When Conference Isn't Peaceful...

[Ironhold]

For practically as long as I can remember Conference, the week leading up to each individual Conference has been unpleasant to say the least. This usually ends in some blow-up during Conference itself, whether big or small. 

This time around, I've spent the past three days trying to get with tech support for TuneIn, an app that serves as a clearinghouse of radio livestreams (including a few church-related streams). They updated the app a week ago, and since then there's been a glitch that manifests under certain circumstances if you're using the "free" tier like I am. I can make the glitch happen first time every time, but tech support can't duplicate it despite my walking two technicians through how I trigger it; they say they need a video, but the glitch only triggers after half an hour of play (as that's when an advertisement stream briefly cuts in if you have the app closed, and the glitch is tied to the stream) and a massive video like that is going to eat my cloud storage space. So between dealing with two tech support people who clearly aren't talking with each other (as I had to give each one the same information) and the prospect of not being able to hear a lot of my favorite stations & shows anymore, I'm stressed. 

Previous incidents included having to work a split shift at the paper during Conference (it was Easter weekend, disrupting everyone's schedules), an injury that caused long-term damage to one of my hips, and a fight with my parents that was so bad I had to go outside and collect myself. 

Has anyone else here noticed that things get worse for them come Conference weekend? It's as if someone or something doesn't want me to be able to listen. 

[Backroads]

We found ourselves besought with soccer games during the first session of conference. And soccer pictures. I realized at the last possible moment that one child's soccer pictures were at 10 am, and then shortly after that I had to drive said child and toddler to soccer game half an hour away. Still, it was lovely. I was able to listen to some talks on the radio and the canyon I drove through was ready for fall. Of course I couldn't listen to more of the session due to soccer and toddler. Husband was dealing with the other child's concurrent soccer game, and then we had to figure out something for lunch.

Tragically, we totally spaced the other Saturday sessions. It wasn't until scrolling facebook and seeing strange "Jasper!" memes than I realized what had happened.

Then, this morning, the kids ran into our room to play and eventually Husband freed himself to go shave in the bathroom and one child recalls it is conference weekend and Husband had completely forgotten about this Sunday session and complained about why he had to shave if there was no church. (Answer: he was scratching himself to actual pain with his own beard).

I don't know if this was something out to get us, or just the realities of having a family in this mortal world.

We did better for today's morning session.

Edited October 1, 2023 by Backroads

[JohnsonJones]

I haven't had a more troublesome week before conference that I can recall (not that it has not happened.  There have been many conferences in my lifetime and I honestly do not remember what each week before them has been like).  I have had some tough weeks before and can relate to that.  There are times when nature itself seems to conspire against me in what I am trying to do or needing to do.  Those times can be fraught and difficult.  I have no words that can solve such things or make them easier, only that I tend to pray a lot more (in all honesty, we should be praying always, but I don't always pray aloud as much as I do during times of trouble).