Coulda Woulda Shoulda

Last night was meant to be the last low key night before the partying began. I am very conscious that I need to take good care of myself leading up to this very important day so I don't want to risk any sort of tiredness and the 3rd day jet lag is always the worst. I didn't expect our lunch encounter with three funky dudes from the O-dot to actually affect was was meant to be a calm evening. We had a lovely dinner at D's sister's house, playing and goofing with the kids. It was great to be a part of all that. What we didn't prepare for was the poision that was about to infect D's parent's house. We left the dinner party about 7pm, got home just in time for poor D to let the demons unleash. It was beyond a shadow of a doubt. FOOD POISONING! This was DEFINITELY NOT from the lovely home cooked meal we got from D's family but from the F****N restaurant. His worst nightmare realised. From 730pm until 1am, the poor soul became one with the bathroom and a bucke...

It's finally hitting home for everyone. I arrived on Sunday after a long LONG flight (sat on the runway fo 3 hours..oh dear). D's parents were waiting for us at the airport. The minute we saw them, it was like we'd never been away. Once we arrived back to their house, I called my mom just to let her know that I made safely. She doesn't like flying herself and would tend to be a worryer - guess that's where I get it from - so she was going on the assumption that no news is good news. But the minute she heard my voice, there was a sigh of relief in her giddy hello. I asked her how she was and immediately, with a lump in her throat, she said she was getting quite a bit emotional. She was taken aback, she said, by all these emotions that began flooding out of her. Maybe it was my voice, one that she's so used to hearing in a different time zone, now feet planted on the ground in Canada, here specifically for this event our family has been planning for. It's fina...

One week today I will wake up with a mission: A mission to be the calming force amonsgt a sea of giddyness, excitement, nervousness, panic and mania. One week today I will also focus on one thing: Getting a drink - alcoholic or non - in her hand One week today I will pray that whatever contraption I've purchased to help squeeze me into that dress will actually work. One week today I will agonise about what to do with my hair but then realise that I could walk in with a green mohawk and it wouldn't matter - all eyes will be on the girl in the white dress One week today I will hope that my feet make it up and down the aisle without giving out on me. One week today our family will grow. One week today is the beginning of a new generation. One week today I will have a new brother. One week today the little sister who I used to boss around in home videos, bicker with on long car trips, borrow clothes off of as teenagers, party my butt off with in Toronto, will walk down an aisle of...

'Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow' - courtesy of cheesy day calendar with phrases sometimes of significance but most of just cheese. D and I had our first dentist appointments today in Belfast. We hadn't been in two years so needless to say, I was slightly nervous about the cavity..er GRAVITY of the mouth situation. After my yes and no answers, (picture the soup n*zi from Seinfeld) the friendly dentist said, 'Okay, let's have a look in there..' I opened wide and waiting with bated breath...Hopeful lovely Listerine-smelling breath too.. She started talking about each tooth and its quality. Thank goodness I have been here long enough to know 'sound' is actually another word for good or okay. Sound as a pound. I was delighted as she said '4..sound..5,6 7, sound...' and so on. There were a few teeth that had other words about them but I can only guess that they were in dentist code speak and was happy that at least 'sound' was used...

My mind is still in research mode. I am attracted at the moment to anything that involves strategy, planning and over thinking. I need to get my actual-work-hat back on and stop day dreaming about the blissful three days I spent not only speaking to people about all sorts of facets of our publishing house but also wandering around aisles of books....meeting publishers of titles that I admire....talking to them about how they do things, picking their brains. A book launch tonight needs my attention.. But I just thought I'd leave you with the Crazy Lady - so inspiring and honest, one you would be a great example to follow if ever faced with her adversity. And I'm sure she has a kick ass accent that one day I'd love to hear. We could share a bottle or two of that great red wine that she's always on about.

'Never look down on someone unless you're helping them up' I have been going through a bit of a demanding stage, a frustrated stage, an annoyed stage, an angry stage, a super-sighing stage, a no-patience stage, a grrrr-in-your-face stage. This little quote will hopefully help me to remember not to be so hard on other people. As I used to say, they're somebody's mom/dad/grandma/grandpa/sister/brother. And then that helps me to breathe. Anything that does that for me at this point is a bonus *** On another more sane note, I'm off to the London Book Fair this weekend and staying at the most unlikiest of hotels. I am really looking forward to it. There is something about conferences that just really lift my spirits, make me realise it is all worthwhile and that there are other people out there who do care about books just as much as I do. Hope to be back next week refreshed and ready to go.