Girls from work

Life is getting a little bit out of control at the moment. Well, my French life is, anyway.

With a list-as-long-as-my-arm of things that need to be done before I move house, and then before I go on holiday, I've done what any self-respecting denial merchant would do.

I've left it behind and come to the UK for the weekend.

Now, it's not totally my fault. I had meetings here thursday and friday - and I have more monday and tuesday. It just made sense to check into 'Mom's Hotel' for the weekend and catch up with everyone.

Friday night, I went out with the Girls From Work. The GFW are amongst my oldest friends. I worked with them in 1985 and 1986 and have stayed in touch ever since.

We probably see each other no more than twice a year, but we email and chat occasionally. Whenever I see them, I feel like I'm sixteen again and they are the bossy 'older sisters' that I never had. I generally sit back and watch/listen as they gossip, and chat about kids and schools and husbands and Nigella recipes.

Then comes the point where they ask what's going on in my life.

They've set me up with so many dodgy men in the past. They both still work in the travel industry and seem to have an endless supply of Travel Agents that they think would make an ideal 'life partner' for me....

"Darren" had his own business, was handsome as and utterly charming. He lived with his mother and had no intention of leaving her.

"Mike" was a Travel Agent by career, but he was in the Territorial Army in his spare time. When he arrived int he bedroom in his camouflage I was mildly surprised. I went with it, but it's the kind of thing I'd only do once.

"Andy" cried at dinner.

"Phil" talked, talked, talked. When I came back from the bathroom he was talking to the people at the next table. He just couldn't stop. Even in the bedroom.

"Steve" was the best of the bunch. We had a great evening and really enjoyed each other's company. I'd been sneezing all night and we joked about me being allergic to him. When I got to his house and met his four cats, I realised that this was true. I was allergic to his cats and to the cat hair that covered his clothes.....

Anyway, this time round they suggested a new one. They'd been discussing it for the past week. They'd gone through the options and narrowed it down to a guy who was 'absolutley perfect' for me.

They spent an hour telling me why 'on paper' this guy was perfect.

Lord. I'm not going to meet him.

That said, GFW1 is planning all sorts of way that we could bump into each other. You'd think this would be difficult with us living in different countries.

Alas, GFW1 is more cunning than you'd ever imagine.

I fully expect to find him in my shower one of these days....