Amber & The News from Upstate

James, our favorite bagpiping competitor and foodie, reports: "I got two silvers today. And midget chili dogs from Hot Dog Charlie's. It's been a productive visit to the state capitol."

And he sends these photos as proof of a) medals...

...and b) chili dogs.

Keep in mind that all of this is happening even further north than where I live.

Amber & Double Gold

Who has two gold bagpiping medals that he won today and deserves our congratulations?

This guy!

Congratulations, Jimmy!

Amber & Heavy Metal

James has done it again.

Sometimes, when James seems movies that I am not going to see, usually because they are too scary, I ask James to tell me the movie. He recounts the basic plot, throwing in some analysis and notes about the direction and acting. It's the next best thing to seeing it myself, and even better when it's a scary movie. So, I asked James to tell us the story of the medal. He relates the following.

When I started competing this summer for the first time, I was hoping to maybe get a medal eventually in Grade IV, which is the entry level. The best would be to get an AGL, Above Grade Level, on my score sheet. If you get a bunch of these, it means you're playing well enough to be in Grade III.

So far this summer I won a Silver and a Bronze in Piobreachd. And nothing in the March competition, which I feel is my weaker skill.

Today was the last competition before my wedding. I played well in Piobreachd, but I didn't realize I mixed-up a bar in the tune, and so was disqualified from placing. Then I had an hour to go before my March competition. I was very nervous and played the March many times off in the woods. I didn't like how I was playing at all and was filled with despair over it. I finally decided I'd just play the tune slow and try to express it fully. In front of the judge, as I was playing, I thought it sounded well, and I had fun playing it.

After it was over, the judge chatted with me and gave me a lot of helpful feedback. He also told me he was going to give me an AGL, the only one he had given so far that day. Later, when I went to check the results, I found out I had won First Place in March. So with the summer almost over I have a Gold, Silver, Bronze and an AGL. Now I can retire from the bagpipes and take up competitive Glockenspieling.

Amber & Award Winners

Congratulations to James for winning this smashing medal...
...for placing 2nd in Grade IV Piobaireachd! James has been playing bagpipes since freshman year of college, and has put alot of hard work and patience into it.

James had a nice day after winning his medal. In addition to winning a medal (I'm so proud of Jimmy!) James says, "We saw caber tossing, sheep herding, bands competing, and I ate a meat pie, a sausage roll, a steak sandwich, a frozen lemonade, a strawberry smoothy, and some sips of Irn Bru which is nasty."

And he had that fancy sporran, too.

All this, and now it's Kitty Eyebrows Day. What happy times!

Amber & Whiskers

Whenever I am feeling blue, I like to think about kitty whiskers. Whiskers are kind of magical. They're so airy and elegant. Sometimes you forget they're there, but then the sun catches them just right and you notice there are even eyebrow whiskers. Whiskers are like kitty love, reaching out to those around them.

Sometimes, people have whiskers too.
James often grows fancy-shaped whiskers for the week of NYU graduations to match his bagpipes.

Shelley sent this picture of Matthew to show us his whiskers.

But somehow, people whiskers don't hold the magic for me that kitty whiskers do. James took this photo of Baby Scarlett working her kitty magic with her whiskers.