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[pwhodges]

After a few decades you get pretty used to it.  Fortunately my tinnitus isn't too bad - but it is continuous.  It doesn't interfere with listening to music; but it does to some extent when editing very quiet stuff, which I may need to turn up more than other people when listening for faults.

[DrPhibes]

I'm monetering the student's participation and how well they are doing from behind a desk. Which is boring. So now and then I walk around and get them to work some more. English teaching in this school, for automechanics, is boring and useless. They are not gonna remember or do much with the 'lessons' here.

[DrPhibes]

Also, I have four talks with four different important people about my internship here. Becuase I was so depressed shit has been hitting the 'fan' and alllll talks are gonna be horid I believe. Today, tomorrow, wednesday and thursday is gonna suck.

Tonight is the first C5K run and tomorrow a sportsnight. On friday I'm going over to my sisters to watch over her cat and Saterday there's a birthday party

[lepetitfromage]

Hello Blog Thread,


This has been a very bittersweet weekend. On Friday, Nick and I had his brother over to watch American Horror Story with us (this is somewhat of a tradition for us-usually a friend of mine comes too, but she was at a wedding). I do enjoy watching the show, but it does things to me......I don't handle being scared very well. My palms were sweating like crazy halfway through the first episode. But I'm sort of using this as a "You Can Do It!" thing, because I hate being the person who needs to turn off scary movies because they make me think I'm going to be murdered.


On Saturday we went to the 30th birthday party of one of Nick's high school friends. It was fun, good food, good music and good people...I didn't know many of them, but after a little alcohol everyone knows everyone. After we came home, I found out that one of the guys I went to high school with died in a motorcycle accident. We were never super close but he was always so friendly and open to everyone- he rose about the clique mentality and really accepted everyone for who they were. We chatted via facebook a few years ago (and I had such a huge crush on him in high school). It just feels.....weird. The whole situation doesn't feel real...and even though we were never really close, it's always painful when someone you know passes too young. It brought up a lot of unresolved feelings from when a close friend of mine died last summer. No one knows how and her family never said anything but I'm fairly certain it was suicide....and it really fucking sucks to be reminded of that pain. Sometimes I think I'm still in denial about it. Like she's still alive and just playing a really mean trick on us. But then I feel bad for thinking that she could ever be capable of something like that because she was such a pure, loving, amazing human being. But I just don't want to believe that she's dead.


Yesterday was a trip to the city to go to the Museum of Sex. It's typically $19 to get in per person and I managed to score two tickets for $9 because there was a Groupon for two half priced admissions and I had a $10 Groupon promo thing. It was really cool!! There were a few different exhibits going on and they were all really interesting- one about the history of porn, the second focused on how the digital age influences our perception of sex, the third was all about sex and animals- the so-called "oddities" of nature and on the other side of the spectrum, just how similar animals and humans are in terms of sex and a final exhibit on sex inspired street art. There was also a smaller section with some more sex related history- information on burlesque, the history of erotic photography, a BDSM display, vintage vibrators and gynecological tools....really interesting stuff. We took tons of photos, so I'll post them after I steal them from Nick.


Overall, it was nice to be back in NYC but it did stir up some old memories. There were so many places I wanted to go that I used to frequent when I lived there and there really just wasn't enough time. It made me miss being a city dweller and reminded me of all the fun and excitement there used to be in my life. I mean....I definitely still enjoy myself, but I'm not as....free. Plus, I was reminded of how I managed to stay so thin- we probably walked 5 miles and trekked up 4,000 steps. We ended up completely exhausted from all the running around (and driving- we drove to Hoboken and then took the PATH train into New York). We're definitely taking the train next time.

So yeah.....lots of ups and downs this weekend. Glad to start a new week, but also tired as fuck. I am going to nap like a pro when I get home from work today.

[Patrick]

After a few decades you get pretty used to it.  Fortunately my tinnitus isn't too bad - but it is continuous.  It doesn't interfere with listening to music; but it does to some extent when editing very quiet stuff, which I may need to turn up more than other people when listening for faults.

I can still pick off the part in Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean" where there's a telephone ringing in one of the verses, so I'm still doing alright-ish.

[DrPhibes]

After a few decades you get pretty used to it.  Fortunately my tinnitus isn't too bad - but it is continuous.  It doesn't interfere with listening to music; but it does to some extent when editing very quiet stuff, which I may need to turn up more than other people when listening for faults.

