A Drying Wind
3 May

It's been a drying wind that has blown through this house of late.

I know this because I have been painting the walls of Ross's studio white. Almost before I have finished rollering to the end of the wall, the begining is more than finger dry.

I've been washing clothes as well. They should have been outside flapping about on a newly installed carousel. However, the man who was going to set this up and lay our patio had an accident in his van so it's all on hold at present.

The bad news from work is that Joe is leaving. I fear that this will have more impact on my daily working life than will the move towards a commercial company.

Our garden coming to life. As you can see here, the first of the azaleas is in full bloom with a froth of pink bell-shaped flowers. To the left of it is the first red hot poker of the year and the first iris. To the foreground are Ross's plants including a witchhazel.

I've finally received Aida from Amazon after a torrid customer relations battle. The whole order has taken three and a half months. It stars Jane Eaglen and as in La Vestale the whole venture is hamstrung by the conducting of David Parry. His continual practice is to take everything just a shade slower than usual. Sometimes, this pays dividends as in the Puccini he has conducted. In the Verdi, it is disastrous. To give a proper description of the performance, you have to use words like thoughtful and considered when you should be using words like energetic and passionate.

Thursday, Ross and I met up with Ian and his partner, Crystelle, for a meal at Ego before heading off to the Phil to see Amelie.

This is one of the best films so far this year - a complete joy from beginning to end, full of magical reality, loving of its parade of quirky characters, cinematically bold, narratively inventive. I laughed; I cried; I would have eaten popcorn had there been any.

Tonight we watched The Man Who Wasn't There on video. It's a beautifully crafted film and I love the Cohen Brothers work in general. This piece didn't feel right. It seemed to get trapped between quirky and film noire pastiche. I ended up fidgeting and not caring about the film.

The ENO season has been announced. Only a new Tosca attracts. It looks as though our reasons for going to London next year will be people rather than performances. WNO haven't formally announced but I know that they will come to Liverpool in October with the Tosca which Ross and I saw in Llandudno and a new production of Die Fledermaus which should be fun.

Big Brother has been announced for later this month. The house looks sort of OK. No doubt in six weeks time I shall be hooked again.