{"id":850,"date":"2011-06-12T15:47:26","date_gmt":"2011-06-12T19:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=850"},"modified":"2025-11-20T09:28:54","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T14:28:54","slug":"summer-and-another-shot-at-snare","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=850","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 29: Summer and Another Shot At Snare"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Mom &amp; Dad\u2019s Final Vacation<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4749\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4749\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4749 size-full\" title=\"Old San Juan, PR\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Old-San-Juan.jpg\" alt=\"Old San Juan, PR\" width=\"640\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Old-San-Juan.jpg 640w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Old-San-Juan-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Old-San-Juan-600x387.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4749\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Old San Juan, PR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>One night early that summer, Dad was out shooting pool<\/strong> when a mysterious well-dressed fellow drove up in a black limousine with New York plates.\u00a0The newcomer spied Dad shooting inside, was intrigued, and challenged him. Dad left late that night with $1700 in his pocket.<\/p>\n<p>When he got home, he casually tossed the bills down in front of Mom.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re going to Puerto Rico,\u201d he announced, to Mom\u2019s wide-eyed tears of disbelief.\u00a0This meant Mom and Dad would have one last vacation together. They made whirlwind plans to fly to San Juan and were to be away one week in late May.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>One Night In Bangkok<br \/>\n<\/strong>Murray Head<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375881644626\" class=\"{skin:'black', animate:false, width:'120', volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Murray-Head-One-Night-In-Bangkok1.mp3\">Murray Head &#8211; One Night In Bangkok<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<p>I was responsible at home during their absence. Surprisingly, Mom and Dad allowed John to visit, (and help look after Steve) and to his parents\u2019 disapproval, John arrived as planned to hugs and kisses from his new girlfriend.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5470\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5470\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5470\" title=\"Me at Mona's pool\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-by-pool-187x300.jpg\" alt=\"Me at Mona's pool\" width=\"335\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-by-pool-187x300.jpg 187w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-by-pool-375x600.jpg 375w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-by-pool.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5470\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Catching rays at Mona&#8217;s condo pool<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That week was ecstasy. I worked during the day, and John hung around to catch my breaks.\u00a0We were very much intimate by that time, and it was tough to snag a few moments remote from Steve\u2019s prying vision.<\/p>\n<p>We saw <em>A View to A Kill<\/em> at the movies (I\u2019d seen it already with my friend Paul but sat through it again just to be with John).<\/p>\n<p>We spent a lot of time in the back of either Caddy under a dark tree on Willow Street, and at the pond near the Library. We just soaked each other up.\u00a0Mom and Dad came back after a wonderful time away, John went home, and so continued the summer.<\/p>\n<p>John visited twice, one weekend with three-week stretches in between.\u00a0He sent me cards and letters, and called occasionally on his parents\u2019 phone. We missed each other a lot.\u00a0By that time I had accumulated a collection of photos of him, and looked at the little album constantly.\u00a0I was one seriously lovesick pup.<\/p>\n<p>I also went out with Tracy. She was the same as junior high\u2014fun and spontaneous. We dressed up and went clubbing, and I ended up kissing a couple of cute guys. My heart was still with John, though the indiscretions probably resulted from watered-down Black Russians tinged by a bit of teenage immaturity.<\/p>\n<h3>Maid of Honor<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1129\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1129\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1129\" title=\"Me and Mona on her wedding day\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/monas-wedding1-236x300.jpg\" alt=\"Me and Mona on her wedding day\" width=\"335\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/monas-wedding1-236x300.jpg 236w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/monas-wedding1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1129\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Me and Mona on her wedding day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On July 27, &#8220;big sis&#8221; Mona got married, and I was her maid of honor.\u00a0It was a \u201csnowball wedding\u201d with the bridesmaids in white floor-length satin and the guys all in black.<\/p>\n<p>John came out from Pennsylvania to be my unofficial escort, as formally, I was partnered with Sal, the Best Man.\u00a0John went to and fro with my family, and I was ferried by limousine with the rest of the bridal party.<\/p>\n<p>After all the formalities, John and I could relax at the reception and dance together as much as we pleased. We all had a wonderful time, and John even danced with Mom, and in her stiff foam neck brace, she still tore up that floor! People still talk about it.<\/p>\n<p>Come bouquet and garter-toss time, I snatched the former and John got the latter, all caught on video. Having removed my heeled shoes for the event, I slipped on stocking feet and landed solidly on my rump on the dance floor.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>Everything She Wants<br \/>\n<\/strong>Wham!<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375881825168\" class=\"{skin:'black', animate:false, width:'120', volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Wham-Everything-She-Wants.mp3\">Wham &#8211; Everything She Wants<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1130\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1130\" style=\"width: 350px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1130\" title=\"&quot;Sisters&quot;\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/monas-wedding2-227x300.jpg\" alt=\"&quot;Sisters&quot;\" width=\"350\" height=\"462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/monas-wedding2-227x300.jpg 227w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/monas-wedding2.jpg 524w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1130\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;Sisters&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I held bouquet-in-hand high in victory, to everyone\u2019s amusement. I was feeling too happy to be embarrassed. The spotlight was on John and me as we went through the \u201cgarter-up-the-leg\u201d routine.\u00a0It was all very charming, and almost prophetic as five years later we\u2019d throw our own beautiful wedding.\u00a0It was heavenly dancing in John\u2019s arms, gazing up into his deep, dreamy brown eyes.<\/p>\n<p>I also went to Mona&#8217;s to hang out by the pool that summer, and we spent many happy afternoons together.