I can still pick off the part in Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean" where there's a telephone ringing in one of the verses, so I'm still doing alright-ish.

Im deaf for high ranges in my left ear, but those are so high that they don't really matter. I forgot the range.

[Barmymoo]

I was upset that I wouldn't be able to go home and visit my mum this summer, because I have a lot of choir things between the end of exams and leaving for America, but I found a four day slot where I had nothing to do (and nowhere to live - my room licence runs out on the 27th June and I get a new room with the choir on the 1st July). The problem was the train tickets were extortionate, and I didn't think it was worth all that money just to go home for three nights. But my mum and stepdad have said they'll give me some money towards it, and also are cashing my tax rebate which finally arrived, so I am going!

I'm visiting my dad very briefly as well, for one night between two other things. The only person I probably won't see who I'd planned on seeing is my half brother, because the day I was going to go see my brothers I've now got a concert. I feel bad because we've only met him once, but there just isn't enough time. I should have said no to the two concerts (one orchestral, one a choir one for a friend's conducting exam) and that would have freed up an entire week. Can't pull out now though, I'd be letting a load of people down.

[Redball]

I should have said no to the two concerts (one orchestral, one a choir one for a friend's conducting exam) and that would have freed up an entire week. Can't pull out now though, I'd be letting a load of people down.

What's on the program(me)s?

[Barmymoo]

Orchestra:

Weber, Der Freischutz Overture
Haydn, Trumpet Concerto   
Suppe, Poet and Peasant Overture       
Delius, La Calinda 
Mathias, Jubilee Dances

Choir:

Sing Joyfully – William Byrd
O How Amiable – Thomas Weelkes
O Clap your Hands – Maurice Greene
Lay a Garland on her Hearse – Robert Pearsall
Sweet and Low – Joseph Barnby
Music, all powerful – Thomas Attwood Walmisley
To Daffodils, from Five Flower Songs, Op. 47 – Benjamin Britten
There is an old belief, from Songs of Farewell – Hubert Parry

Some of it I know, most I don't, but I'm sure it will be quite good.

[pwhodges]

Lay a Garland on her Hearse – Robert Pearsall

If any proof were needed that the nineteenth century music scene in Britain was not all wasted decadence...  Often done slower than indicated, which works - but so does the original speed: here it is sung by my choir (for a change, I neither sang in nor recorded this).

[Akima]

Decadence? I can think of lots of rude things I would call Britain in the 19th century, but I'm not sure decadent would be one.

[Redball]

Some of it I know, most I don't, but I'm sure it will be quite good.

I don't think I know any of it; I checked out several on itunes a little while ago. You're attending, or performing?

If any proof were needed that the nineteenth century music scene in Britain was not all wasted decadence...  Often done slower than indicated, which works - but so does the original speed

Thanks for posting that; it's beautiful!

[Lupercal]

Decadence? I can think of lots of rude things I would call Britain in the 19th century, but I'm not sure decadent would be one.

Industrial revolution, realism, Darwinism -> secularisation, confusion, fantastic literature. Fin de siecle pointed towards a time of achievement followed by a moral and religious decline, class anxiety etc. So yes, towards the end of that century, decadence.

[pwhodges]

I just upgraded my home desktop machine to 32GB of memory.  That makes it bigger than my 24GB virtual machine hosts at work (not more powerful, though - they have two Xeon processors each, mine has only one). 

[Barmymoo]

Performing in both - I dabble in playing the violin (played for eleven years but stopped when I hit sixteen and my life got very manic; I sometimes agree to play in concerts for the college I sing with).

[LTK]

I just upgraded my home desktop machine to 32GB of memory.  That makes it bigger than my 24GB virtual machine hosts at work (not more powerful, though - they have two Xeon processors each, mine has only one). 

But why?

(And aren't you looking for the hardware thread?)

[Redball]

Performing in both - I dabble in playing the violin (played for eleven years but stopped when I hit sixteen and my life got very manic; I sometimes agree to play in concerts for the college I sing with).

Seems like I've heard of a number of choirs in the Cambridge area, probably via their recordings. It must be a grand place to be a chorister, or a tourist who enjoys choral singing. I've been in choruses most of my adult life, including a choir which often sang with the Detroit Symphony. Now I'm in an a cappella group which sings in Renaissance costume, primarily to hire out for Christmas events.

[pwhodges]

But why?

I use Hauptwerk; I am considering this organ (note the RAM requirements).

