Happy you're reading my blurgh

which is no doubt a far more preferable position than to be in catching distance of it.

Nasty - not that I am in the "slow moving bullet through my brain" phase of it any more - thank goodness - and I seem to be out of that "coughing green slime" and that pernickety "nose running eyes running" phase of the business - which means I am so much better.

If only I could move through the "cotton wool interrupting the flow between neurones" because it has hung around for 2 days now and I am OVER IT.

Thanks for your many kind comments - the cakes were a hit. I used Trace's suggestion and iced them with melted chocolate, halved strawberries and dusted with icing sugar and they were declared as such by all who partook - especially by my mother, the birthday girl.

We had my parents and some of their friends over here for dinner on Sunday. As is the nature of the state I live in, of course V works at a site that one of these friends is overseeing.

I was actually quite with it most of Sunday - the house magically transformed itself into one that could welcome my parents as visitors with a little help from V and the newly cash conscious 'Salina.

I was even almost sparkling as a hostess during the evening - the food all ready at the right time (except for the crackling which nobody missed - I am neither an artist nor a connoisseur when it comes to crackling), all received gladly and enough to fill.

'Salina was delightful, retiring to do her new passion, crosswords, after tea and requesting bed time in an appropriate and timely manner. After I had sung songs and tucked her in, her one request was that "we could turn the TV on and up loud, because the talking was too noisy". The male half of the friends was quite a raconteur, with one story I pass on when I find the relevant photo.

But by yesterday morning, my mind had completely immersed itself into a fog and is still not surfacing.

Gaaaaaahh!! I even ate grapefruit for breakfast this morning to cut through so I could get done. It seems to no avail.

Luckily (for everything but the bank balance) V had a wet day yesterday (based on the fact that it was raining at 6.30am - perfectly fine from 7) and a short day today, so I have had a responsible adult around.

And as today is Red Tuesday, its probably a good thing I have clouds in my head - because that way, the world can't upset me, can it?

Gotta look for the silver lining.