March Moments 2009: March 42 - On Tour, Chapter 3

March 42 - On Tour, Chapter 3
by Jack Bodzas

(Editor's note: March doesn't end until we all decide it does - the ultimate antithesis of aging out. As long as entries for March Moments keep coming in, March keeps going, too.)


On our way to Slippery Rock one year (we slept in real beds), one of our buses dropped its drive train, backfired, coughed up a clutch, wheezed, spewed smoke and everything else. This was one that not even Uncle Tony, Mr. K and Mr. Happel, put together, could perform their “side of the road” magic on. Don’t think it ever got fixed - seriously kaput for keeps.

My dad, among other things, was the emergency bus driver-upper and official corps sign painter. If it stood still long enough, he painted it Blue and Gold - buses, equipment trucks, tymps, bass drums, podiums, posters and anything else that could hold paint and needed a cross and halo logo.

He drove up a spare bus that he said he “borrowed” from somewhere, and arrived at the college at about 4 am. He and I went with Mr. Kadash to Bucky's room to find him a place to crash after the drive. As Mr. K turned on the lights, Bucky tightly clutched his pillow, jumped up and yelled, “I swear I didn’t do it, I swear.”

Ray said, “This is Jon Bodash (sic). He needs the spare bunk. He just drove a bus in from Jersey.”

Bucky said, "Well give Jon the bunk by the window, but get the bus outta here, I’m $%^&**^& trying to &%$@#!! get some %^%$@$# sleep.”

A sight I will most likely never forget and sorta don’t want to.

If we are doing a month's worth of March Moments, I am sure we could do just as many “Bucky Moments.”


Comments or questions about our March Moments series? Click here to submit, or if that doesn't work, send them to joparente DOT saintsdrumcorps AT gmail DOT com.