The futility of it all was evident as I readied myself to go to a concert last night. Wanting to look "hip" because the concert's venue is a very "hip" place, normally frequented by equally "hip"-looking people, my goal was to not look square and school-marmish. (I apologize to all those school teachers - former and present - who may read this posting.)
Planning for my outing began early in the day as I began mulling the necessary preparations. I can now see what my aging father meant when he said it "took him twice as long to get half as much done". Knowing I was the driver for a late-night return trip, I acknowledged I should add an afternoon nap, if at all possible, to the day's schedule. Details then began to fall into place such as the choice to wear glasses instead of contacts, the choice to have a late lunch so I could eat a meal at the club during the concert, and the really tough questions: What do wear and what to do with my hair. To repeat myself, I was eager to appear "hip" so I agonized over what to wear, finally settling on my skinny-looking jeans that I wrote about several months ago. Mother Nature had played nice and dropped her temperatures about thirty degrees from the day before, thus making denim a comfortable clothing option. Of course, open-toed sandals were a must but I thought I could sacrifice the reality of cold feet for hipness. I carefully scanned my additional wardrobe choices, settling on a sleeveless, black mock-turtleneck and a black and white sweater.
With clothing all laid out, I set my alarm for a sixty-minute nap, went into the bathroom area to put something away, and heard an oh-so-subtle noise that I knew shouldn't be anywhere. To shorten this story, I spent the next thirty-five minutes searching out the source of the noise, which sounded like water running......somewhere. Turns out it was a toilet tank that had not filled properly since 8 a.m. Subsequently, water had been constantly running for over eight hours. Capt. SO will love the next water bill! With now twenty-five minutes left to rest before getting ready to look hip, I laid down, only to have a phone-texting "conversation" begin that would continue over the next fifteen minutes. I did the math and concluded that ten minutes of quiet was better than none.
Wrestling with my "new" electrified hairstyle took longer than it should, the sweater I'd chosen to wear over the black mock-turtle looked suddenly dumpy so I tossed it and began frantically moving hangers from side to side, finally settling on a black, cotton mini-jacket. I donned the jacket and then determined that the ensemble needed a necklace or some "bling" to add some pizazz. Now I'm running out of time before I must leave in order to be on time to meet the people who would ride with me to the concert. Opening up my jewelry case to where the necklaces hang, my eyes fall on what I think will be the perfect "bling" to go with my "hip" look. Groping sightlessly with the clasp, I finally get it closed, only to discover that the necklace is on backward, with all of the attached trinkets upside down. Lots of ensuing grunts, blue-words and finger-fumbling finally ended with the necklace in its proper position. A mirror check confirms that my hair is an issue but I am out of time. Hoping that the concert venue will be suitably dark, I dash out the door, open-toed sandals slipped on and a raincoat over my elbow.
The concert was great and my avoidance of mirrors, throughout the concert, was intentional. After arriving home - way past my bedtime - I hazarded one look in the mirror and concluded that it was good I resisted looking in mirrors all evening. But......the necklace was a perfect addition to the open-toed sandals!
Ancora imparo
