About Me
- blayne
- Hey, so I'm a giant nerd; I Instead of watching football will sit for hours watching DCI footage, and I also love reading about the most current technology.
Friday, July 29, 2011
July 29, 2011 - Google+
So, I've had access to my Google+ for a little over a week now and I have to say for the most part I like it. For an assortment of reasons; suck as, not nearly as many adds compared to Facebook and the circles add a personal level of control that I like. The only thing that I would like to get better are making it easier to share things through my Google reader; just to name something. The only downside that I can see right now is the lack of friends, because social websites are just like MMO's; no matter how awesome they are designed, they're are no fun if no one is on there with you.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
July 23, 2011 - Final Blog
The best way I can sum up my experience was a mess-up. I would have loved to actually put a post up everyday, but I usually got caught up in stuff and didn't have time, fell asleep, or just forgot about it. I did enjoy writing post when I got around to doing them. I feel that it was good way of reveling stress and unwinding at the end of a long day and as a writer I feel a little more confident in my writing ability. Thanks to the extra writing.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
July 14 - “Now taking the field, from Denver, Colorado the Blue Knightssssssss”
This is my free write for “What is a Place” essay.
I’ll be spending 5 minutes roughly on each of the following questions.
My place is Stanford Stadium during my DCI show I preformed there last summer.
1. What do you smell in this place?
I can smell anything you can imagine here. There are 150 sweaty kids from 15-21 who have been stuck on buses for 2 ½ hours with broken air conditioning just to get off the bus and start warming up immediately in nice warm wool uniforms then do a complete run through in that uniform. So we are drenched in sweat from head to toe. Haven’t had a shower since last night. If you can’t imagine the smell by now you’re luck. Well I guess we were the lucky one; we were use to the smell by this time. Then there was the smell of the other corps and the food in the stand. All the burgers and hot dogs a heart could desire. I almost forgot about the smell of 5 different corps’ 5 diesel running vehicles
2. What can you hear in this place?
This one is really easy. Well kinda. You obivously here all the brass players warming up, practicing for their, or actually running through their show in the performance; then there are the drummers doing all of the same things that the brass players are doing, but much louder and not a “musical” by my terms. Then there are the guard members listening to their pop songs stretching and warming up, or you can here them counting to a warm up as well, but they’re more visual and not so much on the sound thing. Then you could here the roar of the stadium announcer and the crowd as the corps were finishing or playing a big point in their show. That is just all the big stuff you could. Then there was the sounds of feet going in time to the doctor beat. warming up our visual part of the show. The people talking between shows. Talking about what they liked or didn’t like about the last show.
3. What do you see in this place?
I see a lot of hard work and dedication to something most of America couldn’t give a rats ass about. I see rivals and friends. I see terrible marching technique and amazing at the same time, depending which corps I was looking at. I see a giant stadium, the like I hadn’t seen since the Rams dome at my last high school marching band. I see my adopted family for that summer working with me. I see my music tech trying to get from staring at the Blue Devils and Santa Clara Vanguard. That was always a problem I had last summer lol.
4. What do you feel in this place?
I think they better question is what didn’t I feel that night? I felt a wide.... I mean gigantic range of emotion. Ranging from rage to euphoria. I felt nervous and calm all in the same night. It all depends on when we are talking about. It was the first night that I true realized that I, Blayne Cantrell of all people was actually doing this. Until then I thought it was all just a dream or some weird off brand I had never heard about. When the announcer of DCI was really saying “Now taking the field, from Denver, Colorado the Blue Knightssssssss” Then the crowd cheered for us. That! that right there was when I knew I was really doing it. I didn’t feel a high that good again until finals night in Indy.
