Things to Come

Well, first to start off with this morning's really annoying incident. Was standing on the traffic island waiting to cross the rest of the road (normal lane and bus lane) when man in a range rover stopped and waved me across. All very nice, except I'd seen the taxi zooming up beside him in the bus lane so I stayed on the island while I waited to see what the taxi did (since I couldn't see it behind the range rover and it was going a fair speed). Within 10 seconds, the stopped driver went from exaggerated gesticulating to really swearing at me for not crossing. As it was, the taxi did shoot past and, if I'd gone with his gesticulations, I'd be a bit of a mess on the road by now but that didn't seem to phase him in the least. It's quite common for drivers to stop there to let people across and just not register that there's traffic in the lane beside them (mainly because if one driver stops, the drivers behind often decide to undertake them in the bus lane!) but I've never seen them get so mad at people for not crossing when they say, never mind so quickly.



Needless to say I was a little annoyed when I got into work this morning and I'm now thinking of taking Mouldy the Mole back out with me to wave at people who annoy me thereby relieving my frustration by causing confusion and worry in others!



Anyhow, fiddle practice tonight. Quite pleased with how my fiddle playing is coming along and, when I've upped my knowledge of scottish tunes (my current repertoire tends heavily towards the english at the moment), I'll head back to the slow session again because I enjoyed it when I went along last time (Just wasn't familiar with most of the tunes.)



We have a rapper dem at a ceilidh (and probably a little tourette) this weekend which I had forgotten all about. Have had no rapper practice for 3 weeks so I might be a little rusty. Should probably do a bit more stepping practice tonight. Also off to practice melodeon (and I have a nice new Hohner Pokerwork melodeon (well, to me, anyway) since Ellie let me try her melodeon at Bromyard and I haven't been able to play my cheap Stephenelli since!) with others of Mon Meg on Saturday.



Lots of concerts and workshops coming up. I'm down in Witney first for the Melodeons at Witney Workshop which I'm really looking forward to but really nervous about at the same time, then I have tickets for 2 Bellowhead gigs for the new tour (London and Sheffield, same weekend), then I have to catch one of Belshazzar's Feast's Christmas gigs (They're playing a few up in Cumbria so I may have to hire a car for an evening) followed by Phil Cunningham's Christmas gig in Edinburgh and closing out at New Year (hopefully, if I can get tickets) with Bellowhead's New Year's Event at the Southbank. Then, come the New Year, I've booked for the 'Learn Smallpipes in 1 Day' workshop at Celtic Connections and the Spiers & Boden and Saltfishforty gig. Plus there's the Spiers & Boden Birthday gig in May at the Shepherds Bush Empire. Lots of stuff to look forward to.

In the meantime, I am taking advantage of the fact that I really feel like me for the first time in a fair few years and the fact that I always get a little restless in the Autumn, to sort myself out. Am currently applying for jobs like a little jobfinding fiend while, at the same time getting in touch with my Postgrad Dean to find out what I can do next in the medicine line. Whichever happens, I'm getting out of my current job, whatever it takes. Will also be looking for a new flat when I've worked out where I'm going to be. Want to move on in all ways.