How do you feel today? 5

[Catch-up]

I was thinking of that too. If people charged the membership to their credit cards, then had to pay the hotel anyway, the credit card company will likely be able to refund the membership charge. It all sounds pretty suspicious. I would think the organizers will have to provide a pretty detailed list of the money they've taken in/spent, or they might get charged with fraud.

[TinatheConfused]

Well, our country band is working out more or less. The band Boss said I am Months ahead of where any of their other singers ever got in only two weeks.

Mind, these are All completely new songs to me, I have learned 10 and have 3 "on the burner" which I am working on very hard.
There is one guy in the band who does things to try and undermine my self confidence. The first practice, I had just gotten through this song, one of the harder ones to just up and "LEARN" from scratch.



The first verse ends with the word "Sleep" being held on one note for two measures. The very first time we EVER practiced it this SWOT named Jerry, (the bluegrass acoustic player who has Not impressed me yet) says right after the very first time we practiced it "Now we like to offer little criticisms, no offense intended now, but (Here's the kicker) We are a Cover band. Are You Aware that you dropped that note down a step?" He is a card carrying misogynist. Both practices, he has criticized me for little teensy things, and even suggested that I come to the Boss's place for extra practice so I don't waste his time.

Damn, I can see I shall have to find a way to slip my "bitch" hat on and slam him a few times to put him in his place.
There is one song by Sheryl Crow which was a Guns & Roses song



I have known this song for over 23 years by the original band... I had One week to practice it Her way. He, once again, asked me "Are you Aware that you were singing that like Guns & Roses?" I am really beginning to dislike the phrase "Are you Aware...?" I really have to hold my sarcastic side in until I have a few more practices to finally say "No, omg, I had NO IDEA WHAT I WAS SINGING!!!! Really? OMG, Whatever shall we Do???"

[Ghost]

dick

[Dotsie]

Ask him "Are you aware you're being passive-aggressive?"

[wicked woman]

[chris.ph]

eff off always seems to go across well tina

[raptornx01]

Say to him "Are you aware that covering a song doesn't mean you have to copy the song?" or "Are you aware that we are a cover band and that if you want hear the song sung exactly like the original you should become a DJ instead?"

sounds like a dick.

I was thinking of that too. If people charged the membership to their credit cards, then had to pay the hotel anyway, the credit card company will likely be able to refund the membership charge. It all sounds pretty suspicious. I would think the organizers will have to provide a pretty detailed list of the money they've taken in/spent, or they might get charged with fraud.

many are working toward that. Heard plenty of grumbles over arguing with CCs and Paypal. but we are pooling together. A group experienced in charity drives set up a site with auctions and donation links etc (want a phaser toy signed by john delancie )

they plan on repaying everyone hit with bills, covering the lost charity money and repaying vendors/dealers who accepted "Bits" as payment but didn't get reimbursed for them (basically play money (think ank morpork dollars) people could buy at face value and use to buy from vendor who would in turn turn them in later for the cash. supposed to be for fun, and would have been otherwise). whatever money is left over will be split among charities that are already running.

Dots, I didn't go, I just started helping out when everything started coming out monday morn. it's all been coordinated through twitter, forums, skype chats, etc. even 4chan has been helping

I don't wanna take up too much space on here with all this but i just have to say it's been amazing seeing everyone come together, work together. seeing old rivalries and arguments dissolve. like one big Ogg clan

[Catch-up]

Tina, ditto to all of the above!

Rap, hope the whole thing gets sorted out.

[Dotsie]

I was babysitting my nieces, and one (she's 4) did something seriously dangerous, and I shouted at her First time I've done it, but she terrified me. Now I don't know if I can keep them safe The youngest has just learned to walk, and if I don't let her go where she wants she screams the place down, so that helped I don't think I can manage two at once. I'm not even sure I can manage one (but I do have to try). How mums do it is beyond me.

[Tonyblack]

I was babysitting my nieces, and one (she's 4) did something seriously dangerous, and I shouted at her First time I've done it, but she terrified me. Now I don't know if I can keep them safe The youngest has just learned to walk, and if I don't let her go where she wants she screams the place down, so that helped I don't think I can manage two at once. I'm not even sure I can manage one (but I do have to try). How mums do it is beyond me.

It's ok to shout, especially if it works. If possible, try and explain to them afterwards why you shouted and that you were scared for them, not angry at them.

Kids really need to know boundaries for their own sake. It's part of the learning process. If left to run wild they will often actually do things they know are wrong just so they'll get some attention. Even being shouted at is attention - right?

Dotsie, don't panic. Every one goes through this sort of thing when they look after children. The saying "this will hurt me more than it will hurt you" as absolutely true. Feeling that you lost control, even for a second, or put the child at any sort of risk is scary. But kids are remarkably resilient and as long as they can understand why something is dangerous, they will appreciate being told.

