Swan Lake

Theate Notes: Every child’s favourite fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty (!?!) is the classic story of love and magic set to Tchaikovsky’s sublime score featuring stunning choreography, sumptuous costumes and wonderful sets.

Formed in 1981, The Russian State Ballet of Siberia has quickly established itself as one of Russia's leading ballet companies and has built an international reputation for delivering performances of outstanding quality and unusual depth.

The soloists and corps de ballet are superb and never fail to delight audiences with their breathtaking physical ability and dazzling costumes.

Monday

10 stone 9 pound...get in!

Rudderless

Waiting for something to break
Left my heart out to bake
Nothing there in my glass
Wasn't never made to last
Hope in my past
All the way down to the lake
Found the lake was wet
How much more could I take?
Better yet
Walked back home to my place
Tired of getting high
Guess I don't wanna die
Hope in my past
Waiting for something to break
Left my heart out to bake
Slipped my mind that I could use my brain
I'll stay up all night and crash on the plane
A ship without a rudder is like a ship without a rudder is like a ship without a rudder
cf Evan Dando - The Lemonheads

Sunday

?

Die Fledermaus

Was very good. Very amusing and the vocals were superb. As a first foray into opera I am glad I went. Beware of pranks coming back to haunt you! The merry folk of Wimbledon did not fail to please either. They are a funny lot! Lucky for me I can scuttle off at the end and return to the wrong side of the SW19 tracks!


Theatre Notes: One of the world's most famous operettas, Die Fledermaus, now gets a glittering new look from the country's best small-scale opera and operetta company.

Opera della Luna have earned themselves a matchless reputation, this year celebrating 15 years of acclaimed productions of Gilbert and Sullivan and Offenbach. They now turn their hand to the waltz king Johann Strauss and this most sparkling of scores.

Dr Falke was once left to wander home, drunk and dressed as a bat, by his friend Gabriel von Eisenstein. To exact his revenge he arranges for Eisenstein to attend an extremely risqué party at the home of the outrageous Russian aristocrat, Pince Orlofsky. There, Eisenstein seduces a mysterious Hungarian countess, who is in fact his own wife in disguise.

This entirely new and saucy production is directed by Jeff Clarke (with his own new translation) and designed by Gabriella Csanyi-Wills - the team that created the company's wonderful recent production of The Mikado.

Week ahead

Capricorn 22 Dec-19 Jan You're over the first hump in 2010's road (a Saturn-Pluto square) and are promised an even stretch of life's highway for the next month or two. A flurry of instructions and paperwork are in order before Mercury leaves your skies mid-week; sign off January's unfinished business. The incoming phase is less about issuing orders and form-filling, however, than finding an authentic, individual voice with which to express yourself.
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Your week has only just begun. Are you ready for what it wants to bring you? Hopefully not - for if you are too eager to embrace your next opportunity, you won't apply enough discrimination. But if you think you have nothing to look forward to, think again. Think of how good things could be, how well they could turn out, how smoothly and swiftly some problems could be solved. Don't jump to pessimistic conclusions. Indeed, head away from all negative assumptions and critical judgements. Just keep an open mind and you'll soon see reason to open your heart. Something, somewhere up there, wants only the best for you. Week Ahead Part Two - Love Focus: We all know what to say when we're not standing in front of the person we need to say something to. We all know how we should have reacted once a moment has passed and we have had some time to think. We all have opinions about how others ought to handle their problems. Yet life has a way of putting us just where we're not sure we can cope with being. You're at the edge of your ability to understand a situation. How should you respond to a source of pressure? You are being stretched and you are learning a valuable lesson. From this you can (and will) only profit. Look for something good this week and you will find it.
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Capricorn, you tend to keep your thoughts and feelings hidden. This week you'll start to reveal yourself to others as Venus enters Pisces in your sector of communication and self-expression on Thursday. You'll feel comfortable stating your opinion in any situation you encounter. On Friday you'll discover how far outside your comfort zone you want to go. Mars retrograde in Leo is quincunx Pluto in Capricorn and you'll push the envelope and allow your new boldness to take center stage in your life. You'll reassess your priorities on Saturday based on what you really want out of life.

Friday

Wake up with Bobby Brown tune in my head. I think. Can't quite put finger on what it is.
Read 'Even the Dogs' en route to work. Ponder the lives of drug takers and the homeless this being central theme of said book. Listen to Depeche Mode. Work at 9am.
Red blouse and trousers from last week fit better.
Meetings; appraisal feedback telephone calls. Writing appraisals. Still. Fighting the paper and the words.
Complete Flora Heart Age Calculator I'm 57. Think about a deadline date to quite smoking. Again.
Try to work out who my doppelganger could be from the world of entertainment and culture.
Give up. Go to to a solitary lunch.

