Redefining the term "business casual."

Good afternoon!

It started out simply enough.  At some point last week I ate or came into contact with something that simply did not agree with my very delicate nature.  By Friday I had the start of a really awesome skin rage happening.  By Saturday I was layering topical anti itch creams.  That only seemed to anger the rash.  I call it a rash, but that's really an understatement.  What was going on with the skin on my chest from shoulder to should and all around my neck was really more of a hostile takeover of some really greedy invisible flesh annoying aliens.  After I scratched my neck bloody, I contacted a friend of mine, we'll call her Keri, who has some experience with the pain of random skin itch.

She suggested Witch Hazel.

Yes, they do still sell it, and I'm here to tell you, it's the magical elixir of peace.  I may carry that with me everywhere I go.  It doesn't smell too bad, plus it returned my skin to its normal sort of pale look that most Wisconsin folks have this time of year.

Anyway, I'm telling you all that to tell you this:  Since I was still painfully...rashy...on Monday, I figured I'd only wear soft clothes, something that didn't irritate my skin further.  Now, since I work alone pretty much in an office, we're pretty casual.  I've worn jeans to work every day for the last almost five years.  I love it!  I tend to wear T's, but I also put on casual tops if I know some one's coming in or I'm going someplace after work.  Business casual....very, very casual it is.

However, on Monday I had my usual winter skin on my legs, which is something I deal with every year when it gets as cold as it does up here.  My skin dries out and because I'm sensitive to most lotions, anything I put on my skin generally irritates it further.  Ah, it's awesome being me!  So, with a nice soft T in hand, I decided to just be comfy, since no one else was coming in, and put on the sweat pants.

Okay, they were Dee's sweatpants.  She handed several pairs down to me because I happen to have a thing about sweats...I look lumpy in sweatpants.  BUT, since I've been hitting the gym, and since it's winter, and since I'm NOT showing off my fantastic alligator skin to the general population  (Water aerobics classes of course have no choice!)  I have need to wear sweats.  I am happy to announce that I've lost enough weight to fit into Dee's fat clothes!  YAY ME!

Obviously someone who is wearing deodorant!

So Monday I put on the sweatpants  and head to work.  Wouldn't ya know it...Bossman shows up!  (Don't get me started.)  This is a guy who likes to comment all things me.  My weight, what I ate  (yes, he goes through my garbage) and what I'm wearing.  Every time I see him.   While that could erode some people's self esteem, I'm delighted to say it has no effect on me because I have NO self esteem to begin with.  What was weird about Monday, however, is that for the four hours he sat in my office with me  (My office is roughly the size of a couch.  Now put two people in there at a desk, and make sure one of the ISN'T wearing any deodorant.  I won't say who, but I will say this:  I haven't forgotten to put on deo since an ill fated camping trip about twelve years ago.  Someone told me deo attracts mosquitoes, so I went without for a couple of days.  The mosquitoes didn't leave me alone, but my fellow campers did!)  he never mentioned the fact that I was wearing sweats.

I figured that he figured I was on my way to Gold's after work.  Which would have been a GREAT idea had I actually done that.  But after spending four hours in a tiny room with his non deodorant wearing self doing tax stuff that really should have been done all year, but now that the deadline is...you know in a couple days, we have to do a year's worth of receipts, credit card bills, EFT transactions...all in one day.  Yes, after four hours of that, I simply could not face the gym.  Besides, I'm so deep into the plot of my newest work in progress, I had to go home and WRITE!

BUT, that gave me an idea for Tuesday.  I would wear gym clothes to work and then go to the gym after work.

Which would have worked, had I not forgotten about a meeting I had at church.  A very important meeting because, well I was running it.

So I had to rush home and CHANGE into something presentable for the meeting.

Undaunted in my new found slovenly wardrobe, I'm now happy to say that I'm still in sweats.  Day three!  My rash is gone, I am going to the gym, but not until after I stop at home, so I really have no reason to be wearing the sweats.  I like to tell myself that if I'm dressed in sporty clothes, I'll feel more like doing sporty stuff at work...like running up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.  (Yeah...I did that one time.  Then I remembered, Homey don't run.)  I do jog in place while riding the elevator, so that's got to count for something, right? 

I haven't lost my entire sense of personal hygiene, however.  I'm still wearing eyeliner  (I haven't gone out in public without eyeliner since the first day I put in on, some thirty years ago.  When I gave birth to Peaches I took two things to the hospital...a toothbrush and eyeliner.  I used the eyeliner.)  and I've got earrings on.  This is, after all, a place of business!

I wanted to pass this on to those who are wondering:  Yes, I do have an appointment set up for my hands.  Tomorrow I see a doctor and hopefully he'll either tell me I need a month off someplace nice like...Nashville...and my boss has to pay for it, OR he'll give me some really exceptional pain killers and call it a day.  I'm blocking the third option right out of my head!  But yes, I am going to see a doctor.  I'd like to not have to wear the brace anymore!

Hey, ya know what doesn't itch or smell funky?  A copy of my romantic comedy:  Dream in Color Digital!  Download it to your reader dealie do and enjoy!