Pissed again.

The drama this morning was that my gorgeous German girl lost her purse on Brighton beach last night. She had also lost her voice this morning, so could barely squeak to tell me the details. I telephoned the local police who were very helpful, but hadn't had the purse handed in. As it contained her identity card, a credit card and her driving licence, she had to phone her Mutti in Germany so that she could cancel the credit card. Mutti was obviously quite cross, which I gathered from the second-hand conversation. And I also learned from my student that a fellow student had lost a mobile phone last night (not his, but one on loan from his host family). Apparently he was so drunk that he couldn't explain to anyone how, or where, he had lost the phone. As I listen to this, I'm so glad that my children are not teenagers any more.

Today was my sister's birthday, and for the first time for years, I phoned to wish her a happy birthday and to have a chat. It was good to talk, and to feel that my family, though small, is still intact. I remember that years ago when we both lived in London (she still does, but I don't), we used to meet most days for lunch or a drink. Or we would meet up in Kensington High Street at the weekends, and pop into Biba to see if there was anything we fancied. Back then we both worked in Advertising, and didn't have families of our own to complicate matters. We were great girls, footloose and fancy-free.

Tonight I have been to a dinner party with friends who live around the corner. It was lovely to sit in their garden and drink champagne in the pink sunset. It was also great to eat food I hadn't cooked myself. I met a dramatic, strange and interesting Russian woman (who had a dense accent and was hard to understand), and her partner who was a completely ordinary English bloke. Her fingers were literally smothered with diamonds which I imagine were supplied by her partner. Fascinating. We ate and drank more than was strictly necessary, so I'm more than a bit pissed now. Tomorrow morning my gorgeous german girl is leaving at 5am - I won't be awake to wave her goodbye. And I will be making breakfast for my other German lady at 9 am. Time I was tucked up in bed.