Not an ARGH, more of a little grrr - I wrote a letter to my friend, a tiny little letter, on extra tiny pink stationery, it was two sheets of paper - so not heavy, and I put a first class stamp on it. How is it that she now has to pay one pound six to receive it because I apparently didn't pay enough postage?!

How much postage do you need on a letter that size?!

It might be worth finding out for future reference. I sent a birthday card to a friend not long ago and she had to go and collect it from the post office due to "underpayment". It turned out that because it was handmade and had a "attachment" fixed on to it, it breached the regulation regarding thickness

I've often thought of starting a thread on the postal service

Hmmm.. my initial thought was that maybe the stamp had fallen off. But seeing as she only needs to pay £1.06 that suggests that the postage was only 6p short (because there's an admin fee of £1)

Strange.

They've brought me a new laptop at work as mine was three years old and up for renewal.

The new laptop is OK, in and of itself.
The new keyboard is very much smaller and it is not currently easy for me to type with as I keep hitting the wrong letters (plus the markers for the home keys are much less noticeable). My hands are really close together and I don't like it. I use and ergo keyboard at home, may request one for at work just so I can spread my hands out a bit.

Now, the monitor on the new laptop is nice and bright. But my monitor (I usually have both screens on the go) seems significantly darker than before. I've whacked it up to maximum brightness but I've still got a very grey looking screen. Actually, it may be to do with the resoution, the new laptop insists on a higher resolution for my monitor, and the result is that everything now looks tiny.

And it's given me a headache (it'd be fine if I came in and just had the new stuff here, but having it swapped in the middle of the day has bothered my eyes, therefore I have a headache).

AAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

What's up???

AAARGH!!

I've discovered part of the problem with my physics coursework. You'd have thought my teacher might have mentioned that I needed a high sampling frequency or that the helpfile might have said something about it. Now I have to go through reading all the 350 values again

Argh!!! Got an offer from Exeter but Exeter was going to be my insurance. and the typical offer was AAB - BBB as i went for the 3 year course....as the 4 year course was AAB - ABB so i wanted a safer insurance. but my offer is AAA which is higher than nottingham offer of AAB.

Maybe Exeter set their offers high but will let you in even without you getting three As. York offered me AAA but I still got in with AAB... It's a bit much to risk your insurance choice on though...

If your teacher tells you things, you lose a lot of marks! The whole point of the project is that you research it yourself; it pays to do a lot of work before starting your experiments so that you find out about this sort of thing. I am always instructed to say nothing to the A2 students even if they obviously have the wrong idea about something, as they are meant to realise for themselves what will or won't give useful results.

Sorry it's turned out like this, but it's actually a very valuable learning experience for you. I know you won't ever again do Physics coursework, but it's applicable to all areas of life really - we often hear of people who've bought a wardrobe so big it won't go up the stairs, or a turkey which won't fit in their oven. What it should teach you is to look round the problem before you start, e.g. work out the maximum size of wardrobe before you go shopping.

If you really can't face doing all the measurements again, at least ensure that you show you've discovered why the experiments were inconclusive, and give an outline of further experiments you would do if more time were available. You will get quite a lot of credit for this, as OCR intend the practical coursework to be a learning experience, and want to see that you know how to improve things. If, on the other hand, you still think there's time to do the measurements again, you'll get even more credit for that.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.


Looks like you'll have to do well in your resits now then - there's an incentive for you! Do you have dates for your Oxford interview yet, Ben?

I think the interviews are 14th-17th Don't know if I have one yet!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh !. Switched on bathroom light, and the bulb went with quite a bang. Fetched another and the bulb holder broke when I was putting it in. May need a complete new fitting now.

My pupils are driving me maaaaaaaaaad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you hear of a piano teacher running amok in Gloucestershire, leaving a trail of battered children in her wake........

I asked a VIP to take part in a project to promote violins and music to a wider audience. I only needed one hour of her time and I was prepared to travel to meet her whenever it suited her (ie to London from Scotland).

