Anyhow, it was, all in all, money well spent.
Well the major thing on my mind over the past few days has been Ross's arrival for the Easter weekend. If it isn't too blasphemous a thought, I've been wondering whether or not the next week will see the death or resurrection of our relationship.
In the meantime, however, I've been keeping busy. Work eased down in advance of Easter. We traditionally have the Thursday before and the Tuesday after Easter as established holidays. I've decided to extend that into over a fortnight's holiday. The break I am sure will do me a power of good.
Everything has started well with a gentle healing session on Wednesday night and an invigorating aromatherapy massage with Anita on Thursday morning. Thursday afternoon relaxed and watched some episodes from the first series of This Life on a set of videos that a work colleague, John, had leant me. This means that I can now watch the episodes that Keith failed to video for me whilst I was in the States. It's amazing sometimes how little niggles can stay with you for a long, long time.
And, in fact, it was Keith with whom I spent the evening. We dined at Gaby's and then on to the Coliseum for the ENO production of The Tales of Hoffmann. Brilliant, really good night out. The first operatic event of this calendar year after which I felt that I could just sit through it all again. Julian Gavin was a sweet-toned Hoffmann of immense stamina - it really is an incredibly long and taxing sing. John Tomlinson was fabulous as ever in the villainous roles.
We had a replacement in all of the central women's roles, Rosa Mannion being indisposed. I wish I had caught her name in the announcement from the stage as we had a real treat. She handled the Olympia act well but those singers who can do the coloratura do not always have the strength and power for the drama of the next two acts. Well, this singer had all the necessary qualities. She doesn't need such a big sing too often at this early stage in her career but she could be quite something if her career is handled correctly.
The production was on the right side of OK. Not brilliant but
neither was it obtrusive and I would have no objection to sitting through it again.
And the new edition did make a dramatic sense of the evening even if it was long.
Actually, I have little objection to the old edition because it is a rollicking
good night out with lots of pleasant tunes. This edition does make more sense of
a through conceived plot about a man caught up in a series of disastrous relationships
and how he breaks the pattern by embracing his muse and becoming more true to himself.
But maybe I'm just sensitive to these things at present.
Anyhow, it was, all in all, money well spent.
This morning I've been sitting around. Colin stopped by briefly on his way to see a friend and deposited the new computer at which I am typing now. He'll be back later in the weekend for a meal. In the meantime, he was teasing me about Ross's arrival. His verdict is that we will spend all weekend shagging like crazed polecats. I don't think so. I want to take this very slowly. A lot has happened to the two of us over the last two months. I don't want to take anything for granted. And, as well as giving him some space, I was some for myself as well. I don't want to go leaping back into all of those old habits.
Well, we'll see.