Have you heard the one about the brunette who goes to the Dr complaining that she hurts all over her body? The doctor tells her to show him, so she touches her knee with her right index finger and yells 'Ow!' Then she touches her head and yells 'Ow!' Then she touches her tummy and yells 'Ow!' So the doctor says, 'I'm guessing that firstly, you're not a natural brunette and secondly... you have a broken finger.'

Well today's typing is something like that as I just gouged a hole in my index finger trying to fix the front gate. I make no secret of my blondeness but I really shouldn't push my luck and reach for the tool box. I didn't even feel it until the blood started to drip down the screwdriver, yuk. The gate has been a right pain for some time. Not so long ago it wouldn't stay shut, so the landlord and his Handy Andy Man had a go at it, and now we can't open it without a battering ram and a small army. I was particularly keen to get it open just now because my friend had turned up and invited my kids to go swimming in her pool. Never one to pass up a couple more hours of peace and quiet I agreed and conducted a swift search for a crowbar to enable me to get them off the premises.

My kids continue to live in a social whirl, I don't know how they do it. I keep taking them places then coming back empty handed as another parent gets suckered into an impromptu play-date. I do actually do my share - I had 5 kids here for tea on Friday night. But I am pleased to report that the Dog Show did not happen. We were out all day Sunday anyway at yet another birthday party at the bowling alley, so if any pampered pooches did turn up they would have found Tiggy guarding the gate all on her own without so much as a rosette in sight, let alone a year's supply of Pedigree Chum .

On Saturday we benefited from the newly discovered and highly delightful 'Double Sleepover' where we get free babysitting (although I did drop in a bottle of wine and some chocolates to take the edge off,) a pass to stay out as late as we want, and no kids waking us up in the morning! I can really recommend it. I'm not sure I'd recommend the bar we went into in Budapest - my friend and I were feeling our age a bit watching all the bright young things dolled up in trendy gear pile into the place (apparently shorts worn with tights and knee-length boots are the current fashion over here... er, no thanks) when the DJ in his wisdom decided to put on Rick Astley 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. Well. We bolted. Despite the fact we might have impressed the crowd with our intimate knowledge of the lyrics, we would know it was from the first time round and no-one wants to be reminded of that.

So we managed to blag our way into a post-fashion-show private party further down the road. Nobby and his mate were very enthusiastic at the prospect of rubbing shoulders with a few models for the evening. And so were about a hundred other blokes - the place was packed full of men! Only one model showed up but Nobby was most disappointed that he didn't fancy her. Oh well.

At least I showed him a good evening out last Wednesday when I was given tickets to the Hungary v Malta World Cup Qualifier football match at the stadium in Budapest. We took both the children because the tickets came via the school and Hungary won 3:0! Plus the kids were able to participate in their first Mexican Wave in between goals and I witnessed first hand the Hungarian obsession with eating sunflower seeds at football matches. Nobby had told me about it before but I didn't really appreciate it fully until the chap next to me stood up at half time, leaving a small mountain of seed husks on the floor as though I'd been sitting next to the world's largest budgie.

Anyway, my finger is really throbbing now so that's all for today, I have every excuse to leave all the housework alone and enjoy the peace and quiet (and sunny 23 degrees, tee hee) till the rabble get home. TTFN.