(And aren't you looking for the hardware thread?)

Not really.  A blog about something I've been doing today seems to fit the blog thread, I'd say.

[Patrick]

Paul, that recording blew me away.

Blag, a girl I've known for a couple years who likes me more romantically than I like her came over at like 10 last night and we hung out being chatty until 5am. She's a really sweet girl but I don't know how to tell her that I am not trying to get tied down to anything or anyone but my band, because that's the most important thing in my life right now. It has to be, otherwise it will not succeed. All I can really do is not break the physical contact barrier and stay that way for another month til she goes to Thailand for the summer. The problem is that she just had to kiss me before getting in her car, so now I just feel like a goddamn asshole. I just wanna be friends.

[LTK]

But why?

I use Hauptwerk; I am considering this organ (note the RAM requirements).

(And aren't you looking for the hardware thread?)

Not really.  A blog about something I've been doing today seems to fit the blog thread, I'd say.

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaang. (Blog or hardware, works either way.)

[Barmymoo]

Being in Cambridge is about the best thing you can do if you want to be a chorister - except maybe being in Oxford I suppose 

I met three girls who were here on a choral scholar applicant open day a couple of weeks ago. I took them to lunch and then showed them round my college, and I was blown away by how seriously they take choral singing. They're 17 years old and they already know significantly more than I do about it, plus have had masses of experience. One of them drove three hours in each direction every fortnight for a singing lesson. I kind of fell into this environment and there is definitely a distinction between the serious musicians and those of us who just like singing. Nothing wrong with the latter category, and as long as you commit properly and are reasonably good the same avenues are open to you, but it's definitely good for people who want to be professional.

I hope to keep singing when I graduate, but something a little less intense. A Renaissance a cappella group sounds like so much fun! Are you any good?

[Redball]

Well, we'd be better if we aspired to greater heights. As I said, our music is almost all Christmas, although we'll do a handful of madrigals if we have an unusual spring or summer gig. Our director taught choir and madrigals in a suburban Detroit high school in the 60s and 70s. We've done a couple of recordings, and some are breathtakingly lovely. In some we lose a halftone by the end. But in performance, all of our music is memorized, so we're focusing on the director, or on a gig, on whomever's nodding. Some of us wish the director would do some more difficult, serious music, but she's in her comfort zone with what we do. I wish we were an all year group, although rehearsals for me are a 2-hour drive each way. The group has a loving culture; we're not all best friends, but we seriously care about each other. When my wife died in January, 2011, a dozen drove out to sing at her memorial. I've put up a kind of marketing/recruiting site at twelfthnightsingers.com.
I'm curious about the Carolinian: How long in the UK, how long in your group, is her accent perceptible in her speech? And do you expect to perform on your U.S. trip, or attend performances?

[Akima]

So yes, towards the end of that century, decadence.

Fair enough. I'm obviously too used to thinking of the 19th century British simply as Goths and Vandals... 

I use Hauptwerk; I am considering this organ (note the RAM requirements).

That's... a lot of RAM. And a fascinating website.

[Zingoleb]

Ughhh. Okay, so, the last job thing fell through, for some bizarre fucking reason. I'm not sure why, but they just stopped responding to my calls or e-mails so whatever, fuck them.

That still leaves me without income.

So a girl I've been playing with does camming, and so we've decided to do it together 'cause couples makes more money, and besides, getting paid to have sex with someone I was already fucking is a pretty good job, but the paperwork is taking fucking weeks to bloody process, which means that I am cutting things really goddamn close to going to Boston in July, since it takes a few weeks for the first paycheck to come through. Ugh.

[Carl-E]

I just wanna be friends.

Patrick, even friends can share a kiss, though obviously it was probably more than friendly.  Next time you're chatting until 5 AM, be sure to let her know what you're going through, why you're friend-zoning her, and that you could use a friend. 

You're not an asshole for trying to pursue a dream.  If she likes you as a friend, she'll understand.  If she just wants in the pants, so much the better - it gets nipped in the bud. 

Good luck!

[Barmymoo]

We've done a couple of recordings, and some are breathtakingly lovely.

Oh, any we can hear?

I'm curious about the Carolinian: How long in the UK, how long in your group, is her accent perceptible in her speech? And do you expect to perform on your U.S. trip, or attend performances?

