| lesley153
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Jonathan's school did Fiddler during his last year there, and the senior violin teacher's parting shot, before he left Bedford, was to give the Stern part to a WASP who didn't have a clue. The teacher always hated Jonathan - perhaps because he didn't have lessons in school? because he carried on having lessons with a teacher who was a lot better than the school one?
They had a string quartet, and Jonathan was responsible for everything that went wrong. Viola played a bad note? Jonathan's fault. Other violinist's late. Jonathan's fault. Cellist broke a string! Blame Jonathan.
The boy played the Fiddler music like Palm Court Tea Dances - absolutely straight. When Jonathan suggested giving it a bit more movement, a bit of rubato, a bit more of a klezmery feel, the boy said "nah - won't bother. Nobody in the audience will know any better anyway." Ah sweet arrogance of youth.
What is it about the Bach that has had such an effect on you?
Trying to think who GC is. Racking brain. Failed. Sorry. |
Reply #641. Jun 16 10, 8:14 PM
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| Lochalsh
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GC is Rosemary's nephew, Lesley.
Perhaps you should tell him "Come-on-a my house"
Reply #642. Jun 16 10, 8:44 PM
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| lesley153
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Oh that GC!
(It's OK - he's already there. Jacquie38 said I could borrow him on Tuesdays. :) |
Reply #643. Jun 16 10, 8:47 PM
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| Lochalsh
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About the Bach:
It's celestial and terrestrial, makes me soar (I've used that word before) and yet feel rooted. It's stately and yet ever so slightly romantic.
I don't know how to talk about music, though. Want to discuss poetry instead? In that case, I could go on and on ....
Reply #644. Jun 16 10, 8:50 PM
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| Lochalsh
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When will he ever have the time-and energy--to make movies if he spends days with you? And shouldn't you be resting up for the big surgery next month? (Is it next month?)
Reply #645. Jun 16 10, 8:52 PM
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| Professer
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Hope you are doing well Lesely must mail you later getting ready to go to ASDA.
Reply #646. Jun 16 10, 11:41 PM
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| lesley153
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Who needs films when they've got the real thing? And who needs rest?
I forgot to mention that Jonathan's nasty jealous vindictive old violin teacher - he once reduced a 14yo boy to tears for missing a lesson - moved 25 miles away from Bedford, and loves it there. Which must mean he doesn't want to come back. Thank goodness. |
Reply #647. Jun 17 10, 10:22 AM
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| lesley153
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Six-month follow-up appointment at Haematology at midday. Logistical nightmare but good results.
The letter gives you the time of the appointment with the haematologist. They expect you to arrive an hour earlier, to get blood tests. They don't mention it in the letter - you're Supposed To Know. I was pleased with myself for remembering, arrived 45 minutes before my appointment, which is just about OK, because the testing takes half an hour, and trotted off to the place of the blood tests.
I'm obviously also supposed to know, without being told, that the blood tests for Haematology are now done in a different department. Still, why should I know? Most of the staff don't. The result was that I was walking around the hospital for a good half an hour, and arrived back in the original department, where the receptionist took pity on me and said she would ask Haematology to send up a card, so they would be able to go the tests here. She rang them, waited for a quarter of an hour, then gave up and went there herself. I was called straight in and had blood taken ten minutes after I was supposed to see the consultant, 55 minutes after I arrived at the hospital.
They couldn't do it without a card. Didn't I get one with the appointment letter?
In Haematology, they said there was a phlebotomist here but he finishes at 12. Oh great - I've been wandering round the corridors of the hospital since 11.30!
My haemoglobin is up, and my platelets are down. Everything else is more or less the same, and within normal limits. He's also ordered a gluten antibody test for me. That'll be interesting. I thought I'd need to eat something with gluten in, every day for a fortnight, but he said no, only if you're having an endoscopy and biopsy. That's good, because I don't want gluten or an endoscopy or a biopsy.
Going to scrub up now for my trip to see the beloved child. I may be some time. |
Reply #648. Jun 18 10, 7:50 AM
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| lesley153
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Forgot to mention - best laugh of the week. I told the receptionist what had changed since my last appointment in November, including carting myself off to the hospital at the end of March.
"You should have gone to see your GP," she said.
:D |
Reply #649. Jun 18 10, 8:39 AM
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| veronikkamarrz
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Did I miss the part where you explained the grey background in your posts? Looks nice. Very professional!:)
Reply #650. Jun 18 10, 10:24 AM
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| Professer
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God i hate receptionists
Reply #651. Jun 18 10, 10:31 AM
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guitargoddess 
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Oh don't you just love those things you're Supposed To Know? There's lots of things like that working for the government. Luckily I do know a lot of them, having worked in the department last summer as an admin. When I arrived on my first day, they plunked me down in a cubicle and basically left me there, not bothering to ask if I knew how to get set up. *I* found all the forms I was supposed to fill out and delivered them to the appropriate people. *I* called IT to get a computer account and set up on the network. *I* called Compensation and Benefits to make an appointment with the advisor so that I might actually get paid for being there every day. *I* knew who to contact for required training, for access to this that and whatever. God help the new hires who are completely new to the department, or god forbid, totally new to working in the government.
