Just got back from hearing Clare Teal and the R2 Big Band - loved it!

She wouldn't thank me for reporting this but I was immensely cheered when she made a big mistake and completely missed her entrance for one song; she made a big joke of it, promised the band she would make the coffee and held up a finger for each bar she had to count in when they began again. Everyone cheered and was completely with her. That's the way to handle a fluff!

mel2 - sounds good

I've been enjoying my recently acquired saxophone



Jupiter 767

Glad you're having fun with your new toy


I'm very happy with my concert performance today

Have fun.

I like the way saxophones sound like they're no better than they ought to be; a bit louche, in fact.

Apologies to all those fine upstanding sax players out there.

Just caught up on the follow on posts to my happy Kindle arrival day. I am even happier now and many thanks to those who offered help and gave more info about downloading books. As I got it via amazon it came already set up and I have downloaded one free book! For my first book, in a state of nostalgia I got "The Cuckoo Clock". I must have been about seven or eight when I first read it and I seem to be going through a nostalgic phase where I have a desire to reread some of the books I read as a child. Does anyone else do that? I want to see why these books have become part of my mental make up - I suppose because as a teacher I am interested in what children read today.

Anyway, back to my Kindle. It looks as if I am going to spend many happy hours with it!

Post has arrived, and with it my Manos Silk blend. It's a lovely off-white with pale shell-pink streaks, (colour no 4949).

Gorgeous and very strokeable.

Yes I have a special Collection on my Kindle just for children's books!! I have LOTS I want to revisit in time. I love really good writing and illustration regardless of the age group (although I buy 'paper' books for their illustration because the Kindle isn't really designed for pictures).

Talking of which... this morning I bought 'The Dandy' comic!! It's a form of 'research' for some illustrations I'm doing but I'm going to sit down and enjoy simply reading it too... wonder if it has the same characters from.. ahem.. 30 years ago

Now... to find a minute in the day to sit and read a COMIC!!

Glad you're enjoying it Aquarelle I think a trip to the shops will happen, to have a look at them....

I have inherited it a Kindle that I bought for my mum and as I have no interest in e-reading devices I gave it away to my cousin who I know does a lot of reading.

I my kindle

I was a bookworm when I was young. Our daughter also loves reading but our son less so - unless it is on a computer!

I wonder whether the Kindle and it's like will reawaken the interest in reading amongst the young; who find paper dull and boring, whilst anything with a silicon chip is somehow 'interesting'.

SB

No 1. son recently acquired a Kindle and uses it to store all his lecture notes. Unfortunately the screen has cracked after only a few weeks, but I suspect it has been shoved in his pocket with everything else. Apparently Amazon are very good at replacing them if this happens.

Just heard that no 2. son is being made up to full chorister in April. Proud Mum

My frustrating theory pupil (who is a 13 year old singer) - doesn't do her homework, been round and round on grade 1 stuff and she just doesn't retain it....I changed her lesson today to half theory and half beginner piano, and it worked. She is always full of "Why can't you just do that.." type questions...and the answers made much more sense to her. I'm now actually looking forward to her lesson next week

All my beginner theory is done around the piano - pupils understand it much better

I teach theory using a keyboard, not a problem with the other 6 students!! But I got her on Alfred's course (my son's book!) and it was the act of actually playing something that made a difference.

Falling in love with a piece and thus finalising my diploma programme! Exciting! Now just to smooth out the panic and let my fingers learn the notes...

Oh, and do all my physio exercises as properly as I can for the next few months so I don't dislocate my shoulder mid-performance.

I passed my Server 2008 exam today.

talking to my manager at work and hopefully putting an end to months of misery, perhaps a slight exaggeration there but at times that is how it has felt

Well done on your exam success, VH!

3 more exams before I get the qualification. They are also based around servers. I have already passed the Windows 7 exam required.

Well done!! Keep it up for the rest of them!!

Last night: a brief but effective conversation with my husband. He asked if I was OK. I said no. We didn't really go in to much more detail than that, but it made me feel loads better

This morning: doctor apponitment booked! Monday 12th December, first thing in the morning, at the surgery that is a nice walk to each way, and I will be working from home that day anyway so if it's less than fun then at least I don't have to face anyone like I would do on, e.g. a Thursday (which was one of the other available days).
On the surgery website I found a poster of all the doctors with their working hours posted. The working hours doesn't bother me, but it's good to see the photos. Firstly, they are all human beings (yes, strangely, this thought actually entered my head!); secondly, you can tell who is a girl and who is a boy I'm not actually bothered either way, but it's nice to know in advance (for me). And with names like Sarah or Rachel or Harriet or James, I can tell. But lots of the GPs at my surgery had names that I don't know - of course, to some people it may be obvious that Nitesh is always and only male, but not to me (and that may not even be true, Ijust happen to know one Nitesh and he's a male!)
I'm honestly not being horrid here - I do not care whether my doctor is a boy or a girl, born in the UK or overseas, from the a white British culture or not, or anything (well, it's nice for them to be human ) But, knowing in advance what someone looks like makes them much more real and approachable, somehow (as opposed to "scary unknown", I suppose).

