I'll have a P please, Bob

I am not a phone person. I love words but would much rather converse in person or behind the safety of my keypad/board so the fact that I spent nearly four hours of my day on the phone to various people did not chuff me. The hangover I had wasn't helping matters, granted.

First call was from L, to see how I was and tell me pretty much what sis had already relayed last night. She's another 'face to face' person so we've arranged to meet tomorrow for a proper chat where I expect to get her full opinion.

Next was sis, to confirm the meeting, generally catch up and re-hash events and our reactions to them. And to broach the subject of 'what do we tell the kids?' That's a thorny one and something I need to do a lot more thinking about. It doesn't help that sis and I come from very different angles on this one and she slips into counsellor mode to try and analyse my points of view towards hers instead of just hearing them and admitting that she can't know how it feels or provide the answer. As I said, much thinking to be done which probably means I'll drink more than I should and do a stream of conciousness journal entry to try and make sense out of it. 2 hours into the call I'm breaking my neck for a wee having drunk 5 mugs of green tea so we end the call on a slightly adversary note, which saddens me.

Mid wee I get another call from L, this time to get my ex-husband's details so he can make a statement.

Then a call from P, after a few days of mailing and texting this was the first time we'd spoken which is always a bit nerve wracking cos voices can make or break things for me. (AA had an awful boring voice on the phone, I should have listened to my instincts and not wasted a lunch time listening to him). No such worries now, he has a lovely accent that's a mix of London and Midlands, a really nice tone to his voice and a fabulous sense of humour and honesty. We were meant to be meeting tonight for a drink but he asked to put it off till the weekend cos he still has a cold and feared he wouldn't be on top form, bless. I was quite happy to agree being that it gives me a few more days to lose two stone, get a tan, arrange a haircut and decide on my outfit.

Yeah, yeah. I do know that's ridiculous. I'll never get booked at the hairdressers with such short notice.

I finally make it into the shower only to miss two more calls. No 1 Son has the sense to call back ten minutes later and confirm that I'm collecting him from school to take him to the local newspaper so he can try and get work experience there, ex-husband has no such sense so I have to call him.

As I waited in the school car park I couldn't help but think about how that call from P brightened my day. We've developed a habit of me texting him (mostly dirty) jokes while he's at work but my mind was having a blank moment so I sent this instead:

Can't think of a joke right now and I'm in the car so can't look one up. Have a compliment instead. You're proper lovely, you are. And you make me do this ---> :o)

He came back straight away with 'loved chatting with you, ur really lovely too. In fact I just said that to a friend of mine'

I did this ---> :o)