11:04 p.m. | 2004-05-20 Fashion. Okay, I�m trying. I�m not a fashion diva � quite the contrary � but, I�m trying it out. Lately, meaning this week, I�ve made a conscious effort to make that all work. Or whatever. You know, the clothes, makeup and the bling bling. Which, in my case, is just bling. Not the contacts though. I need my bifocal glasses. Or rather, I need the ability to whip them on or off multiple times a day. Yeah, I�m not gonna go there with contacts. Actually, just the visual of me inserting and removing my contacts every five minutes makes me rather nauseous. To say the least. However, I now understand why ladies -- cat ladies in particular � chain their glasses. It�s a little disconcerting when I throw down my glasses, in order to read something, and then wander off to get more water or whatnot. Sometimes I see and sometimes I don�t. Sometimes I feel like a nut and sometimes I don�t. Just saying. My new fashion sense has not been lost on my colleagues though. I had the following conversation with two of them today. I�ll call them, uh, Amazon Lady (AL) and uh, Protestor Lady (PL). Here�s that. (AL:) Cruel-Irony, you always wear the cutest things. I love the color combination you�re wearing today. Love the shirt. (CI:) Yeah. That�s accidental. My wardrobe is so depleted, I�ve been reaching into the farthest corners of my closet to find a �look�. I guess. Hell, I have no idea what I�m doing. Just trying to wear something different. (AL:) It�s working for you. You look so cute everyday. I really like the color combination you have going on today. And the choker. (trancejen swag � gotta love it!) (PL:) Yeah, me too. Love the colors. The blue makes your eyes� oh lord, I�m gonna pull a HGTV clich� here sorry � it makes your eyes pop. Do you watch HGTV? (CI:) Yes. Yes I do. HGTV addict here. And, this color does make my eyes pop. As sick as I am of that term, it applies. (PL:) Yeah. I�m sick of it too. (AL:) Me too. (CI:) You know, I liked it originally because the word itself popped, but the popping is over with. In fact, at this point, it could be a drinking game. (AL:) (snort-laugh) Yes, it could. (PL:) A drinking game? How? (CI:) You have to drink every time someone says �pop�. (PL:) Do you get to drink twice when you say �pop� at the same time. (CI:) Uh� (confused about drinking game rules.) (AL:) No, you get to pick another person who has to drink too. (CI:) There you go. (Confusion evaporating.) (PL:) Heh. That�s a pretty good game. The funny thing is that I don�t really do drinking games � um, because I�d lose rather quickly � but I seem to know how they work. Even odder, I have to ability to recognize when a mere word becomes a drinking game. Perhaps that�s due to Arthur or Bob Newhart. Well, or quarters. Those are all old school though. Since I�m pushing the fashion envelope, I might as well invent new drinking games. I mean, someone has to, right? Wow, that paint really makes that picture pop. Cheers. your thoughts? seed flower