The Daily Poop - Sat., 14JUN14

I've just been in touch with Wilbur Smith concerning the NMA concert band. Smitty is not letting his recent back surgery stop him. The show goes on.

And we can help. There's a bit of prep work to be done before the first Wednesday rehearsal. Chairs must be set up, music stands assembled, music passed around. We always have a small crew to help Smitty get this done. It will be more important than ever this year, so don't hesitate to pitch in. Helping set up provides the opportunity to bitch while you work.

The hardest part has always been is putting together the stands. They're of a unique fold-up design, and since we only assemble them, we never remember how it's done.

Fortunately, I solved the problem last year with this training vido:

 

The Daily Poop - Fri., 13JUN14

After writing the other day about the rumored possibility of a reunion appearance by Tex Waldron, I got to thinking about a few other shipmates I haven't seen in a few years.

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I've heard that Charlie Sweet may make the trip from Colorado; sorry, but I can't source this rumor, as I've forgotten who blabbed it to me. Charlie hasn't been to a reunion since 2006. He's among my Navy Band San Francisco shipmates I love to see, along with John Hanson and Frank Kemp. These guys also haven't come in a few years. Like Charlie and Tex, they live in the western U.S. I'll bet they're hoping for a reunion out thataway. I am too, if you include the Midwest in "thataway."

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John Vazquez. John's leadership duties with the American Legion sometimes keep him busy in late June. I heard that he's finally turned over his responsibilities, so maybe he can swing a trip to Virginia Beach.

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Ralph Hasty is a fellow Midwesterner. He and Dennis Bear were among the first to welcome me at my first reunion, and I've never forgotten that. Dennis is regular in attendance, but I haven't seen Ralph in a while.

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The Daily Poop - Thurs., 12JUN14

It's time for my reunion haircut. I gave up regular hair care when I left the Navy--I think my last haircut was around Christmas--but I generally clean up a little for the reunion.

Problem is deciding whether to go to the barber or the hair salon. I prefer the barber, because the atmosphere is correct; Field & Stream magazines strewn around the place, NASCAR calendars on the wall, old men shooting the breeze. It's got everything a real man wants in a barbershop.

Well, except for decent haircuts. Every time I go, I beg the barber to give me "just a trim," and walk out of the place looking like an E-2 on boot camp graduation day.

The ladies in the salon, on the other hand, do a great job. The problem is, well, ladies. Old women with their heads in hair dryers. Photos of cats on the wall. Stylists talking about their boyfriends.

I shoulda gone to the barber a month ago. It would have given my hair enough time to recover from the butchery. 

-- Rumor of the Day-- 

Member John Polites tells me he thinks Tex Waldron is coming to the reunion.

It would be great to have "The Partner" back in attendance. He's missed a few years, and the excuses are getting moldy. Granted, he's a busy running his club in Seattle, Tula's, which Downbeat magazine lists as one of the worlds "150 Great Jazz Rooms."

But you'd think he could let the joint slip down to 151st place for a few days. Tex brings to our reunions a certain element of, shall we say,  grace and style.

(For a flattering write-up of Tex and his club, featuring a photo of of him posing, for some reason, with two humans and two dogs, click here.)

The Daily Poop - Wed, 11JUN14

Welcome to the first 2014 issue of the Daily Poop, the annual, laser-guided, heat-seeking bag of crap that fills the two weeks leading up to the reunion of the Navy Musicians Association.

The Daily Poop will appear every morning here at NavyLyres. It's a compendium of reunion news, views and scuttlebutt as well as a dumping ground for self-absorbed chronicles of my personal doings.

The reunion officially begins on Wed., 25JUN, but things at the hotel will start stirring up a few days early as early birds arrive and preparations begin. A day or so before 25th, the Daily Poop will mutate into LiveBlog2014, constant reportage featuring photos, videos and blather.

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One of the things I love the most about NMA reunions is overhearing people complain about me. There's something special about the wonderful whispered phrase, "That damn Frank." This is because I always spend the springtime dieting so as to lose the evidence of winter excess and get myself into fighting trim by reunion time. I've got the poundage down to MU1 level and expect to reach MU2 by the reunion. 

Yes, this gets my shipmates p.o.'d, but I consider it worth the sacrifice.

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A note to first-time attendees:
A lot of MUs made their first reunion appearances last year and we're expecting even more in 2014. You probably have questions (Is there a dress code? What do I do when I arrive at the hotel? Can I bring a buddy who's not an MU?). You'll find answers to common questions at the First-timer's Guide.

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Got gossip? Coming for your first reunion? Chained to your oar in the galley? Lemme know.