<\/p>\n<p>I worked at Bun &#8216;n Burger up until it was time to get ready to return to WVU. In the interim were frequent trips down the shore with Anne and other friends, as well as the family. I went out (as friends) with a couple of guys (one I knew from work, and the other was Mike W from high school). I went to Steve K&#8217;s graduation party with Paul. One night at Anne&#8217;s, I was hanging out with her, Dana, and Sue. Peter, an exchange student from Holland, cornered me for a kiss down in the basement. So this is how they raise them in northwestern Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Mom and I spent a lot of time together, doing errands, going out to eat, going to the Middlesex County Fair, and getting me set for sophomore year. The final movie we would see was <em>Cocoon<\/em>. I also brought her to cobalt and chemo appointments. She had a remarkably good summer, considering how she&#8217;d been feeling last winter and through spring. She cooked meals, danced at Mona&#8217;s events, and even went with Dad to his Aunt Jenny&#8217;s 75 birthday party. We also tried sushi for the first time at a Japanese restaurant in Colts Neck. It was almost easier to imagine the cancer wasn&#8217;t real.<\/p>\n<h3>Another Shot at Snare<\/h3>\n<p>Band camp approached fast\u2014and the assurance that John and I would be together regularly again. I had been practicing for drum tryouts all summer, using MATCHED grip, and I was ready to roll (so to speak). I packed all I needed, knowing the drill.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>A View To a Kill<br \/>\n<\/strong>Duran Duran<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375881886259\" class=\"{skin:'black', animate:false, width:'120', volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Duran-Duran-A-View-To-A-Kill.mp3\">Duran Duran &#8211; A View To A Kill<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<p>It was an all-night drive with my parents in balmy mid-August, so I would arrive in time for Drumline auditions first thing in the morning. This is a particularly painful time to recall, as I made a choice about which I am still conflicted.<\/p>\n<p>Mom wanted to be there to see the outcome of the auditions and share it with only Dad and me. She did not want John to be there. I of course knew that he would be, as my heart yearned to be with him again.\u00a0He, my potential life mate, would also be important to the occasion, and he wanted to see me achieve snare drum almost as much as Mom did \u2026 so I kept mum.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4801\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4801\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4801\" title=\"iDrum\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/iDrum-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"'Nuff said\" width=\"335\" height=\"251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/iDrum-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/iDrum.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4801\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8216;Nuff said<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The audition was very tough, but I nailed my exercises and rudiments on matched grip, and awaited the decision with everyone else.\u00a0When the snare line roster was read, <strong>MY NAME WAS ON IT! <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I COULD BARELY CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT! <\/strong> <em>I had made it!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">I was a snare drummer at WVU<\/span>!<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I dashed down the hall at the CAC and my heart almost popped as I gave John the news. Later, my parents picked me up for lunch and they, especially Mom, were absolutely thrilled.\u00a0Then, the question: \u201cWas John there?\u201d Dread stuck in my throat. I could have lied and everything would have been jolly. Perhaps for all concerned, I should have.<\/p>\n<p>At that time, I didn\u2019t realize the reason for the depth of Mom\u2019s disappointment: She knew she would probably not be around for the next audition \u2026 or the rest of my life.<\/p>\n<p>She was mourning the loss of sharing the experience with ME, and ONLY ME, as she\u2019d supported my drumming from the start \u2026 including sending that letter. I lacked the maturity, the judgment, and the insight.\u00a0The fact that John eventually\u00a0became my husband serves as some justification for my choice, and I&#8217;m certain that where Mom is, she now understands.<\/p>\n<h3>WVU Drumline and YAMAHA &#8230; the Choice of a New Generation<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5609\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5609\" style=\"width: 424px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5609\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-wvusnare.jpg\" alt=\"Finally made it\" width=\"424\" height=\"946\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-wvusnare.jpg 424w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-wvusnare-134x300.jpg 134w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 424px) 100vw, 424px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5609\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Finally made it<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Drumline practice began that day, following distribution of instruments. We had brand new YAMAHA equipment that year!\u00a0It was beyond bliss when I placed the snare drum carrier over my shoulders and took my spot with the other 12 snare players, holding my newly-taped Pro Mark DC-9s.<\/p>\n<p>And I played perfectly in sync with everyone else in the 40-piece drumline.\u00a0We began warm-ups, and learning cadences, including the crowd-pleasing <em>Boogie<\/em> for Pre-game.<\/p>\n<p>I had <strong>solidly<\/strong> proven I could cut it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I was a snare drummer with the highly competitive WVU Drumline \u2026 a pinnacle for a violin major who\u2019d picked up this drumming gig only <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">three<\/span> years<\/em> prior.<\/p>\n<p>Mom and Mark were right. And I owed thanks to Gordon T. as well.\u00a0This was my <em>American Idol<\/em>. My dream. My <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>destiny.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The oppressive August heat and the physical exhaustion of dawn-to-night practice didn\u2019t bother me. I welcomed the perspiration, the calluses from holding wooden sticks all day, the aching feet from endless marching with an extra weight on my shoulders, not to mention the friction welts on my hips from the lower part of the harness, plus a lower backache.<\/p>\n<p>I loved it all.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"Chapter 30: Sophomore Year at WVU\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=859\">Chapter 30: Sophomore Year at WVU<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13050\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/drum-avatar-thumbnail-sm.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/> <a title=\"Return to Memoirs\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=13681\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Return to Chapters<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mom &amp; Dad\u2019s Final Vacation One night early that summer, Dad was out shooting pool when a mysterious well-dressed fellow drove up in a black limousine with New York plates.\u00a0The newcomer spied Dad shooting inside, was intrigued, and challenged him. Dad left late that night with $1700 in his pocket. When he got home, he &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=850\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Chapter 29: Summer and Another Shot At Snare&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13533,"parent":4,"menu_order":30,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-850","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=850"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17945,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/850\/revisions\/17945"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}