Graduation Day

At the Bob Carpenter Center on the University of Delaware campus, Grace participated in what we hope to be the first of two graduations on the UDel campus. The first was today when she graduated with the Garnet Valley High School class of 2022. Hopefully the next will be the UDel graduating class of 2026...but I am getting a little ahead of myself.

Walking in on GVHS livestream

The ceremony took about an hour and a half, maybe a little more.

Shaking some hands

There was chorus and band music, marching in, and some opening remarks.

Diploma in hand

There was about 45 minutes of reading ~385 names and watching kids walk across the stage to get their diplomas and shake hands with faculty and administration.

With Aidan

There was another 20 minutes or so of student speeches and closing remarks.

Towering over proud big sister Julia

Then a whole lot of picture taking in the hot sun outside the Bob.

And as quickly as that it was over...

Alan White, RIP

Sad to hear that Alan White, drummer for Yes, died recently at the age of 72 after a brief illness.

White replaced Bill Bruford when Bruford left Yes. He also drummed for numerous other musicians, including Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood, and was the drummer on John Lennon's song Imagine. So there's some immortality for you.

Alan White was the drummer for the one Yes show I saw live, which in retrospect is not the one Yes band lineup that I would have liked to have seen if I had to pick only one, but it is what it is. I saw Yes at the Spectrum in Philadelphia on April 30, 1984 as part of the 90125 tour. I was wrapping up my senior year in high school...

The classic Yes lineup was Chris Squire on bass, Steve Howe on guitar, Bill Bruford on drums, Rick Wakeman on keyboards and Jon Anderson on vocals. 

The 90125 tour lineup was long after Bruford had left and been replaced by Alan White, and after Steve Howe left and was replaced by Trevor Rabin. Wakeman was also long gone and replaced by keyboardist Tony Kaye. Original members Squire and Anderson remained. It was a great concert and a great band, but there is no arguing that the Trevor Rabin years were a very different version of Yes as compared to the Yes Album and Fragile days, or Close to the Edge. I liked it then, and still do, but it was...almost not Yes.

White was the dummer for 3,070 live Yes shows according to Wikipedia. And I saw one of them...

Of all these Yes folks, I have seen Anderson, Squire, White and Rabin once (in 1984), Steve Howe twice but both as a member of Asia (once on 8/27/83 at the Spectrum touring for the Alpha album, and once on 10/20/12 touring for the XXX album at the intimate Keswick Theater in the 4th row - 29 years after the first time). I've never seen Bruford or Wakeman live.

Anyway, yet another one from my early years is gone. And Chris Squire has already passed. Tempus Fugit.

Senior Prom, part 1

Tonight was Grace's senior prom.

Senior Prom

We had a whole host of kids and their parents over to our house for pictures beforehand, some of whom I have never seen before. Which is fine.

Mandatory Boutiniere picture

The excitement in the kids was palpable.

Grace and Aidan

The weather sorta mostly cooperated. At least enough for everyone to sneak in outdoor pictures on the deck as well as in the living room.

As reported by Grace, much fun was had by all. More to come on that.

Northeastern (and Bust)

Going into college application season, Grace had a bunch of schools that she wanted to apply to, for various reasons, and a smaller subset of those schools she really wanted to get into. She had a bunch of safety schools.

Northeastern and Brown were at the top of her list for neuroscience. Villanova and Bryn Mawr College were also in the upper tier.

She had many acceptances, some acceptances and denials in the top tier, and a waitlist or two.

Weighing her options leading up to the universal May 1 acceptance deadline, she chose the University of Delaware's Honors College option, and scholarship.

Today, two-plus weeks after pretty much every college's acceptance deadline, she received word that she had been moved from waitlist to "accepted" at her initial number one choice, Northeastern University (in Boston).

For the mere pittance of $80k per year, and with the requirement that she spend the first semester of her freshman year in an overseas program because the school was overbooked and couldn't accommodate her on campus, she could have the privilege of attending Northeastern. And when she returned from overseas for the second semester of her freshman year, they could guarantee her student housing but it might be in a hotel, not a dorm.

