Sometimes my planning just fails – I’m double booked!

Today I went to work. I received an email asking me about my anticipated days of leave during the Easter break. In the peaceful, relatively quiet silent office, I check the diary. I looked up the book club reminder email about next week’s meeting and sorted out my leave days for after the Easter break. These days of leave are to ensure that I can travel to Sydney to go to a book launch. Not just any old book launch but the launch of Kerri Sackville’s book, When My Husband Does The Dishes. It was a quiet audible expletives deleted exclamation of surprise when I realised that next month’s book club date was Thursday 28 April. Next month I am presenting for book club, Kylie Ladd’s first book, After The Fall. In case you are not keeping up with what a total balls up this is, let me explain.

I used my book club privilege of choice of book for this year to recommend we read After The Fall. In fact, Kylie Ladd offered to have my children if I did this. (The things we say on Twitter, honestly! Naturally, I declined her kind offer.) My choice was accepted, I agreed to present. I even wrestled control of the Twitter book club meet up on this book, from my dear friend Michelle, so I could ask lots of questions and give myself material for a good presentation. I was feeling pretty smug about all that. Mistake number one.

Last month, book club met. We confirmed the books and dates and places for March through to June. After The Fall, April, right. Got it. Not to be moved because of Easter, it’ll be right. 28 April. Then the reminder email came and I filed it, with the tag book club. But what I didn’t do was print the schedule with the dates and places there and then. Mistake number two.

Last week, my invitation arrived to the book launch of Kerri’s book. YIPPEE. Planning began in earnest. I wangled an extra night away from home. In Sydney. By myself. Alone. Not really alone though because lots of lovely people are going to the launch including, wait for it, no really wait, it’s the denouement after all, KYLIE LADD!

Here’s what I said next on Twitter

Most monumental schedule stuff up ever! @ book launch and bookclub where I am to present After the Fall @ SAME DAY!
@stellaorbit
Louise Bassett

Fortunately, I was assisted immediately, by Kerri, who offered to write to book club personally on my behalf. Later, Kylie called me the ‘village idiot’ but she said she meant it in a loving way! (Yeah right.) Either way, I now have to try to move the book club meeting and inconvenience twelve lovely and clever women, so that I can go and meet two of the best most fantastic people ever. That and have two nights (count em!) to myself in SYDNEY.

I’ve started to draft the email to book club

Dear Bookies,
Remember when we agreed to read After The Fall, and I said I’d present? And we agreed to have it on the last Thursday (as per usual) of April? Well sorry, but I can’t present because I will be in Sydney smmoozzzing with the author and her friends, at a book launch!

Now you will excuse me, while I go and find the right words (quoted with tweezers) to write to my book club friends.