The Office Christmas Party OR The Unworn Dress

Last Saturday was DH's office party.

I had plans to get tarted up in my black, sequined dress with the help of Child #3 and Child #4. I had brand-new thigh-height stockings (which, for the record, don't stay up) and a new Neutrogena lipstick and matching lip pencil.

Then DH (AKA ex-Hernia Boy) made a very wild, off-the-wall request: "Please don't wear the black, sequined dress."

SAY WHAT???

Hmpf. I ended up in a purplish dress I'd picked up last year during the post-season sales. And which I had never worn before. Child #3 said I still looked beautiful, but the dress was a weird color. In vain, I tried to convince him that aubergine was the new black. Child #4 described me as "a smush of eggplant and prune juice." While unflattering, you must admit this is pretty creative for a seven year old. A sign of brilliance even. (Please take note, teacher of Child #4.)

To make matters worse, Child #4 had used up all my blush when last playing Makeup. And my slip had somehow been relegated to the dress-up bin from where it had leapt into a black hole. DH assured me you could only see through my dress in certain lights. And I'd probably be okay at the Marriott).

So, wan of cheek, lacking in the undergarment department, and dressed in a smush of eggplant + prune juice, I left for the party. In the pouring rain. Thank goodness I managed to dredge up a happy-face umbrella from Walmart. My stylish, six-ounce Totes has spent most of the first semester in Child #2's locker.

Despite all this, I had a TERRIFIC time. Because we were seated at the funnest table. Of the ten guests at Fun Table Seven, five were American, two were Bulgarian, one was Chinese and two of us were Canadian.

I enjoyed the goodnatured Toronto-Montreal rivalry with P. Of course, I could afford to be goodnatured; we have the CN Tour. And thank you, T., for saying I could pass for sixteen years old. The lighting was, apparently, good for something. Thank you, I., for the entertaining haircut. Thank you A., L. and R. for the great conversations. Congrats to P. and A. and W on the new babies. And a huge, huge shout-out to W. for gushing about my book.


P.S. I tried to post a pic of the black, sequined dress, but could only get it t show up sideways. Which truly doesn't do it justice!