I sympathize with you guys and your reeds. Yet another reason I shall never piple or flutle… The joke in music school was about French Horn players, who never knew exactly what was going to come out when they started playing. But oboe and bassoon players had some squeaky anxieties too, as I recall.
IF I can come to party, other Weekender has agreed to come as well.
I played oboe for a while in school. It’s why I left the school band - I hated the #@$# thing (to play - I love the way they sound, which is why I agreed to try it).
It’s also one of the reasons that although I love the sound of pipes I don’t think I’ll take it up: I’ve already had my share of reed problems. Flute, maybe - there, the main variable is your embouchure - but I think the first set of Uillean pipes was designed by Rube Goldberg and Heath Robinson’s common ancestor.
Surely I can’t be the only person to think,
“What time on the 19th”
can I? ;>
-Kysh
Oops - I’ll add that to the first post.
But I’m planning on a 1 PM start time for the early birds (going by previous gatherings, about half show up between then and 3 PM or so, with the rest filtering in until early evening).
We’ll play it by ear on when to wrap it up - depending on how things are going, somewhere between 9 PM and bar closing time, I’d guess.
Dana
Bump.
A heads-up, folks - I’ll be on a business trip Monday-Friday, so I won’t be able to spend a lot of time on the board (and messages through the board may overflow).
If you need directions, please send me email - click the “email” link or if that doesn’t work send me email at: d_crom AT yahoo DOT com.
Looking forward to seeing (and hearing) you all. And I’ve made sure I’m stocked up with dark beer and poteen in case Tony Higgins and The Weekender make it down. 
Looking forward to seeing (and hearing) you all. And I’ve made sure I’m stocked up with dark beer and poteen in case Tony Higgins and The Weekender make it down.
In that case, we’ll be sure to be there. Weekender, if you’re reading this, send me an email about driving plans. (I already emailed you.)
Tony
(That’s the poteen that tastes like Magic Markers, right? Yummm!)
Email sent via CF PM.. We’s a comin! Jr.'s meet isn’t until the next day.
By the way, I’ve neglected to get Dana’s directions. I hope you have them or Dana’s reading this… :roll:
Tony
Naw, just follow the sound! They are here somewhere I reckon.
Sent via email - let me know if it doesn’t reach you -
Dana
Thanks, Dana. ETA approx 430-5pm.
Tony
Today’s the day!
Looking forward to seeing you all. I’ll try to check email regularly in case anyone needs last minute instructions. Or call (408) 927 5147 if you get lost along the way. 
Dana
Great party, Dana! Thanks for hosting it!
Redwolf
Thank you as well. We are becoming a regular party crowd and last night, I felt we truly had time to enjoy each other’s company. Murph didn’t knock guitars or accordions even once (that I heard) but instead displayed an increasingly beautiful tone on the fluteski. Bonesquint remains a national treasure because of his talents with the bones. I wish everyone on the Board could hear and watch this guy in person. Of course, that’s not good enough, so now he’s squeezin a cute lil concertina, as was Limu.
Red was true to her word and sang right along with my tortured crooning.
Mrs. Crom very patiently put up with our racket and worked the kitchen.
There was Poteen and a very nice smoky whisky on hand and more libations than we actually consumed. Imagine that!!
Next party in June at Casa de Higgins.
It was a whole lot of fun, gang - we had a blast hosting it.
Good music to listen to, a lot of good friends to talk with, and amazingly little work for the host I’ve got a lot of good memories from the night (and just realized I forgot to get out the camera so we’d have pictures!)
Mike and Kysh scaring the cat into hiding (I love pipes - she likes whistles and flute, but pipes were too much for her nerves!)
Murph with an array of three flutes in the table methodically working his way through the lot (he gave Tony Higgin’s just-acquired Copley a good test drive)
Limuhead swapping from whistle, to fiddle, to piano, with a little concertina and uke thrown in for variety.
Bones demonstrating his concertina skills, then later launching into a truly amazing performance on bones. His comment afterwards: “Now you’ve seen me playing really fast!”
Mrs Limuhead doing the hula; as always, Limuhead himself was doing his best to get her to blush, laugh, or both by the end of the performance.
Redwolf and the Weekender singing; Red’s got a lovely voice (and collaborated with Lance on a number of songs you won’t hear in the church choir anytime soon!)
I’ll embarass MikeyLikesIt now - my older daughter took one look at him, pulled me aside, and told me “He looks like a giant hobbit! He’s the spitting image of Sam Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings movies!” 
The hard-core late night session - Tony Higgins, Murph, Justine/Feadogin, John, and Lance/Weekenders.
I’m sure I’ll think of more as soon as I press “submit” - there was always something else to catch your attention, and I spent a good part of the time wishing I could split myself in two so I wouldn’t miss anything.
Alice was impressed by how well (self-) organized you all were, and the enthusiasm. She also said that it would be fun to do it again - maybe next year?
I had a great time also, thanks for having the party, Dana! I enjoyed Weekender’s songs, especially that one “Boozing.” Must get the words to that sometime.
Lots of fun playing with everyone, too, especially Mike on the pipes…It’s good for me to have someone push me into playing faster sometimes.
The backup banjo and piano was great, and I also got to play Limuhead’s nice fiddle. What more could I ask for?
And speaking of Lord of the Rings…I overheard a comment made by someone who shall remain nameless that they think Jack looks like Orlando Bloom!
Oh, and John will be so proud to see himself included in the hard-core late night sesssion group.
Hope to see you all in June,
Justine
Don’t forget Leslie’s voice as well! We had a pretty good harmony thing going there with Weeks on “All For Me Grog!” and “Mrs. Durkin”!
Redwolf
A giant hobbit eh? Great fun was had for sure, thanks Dana for hosting! I found a new favorite pale ale, so it was all worth it. 
Had a great time playing tunes with everyone (Justine showing me some new piping techniques, Limuhead and I playing some great tunes out of a book before Jack arrived ). Also ammusing talking to John about the simalarities between human and monkey alcholics. Hope we get together again soon.
-Mike
The poor kitty…that was classic! I wish someone had had a video camera!
Has she recovered from her shock?
Redwolf
No worries - she emerged from hiding while I was cleaning up. And she’s been very affectionate today, even when I’m playing the whistle.
This has added extra weight to the flute side of flute vs pipes as my next instrument, though.