Great Gatsbys and people

OK, so you were going to get a very grumpy entry on account of Liverpool losing this afternoon but then I read the blog of someone who is a friend of someone who did the same OU Children's Literature course as I did (sorry, can't think how else to put it) and it was one of those moments when you think - grow up this isn't really that important.  This poor girl (only 24) has been suffering from Cystic Fibrosis for four years without a transplant and her life sounds terrible, my heart goes out to her.

So, onto happier things.  This has been the first week of what I shall call my Leaving Season (get me hey?).  I have had such lovely notes, some beautiful perfume and a personalised jar of sweets (fantastic childhood sweets such as flying saucers and love hearts).  If you're reading this from the 18th Floor you're welcome to come and try my tuck shop whilst it lasts!  Everyone who has ever left the company has told me they miss the people and I absolutely understand why - I've been so lucky to work with 99% of the people I have met.

Two of my friends took me to dinner at my favourite restaurant on Thursday night and that was simply delicious - go ahead and drool at the menu (LOL).  I have also drunk enough tea this week to rival my mum's consumption for one day!  I've really enjoyed it though because it has given me the chance to talk to people I might not have done if we didn't feel some time pressure to catch up.  I really hope we can keep in touch!

My two on-line courses are incredibly enjoyable.  We started to discuss who the real Jane Austen is - hard to say after 200 years of course.  I'm driving T mad with my requests to go here and there this summer but I really would like to go to Chawton so let's see if I can persuade him.  I read Sense & Sensibility ready for next week but it really isn't my favourite Austen.  Elinor is too good and there isn't enough Marianne and, if I'm being honest, I have to fnd the hero attractive for it to work and I just didn't feel I got to know Colonel Brandon and/or Edward Ferrars well enough.  I'm sure my opinion isn't going to dent sales though!

We finish studying The Great Gatsby on Tuesday and I've really enjoyed that.  I've decided Gatsby is a sort of failed Joseph P Kennedy - an immigrant aspiring to the WASP way of life.  I'd never picked up on how racist some of the comments in the book are so that was quite an eye-opener but I still love the way Fitzgerald writes - he really captures the emptiness of the characters' lives.  When I was in Newport RI two years ago I visited the house they used for the ballroom scenes for the Robert Redford film and I thought I would attach a not very good photo to brighten up the blog.

The house was absolutely lovely and actually you could imagine living here which made it very different from some of the other cottages!  You can see much better photos of it on the Newport Mansions website.

I think I wrote far too much last week so I'll stop here and hope you all have a lovely week.