Not Opera

Today's blip was supposed to have been related to our trip to the opera in Birmingham. We were due to see Janacek's Katya Kabanova (which is a fabulous piece, even though Jenufa is my absolute fave Janacek opera). However, having left Oxford in time to get to Birmingham, and having set out north on the M40, we then turned off at Banbury and came home.

The reason - exhaustion. I was already feeling sleepy again, despite the can of energy drink. The Wonderspouse was shattered, and we figured it really would be a waste of time, money and energy to drive to Birmingham, park, then sleep through the opera, and have to fill ourselves full of caffeine again in order to drive home. Furthermore, there is no respite from work in sight until Saturday evening, so we couldn't even collapse afterwards.

Today was another morning in college. More observing English lessons. I needed to sit in a hot classroom watching English lessons like I needed a hole in the head. However, I did manage to persuade my tutor, who's doing tutorials on Monday, that it was a seriously bad idea for me to spend £10 (which is approximately how much each journey into college costs me) and, potentially, 4 hours travelling, for a 20-30 minute tutorial. She's agreed to do mine on Friday instead, which will compensate for having to go in yesterday! Excellent!

After college I went for lunch with Scharwenka, who then went off for an eye test as I went to collect the Wonderspouse in order not (as it turned out) to go to the opera.

Once home from the not opera, we ate supper, I fell asleep on the sofa, and at about half past nine went for a bath. I was in bed, pretty much asleep, by around 10.

And the picture? Well, obviously, it's not opera. I'm afraid it's stolen from those people with big instruments between their legs, but I didn't pinch it direct, honest. Joseph Vieland (who was a solo violist who gave recitals in Chicago and became a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Gordon String Quartet, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra) did the job for me - and jolly grateful I am too!

Really looking forward to getting my bow into this one (read about how the urge started here) as it's one of my favourite pieces! I've only had the music a couple of days (it was waiting for me when I got home from college earlier this week) and have already read through much of it! Maybe I'll even find an orchestra to play it with me one day - although there are many hours of fun ahead learning it first!

And it is Czech, which is about as close a link as I could manage to the missed opera when I got home last night!