She declined.

.

Of course they shouldn't, and they won't.

This will pass, believe me. I am sure one day you will find that things are looking up again.

I know the feeling It will get better!

AAArrgh!! I hate having dial-up internet!! How am I meant to get research done when I have to wait 20 mins for a pdf file to load, then find it actually wasn't that relavant anyway grrr... I can see i'm going to be up all night again!

Oh dear! It's definitely worth having Broadband! Poor Sarah - I hope things are going better for you now.

Poor old 123

I have just got back from a day of auditions and now need to write 1000 words on Cleopatra for tomorrow.

Sorry, I only just saw this. Turns out that the number I thought was sampling rate was actually something else, but I only realised that after rereading all the results off their spectrums with the higher number I think it's made it more accurate though, so I don't think it was a complete waste of time.








Guess what... it wasn't at all helpful Hopefully we might get broadband soon



So I'm not going to be the only one working through the night

I hope the auditions went well What were they for?

Yes, how did it go, Jungfrauenregalbass? I hoped you'd post after the Monday audition but didn't see anything anywhere. Was it the recorder one today?

(The other one was for organ, Sarah)

I went down to the village today for my newspaper. I put a hat on because it was windy and I didn't want my hair blowing in my eyes. The school had just released it's captives..

Walking from the car to the papershop a group of children started shouting abuse at me. They were screaming insults about my (admittedly bright) jumper and my hat. I didn't know what to do so I ignored them but the sick feeling in my stomach won't go away.

I was very badly bullied at school and this just brings it back (it's happened before outside this school). I was just waiting for them to start throwing rocks and dog-###### at me like they did when I was a kid.

Just had to offload, I'm pathetic I know, but I feel rotten. I have to admit I'm scared of kids; I don't have any, and ages ago I gave up what little teaching I used to do. Think I'll go and crawl under a rock. I'm even too embarassed to tell my husband how upset I am.. I told him I had a headache.

I can relate to this entirely! I still do detours to avoid groups of children - just as I did as a kid...


W

Oh, poor lottie! Go and confide in your hubby at once - I'm sure he'll make you feel much better with a big hug.

Children en masse can be quite scary, but try not to let them bother you so much. I can understand how it brings it all back but I expect they were just letting off steam and showing off to their mates in a rather nasty way.

Many children are absolutely lovely, so I hope you won't tar them all with the same brush. But I certainly don't think you're pathetic; bad things in our past can come back to haunt us at any time, and surely your husband would realise that better than anyone.

Arghhhhhh.
Messing up dates is annoying!

Yes it is ! i went to a band job a day late last month!!!!




Aaaaaaagh!!!!!!! Why are my workmen so obtuse!!!!!!????

had a leak over the summer. Insurance sorting it out. Affects both bathroom and kitchen which have to be gutted. Took 3 months to get organised. Went with their recommended builders, thinking about back-up and support if anything went wrong. Wish I'd gone with a local guy and friend!!!!!! It's been one big mess up!!!! Things not being done according to a schedule they set and this would not bother me too much but they are not informing me of things!!!! Had to complain as damaged bath last week and now I think they are holding this against us and being deliberately awkward. When I ring to ask what's what it's like pulling teeth and I'm left feeling like somehow I'm in the wrong but I know I'm not!!!!! I'm met with denials and vague comments. AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!!!! Will this job ever get done? I feel like I'M the project manager but without any authority!!!!! This is not being co-ordinated ver well at all.

Sorry. Had to get it off my chest!!!!!

Sorry to hear this Lottie, and no, you're not pathetic. An unpleasant incident made worse by the fact that it replayed events from your past.

