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.
Showing posts with label Celtic Connections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celtic Connections. Show all posts
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Monday, 18 January 2010
Imagined Village and Winter Feast
Well, missed fiddle practice due to not feeling at all well. Am trying to remember what a sense of impending doom is symptomatic for but, for the life of me, I can't recall.
Off to Glasgow on Friday to meet up with some of Mons Meg and attachments to go and see The Imagined Village at Celtic Connections and eat curry. The curry was very nice but the concert was superb. They were being supported by Jackie Oates (who also guested with them) who was entertaining and had a lovely voice. They only played 'Cold, Haily, Windy Night' from their previous album which was a shame but it was more than made up for by the new stuff. My particular favourites were 'Space Girl' (possibly because of the Theromin. And possibly the duck in the Space Helmet) and 'Mermaids' (Although their version of Scarborough Fair has a nice Wicker Man feel to it). There was a freaky bit where there cellist (who is scarily bouncy) kept playing bits and then moving on to another instrument while that bit was still repeating and just building up a tune that way (although I feel that drinking a bottle of water in the middle of it was just showing off!). Whole thing finished off with 'Come on, Feel the Noise'. Much gentler version than the Slade original but the audience had fun joining in. (Those old enough to know the words. I am.) All of this was followed by Trina's scarily good Slade impression outside. Really good evening.
On Saturday, I came to greatly regret offering to make bread. My first batch died a sad death when I got caught up with cutting tatters for my coat and forgot to get them out of the oven (whole burrow now smells distressingly like burnt toast!). The next lot just refused to rise (possibly cause I was a little panicked and hurrying) and came out as hockey pucks (that career in the Dwarven Bakery beckons...). At this point I may have said 'Sod it!' and headed off to buy bread from Sainsburys.
The actual MidWinter feast was lovely. Lots of food (most of it cooked in alcohol and most of it meat, good old medieaval cookery), I got to wear my pointy C15th hood and look like an evil gremlin and just enjoy good company. At some point I am going to have to make some kit for his kind of occasion that isn't lower class. Quite fancy something either C18th or late Victorian since it wouldn't have to be period specific. Will have a muse.
Meant to do something constructive on Sunday. Didn't though.
Off to Glasgow on Friday to meet up with some of Mons Meg and attachments to go and see The Imagined Village at Celtic Connections and eat curry. The curry was very nice but the concert was superb. They were being supported by Jackie Oates (who also guested with them) who was entertaining and had a lovely voice. They only played 'Cold, Haily, Windy Night' from their previous album which was a shame but it was more than made up for by the new stuff. My particular favourites were 'Space Girl' (possibly because of the Theromin. And possibly the duck in the Space Helmet) and 'Mermaids' (Although their version of Scarborough Fair has a nice Wicker Man feel to it). There was a freaky bit where there cellist (who is scarily bouncy) kept playing bits and then moving on to another instrument while that bit was still repeating and just building up a tune that way (although I feel that drinking a bottle of water in the middle of it was just showing off!). Whole thing finished off with 'Come on, Feel the Noise'. Much gentler version than the Slade original but the audience had fun joining in. (Those old enough to know the words. I am.) All of this was followed by Trina's scarily good Slade impression outside. Really good evening.
On Saturday, I came to greatly regret offering to make bread. My first batch died a sad death when I got caught up with cutting tatters for my coat and forgot to get them out of the oven (whole burrow now smells distressingly like burnt toast!). The next lot just refused to rise (possibly cause I was a little panicked and hurrying) and came out as hockey pucks (that career in the Dwarven Bakery beckons...). At this point I may have said 'Sod it!' and headed off to buy bread from Sainsburys.
The actual MidWinter feast was lovely. Lots of food (most of it cooked in alcohol and most of it meat, good old medieaval cookery), I got to wear my pointy C15th hood and look like an evil gremlin and just enjoy good company. At some point I am going to have to make some kit for his kind of occasion that isn't lower class. Quite fancy something either C18th or late Victorian since it wouldn't have to be period specific. Will have a muse.