Thursday

Wake up at 6am. Dreaming that in office changing clothes. Power cut and get stuck in dark with top half covered, bottom half not.
Stay in bed til 6.30am. Shower.
Skirt day. Oh yes.
PM meeting goes well. Over by 10.30am.
Busy busy day dealing with all sorts of bitty things. Manage to deal with broken applications, post meeting blues, team morale.
Lunch. Canteen. Veggie Chili and rice. Extra Tabasco. stomach not happy early part of afternoon.
Appraisal writing. Problem solving. Made a round of tea for seniors. Try to listen to Archers Omnibus - too many interruptions. Susan and Neil talk about satsumas and not squirting each other with juice.
Walk to Waterloo. Overland train. Text Sparky. No reply.
Wimbledon walk to supermarket.
Home.
Shower. Soup. The Bill. Eastenders. Bed.

Wednesday

Alarm 07.30

Shower 08.00

Dementia. Should the state take more interest and fund it better.

Tube 09.36

Work 10.20

11.45 telephone call with boss. Snow in Washington DC. Pick at spot on neck and remove a hair nearly 2 inches long.

Respond to email from Camilla

Lunch 13.05 - Argos for new earphones.

Canteen on my own. Salad.

Afternoon running around for answers to Conflicts data issues.

Sort project summary sheet, monthly dev report, resources for week.

Check Tiscali to Talk Talk offers. Not an offer at all. Pay 3 quid extra per month plus one off 30 quid fee for exactly the same service.

Check out new laptops.

Write this.

18.29 time to walk.

Tuesday

Reset Pedometer
CW Tube Station 08.54
Work
Good lunch with Planetface
Work
CW Tube Station 22.36

Monday

CW tube station 07.48
WW - closed. Kelly's baby unwell.
Work.
Meetings all morning.
Lunchtime 12.30 WW. 11stone 2.5lbs.
Lunch. Salad.
Work.
No swimming.
Conference call 18.00-19.30
Home
Dinner
Sleep.

Month Ahead

Your February Forecast: Where do all life's questions come from? Is there a factory, in an industrial zone, somewhere in some secret part of the world, where doubts and queries are churned out on some giant production line? And if so, surely there must also be a place where answers are also made, to meet the demands of all those questions. Answers are coming to you this month, but - as each of these seems to raise at least two more questions - you don't feel as if you are getting anywhere. Ask fewer new questions. Seek fewer fresh answers. Take a closer look at an answer which you already have... but which you may yet see more within.

Lucky Days: 9, 10, 19, 20, 27
Yucky Days: 2, 3, 16, 17, 23
Fashion Icon: Zooey Deschanal
Colour: Oatmeal
The majority of the planets are corralling in your financial sector this February. This is one of your choice domains to begin with, so chances are you’ll be able to focus on little else this month. The New Moon on 13 February is the most perfect day of the year to set your intentions on what you’d like your money to do for you over the next six months. If you put your mind to it with absolute commitment, Jupiter will help you turn your dreams into gold by summer. Venus enters your sector of communication on 11 February, quickly followed by the Sun on 18 February, rendering your speech powerful to the point of magical. If you say, “I love you” on Valentine’s Day, you better mean it. Watch what you wish for, because if you speak or think it with emotion behind it, you’ll probably get it. The Full Moon on the last day of the month augurs in a time of renewed commitment to humility and service. Even your smallest actions can save the world right now.

Week ahead

Capricorn 22 Dec-19 Jan Self-promotion and spreading around your talents (more diverse than commonly acknowledged) are absolutely the order of the day. Lecture, show your skills. Where funds are concerned (yup, you're down to your last million), February offers an excellent stage for consolidation – by talking to the cash-swallowing "ex", for example, or by chivvying the cash-starved spouse. Whatever the issue, your current power tool is communication.

Your Week Ahead - Love Focus: Some weeks come storming towards us like a rampaging army. We either surrender to their power and accept their agenda or we experience tension in our attempt to resist. Such times are never easy to live through - but at least we know what we are up against. Other weeks saunter up to us casually, making no great threats or promises. We can drift through such times or seek to discover what they have to offer us. The question to ask of this particular week is not 'what do you want from me?' but 'what can I do for you?' You may yet be highly inspired and pleased with the answer that soon becomes clear to you.

