<p>Harriet, d is always looking for a gig. We can get you a real sweet deal here. There will of course be a contract. And then there’s the small item about paying the airfare from UTas. We can work it out. You’re dealing with her agent directly here.</p>
<p>Seriously? The didgeridoo would strike (pipe? hoot?) exactly the right note here. But the budget’s kind of small. For a lower fee, might she play directly into the phone?</p>
<p>I’ll email her. She could scrounge up an ensemble, record at UTas, save come costs (no union, so she doesn’t have to pay scale) and use the schools recording services. It’s ridiculously low at only $20 (Aussie dollars) a session for students. If she says yes, I’ll email you the contract. We’ll waive all perks, but you have to pay my heating oil bill this winter. Tis only fair.</p>
<p>Heating oil bill is, uh, boiler-plate, eh?</p>
<p>Maybe I should look into contracting for her shamanistic skills, instead. I understand the tariffs on shipping small animals to Tasmania are quite low.</p>
<p>half the heating bill? 2 cords of seasoned ash? Just a point of reference, the last one who did not negotiate in good faith died of a sudden and serious illness. Doctors never could quite figure it out. Seemed “almost metaphysical” in nature.</p>
<p>I’d hate to have to inform d a gig fell through.</p>
<p>Harriet, I think in fairness the “THANKS TO OUR MOM” should have “and Dad” included (in a much smaller font, of course). </p>
<p>Do any schools have silver as one of their colors? I am not in the market for a new car right now. </p>
<p>Perhaps S2’s mutinous look can serve to underscore the importance of his message.</p>
<p>violadad, you drive a hard bargain.</p>
<p>Oh this is so wonderful. All our neighbors and the local IDIOTS can follow us and our brilliant over-achieving children, whose photos and achievements are prominently displayed on our cars, as we drive down the one-and-only RIGHT Pathway. </p>
<p>(sigh of contentment)</p>
<p>. . . too . . . weak . . . to . . . type.</p>
<p>violadad? violadad? i hear voices . . .</p>
<p>Harriet, just sign zee papers. It will pass quickly. (HEY!, there’s NO smiley for [demonic grin])</p>
<p>Wow. I woke up with a splitting headache. There’s a small - scab? - on the end of my finger, and some documents here signed with what appears to be dark-brown ink. </p>
<p>Off to the post office!</p>
<p>Well, violadad, if it was THAT easy… why didn’t you have your D use her metaphysical talents on admissions officers? Then instead of tolling away in obscurity at UTas, she could be the first chair didgeridoo at H, Y, P, M, S or any other letter of the alphabet. Perhaps she could have used her skills on the financial/merit office aid people as well…</p>
<p>Lafalum, just to jog your memory, the Yale admissions issue was the seminal question I posed some 84 pages back. Besides, her academic leanings were between quantum mechanics and Old Norse. Yale’s undergrad music programs are BA’s, not a BM, and are in the ACADEMIC disciplines of music theory, composition, music history. They do NOT have a performance undergrad degree program. Besides, the best didgeridoo players in the world are based in Australia/New Zealand. Might be one or two in the Solomon Islands, I’d have to check.</p>
<p>UTas had both old Norse & quantum mechanics, as well as the best digeridoo applied faculty anywhere. She even has access to a retired, transplanted Druidic priest who has taken her under his wing with the consent of the elders, finalizing her ascension as a full priestess by the time she’s finished UTas. She may elect to stay on as a Nobel laureate in cane toad studies, or as a full professor of digeridoo. She’s just a freshman. She’s still not 100% sure.</p>
<p>Besides, if she wants to change her mind and continue performance, there’s always Yale SOM for grad/DMA work. It’s a free tuition ride for all SOM admits. She has the chops. She’s a shoe-in if she wants that route.</p>
<p>Sheesh, some people don’t remember anything. And to accuse us of manipulating her acceptance. WHAT NERVE! Business is one thing, education another. Get a life.</p>
<p>Harriet, express mail would be nice.</p>