Meant to do something constructive on Sunday. Didn't though.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Rapper Aftermath
Rapper practice last night was fun but not exactly energetic. This was partly because we had no musician but mostly because none of us were really awake. We did, as predicted, do a bit of stepping practice but I think I need to do quite a bit more in the burrow between fiddle practices to get up to scratch for DERT. Speaking of DERT, must send the booking form in.
Busy this week. Off to the library tonight, going to see Avatar in 3D with Vicki on Wednesday, fiddle class on Thursday, off to see The Imagined Village in Glasgow on Friday and then COSM's mid winter feast whatsit on Saturday. After that, Roger goes for his MOT.
It's very nice that the snow is now disappearing but the thaw is turning all the pavements into sheet ice and it's a little unnerving having to cling fences as I go (although, at least it's finally stopped my neighbour from cheerfully melting the ice outside our door each morning with water from her kettle...!) and that's with my walking boots on!
Must also get a move on with my tattercoat since the end of the month is creeping up. I have the shirt, I have the tatters, I just need to bring them into conjunction.
Busy this week. Off to the library tonight, going to see Avatar in 3D with Vicki on Wednesday, fiddle class on Thursday, off to see The Imagined Village in Glasgow on Friday and then COSM's mid winter feast whatsit on Saturday. After that, Roger goes for his MOT.
It's very nice that the snow is now disappearing but the thaw is turning all the pavements into sheet ice and it's a little unnerving having to cling fences as I go (although, at least it's finally stopped my neighbour from cheerfully melting the ice outside our door each morning with water from her kettle...!) and that's with my walking boots on!
Must also get a move on with my tattercoat since the end of the month is creeping up. I have the shirt, I have the tatters, I just need to bring them into conjunction.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
What's to Come..
Have to get myself sorted out tonight so I can leave for Buittle straight after work tomorrow since that's where I'm spending New Year and the roads could be a little dicey. This includes making sure that Roger is working since he's spent the last week parked and under layer of snow! Really looking forward to going though.
Also to look forward to are the Mons Meg traditional ceilidh thing at The Village Inn in Leith with possible curry beforehand, the second term of my fiddle class (Must get some more practice in before then), seeing the Imagined Village in Celtic Connections (Must locate my ticket and keep it safe!) and a possible rapper tour in Glasgow while Celtic Connections is on.
Have also booked my ticket for the Big Session Festival. It's in June so I really must find a safe place to put it. This is so organised for me that I'm still trying to recover! (Must also get round to booking for Whitby Folk Week as well!)
Am waiting on my landlord getting back from holiday so that they can let me know their final decision on whether I can keep rats or not. (They were all for it and then got spooked by a friend's story of nightmare tenants with a hamster). I hope they say yes since I really, really miss having a pet. If not, might have to go flat hunting which I could live without at the moment.
Currently trying to make a tatter coat for Freaks in the Peaks Border Morris side. Have got as far as dying the shirt green and collecting the fabrics for the tatters (May also have acquired a top hat which is ever so slightly too big and will need decorating too) so should hopefully get it finished before the next event at the end of January in Hathersage.
Last but not least, there is DERT to prepare for. Must get the booking form sorted.
Also to look forward to are the Mons Meg traditional ceilidh thing at The Village Inn in Leith with possible curry beforehand, the second term of my fiddle class (Must get some more practice in before then), seeing the Imagined Village in Celtic Connections (Must locate my ticket and keep it safe!) and a possible rapper tour in Glasgow while Celtic Connections is on.
Have also booked my ticket for the Big Session Festival. It's in June so I really must find a safe place to put it. This is so organised for me that I'm still trying to recover! (Must also get round to booking for Whitby Folk Week as well!)
Am waiting on my landlord getting back from holiday so that they can let me know their final decision on whether I can keep rats or not. (They were all for it and then got spooked by a friend's story of nightmare tenants with a hamster). I hope they say yes since I really, really miss having a pet. If not, might have to go flat hunting which I could live without at the moment.
Currently trying to make a tatter coat for Freaks in the Peaks Border Morris side. Have got as far as dying the shirt green and collecting the fabrics for the tatters (May also have acquired a top hat which is ever so slightly too big and will need decorating too) so should hopefully get it finished before the next event at the end of January in Hathersage.
Last but not least, there is DERT to prepare for. Must get the booking form sorted.
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