Major annual challenge at work today but passed with flying colours. Consumed a lot of personal energy resources though so am now shattered. OH also out travelling a lot for work this week so I treated him to a meal out at one of our favourite eateries, the only one in town guaranteed not to have drunken Englishmen shouting anti-Eastern European obscenities at the television. Instead, there was a colourful mix of British, German, Turkish, Russian and, memorably, an Egyptian who had dressed up in a jellabiya, sash and fez, for a laugh, he said, and who was only stopping by for his customary cup of coffee before heading off to the pub quiz next door.
While the owner-chef made us a huge Friendship Plate full of bits of delicious marinated lamb, hummus, tzatziki, vegetables, chips and bread, I had a conversation with the man in the jellabiya about the military takeover in Egypt ("The army will make a deal with the Muslim Brotherhood," he confidently predicted.) and then we moved on to the topic of Europe, the debt crisis, the impending sad demise of a lovely idea -- and Owner-chef's freshly made-over teeth -- mainly because the footie was so boring.
The evening out could have been brilliant, had I not managed, in my addled state, to ask about the health and well-being of Owner-chef's girlfriend, using the name of his previous girlfriend. I can only say in my defence that I was tired and not concentrating for a millisecond (I had corrected myself as soon as the wrong name came out). I had never been officially told the name of the new girlfriend either, only the old one's, but I had evidently hit a sore spot -- our friend's face instantly clouded over, he became very sad, even though I apologised about ten thousand times for my stupid mistake, but I'd obviously aggravated him so much that he charged me full-price, which he normally never does.
On our walk home, I agonised to OH about how I could make it up to our friend -- flowers? Some of my best baking? OH, practical as ever, simply said: "Let it go and just have more coffees at his place -- leave more money there, that'll make him happy again."
Spoken like a wise man in a jellabiya.
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