One of those "Haley's Comet" times roared wonderfully through my life last week during a 4-day trip to California. The first day was spent having 2 of the better rehearsals I've had all year with a couple of my Burbank show choirs, as they feverishly prepped for their final competition of the year 2 days later. After a nightcap with my friend Brett on the top floor of the Glendale Hilton, it was off to slumberland.
Day two started with a wonderful 6-mile jog through the shopping district of Glendale as the sun rose slowly to greet the Golden Coast morning. A drive south to Carlsbad allotted me a chance to breeze into the Pannikin Coffee Shop for an iced mocha latte', made with Mexican chocolate! Following a drive along the coast I got motivated and did ANOTHER 4-mile jog before having a fantastic rehearsal with my Carlsbad Show Choirs, who were prepping for the same competition. I then checked into my beautiful downtown San Diego Hotel, the Westlake and slept great.
The San Diego sun woke me up and I decided to do a long run along the harbour, where I was greeted by Coast Guard helicopters, sidewalk merchants, Segway riders, old folks walking hand-in-hand,...and not a tiny number of completely insane people!! It was then off to Chula Vista High School for day one of the Southern California Show Choir Championships (basically their state championship!). Day one was filled with the prep divisions for both the ladies groups and the mixed. My groups did really well, earning a first place in mixed and second in the ladies. The BEST part of the day, however, was MORGAN DRIVING DOWN FROM CAL BAPTIST FOR A COUPLE DAYS!!!!! After the shows, we went back to the hotel, visited and headed off to the Panda Inn for a wonderful dinner, which was followed by a game of human checkers (I'm sure she has pictures!)
The low part of the weekend even proved fruitful. Four soccer houlighans who were obviously transported directly from a British Rugby Riot had a full-out fight outside our room that started at 3 a.m. and lasted for 40 minutes. The next morning, the hotel apologized by offering me a free upgrade to a penthouse suite and free room service for breakfast,...SCOREBOARD!!
The final day of my adventure was easily the best of the best, though. Wooda and I started off with a yummy breakfast and a cruise along San Diego Harbour, where we saw sea lions, military installations, Coronado Island, Point Loma, and rowing teams practicing their sculling. It was then off to the big final day of the SoCal Championships, where the top ladies, men's, small school and large school divisions were being held in the 4,000 seat Golden Hall. ALL my groups did their best shows of the year, and filled me with a pride that I can barely describe. Singing, dancing and entertaining through sicknesses and even a severe knee injury to deliver magnificent performances, I was a proud papa who loved having my oldest daughter witness it all with me.
When it all washed out, my top group won it all, winning both the best vocal and best choreography caption awards over the group that many thought was the top ensemble in the nation this year! My boys group won and swept captions. My small mixed placed a close second and my top ladies placed a very respectable third. Perhaps the quirkiest and most fun twist on the day came from Dot "The Beast" Jones (the football coach from the TV series "GLEE"). She was a guest judge, and while presenting our awards she grabbed me, gave me a hug, shook my hand (with an inordinately humongous paw) and said "Your kids are AWESOME!!"
Just a really terrific weekend! Happy to be with my daughter. Happy to meet a celebrity. Happy to watch my students perform so wonderfully. Happy to visit with a lot of choreographic "comrades" from around the nation. Just happy.
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