The end of an era...

So, this is my last week in Bellsquarry. I finish up on the 3rd and that's me done and dusted! T'other burd comes back on the Monday after the hols and I'm searching for supply work! Have put an application into other regions but so far no good. Am having to write forward plans for the returning teacher (of a sort! I don't know what she will want to be doing for the next term and so will be only creating a skeleton) I've also got the report cards to write so there go my Easter hols! The house is like the proverbial bomb site and in grave need of a good and thorough clean and tidy. What with the latent school work and the domestic stuff and the two booked off trips to places West and East in the first week of the break I don't see me wearying much! Will also be looking at my pantomime script over the break and updating it and the music contained therein. Yes, glutton for punishment that I am, I will be directing this year's festive frolic for December along with pals Mary and Rosemary, as well as continuing with the Junior Workshop who will be putting on a show in March. In between times I will be learning songs for the Mostly Musicals night in the Biggar Little Festival and learning lines for a one act play in Biggar Shorts - same festival!
Anyhoo, can't sit here gassing all night... I need to go and do stuff upstairs and then slope off ot bed for another chapter or three of my book - number three of the Twilight Quadrilogy - yes I know it's written (allegedly) for teenagers but I'm enjoying the escapism and as I'm on book three in less than two weeks I think I can safely say they're an easy read!
Till next time!

Nearly there.....

So tonight is the last night of The King and I and Boy, Oh Boy! has it been a hard trot! I honestly had my doubts as to whether we would actually get here with any semblance of a show - fit to show a paying audience that is - and here we are. I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised at the phenomenal ability of people to find amazing reserves of energy and ability when the chips are down. Mind you I still wish, wholeheartedly, that there had been the opportunity to record every show - the outtakes reel on the finished DVD would be priceless! So there it is, done and dusted and only tonight to get through. A humungous learning curve for those of us in the Directing seats, mainly with a view to the logistics of creating a single entity out of three usually non-related groups. Lots of lessons learned. Mind you, Fiona and I did a lower profile exercise in a similar vein when we did Dream On, we combined the Juniors and Youth for that and we did a pretty good job, even if I do say so myself. I think the secret is to have people on the team who know what they are doing, and to let them do what they do best. I've been extremely fortunate to have very skilled and talented people involved with the Juniors, and, while I can have loads of ideas of how I'd like things to be/look/sound, I ask the experts and take advice! There have been times that one of my more nutty ideas has been run with and the result has been terrific, but that's all down to the people who know their stuff being willing to 'have a go' (probably just to shut me up, mind you!) and we've learned another way to do something or have another option up our sleeves for another time. We learn from each other and develop. that's how it should be. There's no point in going off with half -baked unrealistic notions, reality check at all times thank you! That said, I think that when the chips are down, the airy fairy ideas do tend to become entrenched in what is actually possible rather than the idealised aspirations they begin life as, and while this is all well and good, wouldn't it be so much easier, less stressful and altogether more sensible to start small and allow it to grow and develop organically; morphing into something wonderful, rather than a high maintenance, mega octane-fuelled bitch-fest where everybody is sick of everybody else 'knowing better'!?Ain't that the way of the world!?
Enough ranting!
Well on that particular subject anyway!
Back to the job situation; or lack thereof! Current maternity cover supply finished on 3rd April and nothing on the horizon so far. Had an interview last Monday for the previously mentioned 'some jobs in various locations in August' along with the other two hundred souls, all searching for the same Golden Ticket. Talked a mile a minute, budgie on speed, gibbering away, tryng to get all the stuff I wanted to say into the short allocated time. As a reflective practioner I have concluded that I've either talked myself into a job or out of a career! Watch this space! (no, it doesn't do tricks!) Should really have spent time filling out an on-line form for Supply in the Borders and get it in but not sure if I want to tie myself up to all points south for supply work - the cost of the petrol and the travelling time would be really detrimental.
House is looking like it wouldn't be out of place in a war zone. So it will be nice to have a bit of time to start getting it back into shape again. It'll be nice to have a chance to get the laundry completed in a reasonable length of time and to rediscover the bottom of the ironing basket! I may even reacquaint myself with the vacuum cleaner you never know! Okay, I hear you! So if the house is such a tip why am I sitting here tripe - ing this blog?
Simple, Alistair has two pupils sitting a music theory exam and I'm invigilating it! So they are sitting at either end of the dining room table and I'm sitting here writing away! Yah boo to you! I don't really watch a lot of telly - I prefer a DVD truth be told - and I'm quite looking forward to slobbing out a few evenings and watching some stuff. A friend lent me The Hogfather and I'm rather keen to see it, that and the plethora of James Bond Films that Victoria got for Christmas!
Okay, now I have to go - while I've been typing this 2 more emails have popped into my inbox. Now there are 26 to be read!!! Busy, busy, busy!
So I'll say 'tara chucks' and for those of you in the know 'Monks!'
Till next time...

Being a busy bunny!

It has been a while since my last blog. It's not because I can't be bothered, or that I've sold my soul to Twitter, or even because I have succumbed and signed on for Facebook (still don't get it!) but because life has been terrible insistent on my playing the game and doing stuff that I said I would do. Now those chickens are coming home to roost! The Am Dram game is getting nothing short of frenetic what with all factions of the Workshop finally coming together to join up the dots in our combined production of The King and I. Not only but also have been making costumes, props and a backdrop, am now 'heid prompt' and additional singer in the chorus (from the prompt pit!) Oh it's a tight ship we run - multi-tasking like fury! Not quite having to climb into a costume and tread the boards yet, but very wary of the prospect... However, this time next week we'll have only two performances left to do and then it will be all over!!! Friends of mine with bags of practical and technical know-how, will be spitting jaggy feathers to see the back of it. Mind you, I'm hoping they'll not run away screaming too far, as I'm kind of going to want to pick their brains for my forthcoming Panto at the end of the year! (My hat is off to them - they know who they are - 'cos they've had a lot to put up with!)
All this notwithstanding, I have an interview on Monday. Before you all yahoo in deep joy and delight at the possibility that I might be getting nearer to a job, let me stop you right there - this is the bulk interview, where all the probationers from this year, all the requested transfers and all of last years probationers who didn't get a job get trotted out and looked over once again, for 'some jobs in various locations in August' As there will probably be around 200 staff chasing what might only be a dozen or so jobs, I'm not holding out much hope! Strangely enough, the Council are still advertising for Teachers to relocate to the area, with packages and money and stuff to sweeten the offer - why? Dear Lord, why? If they haven't got jobs for those of us who already there, where will they get the jobs for incoming workers?
Oh, I really think it's time I went. I'm so tired I could drop off as I type!! Maybe once the show is past I'll get back to dropping a line in a bit more often!
Till next time.