I always found a "naughty chair" to be remarkably effective when kids were out of control. You make them sit on a chair and tell them they must not talk and no one will talk to them until they start to behave. It's amazing how a kid who has been behaving badly will, once you put them on a naughty chair, stay there and shut up.

I'm sure you'll make a great mum when you get the chance.

[Ghost]

I wish I could be that eloquent I agree with everything that Tony has stated in his reply
as a Aunty twice over I have shouted at my nephews more times than I could count
and had to save them from their self s more times than I could count
so don't stress the art of detraction works best for me and handing out little jobs they can do to keep them out of trouble

[TinatheConfused]

Oh Dotsie, Yes, LOL kids are so much "interesting times". That's what they are... a Counterweight Continent Curse
Children have the ability to do things which are fascinating in a totally controlled environment and still scare the Crap out of you IRL. I remember driving home on a nice summer day with my just under two year old son, not a care in the world sort of mulling over an idea for dinner when I looked over and my genius had gotten out of the carseat and was almost HANGING out of the window... wind in his hair... we are speeding along at 55 mph... ON A BRIDGE... in Mixed traffic. I almost had a heart attack. He was just out of arms reach and I managed, somehow, to grab him by the diaper and stay in my lane. Good Times. Two small ones at once would have killed me, or one of them. Mine were 8 years apart which is worse in its own way.

Raptor, I hope that Gordian Knot gets at least slightly untangled for your peeps. I cannot imagine performing and then having a Huge bill thrust at me. Ack. I had the perfect picture of the Ogg crew from one of the books... They could say whatever they wanted about each other, but if a Non-Member said anything, the silence would spread and that poor lackwit would suddenly have the Entire Ogg Clan's Fixed attention . I would not want to be those Con organisers when Your clan gets a hold of the books. I imagine there were a few too many Extravagant meals, gambling (it was Vegas Baby), when what they needed was an accountant like mine who is very prim and proper following them around saying "NO" a lot. Possibly even a house payment just came to mind, like getting someone out of arrears to the tune of $$$$ EGADS, I have been studying Dodger a bit much and the mind wanders. LOL

eff off always seems to go across well tina

Note to self: Perfect Billy Connolly's version of F-Off
@ my "guy" problem, Great advice, he IS a Dick, and Misogynistic Passive-Aggressive Shall be used in my reply one day. It bugged me and then the more I thought about it I realized that these guys have not been able to get a singer who

#1: Can Sing
#2: Is Younger than they are (We are talking 60 to 60-something) (Primps her 52 year old self) Not Shabby at all.
#3: I hear a lot of reminiscing and shaking of heads whenever I nail a song down, as they remember the ones who couldn't.

I don't care if this really goes anywhere, I love to sing, and sing well. Nothing better than Belting out a song that noone expects you to BELT OUT!! Darn it, as long as I am "somewhat Larger" than the super skinny "snakes" on the Telly, I could use Perdita's self-harmonizing. I expect to play out a time or two and see how, and if, they can carry the PA and gear while still being able to play. LOL

[cheery_j.]

I'm not a mum, but I know the feeling, Dotsie - I guess I seriously traumatized the son of our friends. They came for bf's birthday, and we hadn't expected them or any other guests with Toddlers. I had emptied out an old box in the attic that contained amongst other things fabric dyes. I had taken the parcels downstairs and put them in the hall to put them away later. One of the packets had already been opened (providing easy access to both the dye and the fixing salt).
So you can guess how shocked I was when the little guy toddled into the kitchen, proudly presenting this wonderful toddler-sized, colourful little box. I screamed 'give it to me' and ripped it from his little hands. His scared face and wobbly lip made me feel so so sorry, but I would have felt much more sorry if he had eaten the stuff. However, I think f he hates me later or has bad dreams of a screaming witch it's the much lesser of two evils...

I also agree with Tony re. kids needing boundaries. Sometimes when I watch the younger kids in school it's really like seeing baby goats running into a fence. Just to check if it is there. And if they can't find a fence they'll run a bit further until they find one. They actually do something nasty and if you tell them off or punish them, they look really satisfied - as if they had been trying to find that invisible fence and were now thinking 'Ah, there it is.'
They can also deal with you being in a bad mood or even unfair, if it's not the rule, and if you are ready to apologize.

[cheery_j.]

@Tina:

My mum once came into our room and my sister (must have been about 4 at the time) was walking along the windowsill. We 'only' lived on the second floor at the time, but ...

[raisindot]

Tonsillitis news: ice cream didn't help, but at least it didn't hurt. Yay! I hope having three helpings of penicillin each day will finally do the trick.

This may cheer you up.