Ratbagged

[robinmckinley]

 
 I Create a Verb.  And an Adjective.  I’m sure many other people have created it before, but today I create it:  ratbagged, to be bewildered, disappointed and laid low by events beyond one’s control.  A bit like sandbagged only twitchier, with nasty gnawing rodent teeth.

In the first place, the weather.  It’s been one of those uber-ugly

Comments

[doushkasmum]

In Australia ratbag is a fairly standard slang term for an unpleasant person as in "That Fred is a real ratbag" so my first thought when you said you were reatbagged was to wonder who had done you wrong.

[robinmckinley]

Australia, eh. I'd never heard it before I moved to England. And yes, that's how I'm used to hearing it too. It's a (logical . . . ) progression from he/she's a ratbag to oh, ratbags! to . . .

[anonymous]

Must have been something in the air today: I was ratbagged that we were not chosen to be the adoptive parents of a waiting baby. Someone else had a perfectly lovely day but it wasn't me. And I guess it wasn't you either. I am sorry about your song. And I wish I could hear it, too.

~Flicka

[robinmckinley]

Oh, I'm sorry. Er--how's the rest going?

Music

[anonymous]

Hello,
You are one of my favorite authors and I love your books. I wish I could write like you. But then again I wish I could write anything. I guess it's just not my forte.
It was so exciting to see that you actually have a blog, and that you also play piano. Unlike you I have the opposite problem and hate flats. When sightreading I can only handle up to five flats easily.
I am 17 and have been playing the piano for six years. Right now I am ready for a break.I play every other week at my church and my piano teacher likes to load me with ton of classical music. I am ready to start screaming. NO MORE DEBUSSEY,CHOPIN,SCARLATTI,or LIZT.
As for opera Carmen is my favorite.
Sorry for the long post. I probably should'nt bother you with my rambling. Also please excuse my mistakes. It must drive you crazy, but when it comes to writing I am hopeless.
Sincerely,
Lilly R.

Re: Music

[robinmckinley]

No, no, no, you're fine! This is just a blog, it's not a writing test!!!

Don't let your piano teacher spoil playing for you! Burn out is just a waste!

If you're 17 you have lots of time to start doing all kinds of things! I've just composed my first song at 55!

[carbonelle]

The Look of Outrage may be a hound-ish thing. Our rescue Shepherd was never so happy as when she was Out! On Patrol! With the Boss Lady! and since I prefer cold, damp, rain and drizzle to any amount of sunshine[1] she certainly had every opportunity to trot merrily by my side in foul weather.

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor dark of night could stay this runner from her appointed rounds. Until my knees gave out, of course...

[1] I make an exception now for roses, but if I ever have to give up gardening, that's it for Mr. Sunshine.

[robinmckinley]

Oh gods, knees. Yes, I used to have knees too. I used to *run*, too. SIGH.

The look of outrage about *weather* may be a fine-haired hound thing, but EVERY dog has the Look of Outrage about SOMETHING. :)

[lauzeta]

Well, if it helps with food and floors and so on, I just bought another copy of Sunshine (my third? fourth? something like that, anyhow) to give away, in an attempt to do my bit.

I was just talking about this with friends this morning - hatred of flats vs. hatred of sharps seems to be divided along lines of what instrument you play, at least with string players. Violinists and violists hate flats (well, violists hate everything, it's a pig of an instrument) and cellists hate sharps. When it comes to piano, I've always found sharps more interesting, although I did go through a phase where I was consistently learning pieces in B major for no reason.

Also I think those of us who have portable instruments are at least equally drawn to others', possibly even more because you only ever get to play yours. That might just be me being atypical though, since I keep picking up more... and more... instruments, which a lot of people don't do. (Last year I started learning viola da gamba, and gambists usually play more than one variety of the

[robinmckinley]

Well, if it helps with food and floors and so on, I just bought another copy of Sunshine (my third? fourth? something like that, anyhow) to give away, in an attempt to do my bit.

************ THANK YOU. You are a FRIEND. :)

I don't know why I do these things to myself.)

**************Because they're all INTERESTING. Except that I'll be the rest of my life struggling with the piano, *I'd* want to take up a portable instrument *SO* I could collect them. :) The obsessive personality is the obsessive personality. I *do* have fantasies of buying a second piano . . . a grand, of course . . . my upright has a beautifully *sweet* tone that I don't think grands ever have, but the range of dynamics you can get EASILY on a grand is . . .

Shup up! Stop! Stop!

. . . Panting . . .

So, tell us more about what you play--?

[robinmckinley]

At least it's a concert instrument.

************* What does this mean? As opposed to the kazoo? So's the flute (a concert instrument). So's the PIANO. :)