Welcome to the Fantasy Zone. Get Ready!

50 points to anyone who knows what game that's from.

Well, I still haven't heard from my mother. It's really not like her to miss a birthday. I'm not sure whether to be worried or ticked off. Hopefully she's having such a good time in Italy that she's forgotten about home and family entirely. I still wouldn't mind knowing that she's actually alive, however. She's due to get back on Sunday, so I guess I'll find out then. I don't even mind if she's decided to run away and join the circus - so long as she drops us a line first.

I had my performance review today at work, and it actually went pretty well. I was better prepared for it today (having not been out the night before for a boozy Greek banquet), but as it turns out, it was nothing to fear anyway.

Okay. Bizarrely, my dear old mum called while I was writing this. She's alive and well. And having a good time in Venice, by the sound of it.

So it's "phew" all around, then.

Phew.