Day From Hell and the Parent Trap

This week has been driven by work surprise, surprise. I was overtaken by the drama that is preparing for mid-year reviews. The concept of racing around the business trying to get a peer and a superior to say how amazing you are is about as real is C's boobs.

E-mails are exchanged, favours are called in and everyone gets a chance to smugily review their handy work before sending it onto the relevant person's boss. HWMBO's decision to move me up his appraisal schedule, forced some nifty footwork by yours truly.

I reworked my objectives ready, keen to present the proactive face of someone not desperate to escape the corporate circus ring, but to continue to be proactive, productive part of it.

A surprise e-mail from my Mum spun my head into an orbit and the day on its head. My Mum is the original diva with a double topping of religion on top of her. No matter what the situation, her ability to bring God into the conversation in on the undercard is 100% guaranteed.

We are so completely different in personality, temperament, looks just about everything really, I have often wondered how we can be related.

First she told me off for not being in touch and then informed me that she was recovering from pneumonia, having been in hospital for the last three weeks and had been released two days ago. Then she proceeded to tell me who I would need to contact in the event of her death. She ended things by telling me that she hoped I was well.

I did what any reasonable diva would do in the situation and proceeded to cry like a baby, followed by a guilt trip of momumental proportions. I hysterically dialled her number over and over until she picked up.

She sounded exactly the same, calmed and unfailingly poised, unlike me. She proceeded to relay her entire experience, complete with biblical asides and apologised for alarming me. I could quite cheerily of killed her !

M2 was lovely, offering to drive down from his to mine to cheer me up and look after me. He really is turning out to be a beautiful man and I am liking him more and more.