What to Wear, What to Wear

Stop me if you've heard this one before:

I realized, shortly after losing my job, that almost every article of clothing I owned was intended for: a) wearing to work, or b) wearing to the nicer clubs/bars I used to frequent.  What does that mean?  Because my idea of "business casual" is something like JUST DON'T DO IT IT MAKES YOU LOOK FRUMPY, my work clothes were pencil-skirts, dry-clean only sweaters, or gauzy silk blouses, straight out of "The Secretary."

I dressed like a secretary from a Cary Grant movie.

I rarely wore pants, because I preferred to wear skirts (mostly because I have a ridiculously long inseam, so I always had to buy pants with a 36" inseam and get them tailored).  For the above-mentioned reasons, my weekly dry-cleaning bills were in the $50-80 range.  No joke.  

Obviously, once unemployed, you want all your clothes to be machine-washable, or nearly all of them.  It's cheaper, and it's not like you don't have the time to wash them.  To top it off, almost all of my clothes were wintery.  Summer and spring clothes wear out much faster, my sister and I have decided, because you HAVE to wash them between wearings.  Once the weather began its transition from freeze-your-buns-off cold to make-you-sweat hot, I realized that I was wearing the same 3 things over and over again.

I decided that I needed to buy some clothes, so I did.  I hit The Gap, but their clothes didn't look like $50/item clothes, and there was nothing on the sale rack that appealed to me.  On I moved to Banana Republic, which, once upon a time, was like Cheers for me.  Everyone there knew me.  Again, nothing appealed to me, except, of course, for some beautiful silk sheath dresses that are absolutely useless in my current role of stay-at-home-mom-(without-the-kids).

XXI, a cheap cheap clothing store where I sometimes find garments that look like a million bucks, also came up empty.  Macy's, Dillard's, nada.  I take that back, I found a shirt at Macy's, but I couldn't bring myself to spend $80 on it, and it was slightly too big.  I hit Anthropologie, and finally caved, buying a sweater on super-sale and a surplice t-shirt.  Both were more than I'd hoped to spend on clothes ($40 and $50, respectively), but I was getting frustrated at this point.  I was so desperate, I even went into Arden B., for crying out loud!

One of the complicating factors in my clothes-buying experience is the fact that almost everything I want to buy is either black or white.  I don't like hot pink, bubble-gum blue, or true reds.  They make me look weird, and I always feel like a teenager from a bad 80s movie when I wear them.  A bright salmon, I can wear.  Cerulean blue, no problem (the shirt in the pic is the one I bought, but in cerulean, actually).  The people at Banana Republic used to tease me about the fact that I only bought balck/white clothes.  At work, I could branch out, wearing a black skirt, say, with a soft pink shirt.

I'm also kind of obsessive when it comes to how clothes are cut.  Give me three-quarter length sleeves over cap sleeves, any day.  My arms are by no means skinny, and have become less so, oddly enough, since I quit working.  I guess heaving all those computers around for my boss did something for my upper-arms.

So after searching for 3 hours, I came away with two shirts.  Looks like the hunt will have to continue, since I will soon need more casual clothes if a potential job in an industrial manufacturing facility pans out.

"Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi

I actually read "Persepolis" a while back, but the weighty tome I'm currently reading is preventing me from running through my weekly dose of 2-3 books per week, as per usual.  I will, of course, write about the aforementioned weighty tome once its reading is completed

"Persepolis" was amazing and eye opening.  It was made into an animated movie back in 2007 (Catherine Deneuve did the voice for Marjane's mum, and Chiara Mastroianna did Marjane's voice) and subsequently was nominated for a bazillion movie awards, including the Oscar, which it failed to win.

The graphic novel focuses on the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which occurred during Ms. Satrapi's childhood.  Because Ms. Satrapi was young when the revolution occurred, it is depicted through her 8 year old eyes.  She depicts childish confusion at being forced to wear a headscarf, but not understanding why it was required; being segregated from her male schoolmates after years of co-education; and her desire to become a prophet.

