Today Hubby and I will be spending the morning in “Poll” school. That’s where we’ll learn to be good poll workers during the next election in November. Afterwards, we may have to think about going shopping. I’m thinking I must be really getting frumping looking lately as I wear the same old clothes year in and year out. While I do get a new item now and again, many of my clothes still fit me rather large as they did when the styles were that way years ago. For awhile I told myself I was shrinking, but now I’m not so sure.
You see, yesterday my clothes–or the way I look (frumpy and poor?)–earned me a free lunch. So my class yesterday was at 11:30 and that meant I had to leave home at 11 to get there on time. Well you know what happened. I’m too busy online to leave adequate time to do more than get ready (and that meant a shampoo and a “style” half hour–something I only do when it’s absolutely necessary). But I was ready with plenty of time to spare–at least 15 minutes–but I forgot to make myself a lunch to take with me. Class goes to 1 p.m., and we had a tour of a violin-making school (I’ll have to tell you more about that later–it was impressive!) at 2:30. So Hubby picked me up at the Commander’s house and he said he’d drive me to a drive-thru so I could get something to eat.
Instead, he stopped at a Bagel shop. The same one I wrote about sometime back where the clerk gave him a couple dozen bagels for free. I looked at the menu board, trying to recognise something that might be soft enough to eat, since I’ve been nursing an aching jaw for a few days, and just couldn’t make up my mind. All this time the clerk is watching me. Finally I order a bagel dog and a small soda. Since I’m eating so late I thought it was a good idea to eat light, so that I’d be ready for dinner at the regular time. The clerk asked him what he’d like, and Hubby explained that he’d already had lunch, but that I hadn’t had any so he stopped by.
While I take my empty 22-ounce cup and proceed to fill with diet pepsi, I can hear my Hubby prattle on to the clerk about how he (Hubby) was here at few months ago and he (this particular clerk) had given him all these free bagels. How we’d put them in the freezer and how good they’d been.
About half way into eating my bagel dog, Hubby said “Y’know, your lunch was free; he wouldn’t charge me for the bagel, only for the soda. Well, that made the bagel dog that wasn’t very palatable to begin with a little more pleasing. But then I got to thinking. Is there something about me, or us, that makes this particular clerk feel sorry for us.
I looked down at my shirt. An old Liz Claiborne printed blouse, pink flowers on a sick green color leafy background, from when we lived in Ohio (we moved from there in 1993) and I don’t remember what year I bought it. It was big on me, the shoulder seam about 2 inches lower than the shoulder. A pair of Talbott’s moleskin sickly green color slacks from about 3 years ago in Las Vegas that still look pretty good and reasonably in time for an “older” woman. The colors matched, but I must look hopelessly out of date on the clothing end. Maybe everyone thinks I buy my clothes at the Salvation Army.
On a brighter note, I learned yesterday we’ll be paid for our Poll Working on election day. So maybe I’ll wait and go shopping then. At today’s prices I should be able to afford a new blouse at least. If I get to work more elections, maybe I’ll be able to buy some matching slacks too.
My Wintersong 
I think I have that blouse hanging in my closet, too!
I don’t know what they pay poll workers in your state, but around here you’d be fortunate to earn enough for a scarf, let alone a blouse. But you do get a free lunch for working.
Hi catch-her:
So you’re the one that bought that blouse! I think I saw you someplace about 5 years ago. I don’t remember where I was but I did see another woman with that same blouse on. It’s still very pretty–just very dated. Do you still wear yours? And I understand Utah’s about #5 on the payscale for poll workers so it’s better than jury duty, shall we say, or about minimum I suspect, but since I haven’t seen any money yet I don’t know for sure. I learned a lot about voting today though. I learned for one thing that I’m probably too dumb to cheat in the polls. But my job, Receiving pollster, wouldn’t be the place to cheat anyhow. My post-election day post should be interesting though.
I am just so darned impressed that you have fit in one size of clothes for that long! I think the most unfair thing in this entire world is the injustice of metabolism! I have at least 3 sizes of clothes at any given time.
Hi Edna!
That’s the luckiest thing about me that I know. I’ve just never had a problem with my weight and I eat pretty much whatever I want. You’ve reminded me I do have a story about gaining weight though. I’ll have to write about it one day. Funny how you get ideas, isn’t it?
Oh Make me laugh. I’ve been making a concerted effort, as a grandmother of 14, to update myself. I got a couple of magzines. Dragged out my old stuff, and I managed to combine A, B, and a few C’s so I will look semi 2007 this winter. Yes, I looked like a used frump a la 1985. My shape has changed. Darn it.
Hi Mageb:
Thanks for commenting today on my style. My real problem is I don’t like to get rid of things I feel comfortable in. If something doesn’t feel right, or makes me look too fat or too hippy to too whatever I won’t wear it so eventually I get rid of it. I actually took the buttons off a pair of pajamas last week and threw the rest in the garbage because the last night I wore them, I ripped them when I turned over in the middle of the night. I could literally hear the thing rip. But they were so soft from so many launderings!
I do like to use things up. My sister used to tell me my chewing gum was going to heaven because I chewed the hell out of it! I think that means I used it up! Good luck on bringing yourself up to 2007 stylewise! : D
Not that this is really the equivalent, but I taught 2 classes yesterday before realizing that I had alfredo sauce all over my pants from a lunch accident I didn’t even know I had. Ha!
What a fun post. You always make me laugh and you always look good in your clothes, especially saris. These days I hate to shop (What am I saying? I have always hated to shop) because I don’t like how tight everything looks or if it is not tight, it looks like maternity clothes. Like Mageb says, I usually have several sizes of clothes in my closet. Right now, I’m fitting into some bell bottom pants (back in style) that I have been too big for until recently. My theory is that clothes are scimpier because manufacturers are trying to save money.