Aww Soph don't say that. *hugs*

Aww Soph!

ARG!


My new braces and rings(on thge back teeth) are killing me, and I have a stupid rash on my leg which is scattered randomly in a small area. Maybe a insect bite?

The pain should stop in a few days - I didn't notice it not hurting any more until I realised that I was eating normally again! (The rings are horrible though ) Have you tried putting some soothing cream on it - there are some you can buy specially designed for insect bites. It should take the itch out of it anyway (If it's itchy!). If it doesn't clear up you should probably go and see your doctor though .

It doesn't itch.

It might be some insect. It's little purple dots scattered around a tiny insect-bite like tear of skin. I havn't removed any ticks, and it doen't look like a tick-bite, so probably not a tick-bite.

Or could be some nettle. But then if it were a nettle, it would hurt or itch...



It isn't spreading, so it was a few days ago it happened.

Hope your braces stop hurting soon. Also, I hope you manage to get your rash sorted.

aarrrggghhh

Arrrgh!

What's the matter?

Ah not much, but my parents are insisting we go out to dinner to celebrate my exam results, and those of my brother. That's fine with me, but my brother considers spending time with the family a punishment. He's refusing to go on a hundred different nights because he wants to go out every good night... My parents are bending over backwards to find a night when he's willing to come...

So far my parents have ruled out every single night in the next month except for two because they think he won't be happy with any - they don't care that the two nights they've picked are the only two in the foreseeable future for which I do have plans.

My brother doesn't actually have any plans, he just resents them picking a night when he may wish to make them. It doesn't seem fair that I have to miss either my amateur dramatics group or my friend's birthday to make sure that Daniel doesn't miss out on a prospective drinking night.

Aaaaaaaaaaagh, today in church. Musicians a bit thin on the ground as it's holidays, so practically solo performance. Well, elderly man on piano.

Hymns and choruses for today were emailed on Thursday. No problem, bit of practice yesterday, feels confident. Play the first three (trumpet) = loud pretty well. Then prayers, then sermon, then last hymn.

Why oh why did no one care to inform me that they had changed the choice of hymn. I launch into introduction of I stand before the presence of the Lord God of hosts, and everyone starts singing Amazing Grace. OMG. I then proceed to mime it, bearing in mind I have no music in front of me. I don't even know how many verses to mime being there's no hymn book or sheet music before me. The guy on piano plays well enough to keep it going. I'm miming away and then they sing the last verse unbeknown to me and I'm still miming away !!!!!!


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

Urgh. Just spent a week with on a canal boat wirh my parents and little cousin, who I love to bits and is like a sister to me. The holiday itself was great, but my cousin got really upset one evening and I just didn't know what to say and how to comfort her.

She's had a pretty hard time recently - her parents split up and she has two older brothers who basically went quite and locked their emotions up inside and her mum was distraught of course, so she realy didn't have anyone to turn to. But she found some comfort in their cat who she loved, but then he ran away as well when they were on holiday just as her eldest brother was also leaving for uni. She's now moving up from primary school, but she's going to a different secondary school to most of her friends and her closest friends. she found the school really scary on her induction day and saw people fighting, smoking, doing drugs etc.

I really feel that with all this I should be able to comfort her and support her, but it's really hard to know what to say, and it doesn't help that she's a 3 hour car journey away up in Sheffield and I only see her twice a year at the most I love her so much and I really want to help her, but it's really hard

EEK! Well, it's the dark side of any school.



I didn't go to the induction day at my school

It's not the dark side to my school! Smoking maybe and the occasional fight, but all the druggies take their drugs before school, on the road leading up to it! Otherwise they'd have to share!

Ah, I didn't see any of that on my induction day, but if I had it would've given me a false impression of the school. It's really a very good school - as long as your cousin doesn't get mixed up in that stuff, she will probably have a very good experience of the school.

there are times in Life (don't I know it) when things happen and nobody can really help you. Nothing they say seems to help ---
so I am sure you were doing your best DF, but what can you do?

AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!!!


The tooth which I had a root canal done on is hurting me!! Throbbing... ok the filling cracked, but I am supposed to have no nerve and not be able to feel anything!!

Sorry to hear that it's painful, Soph but even if the central nerve is removed, the surrounding nerves are still there so you will still feel discomfort If you had the treatment recently, it should (hopefully) settle.....

It was quite a few months ago!! I got messed around though, so maybe there was a mistake.

Poor love - you do need to get it checked out. You shouldn't be in pain now.

Dad told me to get an appointment, but the dentist hurt me that much last time, that I cant face going back yet.

You should just go for it Soph - there's no point suffering when you could have it sorted . I know it's a scary thought but sometimes you just have to do it.


*argh!*

i know I probably should, I just cant face him hurting me like he did last time, I was literally jumping up in pain... Which the dentist found funny!!

Whats wrong Miss Ross

If your dentist found your pain funny you should get a new one Soph!

What's up Miss Ross?

Easier said than done... Not many nhs dentists around, and not many dentists taking on at the moment... And to think we are paying a private dentist to laugh!!

Miss Ross, are you ok?

I know people are going to hate me for mentioning it but I feel really fed up with not being able to play the violin properly at the moment. I doubt you've read my thread about it, but I've fractured my index finger, which isn't anything at all complex but it hurts muchly and I can only play for short periods. How am I ever going to improve if I can't practice properly for a month?

Sorry for going on, I'm just a little frazzled!

Hope things inprove soon.

So you got into the doctors then

No one hates you for mentioning that. As a matter of fact I haven't seen your thread, but I'll go and have a look. Seriously, that't get anybody down, and you're not going on. I imagine if I couldn't sing for any reason I'd be devastated.

I hope your finger gets better soon, do you have a time frame for when it's likely to?

Of course you're not going on - violin is a huge part of your life it's not surprising that you're annoyed! It might be quite good to have an enforced break (no pun intended!) - I always feel refreshed after I've not played for a while
Meant to ask earlier - presumably it's the bone between the joints that really hurts? Has it been 'buddy strapped"?

To the finger beside it? Yes, for a couple of days. It sounds so pathetic, 'oh, I've hurt my finger' !

Fingers are important things! They get used an awful lot.

A break's a break so it needs rest! Yup, that's 'buddy strapping'

*slips in through side door, picks up nearest cushion and hides in corner*



Argh!

*muffled shouting*

What's the matter?? You're hand again?

Whats wrong????



Dont forget... there is always the stone!!

AAGGGGGHHHH!!!!!

I am fed up of people saying... 'You will do brill because you are clever'... I am not clever... and resent people expecting!!
I have had a lot going on this year... so we will see.

*Goes back to the stone!*

This is a great thread!

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!


That's better!

AARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!

I have no idea why this has annoyed me so much, it's no big deal, but it's just really making me feel argh-y and off-balance...

So, I'm an OU student, I pay for my fees via an OU Student Budget Account. This lets you pay by installments via direct debit if you want, but for the last few years I've been fortunate enough that I've been able to charge the course to the account, and then just before the course starts (and interest starts accruing) I have paid the full amount of the fee. I get statements with a giro form at the bottom. It notes on the back that I can pay over the phone by credit/debit card, or with cash/cheque over the counter. It also notes that if you pay at a bank other than your own, there may be a counter charge.
I bank with the Halifax. With my first OU course, I went down to my bank and tried to pay in a cheque: 'we're not part of the giro system'. So I pootled over to the NatWest (which is the destination bank) and paid in the cheque at their counter, with no charge. I've done this a few times since, once popping in to Lloyd's when the Nat West was closed - Lloyd's aren't either bank in the transaction, but they didn't charge.
So this lunchtime I got the company bus in to town, and joined a Very Big Queue. 20 minutes later, I get to the front of the queue for the lady to tell me 'We can't accept that. Have we taken it before?'. I said yes, you've taken it before, most recently last year, and she said 'Well, we can't accept it'. She went on to explain that if I had a NatWest account, they'd accept it; but as I didn't have a NatWest account, I could pay the bill with cash but not a cheque. And there would be a £10 counter charge. And would I like to open a NatWest account? I couldn't get an answer as to why it had been accepted before but not now.
I then went up to the Halifax, and they confirmed they still aren't part of the giro system. I then needed to go to Asda in town, but time was short - OK, the buses back to work go every 30mins - and to cut a long waffle slightly shorter Asda was really busy but I thought it'd still be better to get the next bus back than waste more time later in the week just to go to the supermarket. So instead of a usual 30mins lunch break which I was going to extend to 1hr, I had 1.5hrs and now owe time but I want to go home at 4pm as normal to make sure the cat is eating and hopefully beat my husband home to enable me to do some recorder playing

On the slightly less arghy side, the extra time did mean I bought myself a 2-CD 'Instruments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance' which should be fun to listen to on the drive home, and some peppermint foot cream. Managed not to go in to a chocolate shop, so I may have to go to the canteen and get a brownie now...

And on the really less arghy side, I am now feeling infinitely better that I've ranted all that at you. I do find it really hard when something that's happened loads of time with ease before goes wrong, as I get frustrated and angry (at myself). I can - and will - just phone up and pay by debit card, but in between the lady at NatWest saying 'No' and me finishing typing this, all I've wanted to do is curl up, cry and hurt myself, which is just stupid. There are things in the world worth getting upset over; the NatWest surely isn't one of them...

ARGH! And now the canteen doesn't have any chocolate brownies. PAH!

Precisely how I felt this morning. I think some people wondered if something dreadful had happened to me (frizzy hair, blurry eyes and shaking hands) - I was just pretty stressed out about something ! I could easily have 'curled up, cried and hurt myself' but as one does, I got back on the bus and went to school (and locked myself in the music department with some sheet music to categorise ).
How frustrating.

And now I've got home - last week I ordered some stuff which I had no choice but to have delivered by courier. I put on the order that if we weren't in, please try next door who are always in (work from home).
I've got home to a 'while you were out we couldn't deliver' note.
AND it's not for the depot that's five mins walk from my office, it's for the depot 20miles drive from home.

AND far more importantly it's food for the cat, who now has to have special renal-diet food because of her kidney failure, and I think she's desperate for a change of flavour (we're hoping it entices her to eat a bit more than she is at the moment), and now I have to wait until probably Thursday for the re-delivery.

Right, there's only one cure for this. D-minor scales here I come

I don't know what to do folks...I need some advice...
Some may have seen that I have been offered a new job (managing a day centre for people with Learning Disabilites). I have heard (from a very reliable source) that the service is threatened with closure "if funding is not agreed next April".

That means I could only be in work for the next six months, or for the next year...who knows?

On the one hand I want to take the job, but on the other, I only have my sole income and cannot afford to be out of work, even with my piano students income.

On the one hand, I don't like the work I do now, but on the other hand, it's a job for as long as I want it.

Maybe I should just stay here until I can find something more secure and long term.

Help!!! Please.....thank you.

I would go for the new job - being in a job you hate is soul destroying so it would at least get you out of that. The funding may not be stopped, but even if it is, you can still take another job from there. It is more scary, but it will get you out of your present rut. I don't know if I would follow this advice myself mind you...

(only because I am a scaredy cat - it is good advice I think! )

Did the new people say anything at your interview about the service possibly not continuing after next April? If not, it seems unfair and unprofessional of them not to have mentioned it and to be willing to take you out of a secure job into an insecure job without making you aware of that, particularly if they knew you were the sole earner. I would tell them what you've heard in the first instance and see what they say about it.

Is your existing job still available.... have they advertised for a replacement yet, in which case would you have to re-apply???

If you can stay in your current job until you find something else which is both enjoyable and secure, that would be the most sensible thing to do.... depends whether you like living dangerously or not, knowing that in 6 months time you may be out of work and not able to easily get another job which you like or pays as well.

Really sorry that this has happened luvvy


Edit: What about starting a new thread to see if you get more replies as not everybody will see your post if they don't come into this thread

Thanks ladies.

I can see your point Carol! Yes it's good advice, and I'm tempted to go ahead and see what happens....but....

Skylark..No, nobody mentioned at the interview about any funding issues. I should imagine that was deliberate as the Centre Manager has already retired and they need somebody in asap. I think I will give them a call and ask if I can meet with the Director for more info. They did mention a six month probationary period, but that's standard practice.

Yes, all I have to say to my current employer is that I've changed my mind, and she'll keep me on. It's a small family run business, so she will be pleased not to have to advertise for someone else! There's no way I can be out of work even for a short time, otherwise I would take the risk.

I really wanted that job too....oh B*gger...why can't people just be straight with you from the start?

Gah. What a horrid situation. Initially I wanted to tell you to follow your heart - do what you want to do, and if that means taking the risk, well so be it. Then I thought of a slightly similar situation within our family and realised that often stability has to be put first. They should have told you though, surely? It's like hiring you almost under false pretences.

Poor you.....

Is there any way of contacting the 'powers that be' re funding? And if this day centre does closes, what is the alternative provision for services? Would there be some job protection clause in your new contract?

Sorry must go but will talk later x

I have managed to get an appointment at 11.00 on Friday with the Director. These are good points that I will be discussing with her then.

Thanks all xx

Good luck - hope it goes well.

Is it still standard practice these days??? The last time I had a conversation with my legal advisor about it for our employment contract, I was advised that it didn't have any legal validity these days (I'm paraphrasing and it's complex, but that was the gist of it. Cirumstances may be different here though). On the other hand, it could it be a get-out for them if they get enough funding to carry on the service but not enough to keep you on... Call me cynical, but it rings alarm bells



Yes exactly. It makes you wonder what else they haven't told you... but then maybe that's just me being cynical again. Can't think why, must be something to do with the fact that I once worked for an extremely devious company



Edit: Glad you've got a meeting with them, hope it goes well

Definitely go for the meeting before you jump. Anything that is government these days is bound to be a bit dodgy. I agree with Skylark, 6 months is a dodgy thing too. Unless they have you on a temporary contract.
Good Luck.
Beverley.