Oddly enough I had something similar a few weeks ago - quite innocent and it only involved my family, not a group of rude strangers. We were all sitting around at mealtime, and there was some secret that everyone seemed to know except me. I don't even remember now what it was about. But there was laughter going back and forth across the table - and suddenly I was 11 years old again and feeling very small. (I wasn't exactly bullied at school, the problem was only at lunch time, when we sat on pre-arranged tables with pupils from other years - and some of the interaction wasn't exactly kind. ).

Anyway I snapped at my daughter and she told me to calm down, and eventually it became clear what the joke was - and it was n't anything much. But it's odd isn't it how suddenly you can feel small and miserable again?

I would tell your hub and see if that helps. I have kids and I teach - but large loud groups can still be scary at times.

Well had my long awaited grade 5 piano this afternoon. Felt well prepared - knew the scales and pieces inside out, and had played the pieces almost perfectly at home yesterday. Went into the exam room and saw the piano....

Yellow keys, and the stool wasn't adjustable so it was much higher than I'm used to. The sound was awful too - I could hardly hear the low notes. My exam was in a church hall - seemingly it was supposed to be in the actual church, but there was a funeral on so they'd had to move it to the hall. Scales went ok, but the pieces were a little dodgy shall we say. I didn't know it was possible to make so many mistakes, and some of them I'd never made before!! On the bright side, the sightreading (which is usually my greatest fear) was not too bad - i kept going anyway, even if the notes weren't all there, and the aural was fine. I just feel that if the piano had been better, I'd have played better...or maybe not. The annoying thing is I didn't even feel nervous! I think that because I made mistakes in the first piece, that knocked my confidence for the next ones.

Rant over. I'm sure worse things could happen! But next time I take my own piano....would anyone like to help with the transport?

What an unfortunate thing to happen!

Still, it sounds like you did a fairly good job of the exam despite the piano, so well done for that. New mistakes in the exam room are a pretty common phenomenon - we all do odd things under pressure.

If you think it was so bad a piano it was detrimental to your overall performance, you need to phone the ABRSM today and let them know about the problem. Don't wait for the results before you air your concern.

That happened when I did my piano accompaniment exam and i complained about it on the spot.
The examiner was very helpful finding something of an appropriate height for me. I was rather concerned about all the previous candidates who might not have thought to mention that the stool and piano were not compatible and so played their exams with less that good posture.

Yes, I suppose I could have said something, but it wasn't too bad, just different from what I'm used to. I don't know how young children would have managed to reach the pedals though!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

Re my above post.

Just been upstairs and my only usable source of water my bathroom sink is leaking!!!!!!! A lot!!!


On the verge of telling these builders where to go and getting a replacement in but I suppose I'd have a long wait!!!!!!

Thinking of reporting this to my insurance claims handler. Had to do this re damaged bath and think the builders are acting very grudgingly now but if they'd accepted liability to start off with then this would not have been necessary.


They do not communicate well and will not answer my questions. I'm stressed!!!!!!! Aaaaaaaaagh!!!

Thank God I have band tonight.

have to finish writing the first draft of my dissertation's first chapter 2 weeks' today..... argh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aaaaaaaarrrrghhh...

My experiments at uni aren't working, I'm running out of time and and have too much to do and not enough time to do it in, I need to write my thesis, I can't play my scales, I can't play my exam pieces and my exam is next week.

Grrrrr

Oh dear - that's what I dread about piano exams; things are so much easier when you can use your own instrument. I always like to have 10 minutes to try out a piano, and of course you don't get that in an exam (though I think you can book a slot sometime before the exam at some centres). Sorry you felt you weren't able to play at your best, and I hope the examiner marks kindly.

My grade 8 piano was on the most beautiful grand piano I've ever touched. It was a magnificent instrument and the sound and sensitivity were incredible. I'll always remember that piano although I don't even remember the street the exam was held in (somewhere in Edinburgh).

Nerves ruined the exam for me... but oh ... that piano.. I would have loved to take that home...

Yes, anyone doing their exam at the Yorkshire College of Music & Drama in Headingley Leeds might like to know that you can book a session on the exam piano in advance of the exam.

