OMG, can you believe it but I actually got the job. I am torn between being very excited, scared and a bit irritated as that is my six months off out of the window for now. I’ve got a whole 2 days of freedom before I start and, true to form, the weather is pants.
I feel like I have gone to the dark side as it is a fixed term contract rather than my being self-employed but at least it will give my head time to get adjusted to the new permanent way of life. It’s 3 years and 10 months to my retirement accordingly to my countdown app I installed a while ago so this will fly by. I’m not trying to wish my life away, promise!
Plus, you don’t need to read too much detail to see that there are hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their job and there will be an awful lot more to come as the recession hits and grips us. I am very grateful and, let’s be honest, a bit excited, about getting back to doing something fun – yes, people, I am one of those sados that generally enjoys my job and I have high hopes for this one.
We know from other articles I’ve done that I absolutely love opera and, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned but last year, I discovered Longborough Festival Opera which is hidden away in the super-trendy Cotswolds. I have only been once with some of the family but it has got to be the poshest thing I have ever been to and, I’ve been to The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden several times so, my bar is set pretty high!
I was quite giddy as there was an e-mail explaining that in 2023, Wagner‘s Ring Cycle is coming to Longborough and as a member, I thought I would get priority tickets. Oh no, how wrong can you be as I’m not that sort of member.
To cut a long story short, I would need to be a member of one of the Wagner societies – yes, there really are more than one! – and there is a big waiting list so have been added to both. When they sent me information on how to guarantee tickets, the starting price was £3,500 a year for four years and this went up to £100,000 a year to sponsor the conductor but all of those sponsorships had gone already. Who are these people with all this cash sloshing about to be so philanthropically generous?
In some respects I was very flattered that they thought I could possibly be rich enough to even be sent the information and it reminded me of a time when the concierge at the W Hotel in London thought that a beautiful matt black Bentley convertible with private plates parked outside on double yellow lines was mine. I like to think that it wasn’t just because of the illegal parking either!
So, I’ve added my name to the list, promised them I will sponsor a conductor when I win millions on the lottery and have started saving for it as I am determined to go but it is highly unlikely I will get tickets. I’ve lined up one of my besties to come with me for the whole week as we had such a ball when we saw the orchestral version at The Lowry and that is where the phrase, “It’s like Jeremy Kyle for posh people” was first born. This is a major bucket list item so I am hoping I can make it happen some how.
Visiting friends and family this week has been a real mix of ups and downs like our proverbial Covid-Coaster ride. The great news is that my dad’s head scan is fine but the downside is with the immediate lockdown from midnight on Thursday it meant I wasn’t able to see them in their garden as planned. It was made even worse as it was a beautifully sunny day and we’d not had one of these for a while.
The other upside was that I had managed to see Sarah and cheer her up a bit before the lockdown conditions were tightened again. She did make me laugh because she suggested the next time I came I brought her a present but only if ‘d like to oh, and here was a big list of DVD’s she didn’t have to help me! Some of the titles were in Spanish so we agreed that we’d concentrate on the English ones first as that was a much better idea! Bless!
My list: You will never guess but I have finished my scrapbook from my very fist lockdown diary so all my tickets from events are safely stuck in. I might add in a few more notes and comments when I’m flicking through it all but it is done. BIG TICK and YAY! Although I am very proud of myself for completing this task, I was a bit exhausted at the thought of all the theatre trips I did over the last few years. I was certainly making the most of working in and around London. Maybe the Universe knew what was round the corner so was giving me a good run before we were all confined to barracks in the cultural wilderness.
From various recommendations, I started watching Queen of the South and I love it. OK, it’s a bit far-fetched, full of unbelievable coincidences, drugs galore and killings but brilliant escapism.
My lowlight: Aaah, I am a bit sad to report George has flown away. We all agreed he must be a bit clever for a seagull as he is a little bit ahead of the usual window but hopefully he is now safely with his flock…..and not in trouble for ended up in a human’s garden or, even worse, been savaged by urban foxes!
My highlight: My two highlights this week are food related for slightly different reasons. Firstly, to celebrate my new job, we decided not to go out and celebrate in a restaurant but have a take away from the most fabulous No 4 in Didsbury. It was 10/10 for service, quality of food and Covid safety. Delicious!
My other highlight was that in one of my many cupboard-tidying sessions this week, I found a slow cooker that I’d obviously bought from Lakeland then hid it away so Dave wouldn’t notice. We’ve been trying it out and it is a marvelous invention. I just wished I’d remembered I had it earlier than this as it would have been very useful! Looks like forgetfulness is another thing we now have in common as a couple.
When the opera was first built we were informed it was for everyone, to bring opera into many more lives. I used to go but now sadly am unable to. On a carers wage it is but a dream, and l live in Longborough.