I use something like this for stubborn jars, works a treat

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Misc-Boa-Constrict..._bxgy_diy_img_b

I'm not actually screaming or angry... Just worried about nothing.
I have a meeting this afternoon for "leaders of faith societies on campus" because of my gospel choir. I only just found out about it, and I'm rather worried, as I know that all the other faith society leaders know each other very well, from church and CU, and I don't know any of them.
Also, I'm stuck in a mire of confusion with my choir, and have nothing useful at all to contribute.

When I go, it will be absolutely fine, I'm sure, not an ordeal at all... But until then I'm worried.

What he may have done is pop the vacuum bubble in the lid of the jar. You used to be able to get a little device for doing this from Lakeland and I can't believe they seem to have stopped selling it (I can't find it on their web site anyway) - it's so useful! But I guess you could use anything to pop the vacuum bubble, and once you've done that, you can get into the jar easily in the normal way. Or your neighbour may just have been especially strong!

Have you seen the nighbour?

I was just about to post a reply to your first picture when you changed the picture!!! I thought the first one had some similarities to St George

The first one made me feel a bit ill after looking for too long so thought I'd change it!

I'm glad you did, Sol, because the first one was not very pleasant. I nearly posted a comment to that effect after I saw it.

Yeah, but you know that the original guy would have had no trouble with opening jars for you!

Still can't open em

Oh dear. Sounds like you need a friendly neighbour...

Have you tried running the jar under a hot tap, and then trying?

I feel depressed this morning and have no idea why. Perhaps it's because I was about to do some much needed piano practice when I realised three dustbins urgently needed wheelbarrowing down to the containers. Perhaps it is because the weather is miserable. Perhaps it is because my work never seems to be up to date. Perhaps it's because my partner seems at the moment always to be unwell. Perhaps it's because my neighbour is also unwell. perhaps.... I really don't know. I am usually a very optimistic person
(unbearably so for some of my friends) but today I feel grumpy. Oh well, got it off my chest - better go and see if I can still play what I practised yesterday.

Hope you feel better soon Aquarelle

This is more a gripe or a Grrrr than a scream but still....


There is currently a big white van parked on the end of my drive. My neighbour is having some work done on their roof and at the end of a cul-de-sac parking's tight but the work men haven't asked if they can put it there...

If they had I would most likely have said yes but they haven't... where is common courtesy and decency these days?

Their van is on my property - simple as that.

Thank you Dawn. I am off to school this afternoon so hopefully the children will cheer me up.
How very rude of your neighbour's workmen. I'd be inclined to have a word with them!

I know I just wondered if it might be a time I was better to ignore it....... Don't want to cause upset amongst my neighbours. Still asking costs nothing!

Poor Aquarelle .

Also feeling a tad grumpy - just TOO MUCH to do - too many hassles, too many problems, TOO MUCH WORK!

Argh.

Let their tyres down and stick a potato in their exhaust while they're not looking. You may then proceed to run away giggling like a schoolgirl!

hope you feel better soon, Aquarelle



That's really rude it certainly wouldn't have killed them to knock and ask!

Thank you Fran and Cyrilla. I feel a little better now. Back to school was grim for three out of six pupils this evening but the other three were a delight!

And for Cyrilla "Bon courage" as they say here. One does sometimes goe through some rather grey patches, doesn't one?

I feel grumpy today...... v tired..... had as v stressful parents evening for my son..... he is in Yr 8 and has dyspraxia. The Special Needs co-ordinator is on long term sick and his needs are definitely being neglected and one teacher told us we have to fight for him- I have no fight left!
He's not been doing all his hw but no one has told us....
Actually half the teachers love him- the other half don't get him.\He got into a scuffle last FRi- first time ever- which was handled badly. He ended up with a black eye! That upset me.....Oh well
I am insanely angry with my DH but he hasn't done anything- I just feel cross at him and then cross at myself for being irrational!

have my long day tomorrow.... lots of pupils....

Thanks, Aquarelle! I too am usually of an optimistic frame of mind, but sometimes I get so overwhelmed by all the plate-spinning that I do that I get grumpy and down...but I'll be OK, I always am in the end!

Thanks noodle.

I do not feel well... I have a temperature and a very stiff neck and horribly clammy and blotchy hands and feet. Meh.

Does light hurt your eyes Floss?

It makes my head hurt more... I shouldn't be using the laptop I guess, but I feel really isolated (silly, I know).

What happens if you press a clear glass against a blotchy bit? Does it fade or does it stay blotchy?

I can see where you're going - waiting for someone to call me back. Better to be safe than sorry. Thanks Flossie.

That's good. I was going to suggest contacting your GP. It may well be nothing to worry about at all, but you're best getting things checked out just in case - there's lots of other things with the same symptoms, but it's not worth taking the risk of it being one of the things it could be.

Hope things are okay and that you're feeling better soon.

Oh no Fiona, that sounds worrying. I hope it turns out to be nothing much. Feel better.

Ditto - hope it's something trivial... Get well soon!

(that's for your son) and (for you! )

Don't they have a locum SENCO bod? Special needs kids - whatever those needs are - need someone at the school.

