Picture Sunday

Hello, end of weekenders. And welcome to another edition of Picture Sunday.

And although this edition of Picture Sunday only has one picture, that picture is winging its way to you from not only an end of weekender, but also an end of Oktoberfester.

Yes, last night was the end of Oktoberfest. And after a very long and hard season, we went out with a bang.

Here's the backstory.

For all of my years in the Sauerkraut Band, up there on the mountain at Oktoberfest, the rest of the band have suffered through "Trumpet Hell," or "The Night of the Seven Trumpets." There's always one night where everyone in the area with a trumpet comes up the mountain. Or old members from the past show up with their trumpets. There are so many trumpets, there's not enough room on the stage for everyone else.

It's most distressing, well, for everyone but trumpet players, but we get through the night.

Well, I had something of an idea this year.

See, I had invited my new-but-not-that-new clarinet friend Julia to come up the mountain this season, and she chose last night. So that made three clarinets for the last night. And....I started to think.

I asked Mr M if he would set aside his "I won't play up the mountain again under any circumstances" rule. He said he would. That made four clarinets!

Then we asked our clarinet friend Lisa if she was free to come up the mountain Saturday. She agreed. Five clarinets!

And in a turn of events that was not only bizarre, but made me laugh maniacally, our fearless leader Ed himself invited another sub player up the mountain the last night.

Six clarinets! To be unleashed on a totally unaware band (and leader)!

"Clarinet Hell," or "The Night of the Six Clarinets!"

For years, we few in the clarinet section had talked about how funny it would be if we could orchestrate our own night of hell. I mean, for seven or so years.

And we did it! And it was my idea!

At first it was a little distressing logistically, deciding where we'd be onstage, and who'd get a mic (there weren't enough), and all that. We moved this way and that, but once the music started, we didn't care, and everyone moved everywhere and played off both music books, and we all had a blast. The night went quickly, and in the end, having six clarinets up there really helped the sound of the band!

The trumpet section (who were a little short that night, oddly enough), the rest of the band, and Ed took it all in stride.

And so an epic legend was made. More clarinets than have ever been on the Oktoberfest stage.

Here we all are.



















That's my moderately new clarinet friend Julia, Doc (Ed's invite), Mary, my longtime clarinet comrade, Lisa (there for the night), me (with boobs hanging out of my dirndl), and Mr M.

We did it! A legend is born!

Happy week.