dimanche 15 juin 2008

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....

20 commentaires:

Daryl a dit…

I am so laughing at this .. I myself am very guilty of always trying to set my friend Carter up .. if you didnt live so far away I would be suggesting the two of you meet .. actually I think I will tell him about your blog .. I dont know if you are right for one another but since I like you both .. I assume you'd like one another, n'est pas?

:-Daryl

aims a dit…

What would the 'perfect' partner be like TBNIL?

A Lewis a dit…

Excuse me? What's so wrong with Dodgy Men? They are some of my favorites!

amy a dit…

Army Man and Cat Man...hilarious. You've got to go through with it and meet this new man. Maybe, just maybe - he'll be perfect?!

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Daryl...what can I say? I guess if you like him and he likes you and I like you and you like me then there has to be a logical conclusion in there somewhere?

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Aims, I'm not sure he exists, but - given that Rufus is taken - if he's intelligent and funny and halfway decent looking, then bravo.

Lewis, you're right - and sometimes the dodgier the btter ;-)

But they're generally not the keepers....

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Amy, maybe so.

Or maybe he'll want to slice off my penis, fricasee it with shallots and a little coriander and then eat it while I look on in agony.

Which is a BAD thing, in case you are wondering...!

Anonyme a dit…

Can't you make a deal that you first get to meet this guy over coffee maybe, with several possible escape routes? If he does turn out to be completely yummy and at least somewhat intellectually stimulating you can always give it a go.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Marjolein, if only such a thing were possible - these are some scheming girls I'm up against!

Megan McGurk a dit…

The dude living with his mother was the creepiest, right?

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Medbh, you got it. He was very nice to look at - but not one you;d want to get too close too...

Stew a dit…

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


... with a knife a la Norman Bates.

Ee! Ee! Ee!

Swearing Mother a dit…

As I was reading this I was just going through all the single blokes I know who might, or might not, be your type.

What is it with women that we want to matchmake all the time?

Shame I'm not on friendly terms with that Rufus geezer, I'd definitely set you up with him.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Stew, you got it - I was definitely thinking 'bates motel' when I wrote that....!

SM - I don't know why you girls are determined to matchmake, but it does make me laugh....and it has helped the old love-life through the odd dry patch too!

Breezy a dit…

I have noticed this happening everywhere I have worked some unfortunate young man comes to the attention of "the girls from work" and is subjected to their advice on everything from what to buy his Mum for her birthday to which tie he should be wearing. Take comfort though it's usually only the nicest boys who get this treatment

Anonyme a dit…

made me laugh very sex in the city
I had the sma during one of my withdrawal from men periods. I wasso fed up of invites to dinner that were actaully set ups.
I become very suck in cheeks when this happensI like to hunt my own prey
I actually ahd some great times just being with people with out an ulterior motive,funny thats how I met my present husband

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Breezy - generally the girls from work ask me what to buy their mothers (gay gene and all...) but they do like to set me up.

I agree though - they only do this because I'm lovely....

travelling, but not in love a dit…

VM - 'i like to stalk my own prey' - made me laugh a lot.

Kind of goes along with 'If you're not prepared to kill it, then you shouldn't be prepared to eat it'.

tee hee.

Daryl a dit…

I am laughing at your comment about the gondoliers (sp?) ... some of them were smarmy while others indeed looked good enough to ride ... and trust me, I didnt question what you wrote at all ... I may be married but (to quote my dad) I ain't dead ..

:-Daryl

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Darryl, I'm glad to hear it. Some of those Italian boys are pretty fine...!