Robert Manners

Shoppaquiddick

It's so good to be back on the old warhorse, shopping! Though I can just barely afford it, having spent most of my paycheck at the endodontist's this week, I went to Ross yesterday and plunked down a healthy handful of ducats for three evening dresses (black full length jersey with empire waist and white rhinestone trim, a black velvet cocktail-length with scatter-beaded sheer bodice, and a rose-patterned silver-grey fused-sequined shift), a white organdy wrap-around evening blouse, a black velvet skirt, and a cream evening scarf with opalescent pailleted fringe... all absolutely gorgeous, of course (I'm not allowed to own ugly drag). Two of the dresses were specifically purchased for the upcoming 70s-themed Galaxy Girls show on September 29th (that's Sunday-after-this).



I don't remember much of the 70s, most of the music is unperformable (elegance and diction were not well-thought-of by the popular musicians of that decade... even the great Ella went all common with Beatles covers and twenty-minute-long scats), and aside from the tight pants and long hair on boys, I don't think much of the fashions of the day. I have no idea what numbers I'm going to perform, though I am toying with something from A Chorus Line and am trying to think of songs that I liked when I was a wee tot in ghastly vast collars and round-toed shoes. But it's quite a load off to have my gowns settled, at least.



I've neglected to mention the glad news of this week: my Depression appears to have left me. It's like a weight was removed from my heart, and replaced with a cheerful little song. Though life is not all peaches and roses yet (root canals, insomnia, and difficulties coping at work), I nevertheless feel light and airy and capable of dealing with the slings and arrows of outrageous Fortune. I'll be having my manic phase shortly, about halfway between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice, and then my next depression halfway between the Solstice and the Vernal Equinox (if I have the pattern figured out correctly, and I think I do). So, until then, a big smoochy "Thanks" to everyone who held my hand and refrained from beating me senseless during the dark days.



Another little thing I forgot to mention earlier is that I have fixed the link on my Wish List button so that it actually goes to my Amazon wishlist. Not that I'm dropping any hints that I want people to buy me any of the goodies therein (though I wouldn't mind if you did)... rather, I always like to see people's wish-lists so that I can comprehend a little more about them... what people read and listen to and want to buy gives one a good idea of what kind of person one is dealing with. It's kind of like a "favorites" list (I have one of those too... feel free to peruse it)... you get to know a little something about people when you know what their favorite ice creams are, what colors they prefer, what books were instrumental in their lives. And, as far as I'm concerned, the point of all this blogging is to further and better comprehend my fellow humans.



So anyway, that's all I have to say today. I am very hungry, I didn't get much sleep last night (last time I looked at the clock, it was a quarter to three; when I did get to sleep, I dreamed about not being able to sleep; and then I woke up just before my alarm went off at 8), and I am girding my loins in preparation for the Executive Council meeting this afternoon (where one generally loses faith in the teaching profession, democracy, and the human race). So I guess I'd better get cracking.



And speaking of cracks...