Reply #652. Jun 18 10, 3:04 PM
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| lesley153
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VM, it's a Terry Tweak for this board - all the posts made by the OP will look framed.
Gary, tell us something we don't all know and agree with. Except today's in pathology obviously saw that I was vacillating between collapse and murder, and decided that it would be safer if I sat down, and she did a bit of running around. The one who said I should have seen my GP didn't know anything about him. I think she knows all she needs to know about him now. Of course the receptionist who sent me the appointment letter, and didn't think of telling me that the blood testing had moved since my last visit, she is definitely a waste of space.
GG, that might be because they know you've been there before, and will surely remember every last detail of the job: or it might be because they haven't got a clue what you're supposed to be doing, and can't show you the ropes when they don't even know what the ropes are. It's tempting to wonder who will train the next new recruit who hasn't had experience of the department.
I've just got home after the concert and I'm thrilled that I went. The orchestra played well, and there was a good atmosphere, perhaps because most of the audience were friends and doting parents. Jonathan's new violin teacher came too. He described her as a phenomenal violinist, I've seen her history online and it's impressive, and she is disarmingly modest.
Jonathan was on fire tonight, he gave his performance much welly, and kept me riveted throughout - not easy to do with Bach. I am pleased with him and have decided that I shall keep him. He was given a bottle of wine for his solo. Normally, any presentation to a soloist or conductor is made by a member of the orchestra, and acknowledged with gentle kisses on both cheeks. Jonathan's presentation was made by his girlfriend, and accompanied by a bear hug. We notice these things.
The concert started with pieces by Purcell and Parry, and finished with some Mozart. The conductor did something very brave: he explained what was happening in the piece, with the help of small extracts played by the orchestra. Anything that helps make Mozart even a bit interesting has got to be good. |
Reply #653. Jun 18 10, 4:39 PM
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satguru
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Phenomenal female violinists- I met one of the best (and easily the best looking)- Tasmin Little, a few weeks ago after maybe 15 years at a party, and she looked just as good, split with her husband but got a mark two now so missed out a third time. My friend went out with her for a while and she did seem more interested in me at times, but when they split up I promised not to try as he'd have got the hump. When he finally said I could she'd clearly moved on as I'd missed the moment. That was a shame, we'd have made a pretty good couple in my opinion.
How they can manage to almost deliberately set an obstacle course for simple blood tests seems maybe so you can have more blog material. I'd make a formal complaint if they don't tell people the actual time to come rather than the virtual- it's our money paying for the NHS and every appointment they reschedule because they cocked it up costs even more. They do that at my gym as well now, either closing early during the holidays, or the latest one, putting up a notice to say they were closing the day before and then deciding not to, losing maybe 100 paying customers who would have gone. I emailed the head of trustees and never got a reply. I think power does go to some people's heads, and if it's not the power that gets them it's the selfish disregard of everyone except themselves and those they think they can get something out of. I'm off to get my Ovaltine now by the way.
Reply #654. Jun 18 10, 5:17 PM
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| Lochalsh
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Lesley said: 'he gave his performance much welly"
_____________
Oh, why can't the English learn to speak?
I'll just have to guess that Jonathan acquitted himself admirably. I'm so glad you got to enjoy his performance that I'm stoked!
Reply #655. Jun 18 10, 6:14 PM
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| Professer
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Sounds like you had a good time Lesley, Well done Jonathan
Reply #656. Jun 19 10, 12:57 AM
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Deunan
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Hurray for Lesley and her adventure out and Jonathan for his excellent musical ability.
Reply #657. Jun 19 10, 5:53 AM
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| lesley153
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David, I know I've mentioned this in the dim distant past, that Jonathan has worked with her on two occasions about a year apart, when she played in front of the County Youth Orchestra. He said she was very pleasant, friendly, normal, down-to-earth, and very good to work with. Here are pictures from 3rd January 2006. You can only see Jonathan in the first picture, inside second desk, first violins, looking like his deskmate's bow might up his nose.
 http://www.fbym.org.uk/images/dscf2761.jpg
http://www.fbym.org.uk/images/dscf2771.jpg
If you stay away from someone, they may not know unless you tell them that you're doing it to spare a mate's feelings. They will simply assume a lack of interest. Telling them is not a good idea either, because it will confirm that you see them as a commodity. Looks like you can't win either way, so perhaps the right thing to do would have been just to go for it and be damned.
Lochalsh, I apologise for my linguistic shortcomings. :p
Gary - thank you. :) |
Reply #658. Jun 19 10, 6:30 AM
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| lesley153
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And thank you, Deunan.
Yes, you too can spend more than half an hour on a small post if you are going to let yourself be side-tracked looking through photos, and go out and talk to your gardener in the middle of it. |
Reply #659. Jun 19 10, 6:32 AM
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| Lochalsh
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Lesley, the shortcomings are mine, all mine. It hasn't been that long since I learned that a welly is a boot, so your use of the word in a different way discombobulated me. :-)
I hope your day is going well! (((((Lesley)))))
Reply #660. Jun 19 10, 7:27 AM
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