The Daily Poop - Sat, 19JUN10

-- Last night, to put myself in the NMA mood, I watched a video of selected performances from last year's reunion. It was inspiring. The bands sounded better than I'd remembered, and my bald spot was less gigantic than I thought.

-- Sorry about recent posting delays. Midwestern thunderstorms require me to unplug my computer for extended periods.

A big one rolled through yesterday. Another is expected tomorrow, when I'm scheduled to fly from Moline International Airport to San Antonio. All I care about is that my flight gets off the ground. Once I'm up, the whole place can sink down to Davy Jones' locker, as far as I'm concerned.

-- The Master Traveler is bringing only one small carry-on suitcase. I've already tried getting everything in there, and it's like trying to squeeze a basketball into a shoebox. Now it's time to start jettisoning things. I seem to recall lengthy Showband West trips that involved washing socks in the sink, steaming out wrinkles in the shower and--aaiieee!--ironing. This can be done.

--I've heard from a few shipmates who can't attend this year. Jack Rodway and

The Daily Poop - Fri, 17JUN10

For those who haven't figured it out, it's all NMA reunion, all the time here at Navy Lyres.

-- A reminder for those who can't attend this year: I'll blog the reunion here at Navy Lyres. During the reunion--Wed, 23JUN through Sat, 26JUN, I'll update mornings, afternoons and evenings. 

-- I'm travelling to San Antonio a few days early. My plane tickets have me leaving Moline, Illinois on Sunday. Unfortunately, the National Weather Service has thunderstorms arriving that same day. We'll see what happens.

-- Weather predictions for our time in San Antonio include daily high temperatures around 95 degrees. Combine those daytime temps with the hot air that that will be flowing during evenings in the lounge,and you'll want to dress accordingly...

The Daily Poop Part II - Thurs, 17JUN10 - Sailors, Musicians, Patriots

Originally published in the Rock Island Argus

and Moline Dispatch, June 17, 2010

Copyright 2010 Frank Mullen III

Lately, I find myself whistling "Anchors Aweigh" at the oddest times.

In a few days, I'll fly to San Antonio, Texas, to spend a few days with some of this country's finest musicians. I'm going to the annual reunion of the Navy Musicians Association.

Although some of us are still on active duty, most members have returned to civilian life after service in United States Navy bands. Our membership roster includes recording artists, music producers and Nashville studio musicians as well as schoolteachers, bus drivers and lawyers who play their clarinets and tubas on weekends at community band concerts.

Some were career military men and women; others were one-hitch sailors who were glad to get in the Navy and glad to get out. But we're all thankful to be back together once a year.

We share something more important than our common experience as military bandsmen: an indelible pride in service to our country, our shipmates and our Navy.

Our reunion is a few days of round-the-clock jam sessions and sea stories. On the closing night, we stand at respectful attention and sing the Navy Hymn in honor of our departed shipmates.

Like my comrades, I take pride in the contribution Navy bands have made to the Navy's mission and history. Yet, how often I've heard well-meaning people say to me, "Oh, you were just in a band? I thought you were in the real Navy."

I was, and so are today's young bandsmen. They willingly use their talents, not for personal gain, but in service to their country. They are sailors, musicians and patriots.

No one honors the flag of the United States more than Navy musicians do. On ships at sea and on naval bases at home and on foreign shores, when the American Flag is hoisted to preside over another day, that's a Navy band playing the National Anthem.

No one honors America's veterans more than Navy musicians do. When family and friends stand graveside at Arlington National Cemetery, bidding farewell to an old sailor, that's a lone Navy musician on the rolling hillside, sounding "Taps."

And no one does more to represent the Navy and its mission to the American public than Navy musicians. What does a recruiter do when he wants to promote the Navy at a public festival in a town park or city square? He asks a Navy band to perform.

In peace and war, the Navy's bandsmen are full-time sailors with full-time military responsibilities. About this, I need not brag; the story is better told by the spirits of the boys of Band 22, all of whom died at their battle stations in the ammunition hold of USS Arizona as horror rained from the skies over Pearl Harbor on that date that still lives in infamy.

Navy bands have changed since then. Sousa marches and Glenn Miller medleys still form a vital part of the repertoire, but today's bandsmen and women can rock 'n' roll, too. In fact, that's exactly what they'll be doing in Schweibert Riverfront Park in Rock Island at 7 p.m. on July 3, when Navy Band Great Lakes' contemporary music ensemble, Horizon, performs for the Independence Day celebration. The band plays jazz, rock and pop music with a youthful energy and mature expertise that the audience is sure to enjoy.

Although probably not as much as the old guy who'll be sitting in a lawn chair, wearing a blue Navy Musicians Association tee-shirt.

The Daily Poop - Thurs, 17JUN10 - "Put Me Back in Crackerjacks."

