Wednesday 5 November 2008

Recharging your batteries

Subjects any dinner with friends you've known since you were 19 must cover... .

I have decided to petition the government to make this law after spending yesterday evening eating too many crisps, eating too much food and talking non-stop with Girlfriends A, B, and C. It made me feel so much better that I think it should be made available on prescription.

1. Long conversations with Girlfriend C's children about the latest cool tv programmes, complete with re-enactment of particular sketches they find amusing and, if you are lucky, some guitar practice thrown in for free. (This last is very important as it will remind you that under no circumstances - ever - should you allow your children to pick up a violin, since not only you but any guests you have will be treated to impromptu recitals. Believe me, a guitar is fine, but having played the violin for 7 years, I have only admiration for my parents that they persevered through the first - oh, I don't know - 5 years or so).

2. Gossip concerning people you don't know, will probably never meet, but who are key parts of two of your girlfriends' working lives. This is particularly entertaining when Girlfriend A absentmindedly lets slip something that she really shouldn't have, since it directly concerns the partner of a person working with Girlfriend B. Luckily Girlfriend B was already aware, but the comedy possibilities of asking Girlfriend A to 'keep a secret' now stretch off into a long and shining future.

3. The new haircut that Girlfriend A is sporting, taking at least 10 years off her and reminding you, B, and C, that short-short hair doesn't only have to be worn by Isabella Rossellini or Juliet Binoche to look good...

4. But that putting any weight on around your chin might not be a good idea with said haircut.

5. The recycled Dolce & Gabbana reversible mac that same Girlfriend is wearing, which whilst it is designer somehow manages to successfully channel the pink plastic mac she used to wear whilst we were all in college.

6. How we can't believe the amount of air-time and newsprint devoted to analysing the Brand / Ross debacle on Radio 2, and thank god for the US elections finally taking it off the front page so we have something else to talk about.

7. Spending the next 10 minutes talking about the Brand / Ross debacle on Radio 2.

8. Our children. Between us we have 8, ranging in age from 14 to 1. The list of topics provided by this are of course endless, spanning girlfriends, spots, Doctor Who, Irish Dancing, front trotting, school uniforms, broken arms, monkey bars, and potential additions to the total of 8.

9. Birth control.

10. Hair colour - or the lack of it.

11. The state of the economy. (But not for long - far too depressing)

12. 1950's tea sets and mis-matched dinner services.

13. Vintage clothes. Even though only one of us (Girlfriend B) can claim any real affinity with or possession of said items.

14. £260 parking fines (pah!) incurred in times of 'having to keep the receipts' and subsequent tight-lipped conversations with spouses. And how it could just as easily have been Husband who got into that mess since he gets far more tickets than I do, but simply hasn't been towed yet. (Thanks, girls, for the support on that one!)

15. Of how my boys share educational establishments with celebrities children, and how I am shamefully poor in getting to know their parents, having them over for dinner and including Girl A (particularly) in the invitation. We came to the conclusion that since Girl A is an avid reader of Hello, Grazia etc she should do my school run as she would be able to spot said celebrities far better than I. We also came to the conclusion that it's probably better for everybody if she doesn't...


So, that's the first 20 minutes of my evening covered. How did you spend US Election Night?

20 comments:

  1. Wish I had that much fun last night!

    Sadly, I could not even wait up until 11 when the first polls closed.

    But I did get up early and watch all the speeches.

    The best bit was: we are not blue states, and we are not red states, we are the United States.

    My mother, who is visiting from the US, cried when she heard Obama's speech (I think she voted for McCain).

    -Susanna (A Modern Mother)

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  2. My night was v boring.

    But my oldest friend spent the evening at the US Embassy chatting up Josh Hartnett.

    (Mind you, I don't tink I'd have known who he was, even if he introduced himself!).

    You can't beat quality time with old friends.

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  3. Are you EVER going to be able to meet up with friends and not discuss front trotting? I fear it will dog your conversations for many years to come...

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  4. I love evenings like that. And I love how when certain groups of friends get together they start talking and just don't stop ...!

