So instead of traveling on a plane today, I went to work. Instead of checking into a beautiful hotel room today, I'm at home. I did manage to see Bro and V today so that I could pick up something that I'll be writing about later this week, though. I also ordered Thai food for dinner for my dad and me. I did eat a doughnut this morning (instead of for dessert after dinner). So I've been trying not to whine about not being in the city that I've been in for the last 12 years at this time of year. But it's annoying and I'm really irritated at the people who aren't taking this pandemic seriously and are walking around with no masks and attending huge gatherings and spreading the disease. I mean, I've been annoyed for months, but this week, I'm more annoyed than usual, even though the DCI was season was canceled at the beginning of the pandemic.
You see, DCI needed to make their decision early. How were they going to rehearse, even outside, with people dancing on the field, lifting each other when we're supposed to be socially distancing? How were they all going to be sleeping on gym floors while staying 6 feet apart? It was the best decision they could make, and it was made even before the science showed that the major way of spreading the disease was with respiratory droplets. There have been several seasons when a majority of a corps is sidelined because of some virus, and with all of those kids coming into contact with other kids across the country, it would have been a nightmare. I was wary of sitting next to strangers in the stands, too. Heck, I can't even get into a car with my brother because he's not from the same household as me, much less share a hotel room!
So I totally get it. But I am still entitled to have feelings of sadness. I try to deal with it by posting these memories, so let's go back to some old trip reports to remember happy days in Indy, shall we? This post is not focused so much on the corps, but on us: Bro, V, and Me.
First, the traditional song I sing whenever we go to Indianapolis: "Indiana" by Rockapella, video with lyrics, guys not shown. This one is of the guys singing live in Fishers, Indiana. Dude, that's fast!
Here are links to the actual trip reports, and a blurb from each report.
2008: Indy Welcomes You
Our first year going to Indianapolis, and we got lost. I still kind of get lost. I'm glad we don't drive anymore when we're there.
"I sat in the same row as a lady from Indianapolis, so I got some tips on where to eat. We'll see if I actually get to Houlihan's, Shapiro's Deli, or St. Elmo's."
2020 Update: I have still never eaten at these places.
Lucas Oil Stadium construction was not completed in time, so we drove to Bloomington every day of the competition.
"We went to the Greenwood mall and bought flip-flops for both of us at Dick's Sporting Goods. I know, I know. MORE shoes, Sher? But, but, they were on sale! It's Bro's fault anyway. Take this girl shopping for shoes and you know she's going to look for some for herself. "
2020 Update: I still wear those flip-flops when I go to Indianapolis. I call them "My Drum Corps Shoes". Once, I couldn't find them in my house when I was trying to pack for Indy, and went ballistic until I finally found them where someone else had put them away.
This was the first time that DCI Finals was held at Lucas Oil Stadium, and we've got a lot more years to go.
2010: Star-Studded Semis
"We then went to lunch at Tastings -- A Wine Experience. You can purchase a card for whatever amount of wine you want to get, and then can try as many wines as you'd like with your card, based on the price of the wine. So you would get 2 oz of whatever. I had 3 wines, and Bro had 4 in order to use up the card. Unfortunately, his 4th wine bottle had run out so he didn't get the full 2 oz, and the card wasn't charged the full rate either. The trouble is that we then had a balance on the card for less than any of the other bottles available. Oh well. He had a Filet Mignon Pizza, and I had a prosciutto-wrapped pesto shrimp plate. Both dishes were very good. I enjoyed my wines, and plan on purchasing a couple of them when I get home: a St. Supery Moscato from Napa, and a Villa Maria "Cellar Selection" Sauvignon Blanc.from New Zealand. "
2020 Update: Tastings is now a traditional place for us to lunch for Finals week. They do not have the Filet Mignon flatbread anymore, so we order the Goat Cheese & Fig flatbread. We do order the Filet Mignon Salad, though, as well as the Ahi Tuna. Bro always brings his Tastings card to Indy. This is the eating/drinking establishment I miss most this week.
2011: Sinister Sights & Sounds
"FIRST INTERMISSION
Bro and I shopped. I bought a bracelet from Madison, because it has a fleur-de-lis charm, and a Devil's Staircase shirt from SCV. Bro noticed that Phregiment and Academy had not yet opened their booths. We bought some food for lunch, and ate at our desk."
2020 Update: I've been shopping for DCI stuff online, but mostly purchased stuff from SCV. I will be sitting at a desk for what should be Quarterfinals Day and Semifinals Day, but it will be a desk in my office, and I won't be so excited about having a desk those two days.
"SCV -- 91.85*
Bro (before the show started): They've changed the whole thing.
Sher: It looks the same to me so far.
Bro: They're going to do it all on their hands.
Sher: And play with their feet and buttholes?
Bro: That would be funny.
Sher: That would be gross!
Much inappropriate giggling ensued."