The Carolinian (never heard that term before!) was just subbing for someone, so she hasn't sung with us before, but she's sung with other choirs in England. From her extensive Facebook about page, I know she has been here for a year, spent a year at another English university before that, and otherwise has been in the States all her life. Her accent is definitely perceptible in speech but it's tempered by the RP that everyone here speaks, as is mine.

US trip:
Thursday 12 July  12:15pm recital in Trinity Church, Copley square, BOSTON MA
Friday 13 July   7:30pm concert in Christ Church, NEW HAVEN CT
Saturday 14 July  5:00pm Mass in Our Lady of Refuge RC Church, BROOKLYN NY
Sunday 15 July  11:00am Eucharist in St Thomas 5th Avenue, MANHATTAN
4:00pm Evensong and 5:15pm Recital in Cathedral of St John the Divine, MANHATTAN
Tuesday 17 July  7:30pm concert in Cathedral of the Nativity, BETHLEHEM PA
Wednesday 18 July    7:30pm concert in Immanuel Highlands Episcopal Church, WILMINGTON DE
Thursday 19 July       12:15pm recital in Episcopal Cathedral, PHILADELPHIA PA
Sunday 22 July   9:00am and 11:15am Mass in St Paul's K Street, WASHINGTON DC
4:00pm Evensong in National Cathedral, WASHINGTON DC


Apologies for terrible formatting, I just copied it from our website. Come along! Hopefully a couple people will be at the Boston concert at least (Zing, I'll understand if money doesn't permit but hopefully it will!).

I'll also hopefully be singing with a church choir in Indiana for the rest of summer, I'm just going to rock up and see if they'll take me.

[Patrick]

Yea Redball, bust those recordings out if you've got them! Also Paul the one you posted earlier was super stunning. I doubt I could ever sing in a choir again, it really requires a lot of discipline. Sang in a boys' choir in elementary school, it involved a lot of rehearsal. I doubt any recordings of it exist. Wish they did, that'd be a trip!

[Redball]

I'll also hopefully be singing with a church choir in Indiana for the rest of summer, I'm just going to rock up and see if they'll take me.

I'll want to hear your impression of singing in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. It calls itself the largest cathedral in the U.S., and it seems it could swallow up a choir. I heard the Winter Solstice concert there 13 years ago, an annual event staged by Paul Winter, after hearing it broadcast with narration a few years before. To celebrate the return of the sun, a 5-foot gong is hauled up 125 feet, with a guy in a bosun's chair hammering away at it.
And where in Indiana?
And RP means?
My group's recording: I'll work out putting a few tracks on dropbox and let you know when I have. I'm suddenly shy against singers with such experience.

[Barmymoo]

Certainly don't feel shy about me hearing you, I basically only have about five months of actual experience and as long as stuff is in tune and the music is nice I'm generally impressed. I've never developed a snooty snobbish discerning taste in music beyond that. I can tell when things are amazing, but I never understand why people say things are bad if they're not unpleasant to listen to.

Indiana - Fort Wayne, staying with a former forumite who has sort of vanished from here in the last couple of years. I spent a couple of weeks there a few years ago, and can't wait to see her again.

RP is received pronunciation - posh English, basically. The Queen is an extreme example. Most BBC presenters, and Paul, have a fairly standard RP voice. It is not so much an accent as a way of speaking one's words; diction, pronunciation of words and so forth.


ETA: finally managed to get Paul's choir recording to play. Nice! I'm going to enjoy singing this, I think.

Here is a video of a recording of something a bit mushy and rather sweet we premiered for Alan Bullard, who has taken rather a fancy to us and written us a set of canticles. We're recording more of his stuff in the summer. The actual singing starts at about 1.23. I'm second from the end closest to the camera on the right (visible at about 2.00). My favourite bit is when my friend Christie and I are very obviously singing along to the boys' part.

[Redball]

If you get to Ft. Wayne and it's OK with you, plan on meeting, there or here. It's an hour or less away.

[Barmymoo]

That'd be great! I'll check with Eed but I'm sure she'd be happy for you to come and visit us. Travel will be a bit tricky for me, I have basically no money at all and I'm living entirely on Edith's charity most of the summer.

[Redball]

If you're singing there, perhaps I may have to go to church. Oh, well ....
Are the women in your choir encouraged to sing tenor parts at times? Looks like the ratio of SA to TB is about 2:1. When I sang in Detroit, Rackham Choir had a few "tenorettes."

