red

apparently, i look good in red. today, i wore the red 'teaching outfit' as i went about filling out forms, calling for clarification, making copies, visiting post offices, picking up a few groceries, etc.

everyone i saw in the english building while i made copies (this would include every secretary and a few odd folks in the hall) commented that red was a great color on me. this wasn't like the birthday i had some years ago where the whole family forgot until around 3 in the afternoon, and then all said happy birthday in a chain because it was the thing to say. these seperate instances of 'you look great in red' were all out of earshot of other people.

then in the post office, the clerk (or whatever you call the patient folks who work that horrific job) flirted with me. something to the effect that it was a good thing i was in red raider town because the color suited me. i smiled, thanked him politely and wished him a good day and a great weekend. that sort of flirting is kind of cute, and not the kind where the heavily pierced wally world checker (who must have been 40) commented on the amount of yogurt i bought such that we must have a lot in common because we liked yogurt. wink. wink. ugh. i forget whether it was Ems or KM who was with me on that trip. but i clearly remember the face that will never be allowed on an airplane. the gauge on those earrings was outrageous. i just about cringed in pity for the ears.

but then i hopped over to united for a few veggies and a brick of mozzerella. the person who sort of guilt-trips you into letting them carry out your bags (even when you've got all of three and they aren't heavy) wanted to let me know that the color was good on me, and she wished she could wear red, but it makes her look like a tomato.

i got home, and just sort of blinked for a while before putting my stuff in the fridge. that's almost everyone i met, including a couple of strangers. aside from the bulky, misshapen IT t-shirt/uniforms we had in the beginning of my work with the IT folks, i can't recall ever wearing much red. i think i had one red blouse that i wore with a dark brown paisley skirt. i'd been told on many occassions (in fact, almost every time i wear the color) that pink looked good on me. one girl actually told me i should wear more of it. but no one has ever commented on the red.

on the one hand, this makes me feel great about the outfit i wore. and good about my decision to buy the red, even though it's much bolder than the colors i usually wear. on the other hand, do i buy more red when nice red items present themselves for nice prices? are my students going to pay attention to me, or will they doodle in the margins of their notebooks 'prof wore red today. not bad.'

ah well. i've always been partial to jewel tones, blues, and greens. red... well i'll add the color to the list of stuff that apparently looks good on me. right up there with really dark pink, magenta, and medium-to-pale pink. the colors i'm actually not fond of. i like red. i really do. my kitchen is red-themed, and my parents are both quite partial to red. pink is a color i dislike to a point bordering on hate, but it looks good, and i have three or four pink shirts and a classy pink skirt. why not red, then? it doesn't have any strikes against it, so why have i never incorporated it into my wardrobe?

there's the entry. it's more nonsense than substance, but there it is.

love and peace