Wow! Didn't figure you for a heel person flossie, which just goes to show one should NEVER jump to conclusions about anybody. I myself am a closet Imelda Marcos, I must admit... so another vote for shoe photo please!

Eldest son has just come 2nd in his category in the world championships of Korean karate. Considering he's the size of a 5 year old at 8 years of age and he was fighting kids that were almost 5 feet tall, he did amazingly well.

I'm so proud, my eyes won't stop leaking

Bought a Rover P6 V8 today It's absolutely lovely and paid next to nothing for it

There's a pub close by that every few months or so has a sort of jazz festival for a day. 12 bands playing, one an hour from 12 noon to midnight. They're all local amateur bands, and this is the 3rd time the band I play in have had a slot. Previously we've been on at about 3pm, and at that point everything was running to time. Yesterday we were due on at 7pm and things were running about an hour late. Which meant that our clarinettist had time for one more pint than was probably wise before a gig.

We have one ballad in our set - 'Round Midnight - it's a beautiful tune, and a real feature for me. The form is that I play the first 16 bars of the melody, the clarinet plays the 8 bar bridge, I play the final 8 bars melody. Then I play an improvised solo over 16 bars, the clarinet plays melody over the bridge and I finish it off. Last night the first time through the melody went as planned, then as I was nearing the end of the first 8 bars of my solo I saw the somewhat inebriated clarinettist preparing himself to start playing the bridge. So I moved quickly across the stage and kicked him to make him stop, continuing my solo as I did so, and totally aware of just how ridiculous it looked. The audience contained several friends who know us all quite well who were in fits of laughter - I was watching them and was so close to cracking up myself but did manage to complete the solo as planned, although it wasn't as heartfelt and poignant as I usually try and make it. The clarinet player was now completely bemused and came in 2 bars late, but thankfully our wonderful rhythm section followed him and it was all OK.

Anyway, despite the 'Round Midnight debacle and one or two other tricky moments, mostly trying to keep the clarinettist in the right place, the verdict was that it was one of our best gigs, and we even had people dancing to our finale of "Pick Up the Pieces". It was a hugely enjoyable everning all round and today I keep stopping to giggle at the improvised comedy moment in the middle of what is usually our most serious piece.

You can't trust us clarinettists...

Glad you had fun!

Took the kids out to ASK for tea and had a great time! Had a lovely weekend after a very stressful week!

Picking this up:

Nice!

Ah, the days when cars didn't all look nigh on identical...

Ooooo, that's very nice Pixie*Porsche

Very nice. Britich Leyland Harvest Gold I see.

I had an Austin Maxi that colour many years ago.

SB

I drove for the first time after passing my test yesterday. Its been a few months now, so I was rather apprehensive, especially as I was test driving a completely unfamiliar car.

Somehow though, I don't think my new car (when I finally pick one) will be worth putting a celebratory picture up of!

Oh go on. Don't be shy.

A first car is always special whatever it is, so please share it with us.

SB

Thank you all SB - it's "almond" not Harvest Gold

As this is a music forum, I've had the joy of "Motown Moments" on my 8-track player today!!

tamsin - you couldn't go far wrong with something like the P6 I've just bought for the daily grind! Next to nothing to insure, not too expensive to buy and free tax (so long as you choose one made in 1972 or before). Mines a V8 automatic, had 150 horses when it came out the factory, doesn't have now though, still a lovely cruiser. They have very good spares availability and will more than keep up with modern traffic.

Expect lots of older people to wave like they never would to an MG or a Porsche and lots of people wanting to buy it off you ... not to mention no one will mess with a P6 - most of them were probably brought with dodgy money in the day and our contemporaries probably have only seen one in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells!

This was yesterday actually, but seeing mum really happy for the first time in a while really made my day

That's great news! Let's hope she stays happy for a little longer...


I had a potentially difficult meeting last night and it went better than it might have!

Thanks Clari Nicki1 glad your meeting went ok too

More like sheer joy.....

I was asked to help out at a pretend "wedding" of two primary school children at our church this morning. Everything was done as in a real wedding, except that the Curate changed certain words for obvious reasons. All of the children were beautifully dressed for the part, and the little 'bride' and 'groom' both looked wonderful. The whole school was invited (plus parents and friends,) and they were all going back to the school canteen for the reception. Somebody had even baked a three tier wedding cake!

I wish I could share a few photos but you know how it is these days ..

SB

Band practice

Four really good piano lessons in a row this evening. Every pupil had made some progress!

Aaaw really sweet Helped with one of these myself this year.

Playing accompaniments for a whole bunch of kids at our local festival - Songs from the Shows. Great stuff, I love it!

