Enumclaw Scottish Festival!!

...Sorry if you don't care for the bagpipes... too bad. :)

Another week without a post....it's just heartbreaking.

The reason?...I started my Neonatal Intensive Care Unit rotation on Monday. I am enjoying it a lot. It is pretty laid back and I am learning a ton.

This past weekend, my band went to the Scottish Highland Games in Enumclaw, Washington. I had a blast! It was one of the best (if not THE best) games I have been too. We took 6th overall in both our sets; however, we got a 3rd place in drumming the first day! Wahoo! It was tough competition and just shows how much we have to improve upon for the next games, which is in Pleasanton, California in September. We competed with our drum salute as well and took 2nd! (out of 2). It was a blast and we got a great reaction from the crowd. Here are the memories. Enjoy.

Kristen and Megan appearing to enjoy the heat.

Awesome.

Dano stretching the head of the bass drumming and yelling "Ride 'em cowboy! Giddyup!"

(Just kidding...he didn't yell that. Actually, our bass drummer (a.k.a. Tasty Dave) was telling us it's like taking your pipes and breaking them over your knee. It was torture for him to see his baby getting stretched and all disfigured so)

My idols. Simon Fraser University. The best part about going to the bigger games is the competition. They had Grades 1-4 competing. I got to watch the Grade 1 bands rehearse and compete. I even chatted a few of them up for some tips. It is awesome how they are so willing to help you . Triumph Street, a grade 1 band with two of our pipers in it, came and helped us tune our pipes and drums.

I also got to eat some delicious food. On Saturday we went down to the piers to have dinner at Duke's restaurant. They had delicious breads, salads and Lobster chowder and the service was great... highly recommended if you are in the area.

The Duke's Crew: BJ, Brandi, Kerri, Kylene, Me, Dano, Mikey, Dustin, Tyler and Kristen

Dano and Mikey snuggling after a delicious meal. awwwww...

So...warning... people get murdered in room 309 of Days Inn in Fife. We came back on Saturday from our games and later Brandi proceeded to snuggle up in the blankets. I pull the covers down to get in and discover blood on the sheets. I ripped off the rest of the blankets and we find fresh blood spots all over the sheets. The sheets on the other bed were slashed along the side and had a blood spot on the matress as well. Slightly creepy. We weren't sure what to do so we just called and asked for a new set of sheets. Our hypothesis is one of two scenarios. 1- Someone was murdered in our hotel and stuffed inside the bed (I did check under the bed for a body or parts of one only to find that there were wooden slats surrounding the bed) or 2- a blind housemaid got a bloody nose and didn't notice the blood spots all over the place. It even got on my pilllow! Ewwww!!!

The clan. Tyler, Kristen, Dustin, Brandi, BJ and Jill

Waiting at Famous Dave's for everyone else to be seated

Enjoying a delicious meal at Dairy Queen for $3 rather than Famous Dave's for $20+. (Look at all that food!)

Mike solo competing Grade1 with Triumph Street's MSR

Brandi, Meaghan, Jill and Brandi's stick

Kristen and me

How many drummers does it take to change a flat tire?...None....they call U-Haul!

Note Kerri's futile attempt to be out of the picture.

Lisa, Kristen and Sara being their normal weird selves.

Sign Reads: "It's Back and it's Good. Caesar Chicken and Bacon Yummy"

Brandilicious and the Beej on the way to Washington!

Me and Brandi in the van

Jill, Brandi and Kristen

Kristen, Tyler, Brandi, BJ and Kerri.

Notice the gremlins in the back seat... that's what happens after 14 hours in the car.

Kristen got a tattoo!!