This was her strong number one choice going in.

I know that she had to have some pangs of regret when she read their acceptance letter to me off of her laptop, but it's way too little too late at this point...and no longer an attractive choice.

Go, Blue Hens!!

So Close to Graduating

The ramp-up to Grace's graduation has been a surreal time. There are AP exams. Days of watching movies in class. College tours. Choosing a school and accepting college admissions. Senior Awards nights. Band banquets. Drama Club banquets. Graduation parties. Lots of "lasts". Last Drama performance. Last band concert. Last chorus concert...

Drum Major Grace

But every now and then a small thing hits me like a ton of bricks.

I was recently sent the above picture taken by "T-Bone", the beloved official photographer of many Garnet Valley sports teams and related organizations, including the marching band...

Grace told me she likes the picture but her hair is weird. I told her "that is backlighting", and with a wanna-be artist's eye, it's what makes the picture.

Maybe she understands.

Maybe she thinks her hair still looks weird.

I think it is one of the best pictures we have of her high school years...

Sunrise Over the Hills

Enough is enough. No more tweaking this painting

Sunrise Over the Hills (oils on canvas, 20 by 30)

I'm relatively pleased, but one way or another it is time to move on. 

Sunrise, Part 3

A few more tweaks today. 

Sunrise Over the Hills (oils on canvas, 20 x 30 inches)

Break up the sunrise blob. Fix the foreground a bit.

Not quite there yet but better. I've enjoyed painting with this limited color palette.

Happy Painting part 2

I took about 10 minutes this evening to tweak a few things with this work in progress.

Sunrise Over the Hills, part 2 (20 x 30 oils on canvas)

There is still more to do, but it is getting closer to what I want. Small steps...

The white/yellow/pink glow on the horizon needs to be broken up by light turquoise sky. The foreground needs work. The left side needs more "woodland clutter". And so on.

Onward we go...

[PS - It is interesting to note that the first/prior post on this painting was photographed later at night with the dining room light on, resulting in an artificial "orangish" color shift. This photograph was taken in daylight with no artificial light, and is thus far more reflective of the actual colors...]

Happy Painting

At the end of an often-long day, I paint because it relieves stress and makes me happy.

Sunrise over the Hills (oils on canvas, 20 by 30 inches)

This makes me happy.

Lukas 1862 oils on a fairly large canvas. This is layer 1. Layer 2 to come.

This was painted almost entirely with a limited palette of turquoise greens, dark earth greens and some blues and grays for the sky. Plus the sunrise colors, of course.

Stage 2 will mainly be to refine the sunrise and fill in the trees on the lefthand hillside. We shall see how it goes...

Painting Again

It's been too long since I have painted anything in oils (or any media for that matter). My normal painting space, so as not to be shut away in the basement, is at the end of our dining room table in the dining room (which is very rarely used as a dining room). My makeshift "studio" got put away for the holidays, and one thing led to another and here we are in mid-April and I keep saying "I have to get my painting stuff out again..." So today I did.

Over the course of a couple hours this evening, with short breaks for checking in on how the Phillies were doing, I threw some paint on some canvas. In this case, Lukas 1862 oils on Michaels store brand extra smooth stretched canvases. The goal was just to use some paint after a 3-4 month hiatus. Both were painted from imagination.

The first is a view across a valley to the hills and horizon beyond.

Across the Valley (12 by 16 canvas, oils)

The second was a darker palette-cleansing exercise that turned into a springtime hillside in the moments near dawn. It's dark, but the light is coming...

Springtime Hillside at Dawn (14 by 18 canvas, oils)

Neither is a masterpiece by any means, but it felt very good to pick up a brush for the first time in about 4 months and do something. Anything.

This was intended to "prime the pump" and get me painting again, nothing more. And I think it accomplished that.

Selection Day

After weighing her various options and visiting the campus again yesterday for a small group tour, my not-so-little girl has accepted a Trustees Scholarship to the Honors College of the University of Delaware to study Neuroscience. Class of 2026.

Grace

There was a time not all that long ago that thinking of Grace going off to college made me sad. I am (mostly) over that, and it makes me happy to think of all of the opportunities and experiences that lie ahead for her. There comes a time to start to let go...