Get well soon Celeste

A late suggestion re the pickle jar - sometimes the vinegar sort of reacts with the lid, so giving it a sharp knock to dislodge any encrustation is a possibility. And to elaborate on the hot water suggestion - the theory is that the lid, being metal, expands more when it's heated than does the glass jar. Put some v hot water in a bowl, eg a soup bowl, and stand the jar upside down in it for a minute or two. Then grip quickly with something like a damp Spontex dishcloth (you don't want to give it a chance to cool down). Then get REALLY cross when it still won't budge ...

PatC

I can't do aurals. At all I can't even tell whether a note is the tonic, 3rd or 5th of a chord - what hope is there of learning to identify modulations and cadence chords in 8 weeks? Not to mention the playing back and sight singing...

Thanks crotchetymum- but the 'locum' SENCO bod is a teacher in the attached Junior School- he is in Yr 8. The Junior School is in a separate building. She teaches full time! And she hasn't been to see him. His science teacher is a goddess and ought to be cloned but she did tell us that his needs aren't being met. He had a great form teacher last year that looked after him but his form teacher this year is one of the teachers who isn't so good with special needs and doesn't 'get it'.
His geography teacher emailed me all the work he hasn't handed in yesterday and it's all really dyspraxic unfriendly- copy out this paragraph, draw this diagram, add labels etc, enlarge this picture- all stuff that will take ages for him! I have tried with her before to explain that if the learning is A, then can he do some work to achieve A rather than copy out paragraphs and pictures that he can't do? But she said "I have one way of teaching and this is it'.
Geog teacher said "UNFORTUNATELY- he is clever and then does fairly well in tests'- why is that unfortunate? I suspect because he doesn't do things her way!

We have been advised to write to the head and I will probably today (advised by lovely science teacher!)

I woke up with a migraine on Tuesday. So I didn't go to work then. Or Wednesday.
This mornign the cat woke me up for her breakfast, so I got up, and slooooowly I have made preparations as if I were going to work. I'm OK sitting down, even better laying down, or propped up reading. Feel great. Then I stand up to e.g. wash my face and my head goes BANG.

Really really really wanted to make it in to work today - because music lessons are after work on a Thursday. Now I have to phone up and cancel the music lesson (I feel that if I can't make it to work, then 'ethically' I can't go to my lesson; and also, haven't done any practice due to screaming head so probably not all that much point in having a lesson).

Gah.

Poor Maizie! Hope you're feeling better now.

Hope you're better now, Maizie

How you feeling now Maizie?

Feel like such an idiot. Fell for someone's sob story and then realised that I had been had when I had handed over 5 euro. OK it's only 5 euro but the feeling of being duped is not nice. :-(

I know what you feel like. When my dyslexic daughter started secondary school, her form teacher said to me: "It's a pity she's good at maths, it would have been so much more convenient if she was bad at everything"

GRRRRR at people who think for some strange reason that I CHOOSE to be ill. If I had my way, they would just shoot me so that I could stop taking up doctor's time.

why would people dream of thinking that?

Sympathies to those not feeling well - hope things improve soon.

My Arrgghh - teenage pupil today. Arrgghh!

Not so much an ARGH! as just a bit of a disappointment, but had booked tickets for a recital in London given by my favourite singer. Booked the tickets months ago, and very cunningly timed my train-ticket buying to get the tickets at the cheapest price possible. The recital is now very soon. However, I found out yesterday that the singer has cancelled and been replaced by someone I'm not particularly interested in hearing. The singer I wanted to hear is performing again a few days later, and I'd hoped I could maybe get my tickets exchanged, but the concert's so close now I can't afford the train fare, as they're all full price (or very close to it).

What a disappointment for you, having made such careful plans. Will you still go and hear the performance of the not-so-wanted singer? Could you try to sell your tickets on ebay or something?

That's so frustrating! Train fares are a nightmare - it's such a lottery what you have to pay for tickets these days, and depends on looking on the right website at the right time.

BerkshireSon had to come down to Slough yesterday from Durham for an interview for a summer job, and it cost him twice as much to come down (because he had to travel at peak time) as to go back. The firm only pays up to £100 travel expenses (fair enough for a short-term job), so even using a Young Person's railcard it's cost him to attend. If only it weren't so near the exams he might have cut classes and come down to us on the Thursday, but he couldn't afford to miss two days of lectures and tutorials (there are so many for Maths!). OTOH, he needs a summer job to avoid going even further into debt.

Really sorry that you won't get to hear your favourite singer, false_harmonic.

what's up, Susie?

Oh, just a young lady with long fingernails, who doesn't look at the music very much (although it's not committed accurately to memory), and insists on her own fingering (goes pink and upset when I come heavy duty teacher "you really must do this fingering") which doesn't necessarily produce a good performance ..... among other things .... my blood pressure's rising as I think about it. Can't grumble too much - I've worse pupils - she does practice, and she's bright and able - that's the trouble I think. One of those to whom many things come easily, so no need to put in big effort.

Sorry for the rant.

BS seemed really positive about the interview