I consider myself socially normal, with normal being neither a social butterfly nor a hermit.

Mr S and I were invited to a dinner with the group of people we’d spent a weekend with in the desert. The invitation came at the end of November for the 17th. We rsvp’d and then a few days before, contacted the hosts to see if there was anything we could bring. Phones started ringing and unanswered, emails and sms were sent: the dinner was on the 17th of Jan, not Dec.

I had thought it strange to arrange a dinner three weeks in advance – we do things more spontaneously. It didn’t occur to me that it was over a month in advance. It seems the delay until January was because everyone was so busy with pre-Christmas dinners, plays and parties.

Everyone, that is, apart from us.

So, as the 17th is approaching, confirmation messages were just sent out. Mr S forgot to respond. Today he received a phone call from Madame Hostess to check we were coming. Out of five couples, only two are coming (and we’re one). Everybody else is busy.

Then Madame Hostess continued, “It’s a shame that everyone can’t be here, but it really has to be this weekend, because after this, we won’t be free until April.”

Um. Ok. Yes, um, I know what you mean…?