My 10 day week... !

Does anyone else feel that weeks have different lengths? Some of them seem to pass by very quickly because everything runs smoothly. Others seem to last for about 10 days and you breath a sigh of welcome relief as it comes to an end. I've just had one of those and a very strange one indeed. I do actually feel like I've been tossed about on the back of a bus with little or no control over where I'm going or what I'm doing. I haven't done what I'd planned, been where I thought I was going to so all in all I feel I've lost my compass this week.

I feel like I've been preparing for this year's annual trade show for weeks. In fact, it's not been that long but it's been a very long, drawn out affair this year. It's never great when lots of you are doing lots of little bits. Some bits get missed and I know I'm guilty of carrying other people's bits around in my head - as my father would say, "Just in case!" I can't help it but it does drain me. If i had time to fit all of this into my already busy schedule, I would seriously be sitting twiddling my fingers most of the day. But such are the challenges of a busy working girl that I can no longer say no to the challenges. Not that I would have done before but I know when I'm on overload and secretly, I've been on massive, ubba overload for a little while now. It pays to be a great juggler and I'm so glad I can prioritise. But things like trade shows always come to bite you in the end and as those extra jobs bubble to the surface they feel like snapping demons demanding attention even in your sleep.

When Sunday, the first day of the show arrived, it felt as if I had just stepped onto a moving walkway and I waved goodbye to my me-time. Picture me on the biggest moving escalator which sometimes goes slowly and at other times speeds so fast it makes my head spin. There is no end and my feet are stuck to the floor so I can't move. There are doors along the way and behind them are opportunities, new faces, old familiar ones and the odd face from the closet that I'd rather pass on by! I can't say there are other people on here, I think they have their own agendas and their own big escalators. Though it's clear that some are very short so they can just hop on and hop off without leaving much of a trace. That's something I do really well btw... leave a trace - that makes me sound like a giant snail! But no one ever meets me and forgets me.. I'm the 1 in 10,000 rare four-leaf clover of the crafting world!

There were the awards on Sunday evening which are stressful and enjoyable all at the same time. There is always lots to see and lots of talking, organising, planning, meeting and silly air kissing! Trade shows are always a challenge and this one was a mightly beast. I'm looking forward to the little acorns of interest that may, with a little bit of love, grow into big opportunities.

There were some great highlights at the show which always make you forget all the hard work. I met up with some of my lovely friends, Ginger, Sara, Deeps, Stu, Vorray, Tony, Cara, Marie, Lucy, Pat.. too many to mention. I love being with my friends and I'm really lucky to have some very special people in my life right now. The long days were punctuated by lovely dinners and short nights with my new bf though I fear I was talking drivvel most of the time as my brain regurgitated the day's events.

The day after the show, Wednesday brought on a different challenge - another trip to the dentist. I should have been starting back at work but my teeth decided it wasn't to be. I saw sparks fly for the first time which was a bit disconcerting... "Diamond on porcelain" was all part of the running commentary. This was turning out to be just another day in my extraordinary week. Driving home was tiring but all I could think of was getting home. I'm really great at focussing, which I'm really glad about on this particular day. I'm never ill, never sick and it takes one hell of a bug to flatten me. I know there's something not quite right when I do that channel hopping thing with my car radio! I'm the most patient girl on the planet and I never get grumpy or impatient. I remember feeling irritated by the noise my windscreen wipers were making and a little bit sick. I put that down the the sugar rush combo of a picnic, followed by a dime bar. Well, in my defense, I hadn't eaten much that day and garages don't really sell anything else that's not stuck between two slices of stale bread! I started to bring in the zillions of bags I'd managed to pick up over the next few days and began to get that woozy head feeling that means something's up. One trip up my stairs and I was dizzy and suddenly feeling as if an alien had taken over my body. Of soon realised that I had been hit by the mighty BUG. Horrid, nasty little thing that takes over your body, sucks the life out of you and makes you sleepy - though only in 15 minute intervals! I couldn't read, eat or think. I feel like I've been in a different place for 36 hours as I wait for the hands of the clock to turn so I can feel better. Of course, you can imagine how pleased I was yesterday when I woke up and my headache had gone. On a grand scale of 1-10, I felt 11 times better than before. Not completely 100% because I hadn't eaten for 2 days and still can't cope with food so the good news is that I may drop a dress size. Woo hoo, there is a shining light at the end of this week's Ground Hog Day tunnel!

Today is Saturday and it's the start of yet another year of birthday celebrations and I can't wait!