Coach Fatigue

Spent this weekend (well, the Saturday anyway) in Edinburgh with Mons Meg in order to get out one and only rehearsal for DERT (yes, we're taking it ultra-seriously this year...). Caught the national express coach up on the Friday night and it was packed to the gills so by the time I got up to Edinburgh (having passed through snow in Northumberland, not that that worried me at all, oh no!), I'd concertina'd up nicely. Add to that the fact that I'd had no sleep at all due to personal space defence (and I think my personal space is getting larger as I get older. At this rate, by the time I'm 50, I'll have to go and live on a deserted island.) and I was heading for silly mode the minute I got into the city.
Had a lovely Saturday. It was great to see Mons Meg again and to dance in The Village. We made the most of our practice time and I think we've got a respectable (if not precisely prize-winning) dance and our borrowed Monkey dancer fitted in just fine. The pub tour was also great fun (although the audiences were a bit odd. They cheered us at the end, fair enough and we wound up with plenty of money in the hat but very few cheers for the tumbles which is unusual. Never mind) I thin the stand out pub (for possibly the wrong reasons) was the Southsider. We walked in just as a live band were doing their soundcheck. On questioning, they said they were going to just try one song for the soundcheck and then we were fine to dance. They actually did 2 songs which were...not my cup of tea precisely but, heigh ho and then we went on to dance. We had a hairy moment when Mary Ann went a bit haywire and we ended up with our new number 3 on the wrong side of the sword for his first tumble. He managed to fix this by jumping over the sword while it was still at thigh height and then doing his backward tumble. We were all suitably impressed, the audience seemed harder to please. Far more annoting was, the whole time we were dancing, the drummer putting beats in. I'm not entirely sure whether he was just trying to join in (in which case, that band need a new drummer because I don't think he managed to hit a beat during the whole dance) or whether he was trying to put us off in which case he failed (I suspect our cock-up was us putting ourselves off as per usual) because he was up against a melodeon and, while he was amped, melodeons really don't need to be and they come with the beat built in, so to speak. We finished the night with 2 good dances, one at Doctors (the site of Trina's former bloodbath. Well, one of them anyway) and the second at the party of one of Dot's friend where the audience were super receptive and I think we did our best dance of the night. We all ended back at Trina's (with the usual suspicious cocktails) and just had a great evening. I was really sad I had to leave so early on Sunday morning (and incredibly grateful that I still seem to be immune when it comes to hangovers), I'd have loved to stick around and go round Edinburgh with everyone else but the coach called again. And what a hellish trip. Another packed coach with people encroaching on my little bit of space from all sides and a heater that they couldn't turn off again so we were all roasting for 10 hours. I think that irritation and access to twitter may be a bad combination for me since I think I moaned on it all the way down so apologies to anyone who had to put up with that. I managed to grab a rather nice steak sandwich in a pub while I was waiting for my last connection which turned out to be far less crowded and a much nicer experience altogether (Huzzah for the Oxford Tube) so I was almost calm again by the time I got back to Oxford. However, I have spent today with a particularly quizzical tilt to my head thanks to the kink in my neck from my travels. Have decided that I need to set up a train fund, especially as I'm heading back up to Scotland for a Borderers event mid March (and I don't want to miss it , particularly after my dismal showing last year!)

Still, all worth it for rapper and DERT. Only 2 weeks left now! Little bit excited, just a little bit...

Have booked my coach tickets for IVFDF (I know, I know but this journey 's only a couple of hours so nowhere near as bad!) next weekend so looking forward to that and am contemplating going to Tom McConville's fiddle workshop in Lewes on March 12th. Have had a look at the music and it may be a bit of a stretch but I love his style and I can usually pick up something, even from difficult workshops, to have a go at (The one with Matt Cranitch being a case in point) besides which, I still haven't found a fiddle teacher and I'm desperate for some form of tuition. Yep, I think I'll give it a go. Now just have to find my chequebook. Just let me go and get my rope and climbing harness....

But still, DERY, DERT, DERT!!!

Odds and Ends

Parcel turned out to be a 'How to Play Melodeon' book so that was a nice surprise. Worth going out for.

Weather seems to have brightened up, now if it can just stay like this for Oxford I'll be a happy gremlin!

Must remember to do my washing for the weekend so that I can get it dried. (Nice thing about linen is that it dries fast.) If it stays like this I might be able to put it out on the line again.

Haircut tonight. will be interesting to see what they come up with. What the hell, the stuff grows fast enough that I can't bring myself to be that bothered (Just please don't let them try to have a conversation with me. My focus is completely on not hitting them for touching my head and I feel it is wise not to distract me from that!)

In festival news, have now booked tickets and camping for Ely, am still waiting on hearing from Whitby for Stewarding and have been watching the Bellowhead DVD to try and calm myself down before Oxford (that's not really working. I know Bellowhead are recording a new album at the moment and I have a wish that they include 'Haul Away' and 'If You Will Not Have Me' on it cause it's really frustrating only being able to listen to them on the DVD and not on my ipod. Ah well, shall see.) Been eying up the workshops at Oxford. I quite fancy trying the harp one and the melodeon workshop might be good to go and sit in on. There's also a Northumbrian pipes workshop but it clashes with Karen Tweed and Paul Hutchinson. The decision on that one may have to come down to the wire cause I really can't make up my mind which I want to attend more.

Bloody Weather!

Bloody snow!!!

2 hours it took me to go and collect my parcel from the world's most inconvenient parcel depot all because of the blizzard that started while I was on my way. Fortunately, my parcel did turn out to be my shoes and they do fit so totally worth it but, still!