"Persepolis I" is an excellent look at the Islamic Revolution through the eyes of Iranians that are now adults.  "Persepolis II" is a look at Iran in more recent years, after Marjane returned to Iran from several years of parent-imposed exile in Europe.  She points out the innate hypocrisy in the behavior of the moral police, and often manages to make the stories sadly funny.

The Iran-Iraq war - the first one - is also covered, with its attendant bombings and television newscasts.

All in all, "Persepolis" is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read, both from a historical standpoint, and also from a conceptual point of view.  The books are beautifully illustrated with stark graphics that place emphasis on the dialogue and narration, but that also reflect the simplistic ideas Marjane had about the Revolution during her childhood.

Ugly Ugly Ugly

I finally ordered a computer.  I bit the bullet and went with a Dell, because I could get the computing power I needed, the screen size I wanted (16"), and a price I can afford.  Ok that's done.

Now, though, I'm wondering: do I get a new bag for the computer?

The bag I have for the old Fujitsu from which I'm currently blogging is big, black, and manly.  It was fine for school, but it's not particularly attractive.  It's a backpack, which worked decently, but I found it difficult to extract my computer from the bag.

I'm discovering, however, that as a fashion-conscious female, my options are limited.  Most "women's bags" won't hold the 16" widescreen computer I bought, or if they will, they're cheap pink vinyl, ready for an anime sticker to be plastered onto its side, gamer-style.  Seriously, do female executives carry pink vinyl computer bags to meetings?  If you don't want to spend $400 on a bag, you're out of luck!  It's ridiculous.  I want to spend less than $100 (significantly less), so that means my options are even more limited.

I found a sleek aluminum case (a knock-off of the Halliburton Zero) online for $50, but it weighs 7 lbs, so form doesn't really follow function.  Too bad, because it would have been soooooo James-Bond-villainess-chic to carry.  Bleach my hair blonde and add red lipstick, and Daniel Craig would have his next nemesis, even though I personally preferred Sean Connery in the role.

I saw a laptop case at Steinmart the other day while shopping for a purse, but it was zebra with red leatherette "accents."  It was cute.  But I don't want cute.  I want sophisticated female.  Which does not equate to zebra with red leatherette.  Or pink vinyl.  Or pink microfiber.  Maybe I need to go into business designing laptop bags for women...

Tonight on COPS

Friday's Happy Hour shenanigans once again took place at City Tavern.  As happened once before, the fellow in Victorian attire made an appearance, which made my evening.  But there was a new element of excitement to the evening:

THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS BANNED SMOKING IN BARS.

The ban went into effect a couple of weeks ago, I think, and it has made bar-hopping noticeably more comfortable for those of us with, say, raging topical allergies to cigarette smoke.  At the Elbow Room last week, I could actually see the ceiling, and not through a cloudy blue haze!

Why was the lack of nicotine-laced smoke exciting, apart from a dermatological viewpoint?  Because the City of Dallas Police are out in full force, writing tickets right and left to those who violate the ban.

Consequently, after a member of the band slated to perform at City Tavern entered the bar and proceeded upstairs, cigarette firmly planted between his lips, a host of policemen, and a plainclothes policewoman, swarmed into the bar.  After the initial excitement died down, I proceeded to the Water Closet, and was surprised there by the plainclothes woman, who sniffed the air as I informed her there was a short wait to use the facilities.  She ducked back out, at which point I noticed the badge clipped to her stylish belt.

Because the happy hour group consists almost solely of those in architecture-related fields, and because there is a high proportion of architecty people that smoke (and drink), the happy hour crew ended up sitting outside in the cordoned area of the sidewalk "belonging" to City Tavern.

You could tell this caused some consternation amongst the non-police downtown security guards, as they tried to decide whether or not it was worth it reporting the smokers, who were failing to keep at least 25 feet from the door of the bar, as required by the city ordinance.  Of course, in downtown, that would put smokers in the middle of the street, so the security forces, when made aware of the fact, opted not to report the sidewalk smokers for tickets.  The police were kind enough to overlook the transgression, also.

I know some people in Dallas will claim that the smoking ban will keep smokers away from bars, but I, for one, won't miss it at all, and I'm more than happy to accommodate my smoking friends by sitting outside in pleasant weather.

It's just too bad my face also breaks out because of pollen...