Sorry to hear about your experience missforte, it must have been very off-putting. Fingers crossed for the result

That's interesting - I didn't know you could do that in some places. May be a good thing to look into for next time.

Agh my throat is so, so painful (again? Still?) and I have a singing lesson this afternoon. This happens to me disproportionately often!

*Can't scream, whimpers weakly instead*

Um, y'know how you get those lecturers. The ones that set really pointless, boring tasks that aren't even assessed...

I may have a 4000 word report on the financial state of the UK to produce for 1pm tomorrow...

I may have only written 100 words...

The temptation to write "variable" on a piece of paper and hand it in may be increasing...

(Someone may be up all night tonight.)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

In choir this morning I had to walk away from my stand into a side room, take a very slow and deep breath and have at least six moments of calm before going back and then asking fairly politely of one member if there was a problem. She was talking loudly with two others all through one piece. I tried my Paddington stare.....nothing! I tried a tap on the stand........nothing!!!!! So rather than yell at the top of my voice I stomped off the stage in a huff!!!!
She replied that she was "helping a couple of the others"! "Well," Shouted I "It would help them more if you were to sing instead of keeping up a running commentary. "

It went VERY quiet at that point. We sang it through again and then worked at one line of it once more and all was well. I am usually quite animated when I conduct singers but don't often lose my temper. I almost did today.
I didn't feel like apologising to her at the end either.
And don't anyone tell me that it will be alright on the night! I want it alright well before then.

I totally sympathize, Ratty. I actually had one alto doing that last night, despite the fact that I routinely remind singers that if they don't understand something, they should ask me!

Is it my browser, or does your post somehow have a lot of sideways to it?

Whats a 'Paddington Start' ????? Marmalade sandwiches ? Or is it something to do with trains ?

It is a bit skewiff. I don't know why. I blame the Russians! (Just so thatI don't upset any Russians here it was something that my maternal grandmother used to say when anything went wrong!)

F sharp old bean, a Paddington start is what happend wheru io typed a buy too fats.

Oops just realised it now says Padding Stare !!! Stupid me. Or did you edit it ????

Might have done!

This isn't an "AGHHHH i'm annoyed" rant, it's an "ARGHHHH! my teeth hurt" complaint!

I had to have 2 teeth out today, and will be having 2 out next week as well so i can have braces fitted on the 12th december!
When i went in to the room to have them done, it was all fine. the gel they put on the gum before giving you the local anesethic injection tasted of strawberry, but i don't advise you try and taste it, because my tongue went numb, and made speech rather interesting, seeing as one side of my face was all numb too!
I didnt feel the injection (although i was aware they were doing something), but having the tooth out was rather uncomfortable. It involves a pair of plyer type things, and tugging very hard in a circular motion, and it was all rather uncomfortable as the top tooth didnt want to come out! I wasnt in pain, but you can feel the woman tugging, and it makes a horrible noise! luckily i didnt see it come out or see the blood, because i would have fainted!

I still have a rather numb face, and i've had a horrible tooth ache all afternoon (well, it feels like toothache, but obviously theres no tooth there to ache! )

I now feel very sick, and my teeth hurt (well, the sockets where my teeth WERE!), and the worst thing is i get to look forward to having it all done again on the other side of my mouth!

Jacob.

Poor Jacob - having dentistry done is rarely pleasant! Never mind, I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end. I'm not at all surprised that you want to scream about it though!

I've had three men in today to cut some trees down in my garden and to do a general tidy up as everything was overgrown. I've just been out to inspect their work - as they've just left - and find that they have totally destroyed my herb garden. There is nothing at all left of it. What total idiots! Ok, much of it had died off for the winter, but the rosemary and sage were still going strong. When I moved their ladder and some cuttings they'd left on top of the herb garden to see if there was anything left of it I cut my hand on some thorns, just to add insult to injury, so to speak.

I am furious.