Great news, Louise!

Thanks Barry. All should be sorted by early next year so there is light at the end of the tunnel

Oh goodee! Now we can ask you techie questions.

Would you recommend 2008 over 2003 R2?

Well done anyhow. I gather it is quite a tough exam.

SB

I have some viola bows on trial

I had NO IDEA that a bow could make so much difference to playing and sound!

I am a very happy bunny because I think I have chosen one!

Sometimes that's all it takes



I know what you mean - sometimes it's worrying enough having to go to the appointment in the first place. Seeing a face you recognise when you go in, even if only from a photo, can make a huge difference. Hope all is OK

I have never actually used 2008 as all my previous employers have 2003 installed on their networks.

If a company has 2003 r2 then I would stick with it but if you are building a new network go for 2008.

We are thinking of replacing our ageing Dell PowerEdge 1600SC with something newer (probably HP). I am quite happy with 2003 R2 but I doubt that it would support the new HP machine.

I should admit that I am a recent convert to '7' having clung on to XP for a long as I dared, and I like it!

SB

Server 2008 was designed to work with 7, 2003 will work with it but it was really designed for XP.

OK, thanks. I think it is probably time that I upgraded. I suspect 2003 is patched up to the hilt by now, which will no doubt slow it down!

SB

Getting ?300,000 worth of orders at work today (Mostly from the customer I visited in Paris last week)

Unfortunately you don't get the profits, your company does.

Thats right, I'm a Director if the company, but not a shareholder (Its owned by a bigger group) ! I'm retiring at end of March anyway. This particular customer I have personally developed over a few years form scratch, and it was looking dodgy that we would get their Q1 business. aAt least its tied up now till I retire ! Then ts someone elses problem to maintain it.

Very true if you are employed. However, if I was to take ?300,000 worth of orders I'd get all the profit .... and ALL the responsibility. Don't you just love it, running your own business?

f#minor - are you going to be doing more piano when you retire?

my clari it sounded really nice this evening, and it's not often I''ll say that.

Yes Pixie, I do intend to spend more time on music.
Not sure how. Mrs is hoping to restart on the violin too, we've been married 40 years and I can probably count the number of times weve played togther on the fingers on one hand! Though of course daughter and I played together a lot right through her grades etc up to Gr8, and she is also Gr8 piano (and we played duets). But we dont get much chance now she is in Hertfordshire.

the prospect of unfuzzy far away words (i.e.. glasses)

good news in the form of an email received this morning

Last evening - we sang in The Bottlekiln at West Hallam. Stunning sound, mulled wine, mince pies - it just doesn't get much better!

Sounds fantastic!!

My happy, OH has a proper cast on his leg, finally, and I'm going to get his sicknote today which will allow him to return to work (albeit reduced hours/light duties) on Monday....ahhhh!! I think we have done very well to have 2 weeks in the house together with no (bloodshed) major arguments

band was good last night, more sight-reading

and it's almost the weekend

I have a day off work!

I am shortly leaving the house to go and get the train in to London, where I shall pootle around on a bike and do some Xmas shopping. I have a printed copy of my big brother's Amazon wishlist, which is a good starting point (you can mark stuff off as bought, even if you buy it somewhere other than Amazon, which is great).
I asked my little brother (16) what he wanted, he wasn't sure but perhaps a gift card from a specific shop but anything really.
I asked my nephew (15) what he wanted, um, well, anything really.
I asked my neice (10) what she wanted, and she wants a new scooter "because mine is rusty, and it should be a non-folding one, because then you get suspension and stuff, and I've seen some good ones in Argos, but I don't know how you'd get it to me" (she lives over the other side of the country to me, and we probably won't be visiting down there this year - my big brother (her father) will be visiting us, but not until after Xmas).

So, easiest way to get a scooter over the other side of the country and not buy the wrong sort? Send an Argos voucher Little bro can have his voucher, and unsure-nephew will get a voucher suitable for a teenage boy (HMV, probably). But, I will be going to Hamley's while in London to get them each something entirely silly and immature to open on the day

And then I will be hitting the secondhand bookshops of Charing Cross Road to try to find my husband something snazzy and nice. And not spending all afternoon in Foyles browsing books for myself, no no no

Not even thought about christmas yet ...

I don't deal with Xmas until December.

I have on occasion spent the entire year looking out for suitable Christmas presents, buying them and stashing them. Not this year though.

Clarinetty music has made me happy so far today. And it is only 11am!

It's nearly the weekend

Glad to hear that things are beginning to getback to normal, Dawn.

I'll anticipate my happy by saying that I will shortly be off to a lunchtime concert featuring the wind principals of Southern Sinfonia. Really looking forward to it!