I'm having a very nice weekend (obviously not nice enough to be GAL rather than hanging out here, but nevertheless life is getting brighter and brighter).

On Friday night H called to ask me if I wanted to have a drink with him after work. I accepted, noting that I was going out to dinner so it would have to be quick. Got there and he was there with a group of our friends.

I'd been in multilateral negotiations all day, so was dressed to kill in designer suit, power shoes (still peeling my toe nails out of the flesh of my toes), opaque tights, discrete but gorgeous jewellery. It was a good hair day - it doesn't get any better.

I shone. Didn't say much to H, but had chirpy, funny, intellegent conversations with some of our friends. H and I cracked some jokes like old times and I zipped out on my way to dinner. He asked who I was going to dinner with and I was mysterious (I was going to my sisters, but he didn't need to know that).

Spent the day yesterday with B (I am going to have to be careful there WAWF - it's getting to the stage where I think he is more into it than I am ...), had a great dinner party at home last night with friends.

My step daughter is in town and she called me this morning asking me to go to lunch with her, H, OP, the refugees and Hs mum. I gracefully declined by saying I had something else on (not a good time to introduce that level of tension into the mix) but she's going skiing for a few days and then is coming back to Canberra for 4 nights, so will stay here with the boys and I.

I'm not sure if what I did next is a good thing or a bad thing, but I was reading in a leadership text book the other day around the power of engineering an environment, doing something to heat up a set of issues if you want to affect change. So - I texted H. Just a brief one. It said

Hi H
D just called and asked if I wanted to go to lunch with you all. I'd love to but worried it might be awkward for you. What do you think?
WB

He rang back within 10 minutes or so and said "I think it would be better if you don't." I was cool as a cucumber and agreed that it was a tough one, but explained briefly that I didn't want to tell her things were too awkward for me to go (H has always prided himself on maintaining cordial relationships with EVERYONE and can't stand conflict). He kept apologising and was very nervous and I just validated him and told him I totally understood. Kept it very light. I know that this is going to play on him - particularly after the snub OP gave me when I waved to her the other night - unless his personality has completely changed I know he can't tolerate bad manners. So, I've affected a bit of tension there that may or may not work in my favour. It's all a bit Machiavellian really ... scary

I'm going out now to have my nails and eyebrows done and ending the weekend with dinner at my other sisters place.

I'm going to be OK. I feel strong. The weather is finally getting better and I'm springing into Spring.

V

Never make someone a priority, who makes you an option.