So, I was at my THIRD conference (on Tues/Weds) in 3 weeks. Now, what can I say about Manchester? It was bloody cold! As soon as I stepped off the train, Jack Frost came nipping at my nose, and a few other things that I rather enjoy keeping warm!!!

The hotel was nice, and, unlike the previous conference, I travelled up with 4 other colleagues and there were about 40 people staying overnight - so it was drunken debauchery all round!

Weird spot of the evening was when I suddenly announced, "Oooo, I must ring Mark", my phone rang and it was my EX-husband! So I had a rather pissed conversation with him about very deep and philosophical stuff (as you do) and completely forgot to ring Mark which made me feel dead guilty the next day.

Cool spot of the evening was suddenly having a brainwave with the IT guy cos I'd taken my laptop (for my presentation) and (as before) taken along a girlie DVD for me and Justine to watch in case there hadn't been many people about that we knew. So, we linked it up to the main overhead projector, got ourselves loads of drinks and had a perfect screening of 'Never been kissed' which even the boys enjoyed (well, they were totally bladdered!). Edinburgh next week and I've got to think of another film to take along for a private cinema.....

Oh yeah, and Justine (who doesn't drink) got totally ratted and was smoking cigars which she couldn't stop laughing about. She said it was the coolest feeling sitting in a 'cinema', drinking JD and smoking a cigar - she couldn't help giggling!

I still feel knackered from it all though - I didn't get back to my room until about 2ish and didn't go to sleep for some time after that. And then I had to do my 20 minute presentation 5 times in a row again and I had the most difficult group in the world in one of them. This old hag who was sitting directly in my line of vision looked like she was chewing a wasp - and the rest of them weren't much better! I chucked them out more than 5 minutes early cos I didn't want them polluting 'my room' any more! It totally deflated me, which I'm not used to - everyone sees me as a jolly, bouncy, geed-up person at work (ha - little do they know), so I really had to make an effort witht the last group - which was cool in the end cos they started singing my praises and blowing my trumpet for me - yayy for me!

I still feel knackered now, and apparently I have to curtsey to the Duke of Gloucester today and say 'Good morning Your Royal Highness' and bollox like that. Who the fuck decided we should let royalty visit the workplace?? i spent half of yesterday clearing our office because it's a right mess as we have no storage space - and then I had to get rid of the 6 months worth of filing on my desk (OK, I know - it's a weak point of mine!). Don't Royals know about paperwork? Is this like something we have to protect them from? Royal Highness my arse, in fact, thinking of it like that, I might hide in the loos.

I'll let you know the verdict later!