2020 Update: I still giggle a lot when I read this.
"I brought snacks to munch on when we didn't want to deal with concessions. But I did need water, and since the people working concessions were actually band boosters, they left the cap on the bottle for me. Bro told me to save it for another day. So I did."
2020 Update: We still have issues with needing to keep bottle caps in our bag.
This was the year that my netbook died, so I did a live blog during Semifinals.
2013: I Dreamed a Dream of SCV
"We hadn't had any breakfast yet, and Starbucks was way crowded, so we found another coffee place called Bee Coffee. (They are still working on their website). Their flavors of drinks looked quite delicious and original. I ordered a HoneyBee Latte, and Bro and V ordered mango smoothies, which were quite yummy. My latte was fine, although after having a taste of the smoothies, I wanted something fruitier, but oh well. Next time. "
2020 Update: We've been back to Bee Coffee a couple of times. I still haven't had a smoothie.
2014: West by South West
This was the first year that we stayed at the JW Marriott.
"Since this is such a nice hotel, they don't have stuff to buy or a gift shop or vending machines or ice on each floor. ICE. You can call to have it delivered. I didn't want to have to tip someone for ice, so I did the self-serve thing and took my square ice bucket to the 2nd floor, where they had about 5 ice machines in a row.
Later, I got hungry again and went exploring, finding the walkway to the Courtyard. At the Courtyard, they had a little bistro and a marketplace for snacks. So I ordered some wings, bought Gatorade, and made my way back to the room. But you know I wouldn't be telling this story for nothing. I think I got onto 3 elevators before I was on the correct one to get to my room. There are 2 banks of elevators. I'm supposed to take the low-rise one. I kept taking a high-rise, which shouldn't be possible to go up to those floors with my key, but on up it went without me even pushing a button. Oops. It was just a comedy of errors, and the other guy waiting for his elevator was not as amused as me. He must be a bundle of joy at parties."
2020 Update: I don't get confused about the elevators anymore, but I'm still perplexed about having to go downstairs to get ice.
2015: Light Em Up Up Up
"This morning, after I woke up and took a shower, Bro took a shower, and while he was in there, I needed to go downstairs. I took the key card, which was in the thing that keeps the lights on. So Bro was taking a shower in the dark until he got out to get his key. Sorry, Bro!"
2020 Update: We were just laughing about this the other day.
2016: Lightning in a Bottle
" I had tried to get their attention but they were out of earshot. Then I showed them what I found on the menu.
Sher: 2014 Force of Nature Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, CA
Yup. A wine with the name of Vanguard's show! It was perfect. I couldn't find it with the other wines, and the server said that it is usually available, but they could open a bottle if I wanted a glass. We all wanted a glass, so after I tasted it and decided that I liked it, we ordered a bottle. I thought of bringing the bottle home, but Bro saw that we could get it through Bev Mo, so I just took the cork. The wine was quite good, and paired well with our food. Happiness!
It's good that I didn't take the bottle, because we didn't have time to walk back to the hotel to put it in our hotel room before walking to the stadium, and our bags were searched."
2020 Update: This is still my favorite wine that we found at Tastings, and it is also my favorite time we've been there.
2017: Vanguard Forever
"I also bought a Cadets shirt for a friend's daughter, but it took me forever to decide because most of the shirts had the name of this year's show, and I don't like the show. I don't know if she liked the show, either. I did end up getting her one with the long intro that irritates me, but I didn't want to get her another black shirt, and I didn't know if she'd be OK with the ones with the crosses. Why don't they have more generic shirts? Ugh."
2020 Update: I still haven't seen my friend, and I still have those shirts for her.
2018: DCI's Top 40 Countdown
"We came back to the hotel and had drinks at the bar. My watermelon margarita was kinda SCV colored, which made me happy. It's nice to be able to speak freely, knowing that everyone around you is an SCV fan. What would happen if someone walked in wearing another corps' shirt? Probably immediate quiet and some looks. I like staying in the same block of hotel rooms as my favorite corps! We can all be drunk and happy together."
2020 Update: This wasn't the first time I booked our hotel with SCV, and it wasn't the last. My plan is to continue booking with them because of this feeling I quoted.
2019: Just Keep Swimming
"On Thursday morning, Bro and I got up early, ate a donut each, and walked to Lucas OIl Stadium. We arrived earlier than the gates were scheduled to open, so we watched the Colt Cadets color guard do their warm-ups. Thank goodness they didn't search bags, because I had a bunch of snacks to help us last through our 14-hour drum corps day. "
2020 Update: I miss my drum corps snacks. I usually get them at the Farmers Market by my office, but they haven't been open since the pandemic. At least I don't think so. I'm usually work from home on those days now.
I hope that I will have new memories to write about next year at this time. I might lose my mind, wanting to eat EVERYTHING and go EVERYWHERE. It might need to be double the number of days I'm usually there.
 |
| To Better Days |
Next up: Not Quarterfinals Day
No comments:
Post a Comment