Epic Quartet

So, here’s a learning experience for worth a few laughs and a shrug of the shoulders. Our epic oops on Harmony, Inc., protocol.

So before we begin the story, we should state for the record that the only one of us who has any idea what she’s doing is Kris. She has a crown. She is a Harmony Queen. She is also the mother of a 1-year-old so she is not in charge of forms and details. She is in charge of showing up, looking cute, and singing the crappy part that makes the rest of our brains bleed.

Other than Kris, Epic is a bunch of Harmony, Inc., newbies! Our very first Area competition EV-AH had some mighty exciting results (as we may have shared)… we qualified to represent Area 2 at the International competition in November. We were giddy just to be up on the stage with the other mighty-fine qualifiers from Area 2 and then some even crazier news… they announced that we were also quartet champs. Amazing night!

It was also the first step to our amazing oops. See, while on that stage accepting our medals and a cool plaque, they also handed us an envelope. Trisha distinctly told us not to ignore the envelope. The envelope was important. The envelope had information. The envelope was promptly slid into the plaque travel sleeve and carefully packed into Chris’s carry-on and brought back to Virginia and put in the Epic pile of Epic business and Epic receipts on her dresser.

Then Gold Cup. Then Robert Duvall. Then Fairfax show. Then a nap. Then… a found envelope… and an “intention to compete” form and fee that was postmarked two days past the very-clearly-spelled-out deadline. Epic oops.

We have learned:

1. Contest organizers cannot read minds. They must have our form stating that, yes, please, we would like to compete. Earth to Epic… send in your form!
2. Contests cost money, which is why said form must also be accompanied by a check. Because our form was late, our check was bigger 🙂 So we’re supporting the cause with extra enthusiasm!
3. As a penalty, we will probably sing first, which is totally fair since we really do suck and forgot to look in that envelope.
4. This is probably not the last time we will miss a deadline or forget a form…

Here’s the thing… it’s all good. Contest is awesome–totally and completely and crazily awesome–but it’s also just one part of who we are. Our form was late because we are now part of the 90-year history of the Virginia Gold Cup. Because Robert Duvall’s “people” now have our availability for the rest of the calendar year. Because we got to sing our Andrews Sisters Medley live for the awesome Larry Wright who arranged it for us. Because Anne sat on Larry Tully’s lap. Because Our Town’s Scott Brannon sat on Anne’s lap. Yup, it’s all good.