That's what I am doing Am I meant to be pressing that anyway when playing the C? Fingering charts seems to be saying that, but somehow it feels odd

Some older flutes you have to press both the C roller and the C# key to get bottom C because the C roller only does the C hole and not the C# one. Most newer flutes have the C roller do both the C and the C# holes. My flute only needs the C roller for the C, as did my old Pearl - can't remember for the ancient B&H flute I started off on.

I'm pretty sure I played a low C on your flute on Saturday, and I would by default only have used the roller.

Ah I see. My teacher tried it as well and it was fine when she was playing it.

Must be something with my small hands

No show from carpet fitters due to weather, noticed leak under kitchen sink and had to put back painters due to new date for the carpets.

Won't be able to get anymore time off work to wait in for them (despite having been at work every day during the snow despite having to walk for hours and rearrange childcare).

AAAAGGGGGHHHH indeed!!!

Grotty evening today. Teaching from 3.30 - 7.00 with a couple of little breaks. Now, the snow's disappearing round here. What do I get? A series of late pupils - not one of them on time so everyone runs into another.

Roll on improved weather, and 2nd or 3rd week of term when everyone's accustomed to being back in harness. Too much pfaffing around with schools open/shut/open/shut. Grrrr.

Just before Christmas my husband's computer died and had to be replaced.

On Tuesday the car died - a hundred yards from the garage where she was being taken for repairs - and we have had to buy a 'new' one as repairing the engine was not an option. I had to clear out the map books, chocolate bars, fire extinguisher etc from the old car today as she is going to be scrapped, and I feel rather sad.

And now our loo cistern has cracked in a second corner - and needs to be replaced. Luckily we found this one out before the water drained through the bathroom ceiling and into the living room... And the bathroom suite is a very pale pink so I think our chances of matching it are very small.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh £££££££££££££££££

Not-very-happy jazzycat

I'm feeling so ill. Had a horrible cold yesterday (borderline flu, but not real flu) but forced myself to get out of bed, put on a brave face and tramp round town in painful high heels, because it was a friend's birthday and I'd promised. Today I feel utterly dreadful, have a giant pile of work to do, and need to get up tomorrow to let my dad in (he's coming to fix various things in my house, because basically when things have broken in the past, the letting agency have made it so difficult for us, when they've come to fix it.)

To top it all off, I've been reading kids' books on Project Gutenberg, because I thought they would be soothing, and an unexpected character-death has just led to tears, which led to me coughing up my lungs even more than I already was!

Heaps of sympathy Lucky045 . I hope your friend appreciated your efforts. Take the flu remedies and do a bit of work, have a break, and do a bit more. Look after yourself.

Thanks Susie. The work was making my head spin, so I had a nap, and feel a little bit better. I hope I'll be better tomorrow, I'm translating a bit now, and haven't wanted to throw anything across the room and faint into my pillow for a while, so that's a good sign.

Aw, poor Lucy. And then I went and invited you to my birthday night out via facebook - sorry! I feel terrible now. Hope you sleep well and feel a bit better tomorrow (and for Glee on Wednesday!) xx

Haha it's nice to be invited, and actually nice to go to things usually! I should hope I'll be better in time for your birthday!
I don't want to miss Glee (or Rev on Tuesday) even if I have to go and just sit there listening, with a tissue, several seats away from everyone else.

Aaaargh! Speakers wouldn't work although their lights were on and I spent ages trying to figure out the problem. Turns out their plug wasn't pushed in the whole way so the light was on but no more than that.............this is exactly what happened last time they weren't working (a couple of weeks ago) but I'd forgotten completely about it!

Only just seen this, Lucy. Hope you're feeling much better today.

Thanks. Got out of bed today for French/library session. Am back in bed now, because it's tired me out.
I am feeling lots better though.

Bit worried, got to have orthodontic surgery in a couple of months. I've never been under general anaesthetic before, only local. One of the things they're doing my friend has had done, and she said it hurt badly for a while. With all the other bits and bobs as well they said I'd probably be off school for a week at least. A while after that the braces come on, I'm not sure what will happen with flute. I'm a bit of a wuss, but it's always worse in the mouth somehow.

Poor you! Try and focus on how much more confident you'll feel when your teeth are lovely and straight. My daughter went through orthodontic treatment for 18 months, but she's been so pleased she had it done and is happy now that she put up with the pain. No gain without pain, as they say!

You're bound to feel a bit anxious, but lots of people have this kind of treatment and although the first week or two afterwards can be a bit grim, in no time at all you'll be back to playing your flute. I think the braces do mean you have to alter your embouchure, but I'm sure you'll cope.

Argh, no voice.

FWIW, bobziekins, I had a general anaesthetic last year and it was a rather pleasant experience! It happens really quickly - they were talking to me about something one minute and the next thing I remember is waking up and feeling really drunk... It was a nice feeling though, all floaty. I know it's not the same for everyone, but I'm just trying to put your mind at ease. I've had a lot of orthodontic stuff done too, and it's rarely as bad as you imagine.

