LAURA MARLING GOT A BRIT AWARD




I had to record sounds around the house, then change them on a programme and put things together.

All the sounds were original, normal sounds - like doors opening etc

FINALLY turned in the last of my work for today! Now I can finally eat and sleep! (might not seem worth happiness, but it would be for the first time in 20 and 36 hours respectively... )

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

" the Mastercard British Album of the Year goes to ...... SIGH NO MORE by MUMFORD AND SONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D




YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES !!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

My OH is away in US at the moment. Today I got Valentine's Card in the post from America....with clues in it on where my present was hidden....

(though I thought we weren't doing V's day this year....but still )

That is such a sweet thing for him to do flobiano!

What was good about today? Umm.... spending some time with child no. 3 this evening.... and running on time in my school lessons!!!!

Playing the violin for the first time in 3 years!

I was only sightreading... and my flats were heinous.... but so many good memories!

Im happy today 'cos Tranmere have won two consecutive matches

The realisation that it's not yesterday.

I second that!

Not one, not two but THREE young pupils with lovely new instruments to set up today. I've been like a kiddy in a sweet shop!

Got my presents in the post! Lots of reading and listening to do now!

Is it your birthday Sol?

What presents did you get in the post?

ET

Nope, I used Valentine's day as an excuse to spend money on myself...

Got a Schubert biography, an art book, and a load of CDs I'll be doing some reading/listening after practice tonight, I think!

Hope all is well your end, ET! Real shame you can't make the playday but there will be more!

Finding a new job to apply for. I probably won't get it, but am quite unhappy in my current post, so just the thought of a chance of escape is wonderful!

Positive thought, BM... Especially during the interview - some HR people these days seem to be wannabe psychologists and tend to pick up a lot on body language and the like.

You should take the view that you are perfect for the job, and you'd be an asset to the company - they should employ you!

I remember one interview I sailed through for an old job - I was told that my enthusiasm was "infectious" and that it went down really well. I think sitting there being negative and avoiding eye contact probably wouldn't have got me the job.

Thanks for the tips, Sol! It's actually at my present school, but in a different department - Resources. Not sure how one can appear perfect for the job, which is to photocopy stuff, except by reliably turning up each day. As I've had about 10 days off in the 12 years I've been employed at the school, I'm hoping that will count in my favour!

I've always loved lab teching, but in the new school the conditions are so different that I now find it very stressful, so I think it's time to get out. I have persuaded my present Head of Dept to give me a glowing reference as to reliability!

Sounds good Sol, what is the art book?

Yes I am really upset about it, but nothing I can do about it as already pre-booked. Look forward to the next one though. On the plus side it gives me more time to work on something! lol



Good luck Berkshire Mum, hope that you get it. A change is as good as a rest as they say.

On the job front I am waiting for a phone call to discuss a job with me working at home. Will be brilliant as I can work around study, son and mum. Need to try and replenish my savings ready to pay for my October fees for OU.

2 new accompanying gigs

Nice parcel

Husband arrived home with vitamin B*




















*Brown = chocolate!

McDonalds cherry pie

McDonald's always fascinates me - they are possibly the only food chain on earth that managea to get the filling in their apple pies up to a temperature of several thousand degrees without the whole thing bursting into flames or vaporising.

Cherry pies take me back to my childhood : easily the best thing McDonalds have ever made, and now they're doing them again, I just couldn't resist

British Rail do a pretty good job too. I reckon their microwaves must be nuclear powered!

SB

Not on First Great Western in my experience...

I have a day off tomorrow .... ..... ..... sleep in .... yum ... appealing ....

I've just had a lovely long dogwalk, up through the woods and across the fields past the pictish settlement and then back down past all the rabbit warrens which the dogs loved (although the bunnies were not at home).

Then I had Heinz tomato soup and toast.


Later this afternoon I have my viola to practice for my lesson tomorrow morning.


Perfect day

i will be happy in half hour, when i fini work and go onto teach my three funny kiddy winkles.. who i bet haven't practiced one iota!!

Making cakes

Car passed its MOT with no major expense required (just new wiper blades at the front!).

My cold has gone! *touch wood*

Performances of Fiddler on the Roof - one down, three to go...

It's nearly 20 degrees today! I'm almost more shocked than happy... but not quite

Band practice The pieces for our concert are starting to come together

for that Louise.

Mine's not music related - a successful shopping trip - getting everything I needed to make a baby owl costume for my son and a birthday cake for my daughter.

Aww,

Happy Birthday MissF (whenever it is )

Next week

26th.

A weekend birthday : can't be bad

At the end of half term too!!

So how about a whole birthday week...

Hmmm .... can Mum manage that one?

Actually MissF and MasterF are getting a shared present in teh shape of a 10ft trampoline. It's come today and will be assembled in time for their week off.

I'd have loved one of those when I was their age

Yeah me too ....


The 10ft is so I can go on it too

go Dawn!

Tried to teach my niece how to do "swivel-hips" on their 8ft and got somewhat stuck on the turn ...

Swivel hips - takes me back to my school days!! Got nearly to Novice exam status, but the summersault got me every time!!

This morning I have fitted properly into a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to wear since having my son - 6 years ago

The recorder (erm...mp3 recorder, that is) that my husband bought me for my birthday.
I recorded myself last night and listened back this morning and it's great. It does the job for me better than my iPod which I was trying to use before (which was a pain as the record/stop button is on the front but the microphone is on the back, so you have to faff faff faff, whereas for this it's all just in front of you and you can pop it on the music stand and just press record and stop whenever you like).
I've only listened on the little inbuilt speaker so far, but even though it's likely not fabulous quality it's good enough for what I want it for - identifying the places which don't goes as smoothly as I think they go when I'm playing

It probably also helps that the pieces I played sounded somewhat better than the last time I recorded them

The recording quality of most of these devices is remarkably good, but you will need to use headphones or external speakers to hear the sound properly. However, depending on what you are recording good positioning can be crucial.

SB

Thanks SB - it did come with headphones, but they were in a different room, and I was just fiddling about with it this morning as a distraction from getting ready for work. I think it is going to be a handy little beast to have around

It's got different recording modes as well, which are to do with the volume and position (e.g. if you are using it to record a 1 to 1 interview, or a lecture in a big hall, etc), so I will experiment with these things in due course.

The Friday feeling and of course thinking about not having to work for the next 2 days of course!

The fact that those parents and colleagues who have been able to open the document I sent about the very worrying things happening to our music school have been extremely helpful and supportive. It has given me a bit of courage to continue the fight.

Now there's a good excuse. This week I've found myself doing stuff that's not thrilling me with excitement, nor does it have a particularly challenging deadline. The result is that I've been doing web surfing and have managed to spend quite a lot of money on things I don't really need (although at least one of the 3 dresses I've ordered will be going back because I ordered the same one in 2 different sizes), but if I can explain them as Valentine's day presents to myself that's OK!

I'm happy because I've got a long weekend (in part to avoid the not thrillingly exciting work), it's the British Saxophone Congress almost on my doorstep, and a friend I haven't seen for almost 10 years is coming to stay on Sunday night because she has a meeting on London on Monday morning (thank you facebook!).

Teacher training - a day off school, sorely needed!