So these days I am mostly just proud.

She is driven and self-motivated. She has worked hard. She has earned this.

Daughter Does Disney

It's been a long time since posting. Life has been full, and busy, which is a good thing. We are all well, which can't be assumed these days. I will try to catch up on backfilling some of the highlights of the past months (Grace's pending graduation, college selection etc....) but in the meantime..

After a pandemic-cancelled Hawaii trip 2 years ago, and another cancelled Hawaii trip last year, the Garnet Valley High School marching band (and other music programs) traveled to Southern California this week. A highlight was the marching band performing in the Disneyland daily parade down Main Street USA. Led by their drum majors, including Grace (at left). Only about 60 of the 100+ kids in the marching band made the trip, but those who did were having a great time.

Garnet Valley HS Drum Majors at Disneyland

After about 50 football games in the marching band, including pandemic-shortened seasons, and a loss in the state semi-finals this year, not to mention a dozen or more competitions over the years, the lyrics from a song from the musical Hamilton resonate in my head. "...one last time....."

Main Street USA, Disneyland

The last time Grace will don the garnet and black of the GVHS marching band. The last time Grace will don the white pants and gold cape of a drum major. Just...the last time.

There are too many "lasts" these days for a sentimental fool like me.

However, more than I am sad for the closing of old chapters, I am excited for what lies ahead.

But today...one last time. It's difficult. For her. And for me and her mom.

Here We Go Again

We will never ever ever ever get a dog.

So... Meet our second dog. Flynn is a ~7 month old Corgi (terrier) and Beagle (hound) mix. As near as anyone can tell.

Ryder meet Flynn. Flynn this is Ryder.

We picked him up Thursday morning, so he has now been with us for about 30 hours. So far so good. Ryder is a bit uncertain, but hopefully that changes soon.

Flynn, formerly known as Spaetzle, is well socialized, house trained and acts the healthy pup in every way.

All tuckered out...

Unlike Ryder who was a rescued stray, Flynn was part of a litter that the owners just couldn't keep. He's an adorable little boy.

More to come...

RIP Rick Barber, and La Bataille d'Orthez

I haven't been an active historical boardgamer in over a decade. Closer to 15 years probably. But despite having gotten rid of dozens and dozens of games, I still have 2 or 3 bookcases full of board wargames in the basement. Someday, maybe...

Anyway, I stop by the Clash of Arms company website every now and then to see if there is anything new going on with them. It's not a regularly maintained website, and there generally isn't anything much to see, but Ed Wimble is a good guy and a friend, and some of my favorite games of all time are the "La Bataille" series of tactical Napoleonic wargames. They even published my only game design, La Bataille d'Orthez, back in...idk...when I had brownish blonde hair. It was that long ago.

La Bataille d'Orthez box

The maps for Orthez were some of the last hand-drawn maps done by artist and cartographer Rick Barber as he transitioned (or considered transitioning) to digital maps.

A small section (NW) of the Orthez 2-sheet map

In the news section of the Clash of Arms website, there was a note from back in May 2021 that Rick Barber had died suddenly at the age of 66. This hit me harder than I suppose it should have, or might have. In a number of ways. Having worked directly with Rick, it was hard to comprehend that he was gone...

Rick was a talented artist and cartographer, and his hand drawn maps, counters and cover art defined the Clash of Arms style in the company's formative years. Rick lived near the Gettysburg battlefield, and the Civil War (and maps) were his true passion. But his work defined the look of the La Bataille games, even into the digital age where Terry Leeds (who did the Orthez counters and supplemental artwork) and others mimicked his style in digital format. And that is not a criticism of Terry or anyone else. It is a celebration of the foundation that Rick put in place.

Not that working with Rick as a first time designer was easy. I spent a significant amount of time researching and creating the maps for Orthez, and delivered those maps of mine to Rick. A while later, I got a set of proof maps back from Rick that...weren't what I sent him. Specifically in the northeastern quadrant of the map area, he added a lot of terrain that I hadn't put on my draft maps. Woods. Swampy stream valleys. His rationale: it feels right and looks better. OK. We'll go with that; I had zero game designs to my credit, so who was I to argue. Not much of the fighting occurred in that area anyway.