5. Quick story “mini first draft” 10min
My place needs a little back story to explain were and why I was there, but it starts off with me waking up from a nap on the bus driving to the show site. I got of the bus like I had the 5 or 6 times before. Feeling my usual ants and nervousness. I didn’t think this show was going to be and different from the other ones, boy was I wrong... but that comes later. I lined up, grabbed my plume for my shako, and took off to our visual warm up. There I saw the Blue Devils, who I loath for some many reasons it’s not even funny. We got to warm up in the same tennis courts as they did. Along with out sister corp, the Troopers. I was a little angry, for no real reason, other than I was in the same area as the Blue Devils. but that soon passed, because they left before we did and as they were leaving we played them a few loud cords. Getting a good number of them to turn and look at us. It was awesome. Then after that we get to the tunnel where the anxiety went crazy, because I had never seen a stadium that full and this big in quit some time. That all passed thou. Right after I heard the official announcer for DCI say his famous line “Now taking the field, from Denver, Colorado the Blue Knightssssssss” O! M! G! I can’t explain how I felt it was so over the top! Because that was it! It was the single moments I knew that I had did it! I wouldn’t believe you if you told the high school sophomore me that I would be the one that would be on the field hearing that one day.
I’ll be spending 5 minutes roughly on each of the following questions.
My place is Stanford Stadium during my DCI show I preformed there last summer.
1. What do you smell in this place?
I can smell anything you can imagine here. There are 150 sweaty kids from 15-21 who have been stuck on buses for 2 ½ hours with broken air conditioning just to get off the bus and start warming up immediately in nice warm wool uniforms then do a complete run through in that uniform. So we are drenched in sweat from head to toe. Haven’t had a shower since last night. If you can’t imagine the smell by now you’re luck. Well I guess we were the lucky one; we were use to the smell by this time. Then there was the smell of the other corps and the food in the stand. All the burgers and hot dogs a heart could desire. I almost forgot about the smell of 5 different corps’ 5 diesel running vehicles
2. What can you hear in this place?
This one is really easy. Well kinda. You obivously here all the brass players warming up, practicing for their, or actually running through their show in the performance; then there are the drummers doing all of the same things that the brass players are doing, but much louder and not a “musical” by my terms. Then there are the guard members listening to their pop songs stretching and warming up, or you can here them counting to a warm up as well, but they’re more visual and not so much on the sound thing. Then you could here the roar of the stadium announcer and the crowd as the corps were finishing or playing a big point in their show. That is just all the big stuff you could. Then there was the sounds of feet going in time to the doctor beat. warming up our visual part of the show. The people talking between shows. Talking about what they liked or didn’t like about the last show.
3. What do you see in this place?
I see a lot of hard work and dedication to something most of America couldn’t give a rats ass about. I see rivals and friends. I see terrible marching technique and amazing at the same time, depending which corps I was looking at. I see a giant stadium, the like I hadn’t seen since the Rams dome at my last high school marching band. I see my adopted family for that summer working with me. I see my music tech trying to get from staring at the Blue Devils and Santa Clara Vanguard. That was always a problem I had last summer lol.
4. What do you feel in this place?
I think they better question is what didn’t I feel that night? I felt a wide.... I mean gigantic range of emotion. Ranging from rage to euphoria. I felt nervous and calm all in the same night. It all depends on when we are talking about. It was the first night that I true realized that I, Blayne Cantrell of all people was actually doing this. Until then I thought it was all just a dream or some weird off brand I had never heard about. When the announcer of DCI was really saying “Now taking the field, from Denver, Colorado the Blue Knightssssssss” Then the crowd cheered for us. That! that right there was when I knew I was really doing it. I didn’t feel a high that good again until finals night in Indy.
