Demo Work

One activity that I am involved in is community work for my church which is St. Joseph’s. Many of the projects we have done have been very rewarding. It makes me feel like I am making a difference in the world.

One of the first experiences that i had was in 2010. We went to an elderly ladies house to clean up her backyard. We raked her leaves, picked up dead branches, and tore down dead trees and weeds. It took us about 3 hours to do all of this. After we finished we went down to the High School and walked down the little trail behind the woods. While we were there, we decided that we would make the environment a better place. As we walked around, we picked up bottles and cans that were thrown in our path. We also picked up dead branches and bottles that had been discarded along the way. It was so sad to see how people abused this beautiful trail. At least we could make it a little prettier.

The next job we did was on Saturday, January 31^st. A group of friends and I did demo work, our job involved tearing down dry wall, roofing, parts of windows, and flooring. It seemed like it would be a lot of fun and we couldn’t wait to get started. Boy, we didn’t realize what we were in for.

As we began our job it became evident that we had a lot to do and that this would be a difficult job. As we continued the walls and roofing, we became covered in dirt and dust. We started working at 9 am and didn’t stop working until 1 pm with an hour break for lunch. Although it was a lot of work after we were done the area looked much better.

We enjoyed our community work and I can’t wait for our next project. Whether it helping the elderly or building or repairing things, we know that we are making a difference.

My Trip to Rome

In 2008 we went to Rome to visit my older brother Scott. He was a junior at Borromeo Seminary and was spending the entire fall semester studying Italian and completing seven theology courses.  This would be a great opportunity not only to visit my brother, whom I missed very much, but also an opportunity to see the wonders of Rome.  

 Getting ready for the trip was quite an experience.  I first had to pack some nice clothes because of the fancy restraunts and churches my family was planning on visiting. Then we had to pack our passports and plane tickets so we could get on the airplane.  When we arrived at the airport, we had to go through customs and metal detectors before entering the plane to make sure we had no weapons in our pockets or in our suitcases.  The plane flight took about 6 hours.  The plane had TV’s on the back of the seats and we were able to watch movies while traveling. Most of us watched Finding Nemo. 

When we arrived at Rome, we first went  to our hotel  (Westin Excelsior) and unpacked our stuff. Then we went to visit the Coliseum. The coliseum was where the Gladiators fought several thousand years ago.  It was built for them to train and fight to the death in. 

The next day we went and visited the Vatican. The Vatican is a giant Cathedral, and is the place where the Pope lives. They had caskets under the tabernacle with the Pope’s that have died a thousand years ago. They also had a staircase full of coins that visitors throw. 

The next morning we got up early and went to visit Trevy Fountain. The Trevy Fountain is a giant Fountain in Rome, with amazing statues coming out from under the water.

We ate at some fantastic places.  I love Italian food. Some of my favorite places we ate at were Abruzzi and Arul’s.  Abruzzi is a very fancy Italian restraunt in Rome.  In Rome you could not eat until 9:00pm. If you were early you had to wait, because the restraunts do not open for dinner until then.

This is by far the best trip I have ever taken.  If you ever get a change take a trip to Rome.

The band concert at Severance Hall

On Sunday, January 23rd the Avon Lake Concert and Symphonic Band were invited to play at Severance Hall. Playing at Severance is quite an honor, that’s where the Cleveland Orchestra Performs. Besides us there were three other bands, Bay Village, North Royalton and Orrville. The Case Western Reserve Symphonic Winds, a college band also participated.

Preparing for the concert was a lot of work. We were practicing Jackson Lake Overture and Valley Forge for almost three months. We wanted to make sure that we had a perfect performance. As the time grew nearer everyone was excited and very nervous. Finally Sunday had arrived. All of us had to meet at the High School by 11:00 AM even though we didn't perform until 3 PM. We had to arrive early so that we could hear the other bands. We were the third band to perform after Bay Village.

Walking into Severance Hall was quite an experience. Looking at all the designs and intricate details along the walls was very impressive. The staircase had a gold railing that went all the way up to the balcony on the second level. Besides the beautiful blue velvet chairs on the second floor, there were also private boxes that were purchased individually, by company’s or families. These boxes were something else. Each box had two rows of velvet chairs and a larger chair in the back row. I was lucky enough to get a peek at it. The boxes were closed off by curtains for more privacy.

Now we were ready to play. As we looked above we could see the beautiful ceiling that sparkled and reflected a beautiful leaf pattern. The entire interior of the hall is art deco with aluminum lights that ran along the stage. It was an awesome experience as we sat in the pit and began to perform.
We played very well and we were all so proud. The audience clapped so loud I couldn't believe it. We even got a standing ovation.

When we got back on the buses and headed home we were all so exhausted that most of us fell asleep. I will always remember that wonderful experience of a lifetime.