Tonight was the new marching/symphonic band parent meeting, and while I am not entirely new to being a band parent, I am new to the rigors of being a marching/symphonic band parent, and I thought it would be a good idea to learn first hand what is expected.

When I arrived, the sun was still out (sort of), but there were clouds accumulating, and the air had the feel of an impending storm.

On my way into the meeting, I took this photo of the two panels that will comprise the cookie bag along with the gusset I had crocheted:

Once the meeting began, I worked to secure the gusset to the front/back panels using a single crochet stitch while learning about CHARMS (an online office assistant that will replace the Yahoo Groups forum that we had previously used), various fundraising opportunities, the the specific requirements for the care of the band uniforms, and the dates that the various sections are responsible for providing water and sodas for band practices.

During the meeting, the rain began, and every so often, someone’s phone would erupt with the sound of an alarm warning of flash floods, the alarm would be turned off, and the meeting would continue.

By the time the meeting was over, I had finished joining the panels to the gusset, and had even gotten a start on the strap:

I had thought that when I got home I would get even more done, but within minutes of walking through the door, the power went out, and once I had made my way through the house unplugging various electronic devices, I sat down and quietly read by the light of a flashlight until the power returned, and I could write this blog post.