<p>Is there some reason why there hasn’t been a rush to congratulate violadad on his daughter’s truly astounding accomplishments and Nobel-Prize-in-the-bag, and also to assure him that if we ever arrange for her to give a concert, we certainly wouldn’t contemplate reneging on the deal, even for a femtosecond? If not, let me lead the stampede to provide the congratulations and assurance.</p>
<p>QM, you, at least are to be assured of 1 free pass (orchestra section, front and center, 3 rows back, which saves neck strain at numerous venues). Plus green room access and an autographed program and complimentary cd.</p>
<p>Oh Violadad, my most humble and gracious apologies. I do stand corrected. (Which, considering my journey down only the RIGHT pathway, is a very rare and unusual thing).</p>
<p>The turkey stuffing thread got me thinking, and that can be a dangerous thing.</p>
<p>This will be our first Thanksgiving without D at the table. Just can’t afford the air fair from UTas to bring her home for a four day week end. Besides, the date line thing still has us stymied. She feels a little homesick from reading her last email. (WhY do cHiLDren HAve to DO thIs wHen TheY tyPE [in 17 assorted colors on an unreadable background]?)</p>
<p>And to top if off, they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving down under either for some unknown reason, so D will also miss one of her favorite meals.</p>
<p>She’s always been a great help in the kitchen as well. Besides performing the ritualistic disemboweling of the live tom, her knife skills are a great help in slicing, dicing, and finely chopping the required fungi, aromatics and tubers for the stuffing and veggie dishes. It won’t be the same without her. It will take me hours to mince what she can dispatch in fifteen minutes.</p>
<p>Enough self-pity. I’ll manage. What I want to do is ship her a sufficient quanity of leftovers to make her feel part of the holiday. For those with transport or culinary expertise, does it make sense to send her fresh meat, veggies and supplies and let her do her own mini Thanksgiving (anyone ever done a small stuffed bird in a microwave?) or is it best to just send the prepared leftovers, turkey salad and turkey soup in small, labeled containers? I want to send her enough to last her till the winter solstice.</p>
<p>Best cheapest/method for shipping? Any experiences here? I’ll also need one of those Omaha Steaks styrofoam coolers (large please) to pack this up in. So, if any of you mid-level executive types have an extra or two of these from your last round of received corporate graft, I’d appreciate it if you’d PM me and I’ll give you an address where you could send me one. In exchange, I’ll offer one first row balcony free ticket to a future performance of d’s in a venue within a fifty mile radius of your abode.</p>
<p>As it’s been said, the depth of knowledge on this board is astounding. I’m sure someone has similar experience to share.</p>
<p>For a moment I forgot this was the over-the-top Meta thread and thought you were actually planning to ship leftovers to Australia! </p>
<p>There is a company (or more than one) that ships meals, frozen in dry ice & ready to cook, for a price. Besides expensive meats & fish (lox etc.) they have delicious casseroles with shi taki mushrooms and more cream & butter than I would normally cook with. As I said, for a price. With shipping, these are EXPENSIVE casseroles.</p>
<p>How do I know this? My FIL has sent us a couple of things. He discovered this company and keeps his freezer stocked with delicacies now that MIL doesn’t cook so much anymore. </p>
<p>Excuse me, I’m getting hungry. (wanders off to raid the fridge…)</p>
<p>So violadad, does that answer your question? Do I get the free front-row balcony tkts? :D</p>
<p>mommusic, while your intent was well meant, please take half a day to read the previous posts and familiarize yourself with our rather unique situation. </p>
<p>While expensive catalog victuals may be the norm for the Goldman-Sachs types and other well funded professionals including most if not all lawyers, we are a family of limited means, especially as d’s performance schedule has been greatly reduced while an undergrad.</p>
<p>And, any idiot can buy a meal from the internet, or a glossy catalog. My desire was to bring d a taste of our own home prepared celebratory feast, modest as it may be. You missed the boat here as well.</p>
<p>Real advice is appreciated. Thanks anyway. Happy Thanksgiving.</p>