June or July? July or June?

They both start with 'J', have 'u' as the second letter and have four letters in total, but they are different. I swear I know that.

I don't recall ever confusing them over the last 50-or-so years, but I've excelled myself this year.

It started on a Sunday night a couple of weeks ago when I received a call at about 9pm from a motel in Port Lincoln, South Australia to check what time we'd be arriving.

'Um,' I said, confused, 'we're in Melbourne, so we're not checking in. Isn't that next month?'

Apparently not.

Allegedly because I'd booked through a third party website, it was 'so sad too bad' so I was forced to forgo that payment and re-booked for the correct month.

I had a small panic as this was just one part of the trip.

I called Whyalla to check that booking and surprising both me and the girl on the phone, someone had checked us in and apparently, we were still there!! No idea how that happened. Much more obliging, they moved my booking to the correct month.

Next was the diving and flights I'd booked - the most expensive part of the trip and lord knows how, but that was correct. Phew.

On the Wednesday after that, I sent a text to some friends who were coming for dinner later that week to check if they eat oysters, adding I was looking forward to seeing them on Friday. One shot a text back:
'This Friday? I thought you said July 7?'

I scrolled back through my messages and indeed, I had told her July 7, not June 7. By some sheer miracle, they could still make it.

I put it down to not losing my marbles but simply an anomaly - or two.

Until yesterday... when I rang and spoke to a colleague I'd emailed about attending a meeting in Canberra in June.
'Ah, June...' he said. 'I can do June, but your email said July - can't do July, can do June.'

Oh dear..... maybe I am losing my marbles!!