Are You Kidding? or: The Pathetic State Of The Middle School Choir

Once upon another time, Buttercup was frustrated. Teen One and Teen Two had been sent to a Royal Academy of Learning, but it was quite beneath their remarkable abilities, yet there was no choice but to endure until the end of the school year. Buttercup encouraged Teen One and Teen Two to become involved in extra-curricular activities, as a way to pass the time until the beginning of summer break.

Heeding the wise advice of Buttercup, Teen Two decided to enter the annual talent contest, and wanted to showcase her musical abilities by singing a popular ballad of the day. She asked Buttercup (who also had great musical ability) to accompany her on the pianoforte. Regretfully, Teen Two did not win the contest, but Buttercup was able to use the experience as a networking tool, and thus became the accompanist for the Royal Academy's Choir.

Now, Buttercup was an extremely organized and capable lady, and she found it difficult when others around her were not as well put together as she would like them to be. One such person was Madame le Choir Director. Although Buttercup was a tolerant and compassionate person, she became quite disenchanted with the entire idea of accompanying anyone ever again, due to the ineptitude of MCD (or Madame le Choir Director).

This is what Buttercup had to say, " I am so angry right now, I could spit! Well, since I am a lady, I would never spit, but if I wasn't, then I would. I have 12 songs to learn by May 20th, and I have had about 3 weeks in which to learn all of them. Some of them are rather difficult, and 3 weeks is just not enough time to learn all of the pieces that I have been asked to play. I am quite happy to lend my services, but I feel like I haven't been given enough time."

She continued, "I was supposed to go into the school on Friday(May 15th)to rehearse with the choir for the first time--keep in mind that this is 5 days before the actual performance. I got Teen Two out of school early so she could keep an eye on the two little people and then I also had to pick up Mary Poppins from school at 1:30, because I was unable to arrange for someone to pick her up at her regular release time of 2:30. So I spent 45 minutes picking up and dropping off people. I got to the school at 1:45, just a few minutes late, and went straight to the choir room. There was nobody there. I went to the office, and the staff there informed me that there was a school assembly, and that I would probably find MCD there. I went to the gym, and there she was. She asked if we could reschedule the rehearsal, and I told her about the lengths I had gone to to be able to be there that day, and maybe we could reschedule for after school, when it would be more convenient for me?"

"She said that it wouldn't be possible to practice after school because there wold not be any late buses next week, so she could not require that the members of the choir attend a late practice."

"What?! Don't these people have parents? Can't they pick them up?! What about how difficult it has been for me to arrange my schedule, not to mention that I have not had enough time to perfect the 12 songs! "

Buttercup said, "Anyway, I now have to go in again tomorrow to practice (one day before the concert)--my sister is going to watch Harold and He-Who-Is-Not-Yet-Named. But I still have to pick up Mary Poppins early and take her to the rehearsal with me, because nobody seems to want to cart Mary Poppins around in their car all afternoon. Can't understand why not..."

So being the gracious woman that she is, Buttercup will rehearse with the RAC, and pretend to be happy while doing it. Maybe she will wear a disguise to the concert, so no one will recognize her, just in case the event turns out to be a disaster.