Arm is still a little peculiar but only when I stretch up so musical instrument practice is not a problem. Started learning 2 new tunes on the melodeon last night while, thanks to my 'Teach Yourself Folk Fiddle' being apparently american, I was trying to play 'Oh Susannah' and 'Golden Slippers' last night. Think I'm going to try and find some other tunes.

Very exciting month coming up. Borderers this weekend (provided it doesn't get snowed off), DERT the weekend after, then Oxford Folk Festival (First time seeing Bellowhead live! As someone who's camping, please let it stop snowing before then), then going to see Les Miserables at the Playhouse and, finally, dancing at the St George's day thing in Falkirk. Lots of folky goodness in that mix.

Getting my hair cut tomorrow. Never been to this place before (chosen because it's opposite work and cheap). Basically want to get most of my hair lopped off and get my fringe back (and then, maybe, I won't get my hair caught up in the swords when I forget to tie it back!). Must remember to state specifically that I will be spending most of this year on campsites and will therefore not be able to style it so I need something that I can just brush and go (or just go for the days (alarmingly frequent as they are) when I forget to brush it). I don't care if I look like a startled hedgehog as long as it's out of the way.

Apparently there's another parcel waiting for me at the post office (somewhat more convenient thankfully). No clue what this one is but, seeing as my postman seems to be under the impression that there is very little that can fit through my (perfectly average sized!) letterbox it could just be a normal letter!

Rapper Musings

Very good rapper pracice last night. We watched the videos that Joe took of us dancing on saturday and they looked better than I thought they would. I still appear to be on my masochistic spree since I managed to propel my eye onto Neil's elbow during one dance (and it really was that way round) which stunned me a little and my left shoulder wasn't as fixed as I thought it was since I managed to wreck it again during Winalot's backlock. (Hate the backlock, hate it with a hateful hatred!). Sat in the shower again last night to try and free it up and it seems to have worked again so will just have to take it little easier this week. The fact that I'm not dancing rapper again till Monday should help.

Off to collect a parcel tonight from what has to be the most inconveniently placed parcel depot ever. Really glad I have Roger (Who seems to be missing one of his wing mirror covers for reasons best known to himself. Must check out the spare parts directory at some point.) since it's a 25 minute run out of Edinburgh and not exactly on the bus routes! I suspect it may be my new rapper shoes. Sadly too late to get new soles in time for DERT but still a little excited. With any luck I'll have ordered the right size first time off and I won't have to spend time faffing around sending them back until I get the correct size.

Easter kind of snuck up on me so I had completely forgotten I have a Borderer's event this weekend. Still, nice surprise (even if it means I have to leg it on Monday to get back to Edinburgh in order to get to our last DERT practice.). Must make sure I've dug out all my tudor kit in advance. This would probably be helped by my tidying the burrow. I should probably look on this as encouragement.

My mind seems to have set itself on going to Ely overnight (obviously I don't mean actually going down to Ely overnight, I mean that my mind set itself overnight. You know what I mean!) so it looks like I'm booking for that. Here's hoping the weather improves and it's not another horrible wet summer since I appear to be spending most of it in a tent. As far as wellies go, I usually just put gaiters on over my Doc Martens since they're easy to pack but I may have to actually invest in some proper wellies for this year if it doesn't get any better. Might have a look and see if they still do those half welly half walking boot type things that I used to wear when I worked at the stables, they were good.

Murderous Machines.

My washing machine went for me last night! I was standing in the little kitchen area of the burrow, minding my own business, when it suddenly leapt at me and tried to pin me against the fridge! Have never moved so fast in my life. I think it's seen what has happened to all the electrical equipment in the burrow and decided to get me before I can get it. Anyhow, shall be keeping an eye on it in case it starts to become like my Gran's old machine which used to chase dogs and children round the kitchen and you couldn't turn your back on it or it would sneak up on you.

Managed to empty Roger last night but I still need to give him a good clean before tomorrow so I don't think I'll be able to make it to Dot's thing tonight which is a shame. Still, at least I managed to get some fiddle practice in last night. (Here's hoping they didn't suddenly leap ahead to other tunes while I was ill last week).

Really keeping my fingers crossed about Roger's MOT. I know he'll need something doing, cars always do, but please let it not be anything major. All his tyres have been replaced this year (and if I find whoever keeps leaving old nails on the roadside then there will be blood! And possibly tetanus!) and, other than his mysteriously draining battery (which has been fine since New Year) and the dead bulb where his mileage should read, he seems to be running well. I think that this might be my last year with him regardless though. With increasing costs of fuel and my leaning towards folk dancing rather than reenactment (apart from The Borderers where I don't need to take much with me) I think a smaller car may be warranted. He's insured till November so that gives me some time to decide. That said, he's been great this past year and a half. It may take a while to get him going but when he goes, there's no stopping him and his bootspace has been useful.

Right, definitely tattercoat sewing this weekend otherwise I'll have nothing to wear in Hathersage (Other than everyday clothes obviously, cause that would be chilly!) and, damnit, I want my own tattercoat!

Have booked my ticket for IVFDF so at least that's done. Have ordered a purple hoodie rather than a T-shirt cause the last one came in really useful. (May investigate whatever T-shirts are remaining at the actual weekend). Have been looking at the evening stuff and I quite fancy the 422 ceilidh on the Friday evening and Vertical Expression contra, followed by Whapweasel (who are also playing at The Big Session this year) on the Saturday. Of course, also on the Saturday is the Northumbrian ceilidh so there may be a bit of lateral drift throughout the evening. No idea about the workshops yet but if there are any random musical ones then I intend to go and loiter in a corner to get tips. Really enjoyed the fiddle one last year (and one day I hope to be able to put it to use!)

Ian has put up some pictures of one of our early day rapper practices on Facebook. There is a very odd picture of me curled up on the ground. I'm still wondering what on earth I was doing.