... and the livin' is easy

it's summertime.

at home that means the porch swing and swimming pool afternoons that lead into barbecue dinners on paper plates followed by light and cool desserts. it means beds offering up daisies and coneflowers (and weeds) and saturday on the lawn mower. it also means reading - lots of good and easy books.

at work it means comfy business casual during the bulk of the week and jeans on friday.

ah - here's the rub.

to me, jeans have always been what you wear when you're painting, or gardening... they're WORKING clothes - not work clothes. so, every friday, when i pull into the lot and get out of my car, i feel a little criminal over the ever-so-casual state of my attire.

yeah, me too - i'm thinking that if it makes me feel so sneaky, so wrong, so bad, why do i do it then? why don't i just suck it up like the half dozen or so other folk that actually wear clothing that's suitable for more than digging up weeds?

truth be told? i'm lazy. i look forward all week long to not having to even begin to think about what i'm going to wear on friday. i know what i'm going to wear: my jeans and the first shirt that hits my hand when i open the drawer... and likely a matching pair of shoes (i apparently draw the line at jeans AND sneakers).

it feels wonderful for me to spend the 15 minutes i would normally squander on determining the "right" outfit for the day, lounging in bed with my daughter sleeping beside me and the world waking up everywhere else. i semi-doze and laze my way through the last ten minutes (the marketplace segment) of NPR's morning edition.

also, this feeling of peace and zen lasts me through the rest of my at-home morning routine - - feeding the cat, gathering my wits, the drive in - - all made more comfortable by the peace of mind that started the day. as a matter of fact, up until i pull into the lot and the simmering sense of dread at being inappropriately attired for the office shadows across me, i'm feeling great.

i should mention, that it usually doesn't take much time for that sense of peace to return. most of the folks on my floor / in my department are fellow scrubs on fridays. and while there is always a hold out or two crossing my path on any given friday, i can (and do) pretend they're dressed to meet with a customer or a vendor and have to be a little more presentable than the rest of us.

it's friday. i am in jeans (and a red t-shirt, shoes, and bandana headband). i wear no makeup... and half the time not my shoes either.

have a great weekend!