There is one last thing that makes me chuckle. Rick and I agreed that we would put low-tech copyright protection into the maps. I added a named location to the map that simply doesn't exist. He did likewise. For any of the 2,500 people out there that own a copy of the first and only print run of Orthez, my elder daughter's name is Julia, and Rick operated under the name Black Cat Studios. Take a look at the maps and you will be able to find our copyright protection. If anybody else ever made an Orthez map with either of these names...

OK, there are technically a maximum of 2,494 people that own Orthez, since I have 6 copies. Although one of these final production boxes has all of my draft hand-drawn counters and maps instead of production components, so maybe there are 2,495.   :-)

La Bataille games, and a bunch of Orthez copies

Orthez is NOT a well known Napoleonic battle, although it is very interesting in its own right (if Napoleonics in secondary theaters of operation is your thing). This was mostly what made it interesting to me to design a game around, and the fact that qualitatively, this was probably the best army that Wellington ever commanded, certainly moreso than his famous Anglo-Allied army at Waterloo.

Not terribly long after Orthez was published in 2000, another game product with Orthez in it showed up on the market from a prestigious designer, complete with my fictional location referenced on their map. Uncredited. Tsk tsk. If I had lawyers, they would contact your lawyers. But I don't. And in 2021 I'm still alive and you aren't, so... I guess I win.

But I digress.

Rick was passionate about his art, and the mark he left on wargaming in general, and Clash of Arms in specific, will endure. His art, hand-drawn, hearkens back to a bygone era in wargaming. This should be celebrated. And is by me, at least. I won't ever be able to look at that shelf pictured above, at my game, or at any Clash of Arms games, and not think of you, Rick.

I find it hard to believe that my interactions with Rick occurred 22 years ago, but the calendar is cruel and doesn't lie.

Anytime I see a black cat I will remember you. RIP Rick.

GV Football - Playoff Game 3 vs Quakertown

Playoff game 3 saw the #1 seed GV Jags hosting #5 seed Quakertown. And it was a battle.

We scored on a 1 yard Shane Reynolds TD run. Then they scored. 7-7. Then we scored on an 18 yard Ryan Saunders TD run. Then they scored. 14-14. Then we scored on a Ryan Saunders 49 yard TD catch, and missed the extra point. Then they scored. Quakertown 21-20. Then they kicked a field goal and the half ended with Quakertown up 24-20. They had some speed and some good skill position players.

For the second time all year (the first being against Ridley) we trailed at the half. In the Ridley game, we made adjustments at the half and scored a ton of points in the second half to cruise to a convincing win. With luck, the same pattern would repeat itself here.

It did.

In the third quarter we scored 22 unanswered points. Our defense stopped the three Quakertown drives on a 4th down stuff and picked off their QB twice. This resulted in a Reynolds 68 yard TD run with Reynolds 2-point conversion, a Reynolds 1 yard TD run, and a Checcio 20 yard TD run with a passing 2-point conversion to Joey Halloran. 42-24 GV at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Reynolds goes for a 68 yard TD to take the lead

Quakertown started the 4th quarter with a drive ending in a TD pass, getting to within 42-31. Our QB threw an interception on the following drive, but we stopped another Quakertown drive, turning the ball over on downs. Our first play after the 4th down stuff was a 69 yard TD pass to Halloran, with a Halloran 2-point passing conversion. 50-31 GV.

With time winding down, Quakertown completed a long TD pass and 2-point conversion, getting to within 50-39.

On the next drive, with a 4th and 2 at the Quakertown 44 yard line, Reynolds ripped off a 44 TD run (his fourth of the game), and capped it with a 2-point conversion run, to put us up 58-39, which is where the game ended.

I'll give Quakertown a lot of credit. They had a lot of good players, and played hard all the way to the end of the game. We also played well. Our defense gave up some points, but made some big fourth down stops when we really needed them, and we had three interceptions (two by safety Drew Jackalous and one by our QB/CB Max Busenkell).

