Down Shifting
19 March


Ross and I began the weekend not with a bath but a drink at one of our local pubs, The Village. We needed a neutral territory. And we talked. And it mostly was a we. Although it took more effort for Ross to say things than me. But he's now filled me in with his version of what happened last weekend including telling me that he thinks I am the love of his life. I've re-iterated that I need for him to be more forthcoming with information, especially if we are about to enter a phase of our lives where we live in different towns.

I sat at my computer most of Saturday morning with some coffee and some scrambled eggs and a spreadsheet and I worked out what I can afford in terms of a salary for the Liverpool job. And what they're offering could be just about acceptable at the top end of the range for the post.

The evening brought my first opera of the year. How about that! Mid March and I'm only just going to an opera. It was Mozart's Magic Flute. I had not been going to go to this but Ross wanted to and, I have to say, it was a real tonic. However, the highlight of the evening was the Front of House staff at the Coliseum who made a point of talking directly to Ross rather than through me. Hurrah!!

Magic Flute

I saw this production two years ago with Cambridge Chris after which I shagged him on the sofa whilst Ross was asleep upstairs. *Blush* (Ross does know about this BTW - Chris and Ross and I later went on to do the complicated pretzel thing together). Before that I'd seen the show with David at a matinée during autumn 94. And the first time for this production was Autumn 92 before I came to London and I cannot remember how I came to be there or anything about the experience apart from the fact that I fully enjoyed it.

Sunday afternoon, I was chatting with my neighbour Simon about my concerns about the Liverpool post and its junior status and he said "downshifting".

Uh?

Downshifting.

It's like deliberately taking a less stressful and onerous job to give yourself more time to the things that you want to do. And suddenly it made sense to go for this job. Changing cities is going to be stressful enough. I may as well take things relatively easy on the job front for the time being. And it'll give me more time to be creative myself or to do the massage course I've been wanting to do for quite some time or to tend the garden or do more cooking or just go down the pub and chill out with some friends. I like this idea.