Special Snowflake Stories

[KenveeB]

DH and I just returned from Disney World. Had a wonderful time!  Also got a couple of stories for this thread.

While being squeezed into the mass of humanity trying to get onto the Haunted Mansion ride, we were in a "funnel" of people that had to narrow from a large group to single file.
DH politely let one person ahead of us, as that person was trying to stay with their group. As we started to move into position to get into the line, a group of at least 8 people, (all older teens) and all holding onto each other's backpacks, so there was no way to break into their line, broke in front of us. DH was less polite after that incident. (not rude, just not giving up our place in line to allow someone else in again)

At the Osborne Light Show in Disney Hollywood Studios: We were standing in a large crowd, right behind a walkway, so lots of people were walking directly in front of us. A "lady" and her companion came up and put her hand on DH's back, pushing him into the walkway while saying "Excuse me!" instead of simply walking in front of him in the walkway. Nearly caused him to fall, and he is a big guy.

We saw a lot of Special Snowflakes there.

I went to Disney World last March, and we experienced the same thing at the Haunted Mansion ride! This huge family just shoved themselves infront of us! We had the same issue at Pirates of the Carribean; lots of line cutting! We definitely saw our fair share of special snowflakes. Surprisingly, Universal Studios wasn't that bad... the excitement of Disney World must make people forget their manners.

I had the same thing happen to me in the Matterhorn line at Disneyland. Fortunately sweet karma came around. They needed a single rider to fill a spot, so I got to skip well ahead of the group. I smiled real big at them when I was getting off and they were still several spots back in line.

[RebeccainGA]

I'm baffled by the whole thing.

I can see feeling this way - when you are sick you tend to attach an undue amount of importance to mundane or everyday things. I can only imagine that that would be magnified 1000x when you are sick for an extended period of time. DP has probably been looking forward tremendously to cooking on 'her' grill for a long time and then her illness got in the way at the last moment. That's got to be disappointing. However, I know that personally I would feel silly for feeling that way and would certainly be gracious while guests were there, but may let my disappointment and 'silly' feelings out to DH once they left because he is my 'safe' person and gets to see allllllll my crazy 

Now, if you said she was actually insisting on buying a new grill...

I'm hoping that once she uses it a time or two she'll feel a little better. Sadly, she hasn't had a chance to yet, between weather and other logistics. Hoping maybe soon, though! Glad to hear it's not totally out of the realm of 'normal' though... I was a bit worried. LOL

I just want to add that as someone frequently incapacitated by her autoimmune diseases I totally get where your DP is coming from. I would have been so dissapointed in that situation, and have been in similar situations where I'm pretty sure DH did not get why something "small" ruined my day like that. She looked forward to it. She got sick (again). It was deferred to others and thus out of her hands, so no longer "her thing". That gets really old really fast if you are often and unpredictably ill. (((HUGS FOR HER)))
[/quote]

Thank you for the input. It really helps - she's healthy 75% of the time, but those other 25% really can make or break her whole month sometimes.

[8cowwife]

Unless you play the cello and it's Pachelbel's Canon. Then there is like negative eleventy million awesome. Times three, since everybody else gets at least a little awesome, but you get the same 8 quarter notes for like 10 minutes (which, of course, feels like approximately the rest of your life).

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully ask you if you accidentally just took some mind altering drugs and mistakenly typed negative instead of positive and eleventy million instead of fifty-seven thousand billion kajillion. Those 8 quarter notes are everything in Pachabel's Canon. I bet the only time boy cello players get the girls is when the ensemble they're in is playing Pachabel's Canon 

They may be everything into making the entire piece work, but they are the single most boring and unfun part of the song.  IIRC correctly even the Viola players got a small solo part in that song.  The Viola.....no one ever gives them a part because they are just the Viola.  Yet us cellists get 8 notes over and over and over and over and god please end this song or kill me now.

Anyone who thinks the cellists are anything other than homocidal after playing this song has never had to perform and practice it a bunch.  Seriously, after 1 month of playing as a 5 year old I could have handled this part, but since everyone else has to learn their significantly more difficult and interesting parts we have to keep practicing it.  Over and over and over and over.  8 notes over and over and over and over.

Can you tell the level of hatred I have for this piece?

A cellists Pachabel fantasy...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV5_xj_yuhs&list=UUmKurapML4BF9Bjtj4RbvXw&index=7&feature=plcp

[Amava]

For everyone who spoke about Pachelbel's canon.
That's all good and well.
But I prefer Pachelbel's cannon. It is super cute.

[Elisabunny]

Unless you play the cello and it's Pachelbel's Canon. Then there is like negative eleventy million awesome. Times three, since everybody else gets at least a little awesome, but you get the same 8 quarter notes for like 10 minutes (which, of course, feels like approximately the rest of your life).

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully ask you if you accidentally just took some mind altering drugs and mistakenly typed negative instead of positive and eleventy million instead of fifty-seven thousand billion kajillion. Those 8 quarter notes are everything in Pachabel's Canon. I bet the only time boy cello players get the girls is when the ensemble they're in is playing Pachabel's Canon 

They may be everything into making the entire piece work, but they are the single most boring and unfun part of the song.  IIRC correctly even the Viola players got a small solo part in that song.  The Viola.....no one ever gives them a part because they are just the Viola.  Yet us cellists get 8 notes over and over and over and over and god please end this song or kill me now.

Anyone who thinks the cellists are anything other than homocidal after playing this song has never had to perform and practice it a bunch.  Seriously, after 1 month of playing as a 5 year old I could have handled this part, but since everyone else has to learn their significantly more difficult and interesting parts we have to keep practicing it.  Over and over and over and over.  8 notes over and over and over and over.