Our offense scored touchdowns on 8 of 12 possessions. Reynolds was the star of the day, carrying the ball 26 times for 261 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 two-point conversions. He also had the "Earl Campbell" play of the day, absolutely running over/through a defensive back trying to slow him down on a 40 yard run down the sideline.

GV is now 13-0 on the season, and in the 3 playoff games, Shane Reynolds has accounted for ~650 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, and two 2-pt conversions. Not a bad three weeks...

Next up is the Division 1 AAAAAA championship game, which also serves as the PIAA state quarterfinal, against #3 Coatesville. In the 5 years pre-Covid, we met Coatesville in the Divisional playoffs 3 out of the 5 years and have lost all 3 times. They are a very good team, and have been our kryptonite. We have never won the Division 1 title class AAAAAA, while Coatesville has won a Division 1 title and a state championship just in the last few years. We have our work cut out for us...

Cavalcade of Bands - Hershey Finals 2021

On a cool day with rain threatening, the GVHS marching band took the field at Hershey stadium at 9:35am, in class "Patriot A", and performed the last judged performance of Grace's high school career. I'm not sure how we got to this point so fast...

Ready to start the show

Grace helps conduct the first and second movements from the right side-stand.

Beginning of the 3rd movement, Grace on the stand

...and then conducts the third movement from the center stand.

The full performance is HERE. Grace takes the center stand at 5:15 and conducts to the end...

I'm totally biased, but the third movement is the most musically complicated, and Grace nails it.

The GVHS marching band is in a transitional period of trying to rebuild the program as a competitive entity. These things don't happen overnight, and must be considered in the perspective of it being a multi-year endeavor.

At the Conestoga competition we scored a 34.x, which is not a fabulous score from a competitive band standpoint. At this Hershey competition, we scored a 37.x. While not a top-tier score from an objective/competitive sense, it is the best score that the GVHS band has recorded in at least the last 6-7 years. And it is a nice accomplishment for a band that is trying to find its identity balancing the desire to be competitive with the reality of accepting all band members who want to participate.

As a band parent riding buses to away games and competitions these last 4 years, I have had the opportunity to discuss the "competitive band" versus the "take all comers" band philosophy with the Director on many occasions. His perspective, which I agree with, is that we need to try to be the best band we can be, with the implicit limitation/consideration that many of our band members also participate in various sports and other activities. One of our drum majors is a tennis team player. One is a wrestling team member. One (mine) is a drama club choreographer and lead performer. Numerous members of the band have other activities. If you want to accommodate those other interests, you don't get to dictate that these kids do band as their first priority and nothing else. Some schools do. And those schools will likely always score better than our band.

But I digress, as I generally do. Our band went to the Hershey finals. They did great. And my little girl stood on the center stand and conducted the third movement. And they got the highest score that a GVHS band has gotten in at least 6 or 7 years...

GV Football - Playoff Game 2 vs Central Bucks West

Our round 2 playoff game in District 1, AAAAAA, was against the 8th seed, Central Bucks West. As the #1 seed, we had another home game.

CBW stunned the home crowd with a 2 play, 70+ yard TD drive, capped by a TD pass accounting for almost all of that yardage.

GV responded with a TD drive capped by a 10 yard TD pass to Joey Halloran. 7-7 game.

After a CBW INT and a subsequent GV punt, CBW reeled off a 40 TD run on the 1st play of their drive, and missed the extra point to lead 13-7 at the end of the 1st quarter.

To start the second quarter we had a punt followed by them having a punt.

GV then had a drive with a huge Sean Gallagher 14 yard pass reception on 4th down to continue the drive ending in a 5 yard Shane Reynolds TD run.

CBW punted on the following drive, and as band parents sitting in the stands, one of the other parents turned to me and asked "do you think we can score with only 39 seconds to go in the half?"

"Hold my beer".

After an incomplete pass, and with 33.3 seconds remaining in the half, Shane Reynolds took a center handoff and cut back to the right side and raced 57 yards to the end zone. 21-13 GV. Scoring drive: ~12 seconds. 

