A hard working day, but very satisfying. I got up in time to get the logsplitter out for Tony Castle to see if he can replace or refill the hydraulic fluid and make it work, as he said he'd be here at 9.30.
I had breakfast and got myself ready to cycle to work, in Haxby, at Headlands School. Tony Castle didn't turn up at 9.30 so I rang him and left a message. I decided to cycle to Haxby in costume and that would mean no faffing around when I got there.
It didn't take me long to get to Haxby, less than half an hour, and my handler told me my first show was in the school hall at midday, and then at 1.30, a second slot outside in the playground. So at 11, when the event opened, I had about an hour of unicycling round the playground and playing field, and when I got too hot to unicycle, I just devilsticked madly to the music, which was mostly 60s stuff, and I enjoyed this. At midday I got an audience inside and I did my usual one-hour show, which went really well.
I had a quick lunch at 1pm and then got set up outside... i had to wait a little while as the Fire service were doing a display, but after this I did a series of workshops, and a few balloon giveaways. I was given my cheque at 3 and I spent a short while helping to tidy up a load of aluminium cans, and came home, arriving at 4pm. Tony hadn't been, despite Gill leaving a message on his mobile.
I had an hour of collapse and then something to eat, and at 6 set out to David's, as he was expecting me at 6.30 to go to see the Torelli Quartet. This was at St Helen's Church, and comprised 2 violin players, a viola and a cello. David paid to get in but as his carer, I didn't need a ticket. I got David installed at the front, and ha chatted to a couple sitting behind him, holidaying in York.
The first piece was some Haydn, it didn't grab me and I nearly fell asleep during it. The second was by Barber and I didn't like it at all, lots of discords. After a short interval, there was a better piece by Tchaikovsky, which was bearable. I think violins are my least-favourite instrument. I liked the cello being played pizzicato, that is plucked. But this concert for me was a painful reminder of an overdose of classical music when younger. There is a very limited number of classical pieces which 'speak' to me, and none of these did it. I think the composition is clever, and the musicians talented, but I just don't like it. I guess we can't help what we like and don't like. I can't explain why I dislike Jazz and Opera, but love Ambient, Psychedelia and Reggae. I cant easily say why I don't like the sculptures of Barbara Hepworth but adore Peter Randall-Page, or why I love pear but hate grapefruit. I guess that it's one of life's great mysteries, and for me, it's a good thing that such diversity exists.
David chatted to two women called Sally in the interval, and had a couple of conversations afterwards, before I took him to City Screen for a coffee. Then home where I put his meal in the microwave and sorted his fruit juice out, before leaving at 9.30.
I got back and noticed that our variegated maple tree, we call it the blond tree, had got several prominent non-variegated bits, plus dozens of small dark green shoots. So I got the big step ladders and spent an hour cutting the green bits out. I was surprised how much there was!
It was well after 10pm when I came in, really knackered, but then stayed up til after 3am doing things including the washing up and various online things.
I had breakfast and got myself ready to cycle to work, in Haxby, at Headlands School. Tony Castle didn't turn up at 9.30 so I rang him and left a message. I decided to cycle to Haxby in costume and that would mean no faffing around when I got there.
It didn't take me long to get to Haxby, less than half an hour, and my handler told me my first show was in the school hall at midday, and then at 1.30, a second slot outside in the playground. So at 11, when the event opened, I had about an hour of unicycling round the playground and playing field, and when I got too hot to unicycle, I just devilsticked madly to the music, which was mostly 60s stuff, and I enjoyed this. At midday I got an audience inside and I did my usual one-hour show, which went really well.
I had a quick lunch at 1pm and then got set up outside... i had to wait a little while as the Fire service were doing a display, but after this I did a series of workshops, and a few balloon giveaways. I was given my cheque at 3 and I spent a short while helping to tidy up a load of aluminium cans, and came home, arriving at 4pm. Tony hadn't been, despite Gill leaving a message on his mobile.
I had an hour of collapse and then something to eat, and at 6 set out to David's, as he was expecting me at 6.30 to go to see the Torelli Quartet. This was at St Helen's Church, and comprised 2 violin players, a viola and a cello. David paid to get in but as his carer, I didn't need a ticket. I got David installed at the front, and ha chatted to a couple sitting behind him, holidaying in York.
The first piece was some Haydn, it didn't grab me and I nearly fell asleep during it. The second was by Barber and I didn't like it at all, lots of discords. After a short interval, there was a better piece by Tchaikovsky, which was bearable. I think violins are my least-favourite instrument. I liked the cello being played pizzicato, that is plucked. But this concert for me was a painful reminder of an overdose of classical music when younger. There is a very limited number of classical pieces which 'speak' to me, and none of these did it. I think the composition is clever, and the musicians talented, but I just don't like it. I guess we can't help what we like and don't like. I can't explain why I dislike Jazz and Opera, but love Ambient, Psychedelia and Reggae. I cant easily say why I don't like the sculptures of Barbara Hepworth but adore Peter Randall-Page, or why I love pear but hate grapefruit. I guess that it's one of life's great mysteries, and for me, it's a good thing that such diversity exists.
David chatted to two women called Sally in the interval, and had a couple of conversations afterwards, before I took him to City Screen for a coffee. Then home where I put his meal in the microwave and sorted his fruit juice out, before leaving at 9.30.
I got back and noticed that our variegated maple tree, we call it the blond tree, had got several prominent non-variegated bits, plus dozens of small dark green shoots. So I got the big step ladders and spent an hour cutting the green bits out. I was surprised how much there was!
It was well after 10pm when I came in, really knackered, but then stayed up til after 3am doing things including the washing up and various online things.
No comments:
Post a Comment