The best-laid plans of mice and men…

Go oft awry.

My dear friend since junior high arrived from Minnesota on Thursday morning feeling not great. She proceeded to feel less and less great as the trip progressed. Many of the fun things we had planned got set aside, although that was fine–I was glad to have a friend here and felt horrid that she felt so horrible. We did manage a few hours of quite good shopping and some nice meals, but in general I’d say the trip was a bit of a bust. We were due to be in central London tonight on the town, but I’ve left her sleeping in the hotel room there in W1 and come home since there was not going to be any “on the town” and she’ll be on her way to the airport by 8:30 am 😦

Speaking of shopping, I’ve discovered something important and profound. Having female friends is expensive. Specifically, going shopping with female friends is expensive. I’ve had three shopping outings in the last month–one in Paris with a fellow expat who I know from my Virginia days, one here with my gym-buddy and one here with my visiting (and sadly, sickly) friend from Minnesota. And in each case, I bought things. All nice things, good things, and useful things. Things for work, things for dress, and of course things for feet. But things that cost money nonetheless. I have spent more money on shopping in clothes in the last month than I probably had in the previous six… although one could perhaps argue that my tired work wardrobe really did need sprucing up, and that the upcoming black tie Christmas dinner did require a new party frock. The thing is, I wouldn’t take any of it back as depleted as my bank balance is–neither the clothes (togs in the local lingo) or the time spent with friends.