Reynolds goes for 57 yards, 33 seconds in the half

To start the second half, GV took the kickoff and reeled off a 76 yard drive, culminating in a 2 yard TD run by Reynolds, his third of the night. GV 28-13.

After a short CBW punt, GV had a 1 play drive: a 47 TD run by Reynolds, his 4th of the night. GV 34-13.

And the band played "And when the Saints go marching in". For the 80th or 90th time this year. I've lost count at this point... Go band!

CBW ended the 3rd quarter and into the 4th quarter with a drive that ended with a 4th and goal at the 1.5 yard line. We stuffed them at the one-half yard line, and took over on downs.

We then embarked on a 99.5 yard, 6 and a half minute drive capped by a Ryan Saunders 1 yard TD run.

41-13 Jags, and we ran out the clock on defense.

#8 Central Bucks West down, next week number 5 Quakertown up, in another home game.

Shane Reynolds had near 200 yards and 4 touchdowns on the night.

Band season isn't over yet!!

Conestoga Cavalcade of Bands

Grace's Senior year of band is winding down. We will have playoff football games to play at for as long as the team keeps winning. We have the big Hershey PA band competition finals next Saturday. And tonight we had the last regular competition - the Cavalcade of Bands event at Conestoga High School.

The link to the GVHS Band YouTube video of the performance is here.

Despite a scheduling snafu that had our band piling off buses 25 minutes before their scheduled performance time, and the fastest we have ever put props together, the students came through and performed very well, getting their highest score of the year. This should make them feel good going into Hershey next week.

Grace is on the right side stand for the first two movements, and conducts the third movement from the center stand before taking a bow on behalf of the band.

I'm happy. I'm a little sad. It was a good day.

GV Football - Playoff Game 1 vs Haverford

The Division 1 6A playoffs began tonight, with #1 seed Garnet Valley hosting #16 Haverford.

Three weeks ago we beat Haverford 55-14, but things can change, and you can't take anything for granted in the playoffs.

And of course that also means that marching band season continues, and Grace gets to lead the band in additional halftime performances (or pre-game in tonight's case).

Stop looking at me, Dad!

Tonight's band performance was their best of the year, and served as a good warm up for the Conestoga competition we will be traveling to tomorrow. But that's a different post...

...but I'm glad you care.

The game itself was...methodical. There weren't many spectacular plays, and we made some sloppy mistakes which will need to be corrected in the future against tougher competition, but we won easily 42-0.

Our offense was a little out of sync, but our defense was stout, and by the start of the second half we were playing backups and operating on a running clock, having gotten out to a lead of 35 points or more one drive into the second half...

We are now 11-0, having outscored our opponents 531-118.

Playoff round 2 next week will have GV hosting Central Bucks West. CBW is 9-2, and has outscored their opponents 257-159.

So GV's average game score is 48-11, and CBW's is 23-14. Hopefully our offense continues to roll.

More importantly, another week of band season.

Go Jags!

GV Football - Game 10 vs Lower Merion

This week's game was supposed to be a big deal. Homecoming weekend. The last game of the regular season. Putting an exclamation point on a fourth straight Central League title.

The reality was less spectacular.

The Homecoming Parade pre-game was in a steady cold rain. The halftime performance by the band was canceled due to weather, and what amounted to a pep band of brass instruments was all that got to perform.

We won a lackluster game, 38-14, playing mostly backups in the rain to preserve our players for the playoffs to come.

For the season, we have outscored the opponents 489-118.

We ended the season 10-0, and 9-0 in the Central League, completing the 4-peat, winning the league title all 4 years of Grace's high school career.

Notwithstanding the rainy conclusion to the season, we will go into the playoffs seeded #1 in Division 1 of Class 6A, and will have a round 1 home game against Haverford, a Central League rival who we beat 55-14 just 3 weeks ago.

With some pandemic-induced modifications eliminating neutral site games, we will continue to have home games as long as we keep winning in the Division 1 playoffs. That's a very good thing, and theoretically means our first away game could be in December! But there's a lot of business to the care of first.

Go Jags!