pants on fire

Sorting and packing you come across some fascinating old stuff, like this birthday card from when I turned ten. What does it look like a little girl is supposed to be when she grows up? In its defense, inside it does give movie star and lady astronaut as possible careers. Liar isn't among them.

I lied. On Friday I lied to the very pleasant gentleman from the removalist company who came to give me a quote (and now I'm trying to expiate it by confessing here, please bear with me). Now I'm not often one to tell lies (truly) - if I break something I take responsibility for it, if I'm asked for my opinion on something I don't like I'll manage to pick out a good point and make a comment on that. If I tell a lie, it's usually in a bid to make myself look better (shudder). And so I lied to the man from the removalist company when he asked me if I would be looking for work in the US. "Well, I'm a health economist", I replied, bold as brass. Health economist schmonomist. I'm doing my first subject, Introduction to Health Economics, and on Friday, I missed my exam.

For very good reason, mind you - I spent all Thursday night either vomiting or ... well, food poisoning, you get the picture. Friday morning I was ragged. To give you some perspective, the last time in living memory that I vomited was while giving birth (yeah ok, and there was the time a few years back in the taxi when I had dreadful tonsillitis but other than that ...)

The thing is, back to my self-aggrandising lie here, I have always so wanted to be something, to have a professional identity, to be able to say "I am a ...". Put it down to insecurity hanging over from having done an Arts degree. Anyway, I have applied for special consideration and hope to get a deferred exam. That and a nose job (Pinocchio reference) and I should be just fine.