April 6, 2013
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A Fish Out of Water
Way, Way Out of Water
Possibly the Fish Doesn’t Actually Remember Water . . .
Today was the big day of the high school banquet. I was up early to work some more on Lucy’s underskirt. In fact, it was ready for her to try on by the time she got up, and after that it only needed hemming. Lucy spent most of yesterday and much of today sewing beads on to her dress. They really added an elegant touch and enhanced the beauty of her dress.
Soon after Lucy and Spencer got up we headed to Walmart because Spencer just realized last night that he didn’t have pants to wear tonight. Well, he did have pants, but they were well above his ankles. Lucy also needed one final thing for her ensemble. Spencer ended up getting a black shirt and a red tie. We looked through every pair of black pants they had trying to find his size (32/34). In the end, he had to settle for a pair that were too big in the waist and plan to belt them tightly!
After lunch I lay down for a short nap because I was so very tired . . . and then had a really, really hard time getting back up. I had to race to the bank to take care of some business and then race back home to hem that underskirt! I got it done about 45 minutes before we had to leave.
At Lucy’s request, I wore my black velvet “medieval” dress. There was some discussion about what vehicle to take, because we are currently borrowing a little Mazda from friends until the van is a more reliable. The kids felt we should take the Mazda so that’s what I decided to do, despite having never driven it before. It runs fine but it does have a couple of interesting handicaps. The driver’s side door cannot be opened from the inside, and the window won’t go down either. So if you are driving by yourself, you have to roll down the rear window before turning off the engine, reach back through the rear window and around to open the door from the outside. Then you can roll the window back up and turn off the engine.
The other problem with taking the Mazda was that Spencer had not expected me to agree to this, so he had put all his “after banquet” things into the van–which had gone to work with Walter. So we had to try to figure out a way for Spencer to get his stuff.
We made it to the banquet site without incident. It happens to be right next door to my favorite yarn store, but alas the yarn store was already closed. So anyway, in we walked. I have to admit I was very intimidated from that moment. As an introvert, this type of event is painful for me at best. I do so much better in small groups. Fortunately I found a table to sit at with people I actually know–three couples that I have known for many years–at least three decades in one case!
Spencer and Lucy both looked great. Lucy, as I had expected, was by far the most modestly dressed girl there, but she looked beautiful in her flowing blue dress. This is the same outfit she will be wearing as a bridesmaid in her sister’s wedding in June. What a relief to have that done! Some of those kids I barely recognized with their fancy hairdos and formal attire.
Meanwhile, I was a little worried because Jasper would be home alone virtually all evening, and I know he does not really like being by himself at night. I tried repeatedly to text Mercy, but could not get through. By the time the main course was over and the seniors had been presented, my back was in agony. Some chairs just seem designed to torture me. So, I decided the best thing to do was leave early, especially since I had to stop to buy groceries on the way home. The kids had already arranged to get rides to the after party, which is being held on the property of a family in our homeschool group.
As I left the banquet, I saw that the gas tank was almost empty and I prayed I’d have enough gas to make it to Sam’s. I did. The attendant was standing right there, and watched with great interest as I pulled up, rolled down the rear window, reached around and opened the door, then got out in a floor length velvet gown to put gas in the car. Except that I had no idea how to open the gas tank door. It took several tries, actually.
As I pushed my cart through Walmart in my evening gown, I attracted a lot more attention than I’m used to. Picture Ursula from The Little Mermaid only a lot more modestly dressed and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what I looked like wallowing through Walmart in yards of black velvet. This is when I discovered that my “dress” shoes, which are actually glorified neoprene slippers, are not made for the rigors of a Walmart shopping trip. They became increasingly more painful as I limped my way up and down the aisles. I was tickled, though, when a sassy looking young girl with lip and nose piercings made a point of coming up to me and telling me that she liked my dress. I also heard a very little girl telling her mother all about my pretty dress.
None of that could make me like shopping at Walmart on a Friday night, though. What a madhouse! And a lot of the shelves were distressingly bare. Why did I shop tonight, I hear you ask, instead of before dawn tomorrow morning? Because Robin and I are going to a seminar tomorrow, and we need to leave at 7:15 in the morning. That’s why.
It was such a relief to get home and put my feet up. It turned out that Mercy had arranged for AJ to stay with Jasper while she was at her meeting. I’m glad he didn’t end up being alone for too long.
