Ladies and Gentlemen, Introducing....

Well, it seems as if this blog has garnered a lot of attention.  Everyone wants to know who Nameless is.  Except, of course, for those who already know Nameless and refer to him as [REDACTED].  More importantly, this blog has brought lots of people out of the woodwork, asking for their own names on this blog.  Its exhausting, really, to be the writer of a blog who gets tens of fives of readers weekly- all of which who want a piece of me, who think they "know" me in real life, want attention, want to be important to me, etc.  I'm sure its similar to how Jennifer Anniston felt during the Friends hey-day when random people came up to her on the street, thinking they were really "friends" with her.  But don't think I'm complaining guys, each one of you is somewhat important to me, or at least we've probably met at some point.  I do this blog for you.  For each one of you. 

However, I am not creative enough to come up with nicknames for each of you.  Which is why it is good that one enterprising reader was bold enough to ask for his own name.  This guy:

It really makes me happy that I have this random picture of him on my phone just so I can post it on my blog.   

You've been semi-introduced to Josh last blog post.  He's the one I put a whipping on in skeeball at Hey Joe's.  A couple days ago, I get a request from Josh for a nickname.  We agreed upon this- Awesome McAwesome.  As he correctly pointed out, this was in the running for Nameless's psuedonym as well, but I went a different direction on Nameless, which leaves Awesome McAwesome for someone else.  I'd previously planned to have a Blog Name Contest wherein I forced readers to do humiliating but funny things for my amusement only, and the "winner" would get this name.  Or I'd hoped someone would send me gifts as bribes for this name since its, you know, pretty awesome.  But Josh beat you to this.  Or should I say, Kosh.  I'm not sure he know this, but somehow his name got entered into my phone as "Kosh" a while back and I've never bothered to change it.  Regardless, Kosh's new name is Awesome McAwesome.  Since he's studying to get his doctorate, he will someday be referred to as "Dr. Awesome McAwesome" but he's got some dissertation writing to do before this happens.

Awesome McAwesome (McA for short?) is a percussion instructor at DSU.  He's got some serious music skills.  And, as most of you know, so do I.  So do I.  So its something we've really bonded over. 

Take Sunday for instance.  As you know, I'm now in TWO handbell groups.  Its exhausting being so in demand on the handbell circuit.  And my friend Kelly is the handbell instructor for the FBC handbell choir.  Kelly is the Cleveland High Band Director, so she knows her stuff.  Unfortunately, I DON'T actually know my stuff.  This might come as a surprise to many of you, but my musical talent is learned.  Its nuture, not nature.  I have to study hard for every bit of amazing musical-ness that I have.  In handbells, I have to mark my music all up to remind myself what to play, when to play, and how to play.  At the Covenant Handbell Choir, this gritty determination has gained me some fans, mostly those who pity me and allow me to stress over highlighting my music and ignore me when I miss a bunch of notes. 

But Kelly, at FBC, Cleveland, doesn't play around (haha, get it?! Play?!).  She is serious.  She came into that room and two seconds later, we were playing the hardest piece I've ever seen in my life.  Seriously folks, it was like musical latin or something.  There were notes I've never seen before. 

In order not to ruin my reputation, and also to not get kicked out by Kelly when she realizes how bad I am, I called in for reinforcements.  When A. McAwesome asked to get a name on the blog, I pulled a quid pro quo and asked for some music lessons.  Blog accolades don't come free, ok?

I bribed A. McAwesome with lunch and asked for some musical direction.  Or at least some help highlighting my notes.  McAwesome, being awesome, obliged, and came over Sunday after church to help.

This is Awesome McAwesome pondering musical theory.  Or something. 

My Pinterest recipe- Pesto Chicken in a tomato-cream sauce with pasta.  It might be my new favorite recipe.  Even McA was
 impressed, though he watches a lot of Food Network, so he wasn't super impressed.  More like, impressed that I was
able to cook this and it tasted decent. 

Now the above picture was a source of contention.  McA was awesome enough to help me with my music and resist the urge to make sarcastic remarks about my stupid musical questions (which if you know him, you know it was very hard for him to resist this urge.  One of his hobbies is sarcastic remarks.  Especially about me.  Which is why we get along so well).  But while he was so patiently explaining "crescendo" and "fortissimo", he was also eating a lot of Tootsie Rolls.  Apparently they are his musical kryptonite.  To be fair, they were actually his Tootsie Rolls, brought to the Halloween Pumpkin Carving Party, and left in a bowl on the table.  He left a bunch that night at the house, and well, now they are all gone.  None left.  As you can see from this pile on the table in front of him.  You can also see the shame in his face, well you couldn't if he wasn't hiding his face, as though I wasn't going to tell you who it was.  He knew this was going to happen.  You can't ask to be on the blog, Awesome McAwesome, eat 20 Tootsie Rolls and then not expect me to put it on the blog. 

But, seriously, I do greatly appreciate McA's help on this matter.  I'm actually beginning to understand music a little bit more.  As McAwesome said, its just a matter of trying to learn and studying.  And a lot of the things he showed me Sunday, he mentioned that he also shows some of his students.  Not the college-aged ones, but the 4th graders he teaches lessons too.  He also reassured me that he, too, was once at my level.  23 years ago, but still. 

I actually think McAwesome is impresssed with my musical fortitude and desire to learn.  At least that is what I keep telling myself. 

As far as impressing my FBC Choir Director?  Major Fail- I spend all Sunday afternoon working on those two pieces from last week,  and this week?  I walk in and she gives us new music to do instead of the old stuff!  Maybe next time!