[Barmymoo]

No, we certainly don't have any female tenors. We don't really have any female altos, we're all secretly mezzos. There is one soprano who has a genuine contralto range but her soprano voice is so amazing that she's stuck up there. I could get low notes before I started using proper technique, and there's one other alto who can get down to a bottom F, but otherwise they have to put tenors on the part instead.

I think we've only got two more sopranos than altos, and about the same number of altos as tenors. What you can't see from the video is that we're arranged SASASAS, BTBTBTB on each side. The two organ scholars sing whatever part is most needed when they're not playing, usually tenor.

[Lines]

When I was in choir (back in high school, but it was a pretty good choir), there was only one girl who could kind of sing tenor. More like she really wanted to be a tenor, but the director usually wouldn't let her because she couldn't sing the lower notes. There were a lot more altos then sopranos as well, but I think only a few of the sopranos were actual sopranos. I started out as a soprano, but my voice dropped and was a mezzo by the end of high school. Lots of mezzos, lots of altos, a few sopranos, and virtually no contraltos.

[Redball]

It's good that you're mixed, SASASA and TBTBTB. Our Twelfth Night director aims for the same thing in performance, but many of us, I included, wish to have one other same-part next to us, especially since we're singing without music. As long as I was in the larger group, Rackham Symphony Choir, 1969-1998, with 80-100 voices, our the female:male ratio was typically lopsided. When I joined Twelfth Night in 1987, we were 10 on a part. Now we usually total 35, and the ratio is perhaps 2:1. My favorite rehearsal mode: standing in a square in our rehearsal church sanctuary. I wish it made sense to perform that way.

[Carl-E]

As the episcopal (read: anglican) church I attend has been dying off, the choir's been decimated as well.  I am now the only male. 

We do a lot of SAB lately, and when it's a 4-part hymn I'll sing whichever of the two parts is more interesting / necessary.  I'm neither a true tenor nor a true bass, but I do better at faking bass in the mornings 

[Redball]

I was a tenor until I retired from work and both choirs in 1998. When I returned to the a cappella group in 2000, I tried tenor for the first year, but my range was reduced. I've never had training, and wondered if I could have trained myself back into tenor range. I took the easy way out and switched to bass/baritone. I still love the music, but basses don't have as much fun as tenors.
It would be difficult to be the only male voice. But if it happened via attrition, it might not seem so difficult.

[pwhodges]

I've decided (I changed decades ago) that basses have more fun really.  In our next concert the basses have to cover a range from low Db to high F, two octaves and a third - no other voice is asked to do that.

[celticgeek]

Daddy Sang Bass

[Redball]

Yeah, mine did too; met my mom in the church choir in 1935.

[pwhodges]

Daddy Sang Bass

That's only an octave and a sixth, though.

[Zingoleb]

This post is going to be ragey.

So, I'm supposed to be going up to Seattle today to get a refill on my medication (which, without, I tend to sink into a massively depressed state. Yay medication!). But, when it came time to get the money to travel with, I couldn't find my purse. I ended up finding it in a completely different room than the one I left it in, all the money taken out of it, leaving me with about ~$40 to stretch out until July, when I should start getting paid. Inside is a receipt for a mocha latte my housemate Joey had last night, so I know he used it last.

Thing is, Joey is also not talking to me last night, because I had a breakdown last night (screaming/crying/dislocated my pinky via self-harm) and he's angry at me because my act of self-harm upset him. I am SO pissed off at that, like his being upset at me for being upset is more valid than my mental health is period.

So now I'm not going to Seattle. I can't afford to stay the two days I was expecting to. I'm just going to have to swing by tomorrow, see my friend, and come back. SO. FUCKING. DISAPPOINTED. SO. FUCKING. ANGRY. And I shouldn't even be going up there this week, because the friend who I'm getting the meds from completely bailed on me last week when I went to get them! Bullshiiiiiit. Today is the flaming bag of bullshit on the doorstep of my week.

[lepetitfromage]

Ugh...Zing that fucking blows. I know it doesn't help the situation, but I can sympathize. I'm a raging lunatic without my meds and even the thought of running out makes me feel like I'm breaking out in hives.

But...let me get this straight- your housemate used your money to buy a latte without asking you and and they're mad at you? I understand that people get upset and uncomfortable when self-harm is the topic of debate/conversation/whatever you want to call it but there are better ways to deal with it than getting mad. Like being supportive and comforting instead because obviously there was a reason it happened.

