I'm still looking for the hidden setting that says "screw up all my formatting without asking first"...

I hope they are ruddy well replacing it at their own cost? I had upstairs' workmen put their foot through my ceiling once.....idiots.

Nope! had an absolute nightmare with them. Had the window fixed yesterday but they ripped the wallpaper in the room now and I don't have any spare roll (and you cannot find it anymore!), made a right mess of the frame, left me with holes and somehow broke a kitchen unit . I was lost for words last night and told them not to come back! I could have asked them to fix it all but their work is terrible and I would probably have ended up with something else broken!!! Even though I'm largely out of pocket now it's such a relief to know they're not coming back!
Different builders coming in the morning tomorrow....not looking forward to it!!! I can think of better ways to spend the weekend than watch them break everything!!

It's absolutely appalling that people are allowed to produce work of that quality! I'm so glad you're not having them back and fingers crossed that the new builders will do a better job.

Can you not get in touch with the firm and claim some form of compensation? Go through small claims for damages if necessary!

3 out of my 4 students failed their exams... Very frustrating as 2 I knew would fail due to lack of effort and practice, but they were convinced they would be fine no matter how many times I told them!!! They other one is gutting but she panicked in the exam.... So frustrated!

Thanks Crotchetymum! They really did work well on the first day and I really thought everything would go smoothly and then it all went downhill very fast. Hard and costly lesson learnt! Never again...hopefully!


I could Sol. But I've already lost so many days leave (about 7 days of my annual leave!) trying to sort things out with them and the insurance company that has been useless. I could be spending more hours/days going through all the necessary channels to get some sort of compensation and I would probably get something but what would really make me happy right now is getting my evenings back for piano practice not for writing letters or making phone calls so I'll just accept I've made a really bad mistake by trusting them, put it behind me and move on (to my piano! ).

ooh just read this and sympathise deeply - having had a similar run of events last year and are still waiting for some things sorting.Have to admit to not chasing them as hard as I could as I'd got sick of them being here too!! Hope you are soon back to normal

I'm a bit charlied off myself after talking with my lady wife about the prospect of giving up my piano lessons due to the fact I can no longer afford them. She's already given hers up.

That seems a shame, particularly when you did so well in your Grade 2. I'm guessing you can't be paying much more than £15 a week - could you save (or raise) that money in any other way/s? What about eBay / car boot sale / not buying coffee on the way to work / looking for cheaper home insurance / walking instead of taking the bus / taking sandwiches to work...?

Thanks for your concern, however I am part of that species of the scourge of the right wing press of the sickness benefits claimant. Part of the reason I am learning the piano is that it helps me to get my concentration back that years of meds have taken away from me. Spending my money on piano lessons is a little more constructive therefore than alcohol/cigarettes/petrol/marijuana/William Hill etc.

Walking??? I've lost 27kg since Jan 1st!!!

Thanks Dawn! Waiting for the next lot of builders that has to re-tile the kitchen (was tiled wrongly 2 weeks ago!! ) so the carpenter can do his job.
Maybe I should have gone to the doctor to get some sort of Valium so I can stay calm instead of worrying about what they're going to break next!

I understand that one!!! I blew up at my mother-in law!! (Not that she didn't deserve it - but it was one of those comments I'd usually have ignored - however I flipped!! )

A dear friend of mine went and left her flute on the bus yesterday - she is a professional (ex-Hong Kong Phil) and the headjoint was a £14K gold one...it seems to have completely disappeared and she is pretty devastated...

How terrible for her! I really hope she is reunited with it soon! My violin is "only" a Stentor, but I'd be simply devastated to lose it

Absolutely dying to get home to my own bed!!! After a week away for work , I am now swtuck at Tocument airport in Panama... wondering on earth we're going to be able to leave. Already had six hours wait in Trinidad airport. An hour in Panama first of all turned into four. Shipped us off to a hotel for a decidedly shoddy supper. Would have been better just to get a bed! Then we got on the plane and then off it again. Then the cabin crew declared they needed another member to run the new aircraft so we can't fly. I think it's all a ploy to avoid paying a hotel. Now getting on for 2am...

