Happy Birthday Melissa

Another birthday in our gang, another girlie get-together. This time it was for Melissa Hardwick who thought we were going into Harrods in London to look at the pet shop for Elise Rasumussen Ace (who gets her cats and dogs from there. Apparently, the pets bought from Harrods are allowed into the store at anytime throughout their lives, but I don't know how much they are going to buy there -- unless Harrods issues doggy credit cards.)

But Elise and Karen Firbank led Melissa into the salon instead where Melissa was treated to a new hairdo and a makeover, while sipping Harrods champagne with a plate of strawberries always at hand.

We made sure we got a BEFORE picture of Melissa. Just look at her flyaway hair! It's all over the place :) thank goodness help was at hand. Here's the famous stylist Christophe Christopholous de los Santos (or whatever his name was) working his magic on Melissa:

Then, in the middle of all this beautifying, comes an interloper, just looking for a bottle of Harrods champagne to quaff to celebrate her own birthday the day before. Yes, it's my daughter Katie:

Whew, that was a hard afternoon's work. We rewarded ourselves with dinner at the Oxo Tower overlooking the Thames.

Happy Birthday Melissa!! Hope you enjoyed your day.

We can offer you prestigiousity

I had a drink with my friend Melissa Hardwick (above) and Karen Firbank (below) last night. These pictures are from the gardens in Reading near the old Abbey ruins.

I have a special bond with Melissa because her husband is suffering from Multiple Sclerosis like my mother did. Very few people really understand what Melissa and her family are going through, so I try to use my experience with my mother to be understanding and compassionate with Melissa. Melissa sells the greatest jewellery, by the way. Check out her website at: www.socharming.co.uk

Karen Firbank, as usual, cracked us up last night. She and her husband have an exhibition company, and she was telling us about her conversation with a marketing executive at KLM airlines earlier that day.

"The show in Cairo," she was telling him, "will give you unparalleled access to market leaders and government officials," and on and on she went, giving him her marketing spiel. Then she said she went a bit wild with her English and said, "in addition, we offer you prestigiousity," by which she meant it was a great location in Cairo, loads of important people there, great hotels, etc.

The guy at KLM said he couldn't make that decision. "Then who should I speak to?" Karen asked. "Can you put me through to him or give me his name so I can call back?"

The man said, "I could tell you, but I won't."

How rude. He'd let Karen go through her entire speech and she'd even offered him 'prestigiousity' and then he treated her like that.

Luckily, we had these beautiful drinks served at our table just then to take our mind off of our problems: