I'm here now, isn't that what matters?

Apparently 2 weeks of non-blogging is simply unacceptable to some of you. So I'm back and desperately trying to think of witty things to amuse you - if I'm not funny, it's all your own fault for pushing it. Okay? Just wanted to get that clear. Feeling much better now.

So here I am, supposedly doing constructive things such as long overdue volunteer paperwork, some bits and bobs for the Vic University tour (like approving the itinerary) and drafting a paper for a 'lecture/talk' I am giving next month. But I am also multi-tasking by practising walking in my civil union shoes. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of actually meeting me, I am just shy of 5' 10" and I am going to be wearing heels for the civil union. I don't usually/ever wear heels as they tend to make me about 6" and I already have one friend who calls me "Godzilla', but the occassion and outfit demand it, so I have to practise. As my study/office/spare room is upstairs this means I also have to negotiate the stairs of doom every time I want another cup of tea (which is often), so I'm getting quite good. Not yet convinced I'll be able to bust any moves to fine disco tunes on the big day without breaking something, but there's still 3 months + to go. By then, I may be able to Ginger Rogers it with the best of 'em...maybe.

News, news, news - yesterday was the museum tour. After a 2 hour dog walk and only one weak coffee, just to make sure I didn't over-caffeinate and have a minor panic attack during the tour, I arrived sweaty-palmed at the museum armed with a plethora of fascinating yet pointless information about ye anciente egyptianes. Jo, her parents and Lesley, the fabulous masseur, had given me their vote of confidence by coming along and for a while I thought it might just be the 5 of us. Then Tina, my glamorous PA system assistant for the event, went into the exhibition and announced that my tour was about to start. A couple of deep breaths and in I walked - to be faced with a quite large room full of people. All staring at me. I was later informed there were about 95 people, which is almost 100 and just quite ridiculous. So I just started talking and finished about an hour later. No "curse-ed" this time, but they did find out that Tutankhamun had a camp bed. I also did some pointing at things, pacing backwards and forwards, staring at the floor and addressing my commentary to whoever happened to be standing in my sight-line. Jo reckons no one except her would have twigged how nervous I was, but that I did over use the word "important". Well, it is all important.

Apparently I was pretty good and Leslie now wants to come to Egypt with me. I think I wore out any good feelings from Jo by asking how I was approximately every 30 seconds for the hour afterwards, but she did better than I would have by not getting all snarky and sarcastic with me. Plus Jo's folks bought me a dress-up King Tut fridge magnet kit to say "well done" and Elise (the lovely Te Papa employee who got me the gig) let me buy a book on her staff discount. Not sure if the fridge magnets say "well done" or something more sinister.

Oh, and the exhibition shop is selling plastic ancient Egyptian figurine pens of "Nefertitit", or so it says on the packaging. I kind of want the display...might ask Elise if I can have it once the exhibition finishes.

Ugh. Just trying to figure out how the hell I am supposed to change the toner cartridges on our home printer. And I have no arsing clue. Which sucks, because it's taken me approximately 2 months to decide to buy new toner and now I can't even get into the bloody thing. Bollocks. I'm going to have to phone Jo and demonstrate how technologically incompetent I am. Arse.

So that's what I am going to do right now. I'll write again later in the week. Honest.