On the 13th day of Christmas

came a day of mixed emotions.

I was off for an interview for a teaching post today. I had just put on my make-up when my mum phoned. She had forgotten about my interview and called to share the sad news that my Uncle in Australia had passed away in the night. Although he has been very ill for some time it still came as a shock and rather than go for an interview all I really wanted to do was go give my dad a huge cuddle because as he said, he hadnt just lost a brother but a friend. They spoke on Skype every day and I know my dad is going to miss him. My Uncle Vic had a heart of gold and was very good to me as a child so I would just like to say Goodbye to him here and now.

Of course that is not the best frame of mind to go to an interview and although the actual question/answer bit seemed to impress the board, the teaching was pants if I say so myself. I had pitched the whole session far too low for the class (difficult to get right even when you know the class) so behaviour was off the wall. I wont know anything officially until tomorrow but I am not holding my breathe.

Still I came home and did a search on the web, to discover there is a job in a school a bit nearer going so I still have something to apply for.

Then came the really silly part of the day. My dad is a qualified electrition so you would expect he would be good with technology, and yes he is one of our silver haired pc uses, but at 76 he is getting a bit confuddled so he doesnt own a mobile phone. Mum does but if she goes out without my dad or my dad goes up his allotment she gives him her mobile so she can phone him. Bear in mind he is also totally deaf in one ear and doesnt hear much in the 'goood' one either.

So he phones me up in a panic. He dropped mum, off down the highstreet to do some shopping and went up the allotment. Mum phones but he doesnt know how to connect the call. He thinks she must be phoning to say she is home now so he goes home. Mum is not there. The mobile goes another 3 times but he still cant figure out how to connect. He then rings all the places mum may have gone. No one has seen her. It turns out she was ringing to say she would meet him at the allotment but when he didnt answer she walked up there anyway. Not finding him (because he has gone home to look for her) she walks home stopping at a couple of phone boxes on the way to try and tell him where she is. I, in the meantime tell him to do 1471 on the mobile (having to talk him through it as I am on the land phone to him). After 4 attempts (its a long number) he gets the number and rings...the empty phone box.

So this comedy of errors is my life in a nutshell really LOL

Anyway a lovely Mini Tag Book Kit from my SS today. A lush card from my padder card swappee Lyzzy and another card from my lovely mate Angela but I shall say more about that later. Oh and we went to see The Holiday last night, lovely feel good christmas film, go see and enjoy too.