ARGH.

How the **** am I going to pay my tax bill??? (And my accountant's fee?).

ARGH ARGH ARGH.

I agree that general anethetics are generally good positive okay experiences, although obviously there is a small risk associated with them.

Honestly though, I can't think of anything worse that being in an operating room concious. Local anethetics at the dentists make me feel so ill, while the thought of being 'aware' while someone is poking around at me...

Nope, I'd much rather be asleep and know nothing about it!


Cyrilla, best of luck sorting that one out. *sympathies*

*shrug* I just let my mind wander off to far away places, my dentist puts on a bit of music or something which helps.

AAArgh! Disasterous exam! At least it doesn't count towards anything important....

Tell me about it. I failed a microsoft It exam earlier today. Hopefully they will put me in again net week and I still have the second exam on Friday.

Thanks, tamsin!

Bagpuss and I were both wondering today how people who earn as little as we do have such enormous (to us) tax bills...

My flute has gotten worse

I agree that it's better to be asleep while it's happening, but at least when you're awake you sort of know what's happening where, whereas after the general you wake up with a load of random cuts. It's seems really unnatural.. because you would notice if it happened while you were asleep. Thanks for the reassurance anyway though, I just hope it all pays off in the end and they know what they're doing.

Have you spoken to the shop you got it from? It should still be under warranty and I think that means that they have to look at any mechanical or material problems without charging you (and from what you were saying before it sounds like it may be a problem with the actual flute).

Have you checked the cork position in the headjoint? I noticed at the Leeds event that you seemed to have your headjoint pulled out an awfully long way, so this could potentially be a problem with the cork position affecting both the tuning and the way the flute actually plays.

Thanks Flossie. I think it's still under warranty so I'll contact them tomorrow. I played it earlier and there's now a 4mm gap between the flute and the C# pad when I use the C roller, and when I press the C# key there's a clunk before both keys go down.

It's just the stress of sending it off etc...

How do I check the cork position? ( I should probably know the answer to this )

Sorry to hear that, Sarah. At least it should give you an idea of what to work on before the end of year exams. As long as you have 60% or over it's a 2nd class anyway.

It wasn't the dreaded Linear Algebra, was it?

Best of luck with any remaining exams. Console yourself with the thought that there aren't any collections at this time in second year.

I spent two hours on a train yesterday beside a lady talking to her "Angel" on her mobile phone.

Argggggghhh

I played my clarinet today. And right now I'm surfing websites with reeds on them.



This is BAD because I don't need any distractions from work just now!!!!

Another Midlands concert cancelled. Like Gedall, I am grumping too.Always have to travel and lately can't afford it.

I've just been talking to meerkat about doing a small event in Harborough in early summer (May/June). Wrong side of the Midlands for you, I appreciate, but it's a start.

Good.

I'm stuck in starbucks waiting for oh who is late picking me up. It's due to close v soon, I have no money or cards on me to get a bus or go to the pub, and he's late because he's helping his dad try to start a broken down car that's blocking his drive ..... At least he's at home! At this rate I'm gonna be stuck outside in the pouring rain in the dark, who needs his help more?!? So in a word AAARGH!!!! ..... And breathe.......

(edit) ok so his car was blocked in. Only in the rain for 5 mins so can't really be cross. Still he's treating me to a takeaway later bless :-)

Glad it ended well

Five days of sore throat, two days off, then a streaming cold. More a 'yuk' than an 'aaargh'

get well soon...

Made it to clarinet lesson, so not AAAAAGH!!

However, the extended snow break and lack of practice due to decorators (disclaimer!) resulted in a rather poor performance in the lesson. Disappointed in myself and as a new-ish clarinet player realised how important it is to keep up the practice if even for only 20 mins a day. Really struggled to keep tone that was managing easily before Christmas.

New regime starteth here!!

Poor you! I'm so glad that one can't catch germs via the internet! (Or can one? )

Please God, can I have my voice back?

Aw, thank you fsharpminor! I'm glad you had a good trip.

It's very frustrating having no voice...(was there about this time last year). Get well soon Celeste..

Yes, they are called computer viruses.

Well up to my level of joke telling. Well done Bev

Arggggghhhhh

I've just had an email from 'Bonhams', the auction house, asking if my current paintings are for sale.


This is bad because, no, they're not for sale until my degree show in August


Bonhams is a massive international company with it's own Contemporary Art department - if they want to sell my paintings this could be huge!!! And I've just told them sorry no


You gorra laff

I should think they'll be willing to wait 'til after your show.

But wow! That's great that they're interested!

My cold's just down to an annoying sniff now , and younger son's cough has gone, and older son's temperature is normal again, so we're all a lot happier



Wow lottie, that's terrific - about the enquiry, I mean. With any luck they'll still want to know in August - fingers very much crossed for you.

Grr someone knocked into the back of my car while stationary at traffic lights

Fortunately just some scratches on the paintwork, but it's just the hassle of getting it all sorted out

I'm not feeling very well...