Surprise Wrens

Slightly dealyed into work this morning as I managed to reopen the cut on my lip before setting off and then had to change my t-shirt cause the original one now has blood all down it. Then set off to walk into work only for it to start hailing! After walking along for 5 more minutes accompanied by the steady litany of 'Ow, ouch, ouch, bloody ow!' I cracked and got the bus.



Have an interview on Tuesday next. It's in Oxford! Have booked seats down on National Express (who have footrests so I don't spend the whole journey slowly disappearing under the seat in front and they let you out to stretch your legs every so often, and while I'll admit I don't have that much leg to stretch, that is always appreciated, if only to get the chance to use a loo that doesn't rock!) but, checking the service updates, see that the only services running down from Scotland at the moment are from Glasgow. National Express say they'll change and adapt tickets free of charge and I can get across to Glasgow by train so that's OK but fingers crossed the weather doesn't worsen.

Nice thing was that they've already asked for references which meant my line manager, who I get along with really well, spent this morning trying to get me to help her fill it in, give her spellings and threatening to only do a good reference if I bribe her with cake. Have promised cake if I get the job (I'm probably safe).



Spent last night trying to get to grips with The Plane Tree and Schottische a Bethanie. Have worked up a very basic base line for both tunes (fairly easy cause they're roughly the same tune just played slightly differently) that I'm happy with. Once I've got to grips with cross-rowing (which is mostly OK provided I don't go into the upper octave. It gets more complicated up there) I'll set about seeing what I can do to liven up the bases.
Still not sure whether they'll be having the Stramash since the one on Tuesday was cancelled because the school was shut. Will have to wait and see, I suppose.

Have had a hankering recently to invest in a barbour wax jacket again. I practically used to live in mine when I worked at the farm and the stables, even when it had to be tied together with baling twine. Have had cheaper versions since but they barely last at all. Since proper barbours average around £200, I was going to save and hope for a sale but then I suddenly thought of e-bay. Have now won a lovely, green (my favourite) wax jacket for under £40. Will see what it's like when I get it but the photos and descriptions specify no rips or tears and the zip is in working order. Basically, if this is true, then a barbour wax jacket can come back from anything. I think I still have my jar of Barbour jacket wax somewhere so shall be able to use that. Even better, on my way back from buying the postal order to pay for it, I saw a wren! Haven't seen one for years and there it was, sat in a tree, large as life (so to speak). Am really, really happy to have seen it.

In other news, the little old lady in my stair who made life so interesting for us all by, ever so sweetly, clearing all the snow off our doorstop every morning. With a kettleful of boiling water!!! has started doing it again. She means well and, although I tried to explain to her why this was a bad plan last year, it didn't sink in then and it obviously hasn't yet. Will have to resign myself to making sure I have hold of the railings every time I leave the burrow. Oh well, adds excitement to the mornings I suppose.