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  5. That sounds like a fun way to have spent the evening. I spent it trying to work out why our washing machine keeps flooding, cleaning up mouse droppings and then falling asleep in front of Newsnight before abandoning all hope of staying up....

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  6. Well I tried watching the telly last night but the networks were all number counting. I did cast my vote but in Texas it was never going to make a difference.....

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  7. I was supposed to go to a party a few streets away to drink champers etc. However, my 15 year old didn't want to be on her own when the results came in. I couldn't take her with me as she was my babysitter - so I stayed in with her and watched history being made. Can't beat that!

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  8. I have one of those short short haircuts.

    And funny you should mention the neck thing.

    I stood looking into the mirror this morning and checking out my neck. After losing 25 lbs. - I wondered if I had gained a pound this morning.

    The thing you have to do you see with very short haircuts - is - put lots of cream on your neck so it doesn't wattle when you get to my age. And when you lose weight you have to do neck exercises so that it doesn't - pucker.

    Sigh.

    Or - you could grow your hair again.

    Girlfriends. They'll let you know the answer to that.

    For me? Most of my friends live many miles away or across continents. They can't look in the mirror with me.

    Sigh again.

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  9. So what was the conclusion on birth control? Something you are not sharing with us Potty Mummy?

    BM x

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  10. Hi Susanna, I know the feeling. If I hadn't been with my girfriends I would have been nodding off too - no matter how exciting things were getting in the polls... Not 18 any more, hey?

    Mud, if you'd met him I don't think who he was would have mattered. Lucky friend!

    Iota, I know, you're right. It is a bit of a conversation stopper.

    GBS, I don't know what you mean. Women in their 40's, talking too much? Surely not.

    NVG, poor you. Am waiting for our next visit from the mice. I'm sure they're here, ough no droppings in sight, so perhaps they've learnt how to use the loo?

    Sam, good to hear from you, and why do you think I blog? It has more than a little to do with the fact that there's nothing on tv...

    EPM, you know she'll remember that evening for ever?

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  11. Hi Aims, good advice, will pass it on to Friend A (as I am not currently brave enough to go for the chop!)

    BM, no, nothing to share, am very definitely not going down that road again. It was more for one of our group who's husband is not satisfied with having four (FOUR) children and is hankering after number five... (Oh, the horror!)

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  12. I just crossed my legs at the thought...

    BM x

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  13. What a top notch evening you had! Nothing beats quality time with close girlfriends.
    I spent election night being annoyed Gavin & Stacey wasnt on BBC America due to extended news coverage, and texting my BF who was on a shopping trip to Chicago and found herself in the midst of all the excitment at Grant Park.
    Couldn't stay up to watch all results come in, so took my glass of Merlot to bed...

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  14. p.s. you know you want to dish wish celebs take their kids to your sons scholl....go on....pur-lease!

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  15. Jeez- excuse the bad spelling. I of course meant 'which celebs' and 'school' all the Obama excitement has gone to my fingers...

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  16. BM, me too!

    M/M, it was a great evening and no, not going to dish for the moment. Another time when I've had too much wine to be safe close to a computer keyboard. And as I wrote in the post - I'm rubbish at spotting them in the first place. One of our closest decent playgrounds is at Holland Park, and I'm forever thinking I know someone from school / nursery / a dinner party, only to realise seconds before I approach them that it's an off duty actor out with their kids...

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  17. Breathe, Potty...what a gas bag!!
    I'd like to come next time, I can bring glittery microphones so we can do backing vocals if you like?
    Hmm?
    Whadayou say?

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  18. Only if we get to sing SuperTrooper and Dancing Queen, Frog...

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  19. my sister rang me to say she was off to a fireworks party and that since the President of Kenya had degreed the next day a holiday on account of Obama's success, she was going to get drunk and have a lie in this morning. i spent my evening wishing i was there. especially when she told me it rained so hard the fireworks were called off.

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  20. Now that sounds like an awesome way to unwind, hanging out with the girls.

    I spent our historical election night packing for an overnight trip to Orlando and going to bed early. I had to get up at 5am the following day and drive 3 hours to Orlando.

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