The Unfinsihed Symphony of You and Me by Lucy Robinson

Plot

The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me is about an opera singer, Sally, and her journey from singing only hidden in her wardrobe to attending opera school and singing in major opera houses. Sally and her cousin, Fiona a ballet dancer, are best of friends and live together in a flat in London. Sally has low confidence and works in the wardrobe department of the theatre. She accompanies Fiona, Barry from Barry Island (also a ballet dancer) and Bea, a wealthy Italian who works in the costume department, to America for a season of ballet performances. After the ballet season is over, they decide to stay on in the USA and return to New York to work in the theatre there. Sally meets and falls in love with a half American, half British man names Julian. That summer changes all of their lives forever.

A year later, Sally is not talking to her family. Barry has taken over Fiona's room in Sally's flat, and there is no mention of Bea. And most of all, Sally is due to start at the opera school. She desperately wans to cancel; she knows her parents won't approve of Sally doing something to draw attention to herself. Despite meeting the mad and crazy Jan Borsos on her first day, and her new best friend, Helen, Sally s still not sure that she deserves a place at such a prestigious opera school and is desperate to leave.

Review

I bought this book on a whim, probably because it was on offer. I had never heard of the author before and opera is not something I either know about or have an interest in. In all honesty, the cover is a typical chick-lit drawing but of a woman in a bath, which has absolutely nothing to do with the storyline whatsoever.

I read the book within a couple of days. The story develops quickly. It flips back and to between London and New York which explains why Sally has suddenly changed her mind and is now attending an opera school when she previously would only sing in her wardrobe. I would have enjoyed a slightly longer conclusion to the novel, though. But, on the whole, an excellent book.

Facebook Stalking

OK, OK, I'll admit it. I sometimes Facebook stalk my exes. But doesn't everyone?! Besides, I'm friends with a couple of them on Facebook anyway.

One of the ones I'm not friends with is the one that, when I was 18 years old, I though was the one. If I'm honest, I kind of still think that now. I think I might have loved him back when I was 18 and I could certainly see a future for us back then. He is the one that, if he turned up on my doorstep tonight, I would welcome in with open arms. He is the lad who got me pregnant when we were 18. I have always wondered would have happened if I hadn't have miscarried.

But all that was a long time ago - I'm nearly 30 now!

Anyway, when we were younger, he was never the settling down type. He didn't want marriage and kids and all that. He wanted fun and adventure and to travel. And his job allows him to do that. We have mutual friends on Facebook and he popped up in the comments of a mutual friends post. So like any sane ex, I thought I would have a nosey. Turns out this lad who never wanted to settle down has just bought a house with his girlfriend. I mean, it's a normal thing for any nearly 30 year old to do but it really saddened me, which is pathetic. I haven't even seen him for years. I haven't spoken to him since I was about 21. He lives, well I don't know where, but no where around here. Don't you think it would have been so much easier back before Facebook when guys from your past would be just that - that past?

On a slightly more upbeat note, the latest guy I really fancy is, I have just learnt, now officially single. Interesting...

Seriously, period leave?

OK, so I might be a few weeks behind here, but I only came across this when an advert popped up on my Facebook timeline, and I looked in to it further.

There is one company in Bristol which is apparently offering period leave. Seriously? As if it hasn't been difficult enough for women to make steps towards workplace equality (and let's be honest, we're not there yet). If I had a business, I would be so reluctant to employ women who may take up to a week of every single month.

There are a number of comments on the article, one of which says period pain is not an illness and therefore, women off work because of it shouldn't be marked as off sick. I agree that there can be some cramping or pain with periods (I have to admit, I have never experienced period pain), but if it is getting to a point where a woman can't function day to day, then that is not normal.

I have heavy periods. They are horrible. As a ward nurse, I worked long hours and I never once called in sick because I was on my period. There was, and is, no option for me to slack off when menstruating. To do so would put my patients at risk. The only time I have ever called in sick was when I was a student nurse and I was miscarrying. I took two days off, had the weekend off anyway and was back in on the Monday morning, still bleeding but still at work.

All my colleagues are female. How would that work in practice? We would constantly be staff members down. And what about the idea that women who spend a lot of time together synchronise their periods. I've not personally checked, but what if that meant all the women at work who weren't post-menopausal were off work together? Should we just close the department for a week?

The woman who came up with this idea may have wanted to be seen as caring for her employees. However, she may just have damaged women's equality at work even further.

Growing up!

I'm fast approaching a dreaded birthday. When I was younger, I could never imagine myself as a 30 year old woman and now, it is getting closer.

It feels as though I have grown up considerably, even in the last few years. I used to go to bed late every night when I wasn't working the next day. I would go to bed regularly at 2 or 3 am and sleep until 10 or 11. I can't do that now! Going to bed after midnight is a late night (though I'm still perfectly capable of doing it, it just seems like a pointless exercise unless I've gone out), and I rarely sleep late. I woke this morning at 6am! 6am on a Sunday morning! My alarm didn't go, and I didn't need a wee, my body just decided it wanted to wake. I managed to persuade it to go back to sleep but still I woke an hour later.

It's a beautiful day and I have plans, so I'm not too disappointed. I'm going to enjoy the beautiful April sunshine.

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

I feel as though I have spent my whole life waiting.

I've been thinking about having a baby for, oh, about 8 years. Eight years! That is just crazy! And I never seem to get anywhere close.

My job situation may be changing soon (for the better!) and that will be good - I'll definitely get maternity leave there. My family life is improving. And I feel as though I'm taking steps to improve myself.

Who knows, hopefully and at some point, there will be an end to this waiting and I may actually get what I have been waiting for all these years!

I'm sick :(

I don't do being sick at all (and that is one of the things I am dreading about getting pregnant) - being sick makes me more sick.

I've just been sick on the drive home from my mum's tonight. I pulled in at a layby but didn't really want to get out of the car - it's pitch black on that road. I had a few deep breaths, felt better, and drove off. And then I was sick. It went all down my jeans and my t-shirt and over the steering wheel. I accidentally touched it on the way home. It made me want to be sick again.

Getting my t-shirt off was the worst.

I've cleaned the car now and hope the odour goes by the time I have to go anywhere. I've left the window open a little to let things air.

Now I'm sitting in bed, trying to convince myself I don't want to be sick again, and feeling sorry for myself.

The gym

I'm contemplating joining a gym.

It's something I have considered on and off for some time now but I have never really found one I like. Apparently, we have one at the hospital, but I've worked there for 7 years and I still don't know where it is!

Anyway, the one I have found is less the £15 per month, is in the same town as the hospital I work in and has parking, which means I could go after work. When I was a kid, I used to laugh at the people going to the gym by car. It seemed to defeat the whole purpose of going to the gym. However, we walked everywhere as kids. we didn't have a car until I passed my driving test, and I remember walking to college three times one day, and home twice (once was for my driving lesson - I asked him to finish the lesson at home), and thinking nothing of it - college was 2 miles from where we lived. However, now the nearest gym to me, the nearest tow even, is 10 miles away, so there is no way I would walk there.

Anyway, pay day is after Easter - I need to buy a sports bra and some trainers and then I will join. I'm actually really excited about it - the last time I went to the gym was when I was in school, so about 13 years ago!