get your mind out of the gutter -

 - "i can't help it - it's attached to the rest of my body"

(my all time favourite ((so far)) mash quote)

my husband, mom, boss, and friend (4 different people btw) have staged an unconnected intervention over this last weekend. all are concerned that i am taking events at work "too seriously" (cause hey - there's nothing like moving 3000 people into an ill equipped building with no decision making and little planning that should be taken seriously-) (it's jokes like this that are probably making them all worry. more on that later).

so.

they're probably right.

(was that magnanimous enough?)

ok they are right. i can't control what is happening at work. i am just along for the ride - a mercenary - a hired gun. none of these problems are my fault or the result of my planning or actions. i just need to make the best of them.

so i have a plan (of course i do).

i'm just not going to care. but in a specific way. I'm not going to care like alan alda doesn't care in mash. i am going to think of this as being in a lousy situation where i can't get out but have an important job to do (ok my analogy is flailing here admittedly) and make the best of it with grace and humour.

i have bought the box set for lessons. research. (cough).

lesson one i think will have to be to figure out the humour. my humour has become so dry and cynical it is frightening even to me (just a little) and more importantly - it's not helping but making things worse. case in point - today - in a meeting about outstanding items that have been outstanding (and raised constantly) for a long time - my response was a very dry "gee wouldn't it have great if we'd thought of that 18 months ago" (eyeroll). you see what i mean. just nasty and more than a little petty, and not even very funny. hawkeye pierce saves his nastiness and manages to be cynical but funny and (dare i say) uplifting at the same time. this is something to emulate.

i have no idea how.

back to the boxset.


(this post has been brought to you by parentheses ((!!)) yay! parentheses!! (?!) )

faversham mission brass band

i had my first concert with the faversham mission brass band tonight.  i'm playing bass trombone. i had way waaaaaaaay more fun than i thought i'd have - which is always a nice thing. our conductor, graham, is hilarious, and the whole atmosphere quickly became fun -  the audience knew it, we knew it. he cracks jokes all the time - and the band talk back - it's good.

i should have guessed - we went to the annual band dinner last friday and i spent most of the evening laughing. music should be fun. so often it's so serious - and that's great if it's your life or career - but it needs to be fun too for the rest of us. i've often felt kicked out because i wouldn't - couldn't - take it so seriously. but i love this.

i have all the music playing in my head now - i am up too late drinking an ill-advised second glass of wine (after 2 pints in the pub after the concert). i need to go to bed but i'm still AWAKE.

n has a wee small surgery tomorrow - it's nothing to worry about - but i still worry a bit. all the more reason to go to bed -

so good night -

one must be good , under the circumstances...

(wo)man at work

our new building at work is due for practical completion on 30 june. some furniture is going in and site visits are becoming more frequent. because it's still a building site we need to be all decked out in high vis, steel toed boots, safety eyeglasses, gloves, and a hard hat. it makes me look like i have a real job!

evening run

this was the view as i came out of the boatyard and headed up the lane towards the sewage plant water treatment facility(!). both sides of the lane are lined with queen anne's lace and the light was amazing. i never ever want to go running but i always love it when i'm out. well ok maybe not quite but there are moments of pure exhilaration. unfortunately my knees are not always so keen. i've cut back a wee bit and fingers crossed i'll be able to keep running (there's a sentence i never thought i'd type).

i've solved my technology problem as well - i am typing this on a new google chromebook. so far it is doing the trick admirably although the keyboard will take a bit of getting used to - it feels a little - chippy. cheap-y. clatter-y. oh well. i couldn't be bothered to shop around and i'm sure it will be fine.

now off to ice my knees! oh the glamour!

must get organised....

it's not from want of thought - or even willingness - but the absolute dearth of blog posts is almost entirely hardware related. eminently fixable, with the addition of some research, cash, and an ability to get over the idea that buying any modern computer equipment whatsoever is akin to heedlessly and flagrantly flinging money about.

you see, my tablet is useless for posting. it is old (see last sentence above). it is cantankerous at best and willfully obstinate at worst. my work laptop runs a version of explorer so old that blogger does not admit its existence. and the only other computer in the house is where n roosts.

i will figure something out.

at some point.

almost definitely.

in the meantime - here's a picture of me in my new band shirt!

yes - i am the new 4th trombone in the faversham mission brass! and i'm loving it. although it's been awhile since i've had to parse key changes and time changes and count rest bars - and - last night at practice, i missed a repeat in its entirety and played with verve and enthusiasm a completely different movement to the rest of the band. well, early days.

so i will try to sort this whole hardware thing out - bear with me - i've not gone away!