Going nowhere

The Parents have come and gone, and I have survived.
Last week I was actually so stressed that I have bought two bookshelves at Ikea, assembled them and thrown away the two dusty old ones we had in the guest-rooms.
Yeah, the Panther (aka mom) worries me that much.
In order to welcome the Parents I had also prepared varied and high-quality menus for the whole weekend, not to mention that I baked a charlotte Bavarian cake with white chocolate cream and strawberries. Hopefully I’ll manage to upload a pic soon (I had KS take a pure Nigella Lawson style picture of me presenting my beautiful gateau!).

Now this week I should have gone back to Paris, but in the end they stopped the mission, so I’m hanging at the Lyon office. I could have used some quiet time in Paris, honestly: I can’t remember last time I’ve been shopping for myself. And I’d really enjoy spending a bit more time with Kevin. Honestly, he’s one of the best friends I have around here, I mean he’s always there for me, and lately I feel I really need someone I can count on.

What more? A whole lot nothing. I realized I got almost 8kg since I got to France, so I’m strictly on diet, and I’m practically eating only soup, tomatoes, salads and so on. Don’t waste your time commenting that this is not a good diet: I happen to be vegetarian, so the only way to lose weight quickly is to completely cut carbs. And, since I have a gala dinner on July 4 (and nothing to wear… yet) I need to lose it fast.

Next Sunday I’ll be 26. KS plans for the weekend: we’re going to his parents’ place. Do I need to say this is so not the way I was hoping to celebrate? Whatever. My birthday depresses me anyway, so I guess I’ll just try to forget it’s my birthday. And that I’m one year older.

I know, depressing. But I really feel I’m going nowhere. Does it ever happen to you?

PS I cannot even manage to find the 18th episode of Desperate Housewives, which, sucks. Was it my impression or the man that Susan greets kissing at the end of the 17th episode of the fourth season (five years later) is totally NOT Mike Delfino? Please let me know if you have seen it, 'cause I really wonder...

WHAT'S UP with DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES?

Hello everyone,
I just wanted to ask to the American readers:
what's up with DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES?

I am stuck to the 10th episode of the 4th season (after the tornado), and I can't find any following episode: is the show going on at all?

Tank-you for your answers,

DH-addicted DDgirl

Coffee and laptops in my own Wisteria World

Last week, my workmates made some comments about how my desk was AWFULLY messy, and I decided they were right and it was time to do some cleaning, throwing away empty coffee paper cups, assembling folders and so on. When I was almost done (meaning I could finally see the desk itself through all the crap) I lost balance and dropped my coffee on my laptop, which some two hours later exploded. Apparently I had screwed the hard disk, the processor and Lord know what else.
Luckily, I convinced to IT guy not to mention coffee with my boss. It took however almost 2 days before he could rescue all my data from the server and provide me with a brand new laptop! By that time, of course, I was awfully late with job, which made me rush through the rest of the week.

What’s even worse, for some random reason I didn’t really get (US girls reading, please leave comment if you know about this), I couldn’t find the new episode of Desperate Housewives, which, since I’m a total addict of Wisteria Lane, sucked.
Before the 4th season, I always wanted to be Bree, and I always thought I was more of a Susan Meyer (with more talent for cooking and less for writing). You girls know what I’m talking about: Susan running down the street in he mom’s bride dress after Mike, who is leaving her. Susan making gaffes. And so on. About why do I want to be Bree, the domestic goddess, that’s a whole different thing. Maybe it’s exactly because I’m sick of being clumsy (see the coffee incident), and I’d rather be irreproachable. I don’t wish for red hair though, I’m happy about being a dark blond.

Anyway, this morning I came to work tired from the weekend, with an awfully sore neck and a bit worried, since I knew I was getting my flu vaccine at noon (and I usually have a temperature on the following day). I turned on my brand new laptop, logged into IM although I knew Kevin was still on holiday, and started going through usual staff, when my IM blinked. It was Nico (previously on DDgirl’s life: see posts around September/October 2006 about Nico…). I already knew he had left our old company and was going to be hired at our Paris office (gossip goes fast), so I was only mildly surprised. Anyway, he was bored since he doesn’t know anyone at the Paris office, hopes we can share a drink at the Winter seminary and so on. At least he made me smile, and I know him well enough to know that, he might be cranky, but he won’t tell anyone we dated. Hopefuly.

Work meetings

Yesterday night I was watching Desperate Housewives, when I got a call from my mother, who is also known as The Panther, in family slang. I’m supposed to meet her and dad on Friday morning for a long weekend in the Alps, so I was a bit astonished when I saw her name, but I picked the call (bad mistake).

After usual chat, she came to the point.
“Darling, you know, I think your brother and his wife might be thinking about having another baby”
Guilty feelings rising around me.
“Hey Panther, you gotta be kiddin’”
I mean, Bro is 29, and he already has two kids, aged 20 months and 2 months respectively. They’re lovely, but they can be a real nightmare.
Anyway, as long as Bro goes on having kids at the rhythm of a rabbit, the whole family is fine about me being a spinster, so…

Later on, I went out for drinks with the girls from the office, to celebrate a German friend who’s leaving us to go back to Stuttgard.
Nice evening, great gossips, little alcohol. It’s week time, and I’m a professional!

The final news came this morning from my manager: in January, we’ll have a winter meeting just like those we had in June in Cannes. Oh. My. God!!!!!!
Three days in Cannes, doing nothing but sun tanning around the swimming pool, bathing in the sea, drinking ridiculous amounts of champagne. Oh, and there was a little kissing. Ok, a little making out as well, in the Mediterrean sea, one night around 4 AM. But it was a guy from another office, so not strictly a coworker, right?

Plus, look at what I was wearing for the gala dinner!