Try not to tie yourself in knots if your best laid plans don't seem to be working out. You don't have to force anything. If you play your cards right you can work on projects that are already in progress, and finish these with a flourish. Mars is retrograde in your joint financial zone, so there may be delays there, especially if you are applying for a mortgage or some other loan associated with your home and property. It may be best to research your options in the meantime. Think long-term and plan accordingly.

Sunday

Up and out for walk by 7am. See the large moon disappearing and the orange sun low in the sky rising. Cold. Home with paper. TV/Radio Australian Open Final - Fed vs. Murray. Text Ma & Pa wishing them Happy Anniversary. 40 years. Stripe bedclothes and wash them.

Shower. Hang out washing. Ironing. Tennis. Tennis. Hoover flat. Remake bed. Cook veggie soup. Eat veggie soup. Watch 'Mad Men' Part 1 & 2 on iPlayer.

At 4pm go for a kip - 'listen' to Arsenal v Man Utd. Don't hear any goals. 6pm - Up. Get washing in and hang to air.

Tea. Cold Quorn sausages, cottage cheese and beetroot. Weetabix and fruit cocktail. Watch Silent Witness 'Shadows' Pt 1 & 2 on iPlayer. Reply to friend's text re tennis.

Considering bed now at 9.40pm.

Saturday

Wake up at 7.30am. Head raging. Visit bathroom. Menstruation is back.

Get a pint of water. Then add resolve. Back to sleep. Sleep through until 10am. Get up and have shower.

Breakfast scrambled eggs on toast.

Hang out washing.

Wash up. Pack several extra layers. Leave house and head for Victoria.

Get train ticket. Then my last voucher entitled GSWL. Get train from Platform 5. Sleep. Doze.

Gillingham. Meet Dad. Take seat. Lady in front of me turns up - chat about weather. Return of snow. Game somewhat dull. Gillingham 0 - Walsall 0.

Easily make 5.15pm train back to London. Find myself intrigued by chap who boards train at Rochester. Keeps combing his hair. Smells nice. Calls his mate Carl and has a Mancunian accent. Can just see his knee and hand. Mind races in all sorts of directions. Fantasising.

Lose him at Victoria. Need to get home and eat. Home. Washing in.

Mashed spuds, mushy peas and Quorn sausages. Watch 'Top Gear'. Listen to radio. Watch 'Casualty'. At 9.45pm go to bed. Place less sore head on pillow and sleep.

Friday

Oversleep. Finally get out of bed at 7.05am.
Get to work at 9.15am.
Tidy up end of week things. Go to supplier feedback meeting at 11am. 12noon await news from PC Anon about possibly meeting for lunch.

Boss arrives at work.
Lunch. Do not go for pizza with colleagues. Trot to Bank via hairdressers. Book appointment. Back 1pm. No sign. No texts. Then wander round and find said PC. Costa coffee for an egg sandwich and cup of tea. Catch up on news. Consider the past 9 years and how things have all turned out. Talk footie and my loathing of men, a man, at the moment. All good.
Afternoon appraisal bound.
Discover http://www.theitjobboard.co.uk/
Leave at gone 6pm. Walk to Waterloo. Tube. Home via Burger King.
Question of Sport. Eastenders. Numan on the red button. Get changed. Go to Tup.
Live music night and Craig's birthday.
Catch up with Craig, Jess, Nathan, Cherinne, Dog, Steve, Beau, Billy, Aussie Paul and Greenie.
Drink but 3 pints. Return from dance to find lime and soda I paid a quid for has gone. Get somewhat annoyed. Listen to acts from past and present. Dick Philpott. Adie Sweet. The Whittaker brothers. Get wistful for past. Dance with Greenie. Refuse to talk whilst he is not sober.

1.10am say good byes and leave pub. Find bed. Radio 7 - Arnold shoots himself.

Thursday

Tube 7.47.

Lunch in canteen with Mini and Carole. Salad. Round tables with table clothes. Most unusual for the canteen.

Home via walk to Waterloo then train to Wimbledon. Rain. Wimbledon. Back to Sainsbury. Tonight tissues. Toliet roll and cereal.

Eastenders. The Bill.

Bed.

Wednesday

Mum texted. Dad home ok. Off to see Rosie.

7.48 tube. Starbucks, no queue, GSWL. Finally finished drinking it around 3pm.