The Daily Poop - Wed, 16JUN10

Today, a few notes for those who will travel to San Antonio by air.

-- Airport transportation: The Doubletree Hotel's airport shuttle runs around the clock, not on a set scheduled but on as "as-needed" basis. Use tghe touchscreen device at the airport to arrange a pickup.

-- Walkable eating places: A few days ago I posted a brief list of eateries within walking distance of the hotel. That list is incomplete, as more dining opportunities exist in the North Star Mall (see next).

-- Shopping for bare necessities. Across McCullough Ave. is the North Star Mall. A couple of blocks south on Jones Maltsberger Road is Wal-mart. Fashion problems solved.

The Daily Poop - Tues, 15JUN10

I'm flying to the NMA reunion again. This year, because I'll spend the major part of the trip on Big Jim's Cut-rate Airline and Damaged Luggage Emporium, I'm playing it safe and bringing only a carry-on bag. Wardrobe 2010 will have to fit in a 22x14x9 suitcase.

This severely limits the number of fashion accessories and that will make the trip to San Antonio. Sorry, ukulele, you'll have to stay home this year. But I get better at packing for reunions each year. If you're flying, you, too can jauntily swing through airports with only one bag if you'll follow

Frank's NMA Packing Tips

-- NMA shirts rule. I used to bring both NMA shirts and polo shirts. Why? An NMA shirt is a polo shirt.

-- How many pairs of pants does a guy need? No matter what variety of trousers I pack, I still wind up wearing jeans through the most of the week.

--Jackets are for wearing. Last year I learned to fold my Saturday night sports jacket inside-out, which did an only-fair job of preventing wrinkles. This year, I'll do what the bold, super-savvy travelers do: wear the jacket onto the airplane and take it off for the flight.

--Pack one-way skivvies. Tightly packed suitcases make it difficult to bring home souvenirs, NMA goodies or other curios. Frank's solution? Pack your worst, falling- apart, threadbare skivvies and discard them during the week, creating suitcase space for new acquisitions.  What? You don't have falling-apart, threadbare skivvies? Oh. Never mind.

--Remember the Alamo and Wal-mart. I have no idea where the Alamo is, or if I'll get there, but I do know there's a Wal-mart only a couple of blocks from the Doubletree. This means certain inexpensive toiletries may never find their way into my suitcase.

Jeez, this is too easy. I think I may have room for the ukulele after all.

The Daily Poop - Mon, 14JUN10

I came across this while poking around in the Navy Lyres archives. I feel the same today as I did when I wrote it in 2008.

--------------------------------

I found sea duty difficult.

As the band's chief, I was the referee of a Texas cage match among sixteen professional wrestlers.

I was the marriage counselor for the sax player who got the bad letter from his wife.

I was trip planner who had to beg for an admiral's barge so the combo would be ashore in time.

I was the guy who sucked up to the laundry petty officer so the trio would have clean whites for the captain's reception.

I was the whipping boy for the MCPOC who hated the band and would have reamed out my boys if I didn't let him unleash it all on me.

I was nursemaid, babysitter, tour director and music theory teacher.

Sometimes I was even the chaplain, the shepherd who brought comfort to the desolate.

And when I got the call in the Indian Ocean that my father was dying, my boys did the same for me.

At times, I wanted to crawl into the nearest empty locker and hold my breath until the cruise was over.

And there were times I felt sorry for everyone in the world who was not, at that very moment, on a ship of the United States Navy in the Indian Ocean conducting this ragtag collection 16-piece bagband through "Anchors Aweigh" during unreps.

Most people, despite their love of country and their respect for our service, cannot understand this.

You, my shipmates, understand.

See you soon in San Antonio.

The Daily Poop - Sun, 13JUN10

The NMA reunion won't be the only hot action while you're in San Antonio. You might want to slip away for one of these events listed at the online source of news and culture, San Antonio Current:

• -- Wednesday night. Live at the White Rabbit: "Upon A Burning Body." Also "Haste the Day" and "My Children My Bride." I guess these are bands. Kind of makes you long for the days of "Four Jacks and a Jill" and "The Melodymen."
• -- Thursday night. At the Jump-Start Performing Arts Center: "As Filthy as it Gets." The promo says it all: "The rowdy, raunchy Methane Sisters try to regain their former rock fame with a hot new band, live rock concert performances, racy music videos and lots of feminine hygiene product giveaways."
• -- Friday night. Who wants to sit around with those boring old men and their clarinets when you could be at The Mix, thrilling to the melodic strains of Boxcar Satan and Martyrhead?
• -- Saturday night. Cap off the week with a deep, meaningful evening of professional wrestling at Burro Land Ice House.

Come to think of it, maybe you'd be better off sticking around in the hotel lounge with the rest of us. A few more choruses of "Satin Doll" or "Fly Me to the Moon" is starting to sound better and better.