I just got off the phone with GoddessofGuinness...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

She's in OKC, but will be leaving as soon as possible tomorrow. Apparently something about her wanting them to uphold what they promised her. Apparently it pissed them off. :eyes: So she and her son are hitting the pool tonight at the hotel and then heading back home tomorrow. They spent the entire day in the airport, and are going to spend the whole day there tomorrow too. Poor things. I hate that her first impression of Oklahoma City is a bunch of assholes. Makes me mad.
I was so looking forward to meeting another DUer...HER especially! I guess I sort of met her...on the phone. I'm so disappointed. I hate the assholes who did this to her. And her son is sad he doesn't get to go to the zoo. :grr:
Duckie

[lizziegrace]

1. That's awful

I was married to a musician for years. It's not uncommon to travel for a gig and find out you're being taken advantage of.

:hug: GoG.

[Haole Girl]

2. So true, lizziegrace

And, YellowRubberDuckie, thanks for the update on GOG. :hug:

GOG...if you happen to read this, hang in there! Hugs to you and your son...:hug::hug:

[Madrone]

3. What happened?

Is there a link or something - because I missed the backstory to this, big time.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

5. She was coming to Oklahoma to play music for an opera company...

And we were supposed to have lunch on saturday and go to the zoo. Now she's gotten screwed over. Not really any back story.
Duckie

[Madrone]

6. Well - there's some back story....

Since you said she'd been screwed over by someone and is getting stuck in airports..... ;)

So the opera company told her to "fuck off" or something - after she spent her money and arranged her time to be there for them?


Sorry you don't get to spend Saturday together. That really does suck. :(

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Was it a contractual disagreement???

I am sorry to hear that her trip was in vain. Maybe she will find a nice Guinness to ease her woes.

:beer:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

7. They told her one thing...

And did another...It was basically they told her things that weren't true, and when she wanted them to fulfill their end of the bargain, they basically fired her.
Duckie

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. You guys are so sweet!

:loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya:

We just got back about an hour ago, and we are beat!

I had breakfast with one of the other musicians...one who was very kind to us when we arrived in our miserable state. She said everybody else has been grumbling about the gig and promises that were made, but not kept. And none of them have received contracts, either.

In a rather long nutshell, for those who are wondering what happened:
I was hired to play for the Tulsa Opera at the beginning of September. The contractor told me I'd be needed to act as concertmaster (lead violin) for six services that were spread out between September and October. He told me that the opera company would cover airfare, accomodations, and that I'd have a car. He assured me that they would pay to fly me between DC and OKC and back 3 times. When I asked if I could bring my son, at my expense, he said it would be fine, and he said he'd even sit with him if necessary, which I would never ask him to do.

As the days went by, more services were added to the initial six, and I couldn't commit to the revised schedule, so I was hired to play the September performances only. Then I had to haggle over the promised rental car with a different person, who was handling accomodations, etc., being told that it wasn't their policy to rent cars for people, but they would...and, by the way, I'd be sharing this car with someone I'd never met.

After a horrible flight experience yesterday (we missed our connection in Atlanta), I finally arrived in OKC, and found that the car which was reserved for me had not been paid for. So I called the schmeck I had dealt with, told him (or rather, his answering machine), that I was paying for the car, and I expected full compensation by the opera company. Then I drove to the hotel, opened the door, and found that I was sharing a suite with someone in addition to my son. It was the last straw, and I called the person who hired me, and left a message to call me, because at that point I was sorely tempted to just turn around and go home. So he called back about 5 minutes later and told me that I'd be moved out of the room I was in for the evening, and that I'd be on the first plane home that they could get me on.

The lesson here is ancient...yet I never bothered to learn it.

Always, ALWAYS get a written contract. If it isn't in writing, it isn't worth crap.

:loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya:

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. That sucks, GoG....

:hug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. One bright spot...

I've got the greatest kid in the world. 4 hours of waiting for a plane in Atlanta, and not a complaint. He was disappointed that we weren't staying there; but not really upset about it.

We had a great time in the hotel pool last night; and the pilots let him go into the cockpit on one of today's flights. :-)

[greatauntoftriplets]

14. I bet he loved that!!!!

Did your hotel have Guinness???

I live in a Chicago suburb with tons of Irish bars...lotsa Guinness out here. And I love it.

I go nuts waiting 4 hours for a plane. Good on your son.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. Unfortunately, no...

But if they did, I would have been too tempted to let it waste me...I just can't let myself get poopy-faced in front of my kid! :toast:

They had a spa in the pool area, too. That really helped me de-stress!

[bridgit]

10. i'm sorry, GoG, my friend is forever relating similar tales and you are...

so right = get it in writing first, cause they'll just wiggle out from under it :hug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. I exchanged numbers with the violinist I met...

I told her that if people felt the need to take action against the opera company, I was with them.
I hope they get paid...

[bridgit]

17. YES! Curtis is forever networking, preserving the craft's integrity..

and sometimes...that's what it takes; i don't know for certain but i'll bet you dollars to donuts you're union...let'em have a piece of all your collective minds so they'll know they need to show up next time to play nice :thumbsup:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. I'm hoping more people will complain...

There were several New Yorkers there, and I've never met a musician from the Big Apple that put up with this sort of crap.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

11. I'm so glad you made it home safe!

It was nice talking to you, and I hope you guys will be able to come back and actually have a good time sometime!! It really is a pretty decent city. :hi:
Duckie

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. I hope we can, too!

Thanks for being there for me last night...You are so terrific to listen to my rambling-on about this. :loveya:

I really would like to go out again; and Timmy was excited about the zoo, so I'll have to figure something out.

Don't worry about my impression of your city. Other than the opera administrators, all the people I met were wonderful!

There was a porter at the airport who offered to help me with my bags. I thanked him, but told him I didn't have any cash to tip him. But he helped me anyway...What a sweet man!

:toast: Here's to Oklahomans!

[Floogeldy]

12. What a bunch of losers!

You got it down, GoG. A written contract is a very powerful thing.

If you want to sue the bastards, let me know. }(

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. Well I'm definitely going to call the union about them.

I know they'll tell me that nothing can be done without a contract; but it'll at least put these yoyos on watch.

They paid for my son's plane ticket, and I was going to let them take it out of my paycheck. At this point, I think I'll just write my rental car off on my taxes, and not attempt to reimburse them for my son's ticket. I figure they owe me.