Things Are Looking Up

I was recently informed that I might have an interior design commission.  The potential client in question is a colleague of my mother's.  In the past, she's worked with her sister, who is a licensed interior designer, something I am not.  However, here sister's idea of a bargain is a $400 throw pillow, and so this potential client asked my mom if I do interiors.

My mom informed her that I did, and that I not only have impeccable taste, but that I'm capable of working on a strict budget.  That did it.  So if the potential client in question actually purchases her house in the country (which is very likely) I'll have my first paid interiors gig.

In addition, I believe I'll soon be going to work for my dad's company.  He needs someone to develop some how-to manuals, and I'm just the gal to do it, what with my fabulous graphic-design skills and all that.  It also helps that I know him and know how his business operates (sort of) so I'll be able to seamlessly integrate myself into his office a couple of days per week.

His office is two hours from Dallas, between the thriving metropoli of Winona and Starville.  Or, we'll just say it's two hours EAST of Dallas.  That means I will be staying in a motel one night per week, because my dad's living space is not set up for a house-guest.  It also means I will have to drive 15-20 minutes to his office, because there are no hotels in either Winona or Starville.

For your viewing pleasure, I've included a lovely mural that is to be found in Winona.

"I'm Perfect, You're Doomed" by Kyria Abrahams

If you like watching train wrecks as they happen, then "I'm Perfect, You're Doomed" is about as darkly funny a wreck as you'll find.  The book follows the upbringing of Ms. Abrahams, who was raised a devout Jehovah's Witness.  Then again, is there any type of Jehovah's Witness except devout?  You'd probably be surprised at the answer.

I've always been fascinated by religion.  Not any particular religion, mind you, just the concept of religion in general.  I think I would have enjoyed majoring in theology, except for the part where they make you pick ONE, because I like learning about all of them.  I learned more about being a Jehovah's Witness while reading "I'm Perfect, You're Doomed" than I expected.  There is even a helpful glossary in the back of the book, albeit a sarcastic one.

Ms. Abrahams is one of those actors that takes a potential for tragedy and spins it into comedy.  She is, in a word, similar to myself.  When I'm most upset, I also crack relentless jokes, which is often confusing for those that don't know me. 

TTDKM: "How can you joke about cancer?"

Me: "How can you not?" *

Ms. Abrahams manages to be informative about her former religion while also being hilarious (she was disfellowshipped, a word the meaning of which you will discover upon reading).  She presents her personal history with the perception of one who's been through the storm, got soaked thoroughly, and realized what a great story that storm would make, and how funny it would be to write about being struck by lightning and pelted by hail.  The book is laugh-out-loud funny.  (No LOL, here, because the humor deserves to be spelled out.)

I look forward to reading it again and again.

*  For those not in the know:  No, I don't think cancer in and of itself is funny, but I sure as hell did my best to make it funny when I had it as a teenager, much to the consternation of the chemotherapy clinic nurses.

To Dig Yourself Out of Unemployment...

Throw money into the hole!

I received an email from AutoDesk, makers of AutoCAD, Revit, 3-D Studio Max, and every other computer-aided drafting program out there, with the notable exception of Sketchup.  Right now, they're giving free student versions of Revit (a super-expensive drafting program) to architects that were laid off (in other words, if you were fired for photocopying your nether-regions, you are not eligible).

This is exactly what I've been waiting for, because I need to learn the program in order to increase my competitiveness in the job market.  There is, however, one major drawback:

My 4 year old laptop isn't up to the task.  The poor old clunker doesn't meet any of the bullet points listed in the System Requirements section.  So now, I'm looking at spending somewhere between $1,000-1,200 before taxes to get a new computer that can run the program.  Fortunately, that's only 2-3 months of COBRA payments, which I won't have to start paying again until August.

The daunting part is not actually spending the money.  The daunting part is that I have to pick out a computer.  I have to decide if I want to stick with a 17" screen, like the type I currently have, or if I want to downsize to a more physically manageable 15" screen.  The smaller ones also fit into cuter computer bags, which in an ideal world wouldn't be an issue.  Then again, in an ideal world, I wouldn't be unemployed and having to learn new software to make myself more marketable.