How cool is this girl?

No, not me! Gabriella Cilmi -- cool name, cool look, cool clip, cool sound. I have her song so stuck in my head at the moment that it's driving me crazy. It's just popped up on my iTunes list. I cannot believe she is only 16! She looks about 25 in her clip. But I love the way her clip really does work in with the theme of her song. (Oh, I do love my playlist. I've gone from Madonna's and Justin's "Four minutes", to Sinead O'Connor doing Gershwin's "My man's gone now", to Gabriella to The Verve's "Bitter sweet symphony".)

Flying dogs!

This weekend I promised I'd go out and have fun -- see a movie -- and do some writing because it was my first week in ages where I didn't have lots of marking to do -- just four late assignments (and one early one!). Very little workshopping. I didn't get to that movie, but did do quite a bit of writing and editing, so I'm feeling happier and less stressed. And I went out a few times with my dogs, which was good for them and for me as I need the exercise. They were so happy they both attempted launches. Here they are in action:

Hectic plus one

Well, our big news this last week or two is that Princess Sleepyhead has been offered a place in the Australian Girls Choir. She auditioned late last year and was accepted into Concert Level, but there were no actual places available in this level. But now one has become available -- unfortunately not in the nearest venue, so instead we (or rather I, once my current crop of evening commitments finishes this week) have to hike on over the other side of town, battling peak-hour traffic, so that she can go sing for an hour and a half. She is keeping up her commitment with the Victorian State Singers as well -- they are such an excellent group, and are so privileged to work with Doug Heywood, who must be the best conductor on the planet. Yes, I am effusive in my praise, but not too effusive! Believe me, he deserves it.

Anyway, my writing friend Lita is over that way, so I'm hoping some times to catch up with her (and perhaps our other friend Ellen, depending on her commitments). Not sure how it will work yet, as I'll be time-limited by drop-off and pick-up times. The other weeks, I might just take my laptop -- and a rug for when winter settles in properly. I may just be able to squeeze in an hour and a half's writing, which would make the drive over worth it! Perhaps I can get myself a pair of fingerless gloves!

Dumb things

Oh, today I had the culmination of a dumb moment. I cannot believe it. Here's how it played out:

I'm in the bank, see, filling out my form. I've just written a cheque and dated it 2 May, but when I look at the date in the bank it says the first. Oh, they've forgotten to change it, I think, and for reassurance I touch my mobile phone. Hang on a minute: it says 1 May. Freaky. That can't be right. So I stand there and think. They must've forgotten to change the date, and the phone is out because it's a leap year, and it's like daylight savings and doesn't automatically correct. Except the logic is wrong -- it should then show the third.

Okay, Tuesday was the 29th -- I know this because the prior Tuesday was the 22nd, and I know this because it was my birthday, and I had to do my long day at work. 22 + 7 = 29. But it says today is the first. And today is Thursday. It is Thursday, right? What did I do yesterday? Work? No, I was at my writer's group: today is definitely Thursday. The banking staff must've got the date wrong. I count out knuckles to check my maths. Looks right. But there are only 28 days in April -- 29 this year because of the leap year. So what was the date on Wednesday? I've lost a day somewhere. Was Wednesday a non-day? How can that be? It can't. It's nonsensical. And yet -- and yet -- Wednesday doesn't have a date. It's after April, but before the first of May. It's no-month day. Bizarre. Wondrous.

So I make my way over to the line for the tellers, determined that I will ask if they have the day wrong. And then it hits me -- there are actually 30 days in April. Not 28/29. That's February's domain.

Oh, God.

It just occurs me that in both my Tuesday classes I've made a joke about this day coming around only once in every four years, and they've chosen to spend it with me. And in neither class did anyone laugh -- or point out the error of my thinking. They must've been wondering if I were on drugs!

Oh, well. It'll make my mum happy, as I still remind her of the dumb things she said when we were travelling.