Edit: This entry was written whilst I was very very tired and seriously lacking sleep. I did close this entry for a little while to have some discussion with Yellow Sign refs. Closing entries is a concept that I am philosophically against on this blog and thus it returns. The rest of the ref team have made quite clear to me that this is how I perceived things at the time and does not accurately reflect ref thinking on a number of things.
I was not capable in that sleep deprived state of reacting appropriately to a couple of players having a bitch session pre-game and this entry was not intended to insult either players or refs. Apologies available if necessary.
I’m not sure how it went to be quite honest. I ended up staying up very late on Friday night doing things that I had expected to be finished Friday afternoon with my Manly Viking. (Apparently one of the artefacts didn’t dry off at all during the event anyway.) So by the time this morning that I was even vaguely close to finishing the big prop (Y’golonak for anyone wondering) I wasn’t entirely compos of how things were looking…(a lot shittier than I had intended and I also forgot to add mouths onto the hands).
I decided to take a bus onto campus to calm down after serially disappointing the other refs. in unfinished artefacts and forgotten things. It worked, right up until I got onto campus and had to sit in a room and listen to the players discuss how we (the refs) had fucked things up.
I’m honestly not sure if I’m adding anything to the Yellow Sign anymore, or indeed if I ever was. I used to sort of pass off criticism as being from the Alcoholic because a girl had invaded his boys club. I can’t do that anymore and I begin to suspect that I shouldn’t be a ref because I actually cause more work than I get done. Of course the point has been made that if I do offer my resignation then the other refs won’t be able to continue the YS because there will be too few refs to do the job. I’m starting to wonder if I should suggest a replacement for myself and then bow out gracefully.
Thanks very much for adding the extra text at the beginning.
I believe that all of us endeavour to be professional with our Yellow Sign ref work, within the bounds of time, and the resources that we can commit…given jobs, relationships and other commitments!
Of course, professional doesn’t mean that there won’t be cock-ups and perils, or that we won’t need to deal with negative feedback and occasional bitching. The key is to work out which feedback can be reacted to constructively in order to improve future events for as many of the players and refs as possible, and to work out who, if anyone, is being just plain rude and ask if they realise that. Many people don’t of course, and are shocked to find that they have been rather hurtful simply out of thoughtlessness.
I think you confuse me being ill/useless/crap with props not getting done on time. Several of the things that you mention, at least prop wise, are entirely my fault.
I was thinking along the lines of offering my own resignation because so many of the things I was supposed to have done just didn’t get done. The skin, the organic growth and I’m sure more besides. It’s expected for things to be close to the wire but for the key prop I was supposed to be finished not ready the night before you arrived for final propping is unprofessional on my part in the extreme, I should have known not to make such a basic error with latex.
In my opinion you saved the props from my ineptitude single handedly. That within ten minutes of getting in my door you managed what I couldn’t in weeks says a lot I think.
I’ve been distracted by life, illness and idiots with some power over me. My muse hasn’t been with me for a few months now. You may have noticed I largely played good host rather than getting deeply involved in props :/
In my opinion you’d be sorely missed from the YS and it’s my opinion that if anyone should be replacing anyone it’s you who should be taking my place because you do a far better job than I ever have 🙂
Mish and Manly Viking:
We greatly appreciate both of your contributions to the Yellow Sign and would hate for either of you to feel like you have to resign (and, indeed for you to resign).
As Jez says, sometimes life just gets in the way, and that’s just something that we have to accept and work round.
Manly Viking, as Sweetie says I think both of us add a lot to the YS and I think neither of us should vanish. Stress happens and we deal with it. I’ve really enjoyed our Fridays and I think we should keep going with them (well ok not on Fridays since I’m working in Heysham now, not Runcorn!)
Now that previous comment from you makes me feel a lot more chipper flower.
*smiles*
Sleep, it’s a beautiful thing.