Chicago Pride
Jun. 26th, 2006 08:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
talyenL and I went to Chicago for Pride. She was to march with the Lakeside Pride Marching Band as a bass drummer, and asked if I wanted to come with her, oh, around the time I moved down here. I said yes, so off we toddled this past weekend to Chicago.
We stayed with a band friend who plays many instruments, but played trombone in this parade. Her gf played trumpet. Practice Saturday was fun: my job was to volunteer to be a Band-aid, then read quietly, getting a little sun in the absolutely beautiful weather while watching the band practice marching and watching the flags practice.
That got shot all to heck when I spoke with the band director, who told me that the other banner carrier wasn't available, they were stuck, and they needed me to march in the parade, could I? I could. I was color guard ("I played the flag") for 6 years, one of which I was Guard Captain, so I could handle banner, right?
Banner is weird. The banner is at the front of the parade, it doesn't move, and it doesn't make sound. But I loved marching in the parade, so that was very cool. I'd prefer to perform, though, so let's just leave it at that.
I am very sunburned from practice, and from going to the festival to see the jazz band perform. They are very good, and it was fun.
We went to see my grandparents after the festival. They live about an hour outside of Chicago, and it was a pain having a car, really. But they are 89 and 90, and I wanted to see them. We picked up pizza on the way to their apartment, and had a great visit. We got back to our friend's apartment very late, and got enough sleep that getting up for the parade was do-able.
It rained until the parade started. We were right at the front. After it was over, we got to watch most of it. That was fun. 225 entries, half a million onlookers over the 3-mile route. Then the long drive home.
Together.
We stayed with a band friend who plays many instruments, but played trombone in this parade. Her gf played trumpet. Practice Saturday was fun: my job was to volunteer to be a Band-aid, then read quietly, getting a little sun in the absolutely beautiful weather while watching the band practice marching and watching the flags practice.
That got shot all to heck when I spoke with the band director, who told me that the other banner carrier wasn't available, they were stuck, and they needed me to march in the parade, could I? I could. I was color guard ("I played the flag") for 6 years, one of which I was Guard Captain, so I could handle banner, right?
Banner is weird. The banner is at the front of the parade, it doesn't move, and it doesn't make sound. But I loved marching in the parade, so that was very cool. I'd prefer to perform, though, so let's just leave it at that.
I am very sunburned from practice, and from going to the festival to see the jazz band perform. They are very good, and it was fun.
We went to see my grandparents after the festival. They live about an hour outside of Chicago, and it was a pain having a car, really. But they are 89 and 90, and I wanted to see them. We picked up pizza on the way to their apartment, and had a great visit. We got back to our friend's apartment very late, and got enough sleep that getting up for the parade was do-able.
It rained until the parade started. We were right at the front. After it was over, we got to watch most of it. That was fun. 225 entries, half a million onlookers over the 3-mile route. Then the long drive home.
Together.
