BY ANY OTHER NAME

I'm not sure what the word "Banquet" really means, but to me it translates into: mediocre food and speeches - both of which are tough to swallow.

Tonight is the New Braunfels "Band Banquet". This is an annual event of importance, at least to band members. Various awards are handed out along with plates of glazed chicken breasts.

This evening's banquet is meaningful for two reasons: It's Lisa's senior year so she'll be featured in the annual slide show comparing baby pictures to current photos, and secondly, she's our last kid in band so this is our last band banquet.

Another component of the band banquet, besides the wilted salad and your choice of weak iced tea or water, is the reading of the "Senior Wills". Every departing senior writes a "will" bequeathing items, words of wisdom, etc., to those fellow members of the band who will be returning next year. I would guess there are 60 to 100 seniors in the band. Each of their wills will be read one right after the other. The seniors don't actually read their wills, this is done by the band director so that she can edit them on the fly, stumble over bad handwriting, and make sure nothing too risque is said. As you might imagine she breathes life into each every one of these well written bits of prose.

The same basic recipe is adhered to with the meal we are served, a distinct lack of spice....force fed.