Ups and Downs

Weekend got off to a bit of a bad start on Friday when I finally turned into my mam and put unleaded petrol in my diesel car! Fortunately, while I'm daft enough to do this, I wasn't daft enough to start the car engine so at least there's that.
The AA man came to tow me to a garage (and admitted to me that he'd done the selfsame thing 2 days before. Apparently there's been a large number of incidences recently. No clue why) where it took 2 lads 1/2 and hour to open the bonnet because the fastenings had seized (Only opened it a week ago!) and then the bonnet cable snapped! Anyhow, they managed to drain the tank and then it took 3 of them over an hour to try and shut the bonnet again. They didn't manage it in the end so my bonnet is now tied down with cable ties.
Then one of them went to put my oil (cause I'd just double checked my oil and water since I didn't know when I was going to get my bonnet open again) in my boot and, before I could warn him not to open it by the handle (see previous tale about the loose number plate), the poor lad was standing with the whole set up dangling from his hand. This just pushed me over the edge and I creased up with giggles which had them looking at me in a very nervous manner. Anyhow, we got the thing glued back on, paid up and prepared to set off only to find that my safety belt (for reasons best known to itself) had decided to jam. By now everyone was in fits and waiting to see what the amazing collapsing car was going to attempt next. Anyhow, by now it was very late and I was missing a lot of money so I had to give up on the Buittle weekend which I'm a little miffed about but, since it was my own fault, I can't really complain too much. On the other hand I managed to get a little bit of tidying done (I've found the bed!) and a lot of various instrument practice (Have worked out a slightly (emphasis on slightly) more complicated accompanyment to Bobby Shaftoe).

In good things, got my hair cut and I think I will use him again since it was very reasonably priced and he listened when I pointed out that I'm spending most of this year camping in fields and therefore styling of any kind is not an option (I avoided mentioning that it would have been pretty much the same scenario if I had been staying at home!). No more getting my hair caught in swordlocks for a while. Huzzah!
I've heard back from Whitby about stewarding for the Folk Week. They want me on the rifle club for some afternoons and evenings which is fine. If I do get programmed on for the rapper evening thing, I suppose I can try and swap it off. Still, free ticket and camping, so, you know, small price.

Watched Doctor Who on the iplayer. Liking the new lad and liked the little lass playing Amelia. She was scarily unannoying for a child actor. The older version was fun too (although, please let them not go down the whole romance route again. ) and I loved the joke about frying. Nice to see an episode taking place on earth that isn't set in London too.
On the whole, looking forward to the series.

Rapper practice was scarily relaxed last night given that it's DERT this weekend. The Steak Pie dance is looking good (other than the time that I tried to move to position for the wrong tumble and walked smack bang in to the sword between 1 and 5 (which, I may add, they were holding at around chest height and yet it managed to catch me across the forehead!). Anyhow, that aside...)
Winalot fell apart a bit because we didn't have a musician and it's difficult to remember where you are when stepping in 8's but seems mostly OK except for the backlock which we're just going to play be ear. (On a better note, I think I may have fixed my shoulder since I only got twinges while dancing last night and that's a huge improvement). DERT excitement is now starting to set in in earnest.

As if that wasn't enough, I also have Oxford to get excited about! First time seeing Bellowhead live! Just a little bouncy.

Off to see 'How to Train Your Dragon' tonight (3D again I think).

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.

Festival Plans

Rapper was fun but exhausting (it always is when there's not many dancers). Our musician has just proved himself a true folk dancing musician due to managing to fall in his garden, break 3 ribs, puncture a lung, drive himself to hospital and he was still playing for our practice last night. The words 'impressive' and 'nuts' come to mind.

We seem to have a fair bit of stuff coming up. Provisionally, we seem to be dancing in Falkirk for St Georges Day, Anstruther for the Lifeboat gala day, a latino scottish ceilidh in Edinburgh and, of course there's the workshop/St Andrews tour this coming Saturday leading to DERT itself. Lots of rapper can not be a bad thing.

Have decided that I am definitely going to head down for the Holmfirth Folk Festival so need to send off my camping application. Ian has very nicely put me in touch with the organisers to book Belshazzer's Feast tickets and I'm swithering between the ceilidh and Rachel McShane on Saturday night. I think I can probably do both and so will probably book to see Rachel McShane at the picturedrome.

Oxford is looming large on the horizon and the only reason I'm not all over the place bouncing about is that DERT is first and I'm too busy bouncing about that. At some point I should get my tent out and see how it is. Hasn't been used since Whitby but it did get put away dry so fingers crossed.
Still waiting to find out whether I can steward at Whitby. They said to get back in touch if I hadn't heard anything by a couple of weeks and it has now been a couple of weeks so I should probably e-mail them

Yet Another Catch Up

Got pretty much laid flat by the flu over the last week or so so have been a bit remiss in updating this so time to catch up.

First of all, went to see Damien Barber and Mike Wilson on the Wednesday at the Pleasance with some of Mons Meg. They were very good, particularly with the shanties, their voices go together really well and the chat between songs was also very funny (I do like the stories of having to suck crisps in folk clubs when little so as not to annoy people with the crunch). They were supported by Wendy Arrowsmith who I've not heard before but was also very good. Particularly liked her Whitby lifeboat song. Wasn't too sure about the irish singer at first. There's a tendancy among irish singers to overdo the ornamentation (for my taste anyway) and she did at first but then she seemed to ease out of it and I felt her singing improved because of it.

Also went to see Pete Morton (he who did the hilarious Geoffrey Chaucer Junior thing at Whitby last year) at the Royal Oak. I really enjoyed his sets. His music is very perky and all about love and what have you but manages to stop short of crossing the line into annoying which could be partly due to his stage presence (or corner of very small pub presence) but it seems to work. He did one of the Chaucer songs which was hilarious and he mentioned that he was bringing the Chaucer show to the Edinburgh Fringe. Unfortunately, I think I will be away when he does which may be a blessing since it was just so funny and surprising the first time that I don't think it will ever be able to measure up again.

In other news, Roger's immobiliser has completely immobilised him. I think I just need to get a new battery in the key so I shall take that along to the renault dealer and see of I can get that sorted. I am also still no further forward in tidying the burrow. In fact, it now looks worse since the last weekend was IVFDF (which needs a post of it's own!) and I caused my usual chaos trying to pack for it (and at some point I shall get round to unpacking).

Finally got round to replacing the fiddle bridge. It seems to have gone OK and it does seem to sound better (except for the G string but that sounded a lpeculiar before as well which makes me suspect that I should start saving to get the fiddle properly seen to but it will have to wait until after the festival season)

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.