To not want to go out to dinner on a week night?

[Anna8888]

We get endless invitations to dinner parties on a week night. While we manage to fend many of them off, some people are so persistent that we end up having to accept. I don't want to go out at 8.15 pm, eat dinner between 9.30 and 11 pm and not get to bed until half past midnight on a week night when we have to get up for work/school at 7 am. It KILLS me, and the dinners are unbelievably tedious.

AIBU?

I was in a similar situation at a hen night once.

A well known actress related to the bride turned up later than everyone else because of work commitmments and no one dared speak to her for ages for fearing of looking too starstruck. Only the bride was talking to her.

After 45 minutes I decided to break the ice. For a start I wanted to spend more time with the bride who I don't see very often. The actress seemed really pleased.

I don't think she is as famous as 'your' celebrity Anna so the reaction may be different.

But I think it is a bit rude and very starstruck to let the fame get in the way. After all, if it was an unfamous father you had never seen before you would ask after the mother and newborn, wouldn't you?

I am sure he will answer the question politely and then make it clear whether he wants to chat more (you never know) or not.

OSOC - I know, one is being starstruck either way, it is pretty unavoidable . Anyway, DD is off school today so I won't be faced with the dilemma. Maybe I'll buy Paris-Match this morning and see if I can get an update...

Dinner party was apparently dire as hell with couple giving it at one another's throats, wife receiving SMS very obviously from OM during the evening etc. So glad I didn't go.

Bink - my DP also says hello to random celebrities on the basis he recognises them/knows them from somewhere .

Poor man
He is probably quivering in the playground thinking GET ME OUT OF HERE

We only have nice cuddly slebs at dd's school who are very approachable so I can't help you I'm afraid.

I do that thing too - saying hello to people because I think I know them. It is very . I did it at the school xmas fair a couple of years ago and struck up a convo with Pat Cash while desperately trying to remember who the fuck he was. Shit shit. Am blushing at the memory now
argh

Actually, now I think about it a bit more, I think he is waiting for us all to swoon and that's why we don't talk to him. His ego is fairly apparent.

Quite a few of the new expat mothers are genuinely totally oblivious, however.

of course he isn't
Stop being so odd and ask him how his wife is ffs.

he is not a martian he is a human being

Fabio, yes, we did occasionally see the toothy one from Cold Feet but I think she had more work than swimmerman. I can see one might feel reticent about approaching any very up himself dad, famous or not. I'd go the Paris Match route.

We have the family of deviant offender in our class.

Oh DS1 is always telling me that one person or another's dad is in prison. Is hard to tell which children are fantasists though

bunch of sweetie wifes -oh aye i know her,oh aye i ken hisfamily,in jail i tell you...

except hanging over the washing line has been replaced by hanging over a keyboard

Just go and ask him and pretend you don't know who he is - maybe he only seems egotistical because you haven't spoken before. (you never know...) do it after your DC have come out of school so if he turns out to be a twat just excuse yourself by saying 'oh, glad everything's going so well, must be off now.' and walk away.

Did the husband not say anything about the txting of the OM??

Nope, despite my DP and another man at the dinner having a very open dig at the wife as she checked her telephone.

I can't pretend I don't know who he is. That would be like pretending I don't know who Terry Wogan or Jonathon Ross is - not credible .

So be honest
Go up to him and say
Hi, I was wondering how your wife is
then look a bit coy and say
gosh it is strange talking to you in real life! You must get that all the time though. Anyway, did you hear about little Hugo's superb muffin making yesterday...
etc

Faked gauchery might be OK in the UK, definitely not here .

I wasn't suggesting you fake it
You do sound gauche tbh

I'm not remotely gauche .

But, as I chat with you lot about what are fundamentally social dilemmas, it just highlights how completely different behaviours are here and in England.

YANBU..I feel like death when getting up for work if ive been out the night before.I cant function.
It is sad.I am 28 years old and have to be in bed by 10 if Im to have any chance of oing anythong remotely well the day after.

Why acknowledge it in any way? Wouldn't the normal polite, considerate, civilised behaviour be a simple: "Bonjour, j'espere que votre femme est le petit bebe sont ok." (You may adapt it a little to compensate for my o level French).

et

Well if you are too embarrassed or star struck to talk to someone in the playground whose wife and child you know to enquire after the health of wife and new baby then that sounds a bit gauche to me

Or just run up and snog him.