwhile, but it's a lot of work in the meantime.

Speaking of family, though, my older son Brandon has started coming to rehearsals with me and hopes to audition soon! If he passes his audition, it's not real likely that he'd be able to become riser-qualified in time to compete in Philadelphia, but he'd at least be a member of the group.

The contest is just nine weeks, four days away! :D:

[darph nader]

That is 'so' kewl that Brandon wants to follow in dads foot-steps. 'If' I remember correctly,he's a little 'shorter' than you,so they can put him 'up-front'.

[BRWombat]

That is 'so' kewl that Brandon wants to follow in dads foot-steps. 'If' I remember correctly,he's a little 'shorter' than you,so they can put him 'up-front'.

LOL -- he used to be shorter! Now he's within an inch or two of my height and still growing. I had him standing next to me on the back row at our rehearsals! (And his younger brother's not far behind -- both have passed their mom and all four grandparents!)

[DisneyMom]

LOL -- he used to be shorter! Now he's within an inch or two of my height and still growing. I had him standing next to me on the back row at our rehearsals! (And his younger brother's not far behind -- both have passed their mom and all four grandparents!)

That's what you get for feeding them

[Purpura]

When I met Brandon I saw how tall he was and I figured he'd be your height eventually, Wombat!

Still thinking good thoughts and hoping the VMs get Gold this year!

[hobie16]

BRW, have you ever thought about doing a Lady Gaga number?

[BRWombat]

When I met Brandon I saw how tall he was and I figured he'd be your height eventually, Wombat!

Still thinking good thoughts and hoping the VMs get Gold this year!

Thanks, Purpura!

BRW, have you ever thought about doing a Lady Gaga number?

Hey, they're pretty good! (And not nearly as off-putting as Lady Gaga!)

We'll probably leave that one to the younger choruses, though. :)

[BRWombat]

Okay, it hasn't quite been a month, but this is a really good time for a VM update. We're just over six weeks from the contest, and we had over 13 hours of rehearsal just this past week -- two hours of sectionals, our regular Thursday night practice but with an extra hour of choreography practice, and all day Saturday! And my stamina is building back, so I wasn't nearly as sore or tired as I was after our last all-day.

The chorus is really making good progress, well ahead of where we were last year at this time. The songs are phenomenal, fun to sing, and the choreography to our uptune is going to blow people away.

Three things happened yesterday to get me even more excited about our trip to Philly for the competition:

First, I got word that I passed my qualification. Every VM member, veteran or rookie, has to submit recordings of himself singing the uptune with the chorus to be cleared to compete. We have to show that we know the song 100%, notes and lyrics, and are also evaluated on technique. It took me three recordings, but I passed, so I will for sure be on the risers in Philly!

Second, I discovered the existence of the Philly subway system, which perhaps will allow me to see some of the historical sites of the city without having to do much extra walking. I don't have much energy left after a week of competition!

Finally, and least importantly, I found a Tony Roma's restaurant that our family can eat at on the way to Philadelphia. It's become a family tradition to eat at Tony Roma's on vacation if at all possible. We used to have one close by in the Dallas area, but it shut down, and there are none in North Texas any more. We've dined at the Tony Roma's north of the Orlando airport on our last 3 WDW trips, and at the Harbor Blvd one last year in Anaheim. It's a little thing, but it will make it seem like a vacation all the more.

Tony DeRosa (no relation to Tony Roma's), three-time quartet gold medalist and longtime vocal director and performer at Walt Disney World, is flying in this Thursday to coach us, as he did last year. He's an incredibly funny guy, but he also makes us work, so it should be another long week!

[Main Streeter]

I discovered the existence of the Philly subway system, which perhaps will allow me to see some of the historical sites of the city without having to do much extra walking. I don't have much energy left after a week of competition!

BRW, your updates are interesting & so fun to read. :) Just a word on The Philly Subway. When I was in Philly, & I loved it, one of my wishes was to ride the subway, especially the L. The family I stayed with was horrified I'd even think of going near the subway. They thought of every reason to keep me safe & from riding the L. One early morning, Bobby, a Philly Fireman (brother of the superintendent of schools I was staying with) began throwing stones at my window. He said to get dressed & be quiet coming down. Bobby was fun!!. He'd do anything for me. He & I rode the Philly & L subway all over the city the entire day. The adventure was fantastic - but I was glad a guy who knew Philly was with me cuz there were many areas which didn't seem safe. Down right white knuckle territory. Go, but becareful & don't let your wife & sons ride alone. Just give your wife the CC & let her go to Redding outlets.