I'm sorry today is a flaming bag of shit. I hope you find some water to put it out soon. (Don't stomp- that just makes everything worse)

[Zingoleb]

No, see, buying a latte with my money? Totally forgivable. This is $50 missing, which is over half of what money I have left, and I have no idea where it is. I don't think anyone stole my money purposefully, but it's definitely gone missing.

[Omega Entity]

When I was in choir (back in high school, but it was a pretty good choir), there was only one girl who could kind of sing tenor. More like she really wanted to be a tenor, but the director usually wouldn't let her because she couldn't sing the lower notes. There were a lot more altos then sopranos as well, but I think only a few of the sopranos were actual sopranos. I started out as a soprano, but my voice dropped and was a mezzo by the end of high school. Lots of mezzos, lots of altos, a few sopranos, and virtually no contraltos.

We had more sopranos than altos, and we had a few tenors and bass. I sang soprano, and at one point I had a 3-octave range. Did the whole honors choir thing for 3 years (it entailed auditioning with about 500 other high-schoolers from various regions of the state, for a spot in a choir of about 130 or so). It was a lot of fun, though I never made it beyond regionals. Mostly because I never knew the music well enough by then, since I was pretty much the only one from my schoolt o make it in, and pretty much had to learn the music on my own.

[Carl-E]

some guys tried to tie me to a tree using duct tape today

WTF?  People you knew, or random guys from the pub?  Is this their idea of a prank or something?  Because fuck, that's assault.  You're well within your rights to defend yourself, even with a fucking chair. 

[Papersatan]

Just applied for state assistance.  <sigh>  I don't know how this is going to go though.  I am claiming I am not in school, because I am not eligible for school services (like the health clinic) over the summer because I am not registered for summer classes.  So if the state school says that being registered for fall doesn't count, then fuck it, I don't think the state should count it.   My residency is in question though.  The state school says I am not  a resident of the state, but I am not a resident anywhere else either damn it.  I do still have my NY drivers licence, but I figure I will go remedy that before my meeting with a caseworker.  Here is hoping though because I would like to see a doctor before September, and also I don't think we have enough money to both eat and pay rent this summer unless one of us finds work. 

[Barmymoo]

Zing honey, I know you've done a lot of stuff to try and sort your living situation out to be the right place for you, but are there any options you've dismissed where you might be less likely to get your stuff stolen? I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but just feel that your housemates seem to be taking advantage of you (whichever one it was who took the money, or all of them).

Also, apologies if you've already explained this and I forgot, but why are you not able to get Medicaid? I don't really have a clear understanding of how this works - is it because you don't have a legal address?

Anyway I hope things get sorted out because that sounds like a shitty situation to be in.

Tuathal, I'd agree that they were assaulting you (battery, in fact, and false imprisonment if they'd managed it). I'm not suggesting you go to the police about it, although you'd be quite right to do so if you wanted to, but getting angry and forcefully defensive about being physically assaulted is not only understandable but also legal. That doesn't diminsh from your concerns about reacting with anger when you thought you'd dealt with it, but just don't feel that anger wasn't an acceptable emotion at that point.

Blog thread, I went to cake and chat at my honorary college (the one I sing with, whose chapel my college shares) with a friend last night. The friend suddenly and unannouncedly disappeared after about half an hour, which I felt was a bit weird but whatever, she doesn't have to tell me everything and she had said she wasn't going to stay long. I stayed til just after 10pm, which is when I ought to get to bed.

Then I ended up at biscuits and tea in my own college - it's exam period, emotional support groups are all over the place - and because I have a bit of a crush on one of the girls there, I stayed til after 11pm At which point I knew I was going to be tired this morning.

Got up at 6.30. Went to morning prayer. Back at 7.47. In bed again by 7.49. Woke up at 10.50. Oh dear. I'm starting to get a little bit worried that I'm going to relapse to the fatigue disorder - is seven hours' sleep all that usual? Is the fact that I'm not managing to cope on 7-8.5 hours a night a worrying sign, or a sign I just need to go to bed earlier?

[bainidhe_dub]

May, it really doesn't sound unreasonable for you to be extra tired right now, with everything you have going on - late night, early mornings, exam prep, increased exercise, apparently low calorie intake. Sometimes you get burnt out and just need to sleep for 14 hours to get caught up - that's what my sisters and I always did at the end of exams.

[Barmymoo]

I'm looking forwards to exams finishing for that reason! My June is pretty hectic but I have one fairly quiet week after exams are over and I'm clinging to it like a life-raft.