Really busy!

Last week was so busy there's no way I could write it all down in one go so I decided to break it up! The best news is that André had a meeting with his director at work and has been confirmed in his post. He said he was always optimistic but when your organization has to lay off at least 1,000 people (with the majority being in Geneva) it was nerve-wracking all the same. I thought all that had been dealt with when his boss told him he'd put his name forward for a specific post but he later learned that in order to be automatically accepted he had to have 10 years of service on a fixed contract by 31 October - and he only had nine years and 11 months!!! Anyway, it went through and he is confirmed in his post but with extra responsibilities of course. He's got a massive "unauthorized" payment to sort out, but only unauthorized in the sense that these deliveries were very much time sensitive and will have to go through in the end, but as I told him, you weren't part of that unit when it happened so the higher ups have to take their responsibilities!

Then this week I sent him a message to say I'd received a letter for him from the Swiss Office de Recouvrement (basically debt collectors) and did he want me to open it. Well I did and gave a gasp when I saw the amount of 9,500 Swiss francs (about $10,000) on the second page. But, before he had a coronary I realized that it was a + amount and not a - amount and had to do with his ex wife's financial business from the year they divorced (2020). He told me she had already received the same letter but that even though it was nothing to do with him, she needed his signature to clear up the paperwork (and there was nothing negative for her either). So they met up last week for him to hand over the paperwork and he was telling me on Saturday night that he was just stunned! Seemingly she has turned into some kind of woke valley girl and he doesn't even recognize the young woman he was married to and loved with all his heart. She now no longer speaks to anyone in her family, not even her last remaining grandma (who I remember as a sweetheart) because "while I know she loves me, she doesn't love me how I need to be loved"!!! And this is out of the mouth of my son who still visits grandma on occasion when he's in town. She asked him if he was still playing in his band and when he said that they had played a concert just the other week she squealed about how wonderful that was. He told her to calm down as they were in Switzerland not California, but to say he was shocked would be an understatement! His comment about how "I can't believe I was ever attracted to her and can you believe the relief that you feel when you realize you're no longer married to someone like that" made me bite my lip, but I did, as my ex is still their dad and they have to have their own relationship with him - despite what I could have said!

I told him I genuinely liked his wife but I always thought there was something a bit "off". I wondered if it bothered her that she was mixed race (her mother was adopted from Korea) but he didn't think it was that - like he said, she has her problems and it's no longer his job to sort them out! Shame really as I know he really loved her and was devastated by their divorce!

On Saturday night I was invited to the 40th birthday party for twins Julien and Nico. I know Julien better (he's the intrepid Julien from the Avoriaz dog-sledding expedition) but less so Nico as he is a hairdresser in Paris (he kept adjusting my wig). What a lovely family-friendly event that was. I spoke to their dad (mom and dad divorced many years ago) and said what lovely young men they were so I guess he and mom did a good job. Since they were born in 1985 they asked everyone to dress from that era, but to be honest I was in my early 20s in the 1980s and don't remember anyone dressing like Amazon suggested. Still, never mind, it was a fun way to spend a great evening. Both boys had set up a Lydia account (a kinda Gofundme) for each other and I was very happy to see that they received almost the same amount. Nico wants to go to Japan (I told him I just might go with him) and Julien wants a telescope, so I hope they both get their wish!

It was lovely spending time with the kids (the littles held out very well) and to get time chatting with André, who I don't see so often. He sat down next to me, flicked his wig over his shoulder and asked if I "came here often"!!!! In the course of our discourse he told me he had a date next Saturday and was not best pleased when I asked "with a girl?". Of course with a girl, I don't know why I said that, but she is French, very pretty and a family member of a friend. We'll see how that goes. He also goes out occasionally for a drink with a Russian woman (10 years older and very beautiful, but then Eastern European women often are - and it must be a "confess all to mom" period but I'm happy with that, as long as my kids are happy). He's very open about not wanting to tie himself down and keeps in touch with the wild Australian girl in Amsterdam too. Good for you babe, as long as you're honest with everyone! Well at least I guess he's got his ex-wife out of his system now!

I wanted to post loads of photos of the party on FB but thought the better of it because not everyone wants to have their photos published, so I'll just leave a few here! A bientôt!

Jordan, Charlie and me!

My boys with the birthday boys!

Jen, Charlie, Elynn and Jordan!