Z has a better day

Whoops. Sorry darlings, I found a whole lot of junk comments and a couple of real ones in Blogger dashboard and I accidentally pressed publish instead of delete. I'm such a fool. Actually, I was quite impressed that Blogger had picked up so many. Now they're all in my inbox. And in yours, if you commented on that post. I apologise. It won't happen again. I did like the person who enquired where a unicorn might be bought. I've explained that buying unicorns isn't possible, they just happen.

You were most kind today, and especially for being quite robust and recognising that I was just reacting to momentary pressure. Someone asked me tonight if I'd been nervous delivering my speech - I said that I hadn't been, but had had a bit of a moment the previous night - being notoriously efficient, I even get my nerves over and done with in good time.

It was the fault of Word though. I went through it carefully again today, and I was doing the right thing, it just wasn't recognising it. So in the end, I changed the default to A5, which worked, and then back again to A4. Which has broken the deadlock. It had been telling me A4 but not showing it.

I came to my senses and decided that the speech was more-or-less okay, read it out loud a few times, tweaked and then printed. Any other changes were ad libs. I do love an ad lib or two, but you have to be careful if the talk is otherwise written out. It was okay, I think it was pitched as it should have been, and I got a spontaneous chuckle out of the headmaster (who says I have a dry sense of humour; actually I just tell the truth and he doesn't quite believe it) and a few friendly ripples from the audience. I addressed much of it to the students, because it was their night, The guest speaker, who is a young man who is a former pupil, was absolutely brilliant and he's been snapped up to give a presentation at an assembly next term. I wish he lived locally, I'd make him be a governor. He'd be hard work (to keep up with, I mean) but completely inspirational.

This afternoon, I had a phone call from the hospital offering me an appointment with the consultant on Friday afternoon. I accepted of course - I've been told that the wait for a private hip isn't much shorter than an NHS one. I will hope that they will appreciate someone who is willing to stump up Hard Cash rather than go through private insurance (which surely pays up slower? Cash On Delivery is fine by me, we've been saving up) and not keep me waiting too long. I need to be right by 30th April, otherwise I'm going to have to wait until I've got time again, which won't be until late July. Life isn't easy for a control freak, however relaxed she is.

Oh, that reminds me, the Headteacher put on his reading glasses and found that he couldn't see properly. After a panicked few moments (I understand this, it happened once to me with my driving glasses before I had a contact lens and your eyesight goes all blurred, worse than wearing no glasses at all) he realised a lens had dropped out. Unperturbed, he promptly fished out a spare pair. I respect that, as a belt, braces and good old Norfolk bailer twine girl.

Haven't quite got the carol service thing sorted, but I've made a few Useful Suggestions and I hope things will be cobbled together, whether I play or not. I've made it clear that I haven't time to learn the accompaniment to the soloist and do her justice. I really could have done without some of the emails and phone calls, but it was better got out of the way.

I need to crack on with Christmas shopping. I haven't written a single card yet either. Mostly, I won't. Thank you for the cards I've received, I will respond but your card might be late. Sorry, if so. Ideally, I'll do it on Thursday, but this might be a bit too late.

Tomorrow, you might well get photos of Cape St Vincent. Unless I'm a bit wired or something. Maybe a glass of wine would help?