Well, poor old missypiano and Cyrilla's pal have had much worse events to deal with so I'd better just shut up.

Hope the building work goes better than you fear missypiano.

Hope that flute turns up against the odds, Cyrilla.

How soul destroying! Any news?

I hope it shows up soon - perhaps get in touch with music shops, pawn brokers nearby to get them to keep an eye out for anyone trying to trade it in?

It's a good job I play piano, I'm awful for mislaying things...

"Oops! Where's my piano? I'm sure I had it with me when I came in!" isn't a phrase we're likely to utter.

I can't imagine the shock of mislaying such a cherished instrument - the shiver that goes down the spine when I've mislaid my keys is bad enough!

Any joy in finding it?

How awful. Flutes are very portable, and unfortunately easy to leave behind and easy for someone else to disappear with. A pupil of mine lost one in similar circumstances a few years ago: open-holed and in-line, so fairly unusual, but it was never recovered.

I do hope your friend has better news, C.

A man has been drilling next door all day today...something I'm finding hard to cope with now.

Time for some Beethoven I think!!

I hope your friend gets her flute back, Cyrilla.

Thanks, all, for the concern and enquiries re my friend's flute...I saw her today and, sadly, no news . She has contacted shops, dealers etc. who will look out for it, but so far the signs aren't hopeful...

And I've just heard from a dear, dear friend who is going through absolute ###### at the moment - can't go into details here, but suffice to say I am worried sick about her and wonder just how much stress and anguish and heartbreak one person can deal with...

Chopin Op.28 No.20 all day and night would work better, I think!

Thanks, noodle.

I do hope the flute turns up, but I hope even more that your friend who is having such an awful time finds some way out of all that she's experiencing at the moment.

I've been a diet since last January and I've lost 27kg with another 20 to lose, but now I'm getting some really bad food cravings that I have to fight. Ice cream, cold puddings, cheesecakes, and my favourite British strawberries and cream. Thats what makes me scream

So, I've been home a day. My dad took the wheel off my bike... I'm not sure why, something to do with fixing my sister's. He now refuses to fix mine (this is a bike, I paid for...).
I am seven miles from the nearest town, and I'm now, effectively, being held prisoner in this village, as there is no other transport.

My mother and sister keep having conversations about nothing in particular, while I'm in the room. If I try to join in, they both stop speaking. Stare at me til I've finished making a comment, and then go on speaking to one another, entirely ignoring whatever it is I've said.

There have been three mentions of how singing doesn't really count as a musical skill, although there has also been one mention of my sister's best friend being "the best singer [they've] ever heard". This is despite the fact that she doesn't so much sing, as screech at the top of her lungs in an attempt to land herself a spot on the X-Factor... Ok, so that's a bit mean and bitter, but really this girl isn't very good... I mentioned that I didn't think she was doing her voice any good... Then I was told that I was jealous, and arrogant and thought I was a better singer than everyone else in the world. Also that they'd rather hear someone like [this girl] with "raw talent" any day, than my silly, pretentious singing... I suppose I should just suck it up and be grateful that they used to pay for lessons... I don't know why they did given the way they talk about it...

I'm supposed to be going back to York soon. I sensibly planned weekends in my own house because I knew they'd drive me mad... But now I don't see how I'll even get to the train station to get away from it all.

If I could find a bigger hug, I'd send it.

Can you stay in York longer, Lucy?

Thanks. I'll be fine, I'm sure, it's just upsetting.



Yes. Well, I actually called a taxi and got all the way to the train station tonight. Watched the last train leave at the other side of the platform, and went right back again. I'm definitely going to be in York this weekend though, and depending on the state of things then, I may have to extend my visit.

Oh dear, that is so sad, hope things get better for you soon. Sending you a big hug.




So sorry to hear about your friend's flute, hope she gets some success and so sorry to hear about your friend with the problems. Hope that your support will help her through this bad time



Well done on the weight loss, and hope that you manage to fight the cravings. Maybe just have a very small treat to try and satisfy them.