Can you tell the level of hatred I have for this piece?

A cellists Pachabel fantasy...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV5_xj_yuhs&list=UUmKurapML4BF9Bjtj4RbvXw&index=7&feature=plcp

I now have the urge to re-write Pachelbel with the cello getting the coolest part (whichever one y'all agree on).  The Eight Notes would, of course, go to the first violin.

[Yvaine]

She also felt that all sopranos only sang high because they didn't practice enough to sing properly.  She would say, "Well this will be motivation for you to REALLY practice."  I've been singing in choirs since was was 10.  I had private lessons in high school/college.  By that point (I was mid-20s) I was pretty dang sure I'm made that way.  Don't get me wrong, I love to sing the harmony because it makes being a soprano more interesting but I still can't dip below the treble clef any easier than an alto can belt a high F.

Heh, I used to run into the opposite sometimes. There are no altos, I've been told, only lazy sopranos. If I just worked hard enough, I could sing up in the stratosphere. 

(Um, no.)

[Softly Spoken]

The Pachebel/musical instruments discussion reminded me of one of my favorite comedian's bit on this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE6zXHQ6iRg

 

Favorite line is around 5:40 when he talks about being 3rd clarinet and playing "the notes that are left over."

/end threadjack (and actually glad I have no SS to report)

[Morrigan]

Can we please take the music talk to another thread and get back to Special Snowflake stories?

[Softly Spoken]

okay back to topic: Thinking about kids and musical instruments reminded me of the SS parents you have to deal with in school productions (especially Christmas pageants) who are convinced their child(ren) are stars (even if they're in a chorus of 30 other kids) and set up movie-grade recording equipment blocking the aisle or rush down to stand in front of the seated audience and record their little darling's shining moment. Do they really think they'll be giving the footage to producers of "Biography" or "Behind the Music" years from now? Ah yes we can say we knew the little tots before they became Oscar winning superstars... No, your child is not in fact special and his rendition of "Frosty the Snowman" will not get him a record contract!

[Slartibartfast]

*sneaks in a reference to "Bass Part" by Keepsake before we get off the music thing*

(actual singing starts at around :42 in)

You cellists aren't alone 

[Slartibartfast]

Softly Spoken, that's part of why my junior high choir teacher had a professional recording done of each and every concert.  (The other part was because her husband was a professional videographer.)  Her husband took excellent videos and made sure to get a close-up of each kid at least once, which was impressive because there were nearly 300 kids in the various choirs (out of a school of ~600 - choir was very popular!).  Parents could buy a copy of the official videotape, at cost, and nobody had to fight over the best camera spots.

[MissRose]

I am not overly looking forward to the SS parents and family members who seem to frequent the school programs this time of year.   I go to my niece and nephew's programs, and the SS behavior is prevalent: parents who do not remove/quiet down noisy younger siblings and/or not keeping tabs on them, parents/other adults who hog the aisles when snapping pictures and/or capturing video, people who do not silence their electronics even though the musical director asks ahead of time and the program asks people to do so among other things. 

[RebeccainGA]

I am not overly looking forward to the SS parents and family members who seem to frequent the school programs this time of year.   I go to my niece and nephew's programs, and the SS behavior is prevalent: parents who do not remove/quiet down noisy younger siblings and/or not keeping tabs on them, parents/other adults who hog the aisles when snapping pictures and/or capturing video, people who do not silence their electronics even though the musical director asks ahead of time and the program asks people to do so among other things. 

At my DD's school (magnet for the arts, so these people should know better!) they had the amazing shrinking audience. The kids were supposed to go to the band room after their performance, and wait for the end before they left. Instead, as one group finished and another started, the parents of each group would, for the most part, sneak out the back (pretending to be quiet, but really not quiet at all). It got to the point that one teacher actually told the kids that if they weren't there at the end of the performance to pick up a 'ticket' saying they had stayed, they wouldn't get performance credit!

Always was a shame that the parents of the freshmen would sneak out at the beginning, and so have to only 'suffer' through their kid's first performance - and missed the actually quite good performances of the upper classes!

[MissRose]

I am not overly looking forward to the SS parents and family members who seem to frequent the school programs this time of year.   I go to my niece and nephew's programs, and the SS behavior is prevalent: parents who do not remove/quiet down noisy younger siblings and/or not keeping tabs on them, parents/other adults who hog the aisles when snapping pictures and/or capturing video, people who do not silence their electronics even though the musical director asks ahead of time and the program asks people to do so among other things. 

At my DD's school (magnet for the arts, so these people should know better!) they had the amazing shrinking audience. The kids were supposed to go to the band room after their performance, and wait for the end before they left. Instead, as one group finished and another started, the parents of each group would, for the most part, sneak out the back (pretending to be quiet, but really not quiet at all). It got to the point that one teacher actually told the kids that if they weren't there at the end of the performance to pick up a 'ticket' saying they had stayed, they wouldn't get performance credit!

Always was a shame that the parents of the freshmen would sneak out at the beginning, and so have to only 'suffer' through their kid's first performance - and missed the actually quite good performances of the upper classes!

Good thing for the teacher doing what they did to make the kids and parents stay with the kids not getting credit unless the performing kids stayed.  My sister's kids' school does mention in the printed program that the kids are required to stay, and have a place to sit to watch other the grades perform then are they are dismissed to the band room where their parents can then take them home from there when all are finished. 

[oz diva]

Our school concert finishes with a piece performed by the whole ensemble. So everyone has to stay.