I was so excited about my former Austrian flatmate coming to London that I was frightened something might go wrong.
Couldn't wait for Friday night.
Was wearing my blue Monsoon dress, black heels, lapis lazulis stone necklace, waiting eagerly at Bayswater station at 7.30pm.
And there she was.
Taxi to the Cook Book cafe at the Park Lane Intercontinental.
The restaurant was large, very quiet, with views of leafy trees.
Was so nice to just talk and catch up on every little aspect; work, life, family, men, husbands, friends, flatmates over wine, with no noisy distractions or time limits.
We ate: smoked salmon with crab and potted shrimp, skate and saute spuds, then a chocolate cake with mocha ice cream.
One of the best choc cakes I've ever had (and I've had a few in my time!) - very rich, moist and they even provided a little jug of chocolate sauce.
I awoke on Saturday morning feeling wonderful, as it was like the first day of the holidays, with having Monday off.
The sun was shining and I showered then rushed down to Pat Valeries for a latte and a hazlenut croissant.
We met at the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road, again, this time with two more friends, for lunch.
The cafe there is in a big open plan room, with plenty of light and pink, orange and green seats. There was smoked salmon and cream cheese quiche or goat's cheese and tomato quiches, plus potato salad/green salad plus cupcakes, biscuits and tarts.
There was a knitting group meeting going on at the same time.
More catching up, then we looked at some of the exhibition - mainly a collection of drawings by an artist suffering a mental breakdown.
Other parts of the museum were about the body.
I stopped when I got to a section which housed 700 diet books. I planted myself on a seat and flicked through some till everyone else had finished seeing the museum.
My favourite book was 'The Chocolate Lovers Diet' - which basically said you use chocolate to comfort yourself or as a crux when you're bored - don't.
Saturday was all about talking, laughing, wandering, eating and drinking.
We sat outside in the sun at Euston station, drinking hot chocolate/coffee from Pauls and eating Krispy Kremes (except - no donuts for me).
We ambled down Tottenham Court Road, through Soho and on to Mayfair, window shopping.
Dinner was at Sketch on Conduit Street.
I had risotto.
Everyone said 'you have to go to the loo here'.
Then, it was drinks in Soho.
I was sooo tired at the end. Must up my stamina.
Left around midnight.
I was so happy to see her - still felt as comfortable as ever - it was so easy, and so fun - she's always nice.
S had brought me some Sacher Torte from Hotel Sacher in Vienna and a recipe book on Cupcakes as a belated birthday.
So, I'm afraid, I laid in bed on my silk sheets, on Sunday morning, loving having a relaxing start to the day, eating Sacher Torte for breakfast, reading 'One Fifth Avenue' by Candance Bushnell.
Met up with A, an Australian friend in the afternoon, to wander round the canal boat show in Maida Vale, taking photos, and peering into the boats.
He cooked dinner for me at his new flat in Kilburn.
I was impressed.
He did trout, with a garlic, herb and olive oil dressing, new potatoes and broccoli, followed by Gu chocolate puddings.
Monday, met up with C & C for a late lunch at Ping Pong on Great Malborough Street. We were all slightly subdued, I know I wasn't happy that the lovely bank hol was ending.
I caught the tube down to Wimbledon where I did my first kettlebell class.
Hard, hard work, I was puffing.
Today, I ache everywhere, but it's a good, exercised ache.
I'm not stiff, or walking like John Wayne. Can't wait to do it all again tomorrow night.
One girl said she'd done it before and lost 3/4 of a stone in two months.
That's everything apart from that there was major excitement this morning, when the entire Manchester United team trooped by our office door.
I was amazed to see how ordinary and unnattractive the majority of them looked.