5. Quick story “mini first draft” 10min
My place needs a little back story to explain were and why I was there, but it starts off with me waking up from a nap on the bus driving to the show site. I got of the bus like I had the 5 or 6 times before. Feeling my usual ants and nervousness. I didn’t think this show was going to be and different from the other ones, boy was I wrong... but that comes later. I lined up, grabbed my plume for my shako, and took off to our visual warm up. There I saw the Blue Devils, who I loath for some many reasons it’s not even funny. We got to warm up in the same tennis courts as they did. Along with out sister corp, the Troopers. I was a little angry, for no real reason, other than I was in the same area as the Blue Devils. but that soon passed, because they left before we did and as they were leaving we played them a few loud cords. Getting a good number of them to turn and look at us. It was awesome. Then after that we get to the tunnel where the anxiety went crazy, because I had never seen a stadium that full and this big in quit some time. That all passed thou. Right after I heard the official announcer for DCI say his famous line “Now taking the field, from Denver, Colorado the Blue Knightssssssss” O! M! G! I can’t explain how I felt it was so over the top! Because that was it! It was the single moments I knew that I had did it! I wouldn’t believe you if you told the high school sophomore me that I would be the one that would be on the field hearing that one day.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
July 13, 2011 - New Computer ! =)
Crap! I did it again.... <shoulder shrug>
Anyway, just sitting here waiting for my new computer! It's been over three years since I've bought a new one and it's much over due. I put my last computer through quit a lot of stress; with all the viruses, world of warcraft, and traveling from place to place. It did me well for it's time, but as a geek I feel obligated to always have the biggest and best computer possible. Similar to car guys, who love drive really souped up cars on the streets. Mine is just a lot small, doesn't require a loan to own one, and has a little more practicality to it; but it does however, light up just like a street car and has way more power than I actually need. What can I say thou? I love me power house computers..... it's funny thou, the computer I just bought isn't really a "power house" like I want it to be, but it has more potential than my current one lying on ground right now =/.... that poor computer.
Friday, July 8, 2011
July 8, 2011 - Opps
I kinda fell of the horse the last four days. Thanks to a combination of work, lack of sleep, and fireworks killing all of time and focus, or I might have actually sat down to write four blog post, but anyway.
The last few days have been a little crazy. I spent Monday driving around with one of my best friends trying to figure out what we wanted to for the 4th. Then Tuesday, I went to work; then came home and waited for my homework to pop up so I could get started. Wednesday was the best, however. I started reading a new textbook on PHP, and that's how I know I'm a huge nerd. I'm excited about the fact that I'm reading a text book on a scripting language for the internet.... Plus, I had to stop myself from reading it to finish my homework and talk to my family....
The last few days have been a little crazy. I spent Monday driving around with one of my best friends trying to figure out what we wanted to for the 4th. Then Tuesday, I went to work; then came home and waited for my homework to pop up so I could get started. Wednesday was the best, however. I started reading a new textbook on PHP, and that's how I know I'm a huge nerd. I'm excited about the fact that I'm reading a text book on a scripting language for the internet.... Plus, I had to stop myself from reading it to finish my homework and talk to my family....
Monday, July 4, 2011
July 4, 2011 Independence Day!
Happy fourth everyone!
I've got to say I'm feeling pretty good today. I had the day off and hung out with one of my best buds. The only sad part about today is knowing that tomorrow I'll have to get up and go to work =/... I'll get over it thou.
This week should be a fun one, because I'm either A, going to Keokuk, IA and helping out branch up there more a part of Jackson Brothers of the South; or B, sitting down and working a few projects. Honestly, I'm hopping for option A. I rather enjoy road trips and think it's fun to work outside of my normal office. Plus the people up in our Keokuk branch are really nice and work harder than most other branches in Jackson Brothers.
I've got to say I'm feeling pretty good today. I had the day off and hung out with one of my best buds. The only sad part about today is knowing that tomorrow I'll have to get up and go to work =/... I'll get over it thou.
This week should be a fun one, because I'm either A, going to Keokuk, IA and helping out branch up there more a part of Jackson Brothers of the South; or B, sitting down and working a few projects. Honestly, I'm hopping for option A. I rather enjoy road trips and think it's fun to work outside of my normal office. Plus the people up in our Keokuk branch are really nice and work harder than most other branches in Jackson Brothers.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
July 3, 2011 - Doldrums
Well, I've missed a few blog post and I was going to one last night before I passed out at 8. I must have been tired or something. Anyway, now to think about something to blog about....
Happy Independence day! I feel kinda bad about this, but I'm most happy about the fact that I don't have to work Monday and could care less why that is. Now don't get me wrong I love America and everything that we stand for, but I'm just glad that I get to wake up tomorrow and not worry about anything.
Happy Independence day! I feel kinda bad about this, but I'm most happy about the fact that I don't have to work Monday and could care less why that is. Now don't get me wrong I love America and everything that we stand for, but I'm just glad that I get to wake up tomorrow and not worry about anything.
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