Also baking some rather fabulous fairy cakes incorporating some left over strawberries, yum.

Youngest is coming home from school trip tomorrow. Can?t wait to see him? I predict total meltdown in the first hour - he is going to be sooooooo incredibly tired!

Fab day musically - firstly we had no desks or computers at work because the new ones turned up late - so I got to do 4 hours work on diploma analysis with permission and got paid to do it and sat in on a lesson too

Then a great singing lesson (2hr) in which I found a whole new level of vibrato - of course teacher isn't going to let me away with less now he's heard that...

And then followed by a good band practice!

Now if only every day could be that good!!!

Treated myself to a Galaxy S II... What a great bit of kit

First time I've spent any decent amount of money on myself in ages. Feels good!

I'm going on holiday tomorrow

And it looks like I'm on my own in the office today So may actually go home at lunchtime and work from home this afternoon - giving me more time for packing, etc, since when I finish work I will already be at home and not having to travel

And I just have the conclusion of my OU essay-instead-of-exam to write. I think need to cut it down by about 20%, but that's not the end of the world, at least the damn thing will be written!

Why?

Why? Well, the parish clergy work with local schools as part of the RE syllabus. The idea of pretend weddings is not new of course, but given the interest in the recent Royal Wedding many of the local primary schools have participated by holding these events as a way of talking about love, commitment and so forth. I gather they also have pretend baptisms.

Our two, now 13 and 17 both took part in pretend weddings when they were in Reception/Y1, and both regularly talk about it even now.

If only there was so much enthusiasm and reverence shown at real weddings.

SB

Tonedeafmum - I was thinking the exact same thing!

And thanks to being the only one in the office today, I am now done! At 3,561 words. So, off on hoiday tomorrow, come back next week, take out 500+ words (limit is 3,000) and tidy it up, and send it off. Don't expect that I'll fail it, therefore come August I will be accepting a degree, what fun

Some good solid work with DawnF on a number of pieces - Lefevre, Finzi, Schumann, Degg, etc..

You've been a-having fun again! Must hear the two of you playing sometime.

One of the girls from my group of girlfriends () at home gave birth to a very healthy baby boy this afternoon! Absolutely thrilled to bits for her and cannot wait to get up there to meet him!

Excellent

Hearing that my daughter has been made head girl.... so thrilled for her- she is so lovely and really didn't expect it! She is very excited........(and I am very proud)

well done to her!

I used to check a newsite before going to bed but that is just depressing - so now before switching off the computer I have a look at this thread and go to bed happy.

Congratulations for Celestes friend and to ClariNicki daughter

I so, so, so want kids whenever I see how happy they are around ages 5-12! Don't think I'm made to be a mum though .... I can't deal with gore, I'm very pain sensitive etc.

Thank you pixie-Porsche and BC! I am so thrilled for my daughter, who when in infants was painfully quiet! She is just so nice and she can't quite believe she has been chosen.
Pixie-Porsche- the pain is temporary.... and you can have spinal blocks etc- my friend who is a nurse, whose husband is a doctor, chose to have an epidural!

Awww I'm sure she'll do a great job.

I'm only 22 so lots of time for me to have a family - maybe one day! If I don't wimp out ... ROFL!

My boy came back from his school trip smiling, covered in bruises, but otherwise happy. So good to have him home again


Edit - oh, and remembering to do my last candidate’s exam entry 25 minutes before the closing dead line!!

nice comments at my clari lesson last night

That's good. I hope you smiled at the time.
I'm told that I'm good at taking constructive criticism and acting on it but not very accepting of praise....

We're not related are we?

Yes I did smile the nice comments were about the lovely sound of the lower notes, problem is the higher ones, they're tending to be a bit flat. Putting it down to the clari though, the joint between barrel and top half of clari is rather stiff and won't push in all the way so it will be going back to the shop to sort it when I get the time to take it in.

Cynical or what?

Got a much better mark in TMA02 than I anticipated- about 29% better mark! Just goes to show....
I don't know what it goes to show but it goes to show something!

That you clearly did a stonking piece of work to be proud of, but aren't boastful enough to admit it?

...Reading all the good news above... babies, lessons, good marks, returning sons and HEAD GIRL. Well done all.

...And having proper conversations with Other Half for the first time for months and months on account of some new (ruinously expensive) hearing aids. Who cares that we'll be working until we're fit only to push up daisies?

For me - having three very nice and supportive and appreciative observers at Guildhall today (including LouiseH).

Oh - and CAKE from one of my colleagues whose birthday is next week.

Must observe you again sometime...