Remail Mary with correct day wishes for a birthday!

9.30am meeting. with internal finance. Heated. Followed by meeting with external suppliers & finance.

1pm back to desk. Lisa had texted. Replied.

1.15pm - lunch in canteen. Baked spud n beans.

2pm desk. Email catch ups.

4pm People meeting. 5.20 back to desk.

5.55 leave office. Notice 2 massive whiteheads on face.

Walk to Waterloo via Embankment.

Train. None due. So tube. Sleep. Sainsburys. 4 for 2 quid soup. Store looked as if starving thousands had been through and eaten everything.

Home.

Tea. Tin of soup. Holby City. Relocation Relocation. Text convo with Mum.

10pm - here. Bed beckoning.

Tuesday

Bed too comfortable. Swimming makes me sleep better.

Up shower. Trouser day, new jumper/shirt day. Only a vest.

Dry hair, eat breakfast of oats, sultanas and weetabix (1).

Am all set to leave when walking out of bathroom catch earphones wire on lock and pull off ears. And ruin earphones. Seek replacement pair. Tube station 8.16am. Colder day. Regret taking a layer off.

Bank and more words from VW in my head. Cheapside. Starbucks. No queue. GWSL.

Office.

Email Auntie Mary to wish Happy Birthday. She replies 'It's tomorrow'. Have email chat anyway.

Plug in and listen to tennis on radio whilst sorting finance items out for a meeting which is then cancelled. Brother texts re his Kasabian gig last night. And fact its Australia Day so he is off work. I can hear the Melbourne fireworks in the background on the radio.

12.05pm meet Planetface for lunch. SOS. Healthy pasta and virgin Mary. Good chat. Recount tales of weekend.

1.30pm back at desk.

Afternoon. Prep for appraisal work I need to do. Update plans. Test applications.

4.30pm go outside for a ciggy. Bad timing. LadyAs passes by, and in real bad-timing-debacle ends up in lift with me but studiously ignores me. Until she realises I have inadvertently selected the wrong floor for her alightment. Huff.

5.40pm leave office and go to meet friend for dinner.

Have a pint. Then steak and spud with glass of red. Good chat.

Walk to tube. Very cold. Home.

VM on home phone. The Actor.

Text Actor. Text Dad who is at Hartlepool. Watch TV whilst checking football scores via red button.

Monday

So to a new week.

Last night gave up on TV and started to read Belle's Best Bits. 100 pages in turned out light and went to sleep. Woke up in night but because I was cold not because I was stressed. Grabbed dressing gown and fell straight back to sleep.

Alarm off at 6am ignore. Snooze twice. Clock radio comes on. Get out of bed 6.25am.

Swimming tonight so clothing designed for warmth afterwards. Breakfast. Oats. Sultana. 1 Weetabix.

Tube station 8am; tube 8.02am.

Read VW's A Room of One's Own.

Bank - 8.35am. Cheapside. Drizzle. Starbucks, GSWL.

Work 8.50am. Boss and Pete in.

People Project Meeting with team.

Appraisal Meeting with boss. All very professional.
Go for lunch break 12.10

Decide on spur of moment to go to Weightwatchers. Catch up with Kelly. Weigh in 11stones 1 pound. Purchase yet another new pedometer. Walk. Walk. Walk.

Go to Clinton's which was original intent -

Buy cards for Mum & Dad, Dad, Rosa, Lisa and Brother.

Go to Boots for Shapers sandwich.

Return - meeting 1pm with Compliance Officer.

Eat lunch @ desk at 13.45

Update change request document - send to developer.

Discover Raymond Carver. A new writer to bookworm.

Spend afternoon doing EA work.

Get set for swimming. Adjourn from Blog for now.

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Swimming! Ah. Bliss. Share the steaming pool with 4 other people. Get my 44 lengths in.

Shower. Dress. Troop to Moorgate.

Tube 1 minute or 8 minute. Get 1 minute. Stand until Bank. Sit remove hat. Big hair. Goggle eyes.

Read VW's 'A Room of One's Own'. Totally absorbed. Women and their place.

Home.

Reply to Shirley's text.

Tea - ryvitas. 'Eastenders'. Soup. 'Delia Smith'.

Wash up. Sort out rubbish and recycling.

Watch 'Hustle'. Sort of. Note Ziggy's new mobile number.

Check Facebook.

Text Mum. Reply to Mum.

Here. Final words for another day. 'Under the Stairs' beckons.

Tomorrow. Tuesday.