Sometimes, in the interests of getting things done, I just go out of my way to make things work. It's annoying at times, especially if the problems aren't of your own making or if they are actually probably someone else's responsibility. However, if those people are going to say "Meh, it's not my job..." then it really screws over other people....

Today seemed to be one of those days where I was just fixing other people's messes or lack of willingness to step just a little beyond their exact job description...

Getting people home

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The day technically began around midnight, after a concert in the middle of nowhere. I had driven to the concert as I knew that public transport would be a bit annoying for me to get back at a decent enough time, but others had taken public transport as they lived closer and so it was more feasible for them to do that.

However, we had a bit of an unexpected big storm, which combined with a concert that was a bit too long meant that they missed the bus connection to the train station, where trains were being cancelled due to the rough weather anyway. This meant that they were stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no way to get home before the middle of the night....

Normally in the case, the ensemble (the people who organise the group) should take care of the musicians and either book a taxi (to be taken at the employer's expense) or ferry them to the appropriate places (themselves, or by asking for help from the audience/concert organisers)... However, they pleaded too busy and dodged the responsibility.

So, I offered people lifts at least to the train station, and in a couple of cases to their homes (it was only a 20 minute detour on a hour long trip, so not too big a deal). I know the feeling from when I was younger of being stranded with the only option being an expensive taxi ride or sitting in the cold and wet in the middle of nowhere...

That left me getting home way past midnight, after a rough drive. Our car is a little baby car, and so it was getting roughed up by the wind quite a bit, especially when we were going at 130 kph, which I later decided was a really bad idea and slowed down a bit...

On duty

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Immediately after arriving home, I had only just put my head down on the pillow when there was a cry from the toddler's room... Well, this was my problem! Seeing as I was tired, but still not able to sleep after having driven, I went straight in...

Well, boring part skipped, but it was about two hours later when I came out again... having unsuccessfully tried to leave a few times!

Unfortunately, during that time, I was still a bit to wired from the drive to fall asleep properly on the floor anyway....

Visas and Embassies

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The morning was spent running to the Japanese embassy to organise some visas for other members of a different orchestra. This was something that is supposed to be the job of the orchestra manager, but seeing as I live in the town where the visa section is, it appears that people have conscripted me to do the their applications by proxy instead. Again, this is the sort of thing that the orchestra manager should be doing...

Most of the panic was due to people travelling, and the lateness with which we were issued work invitations from the Japanese concert promoter... so, I didn't mind helping out people, if they weren't easily able to do their own in person!

I don't mind do a couple of them, seeing as I had to do my own one anyway... but no more!

Oddly enough, my own passport was ready to collect, I was expecting to have to come back in again early next week on the day before I would be travelling and needing the passport again!

The rest of the day was much easier, a quick lunch with my toddler (who I had been dragging around to the embassy). I forgot to mention that I was going by public transport and it was still raining heavily, so we both got soaked a couple of times! She was really good all through it!

When we finally got back home in the afternoon, both of us conked out for a well deserved afternoon sleep. Well, she had her own self inflicted lack of sleep last night... mine was inflicted by her!

Here's looking at a simpler day tomorrow!