Thanks for the kind words, Crotchetymum, eldatom and others.

Still no news of the flute...and I spoke to my poor friend today who is SOMEHOW managing to hang things together but really in a massive state of shock.

Hugs, lucky, hang on in there...

*hugs*

I'm moving into my new house on Saturday, so if you fancy some company at any point I'll be in York. (And probably not too far from your house, come to think of it!)




My own little argh is that I really, really miss my dad. *sob*

Perhaps they would like to hear me sing, and then say that to me! (I have been trained to kill by her Majesty's forces.......... )

Whats up Panthera ?

Thanks for the sympathy and thought guys, I'm sure I'll survive... Fiona, I'll text you when I'm in York. I think I'm supposed to be hosting a glocial (glee singers social) or something, but I'm not sure. We should definitely meet up regardless.

Panthera, I hope you're ok.

Thanks guys. Horrible disasters at work. I could almost actually kill someone.

Hugs to you, lucky

A chain of aagh!!:

1) being stung by a wasp on Sunday - it HURT!!

2) Some boys taking my son's puppet models he'd taken in for "show and tell" yesterday

There could have been misunderstanding between the boys - but they are only 5!!
Managed to retrieve 2 from 2 boys (with some damage)- but felt "hindered" rather than "helped" by the staff present.

3) Feeling like it was being a bit dismissed by the staff led to me being in tears over it

4) speaking to the teacher today led to me feeling a bit like a naughty schoolgirl up in front of the teacher for wrongdoing when actually all I wanted to say was "Yes it WAS your fault as YOU are ultimately responsible!!"

If a school does "Show and tell" it should also teach respecting other's special things and it should be down to the staff to ensure that what is brought in goes home with the child who brought it regardless of whether they think a child has distributed them in class or not. "Have" for a 5 year old often means "for a bit" not "to keep"!! My son was distraught when he realised he hadn't got his things back and others were taking them home!!!

Counting down the days till the hols now - and hoping that next year will be better for him.

Strange timing - I've just come off the phone trying to explain to a parent that the voice is an instrument and as valid as the rest, and so they shouldn't be forcing their daughter to start the violin if it's singing she wants to do!

Keep going there, Lucky

Poor lamb - hope he's feeling better now.

*feels like throwing things around*

argh-housemates-argh-frustrating-argh-!£$("%$s-etc

Is it ever possible to get used to being treated badly?

-two months to go-

Misery in chunks at the moment - very fed up and definitely feel like I'm in the wrong life; this can't be my one! It really has to be my turn for some jolly times soon.
N

You could have the strawberries, and perhaps come creme fraiche. And I'm sure there are low-fat ice creams out there, or frozen yoghurt. Don't give up now - 27kg is a huge achievement.

Staff can be a bit cavalier over things like this. I remember my daughter being very upset in junior school because she'd lent various things from her maths set to people in the class, and at the end of the lesson some of the things weren't returned. At the end of the school day when I arrived to collect my daughter the teacher spoke to me and basically complained that my daughter had made too much fuss about this!

Teacher's view was that the entire maths set had only cost around £2 so what did it matter. Child's view was that someone she'd trusted had stolen her things. Teachers can be guilty of putting a monetary value on everything and dismissing theft if the thing didn't cost very much. This is very bad in my view, as children don't necessarily know how much something cost, and need to learn that what belongs to someone else is not theirs to take!

I don't wonder that both you and your son were upset, Dawn. We learned never to send in things for "show and tell" that our children really cared about.

I agree they should be helping to teach that you respect other people's things regardless of cost.
And £2 can be a lot for some families to replace. If a teacher thinks it's cheap enough to replace easily then they should go out and buy the replacement.

Aww - hope things look better soon!

W

Big hugs to all

yes, this seems to have been a bad bad week for folks... almost worried to take a look in here and see what else has happened...



PS to lost-flute-friend: tell her not to give up a hope. The elderly friend of a friend lost some pearls inherited from her mother and they turned up at a supermarket two or three months later!