rejuvination or menopause?

My husband launched his fantastic album last night with an extremely successful gig - highlights: the drummer emerged from the loo before the gig with the best haircut ever, he sports a side-swept New Wave sort of thing - I said 'Henno, your hair is perfect!' and he replied 'I've just had it cut, I'm all itchy!' I wish I'd taken a photo, best hair ever.

Meeting their manager, over from England, and we clasped each other's hand in an identical handshake that said it all about how we both feel about the band and his involvement in it. Nice.

Surprising my husband onstage with a cake, 36 candles, while the adoring fans sang happy birthday!

Being out with my friend Cassie, and lots of people I know and like.

A sip of Guinness to wash down chocolate cake, mmm, chocolate and Guinness....

All in all they had nearly 300 people there, sold even more cds, and had a ball. Result.

But while I was rushing to get ready, I got so hot - I've always been an incredibly hot person - people used to hold my hands in winter, walking up the street - and the whole getting ready, makeup etc thing gets me flustered. But last night it just didn't go away, my cheeks were burning all night long. I mentioned this to a friend of my husband's who also is an old flame, I met them at the same time, and to put it bluntly, he's the last person I've slept with before going out with my husband, albeit 14 years ago (this is in no way an issue). For a while he was a bit of a prick about it, I'm not sure why, and could always be relied upon to say something sarky and defensive - for example, at my wedding, when he said how nice it was, I jokingly replied that all this could have been his, and rather than join in the laugh he had to say 'Ah, Jo, that was never going to happen' all seriously, and pretty gratuitously if you ask me! But last night he referred affectionately to my radiator-like properties, using my maiden name, and it occurred to me on the way home that that was quite nice, a little sign that he actually remembers my then-existence, perhaps fondly.

But then it struck me with horror, that rather than having some sort of flash back to my youth (I haven't got hot like that in ages, and recently I've been re-experiencing some allergy type stuff I had as a teen - an itchy nose, blotchy face after the shower) I might be having pre-menopausal symptoms! A hot flush, rather than a flash back! Dear God!

If anyone would be interested in the Juice's album, 'Chasing the Comfort' it will soon be available online, there'll be a link on www.myspace.com/thejuiciestmusic
It's loved by young and old, honestly, it's hard to stop playing it. (A&J, there'll be one on your parcel, of course)

I now should go make a lasagna from scratch (I impressed a sweet Italian woman in the deli today, by making my own pasta!) but I may be just too exhausted, I had a late night and I've made a cake and a soup and gone shopping and had a walk, and nursed a baby and I'm so tired. Perhaps I'll just do the sauce - we'll see.