coming home was wonderful, but i wasn't there for long.

the following monday i packed up and headed to the philippines for a training session. i was meant to stay for two nights, but given that it was the triplets birthday on the wednesday, there was no way that was happening!

the short trip to manila was really good. our communication officers are doing a terrific job and it was good to talk with them and give them more skills. we had brought in a really fantastic English professor who really helped them at all.

me? i like to keep things simple. (and if possible, 80's oriented). during my presentation i just said, "use your spidy senses" and told them that there is no excuse for every story being the same because every person is different. i asked them who watched csi, and people nodded. so i asked when a person dies, do they just check out the apartment and leave? no! they interview husbands, friends and neighbours….and that is what an interviewer can do too.

manila's mtr/lrt/mrt is fantastic by the way.

i got home, we had the birthday parties and then life settled into it's typical routine. work, school, etc.

but then something very small added such a change!

the other day liza found what i thought was a yogurt covered raisin on top of the piano table. this was a surprise to us both, because yogurt covered raisins are always hoovered up in our home. i started to pick it up, and liza told me not to.

"eh?"

"it's an egg" she told me.

"an egg!" i said.

"a gecko egg."

now the geckos that live in our home are pretty streamlined, even with all the treats i give them. i cannot imagine them pushing an egg this size out their fanny. how could they scamper along the walls carrying an egg like this? their legs couldn't meet the walls.

a quick google search confirmed that it was a gecko egg!

I AM GOING TO BE A MUMMY!

the aforementioned egg was quickly moved the warmest part of the house (the kitchen) and put into a plastic box. we ripped up some paper to protect the egg. the kids wanted to touch the egg but i didn;'t let them, explaining if the egg is turned over, the baby inside could drown in the fluid.

this egg might not be viable. this is a very real fear. gestation is 30 days. i think we are down to 23. what will i say if the egg doesn't open? what if it does and i am not present at the birth?

thing three – saturday night was a delicious night. i got to achieve one of my dreams – seeing elvis costello in concert. we went with laurel and chris ("daniel's" parents) and we first had a quick meal at dan ryan's. we looked at our tickets and laurel said, "i think we are in the front row". the ticket did say "a" which was good!we walked over to the theatre and were led to our seats. not only were they front row, but they were front row centre! we had the four best seats in the house!

we saw lots of people we knew, and all of us had the same refrain, "all of our friends are as sick as parrots…no one else knew he was coming to hong kong."

it was a wonderful concert. i am a long time elvis fan.  he is very quirky, wore a shirt with a jacket that i would NEVER allow charles to combine, and was alone on stage with seven guitars and his trademark black rimmed spectacles.

his fifth song was one of my fave's .. everyday i write the book…by saying how much he hated, hated, hated this song..or used to until a CANADIAN taught him to sing it properly.

WELL, what else were we supposed to DO but cheer, loudly?

he paused and said, "i like canadians"

(see previous, except then i yelled, "you married one!!" at the same time as someone called out "NANAIMO!")

and then he was off.the above recording is live from that night.

he strolled around the stage, unplugged, he whistled, and the acoustics were so fantastic you could hear his footfalls as his black wingtips strolled around. when the audience got too noisy he would put his finger to his lips.

and cute as a button. at one point when he approached his chair and sat for a minute, he said, "i'd like to introduce you to our special guest star tonight…me"

charles was v. chuffed when elvis performed "SHE". someone in the audience was brave enough to record it!!

it was just wonderful being there with MC, holding his hand and leaning on his shoulder, like i have done for so many years. it was a fantastic night.

homecomings, new arrivals, old favourites. it has been a good month.