Red All Over

What's black and white and red all over?

Hold up your hand if you think the answer is a newspaper.

 

Of course, you knew that if you held up your hand, you'd be wrong. That would have been entirely too easy. Besides, I said "red" and not "read" ... har har har ... Are you laughing yet?

Anyway, today it's me that is black and white and red all over — I'm wearing a black shirt and white pants, and that riddle was so hokey that I'm blushing a bright red.

shirt — Rafaella (thrifted)

corduroy pants — London Jean (Victoria's Secrets)

belt — Aéropostale (thrifted)

boots — Trumpet by Wanted (DSW)

I know that that's one of the oldest riddles in the book (it dates back to at least the year 1917), but it still makes me laugh a little bit. And that's a good thing — laughter is good for the soul. There was a time, not that long ago, when I didn't laugh a whole lot. And I tell you, I was not a whole lot of fun to be around. I was just kind of existing ... putting one foot in front of the other. I would go to work, then come home and work some more, or then crawl into bed so I could get up the next day and do the same thing all over again.

And that's no way to live — a life devoid of laughter is a pretty empty life. These days, I still work really hard and put in long hours, but I try to find the humor in things. I still don't laugh as much as I probably should, but I'm a whole lot better than I used to be.

"With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die." 

~Abraham Lincoln

Linking up to the Every Body Every Wear black-and-white challenge.

Forgive me for the less than adequate pictures ... My point and shoot is a great little camera for outside, but I can't figure out how to take decent pictures with it when I'm stuck inside. I would have waited till the weekend to take them, but then I would have missed the EBEW challenge, and with all the black that I own, I couldn't let this challenge pass me by.

Do I Dare?

Before I tell you what happened next in my long and drawn-out work saga, I have to ask what you honestly think about this outfit. Do I dare to wear this out in public? Or should I stay hidden and locked behind the doors of my house when I wear it?

camisole — Route 66 (Kmart)
green tunic — Tribeca Studio (freebie)

leggings — Zenana (Marshalls)

boots — Wanted (DSW)

Honestly, now. Is this something that somebody of my age can wear? I actually did some research on how to wear leggings before I tried it out (yeah, I'm a nerd — I love to look stuff up). I think it met all the criteria, except that maybe the tunic should be a little longer? My leggings are actually pretty thick (and they were definitely NOT shiny), but they sure don't look that way in my pictures (it really kind of wigged me out when I saw the pictures)!

So ... What do you think?

Wear it or not? (Part B. If it's okay to wear out of the house, where could I wear it? Where would it be appropriate attire?)

And now, the saga continues ...

Head Honcho Guy (HHG) had just finished pulling the rug out from under me. I went back to my cubby (actually I kind of crawled back ... I felt like such a dope), and just sat down at my desk. I looked around at all the crap I had lugged down from Delaware to put in my office and wanted to cry. I had been bringing one or two reference books from home a day, so I had a nice little collection built up at that point. How on Earth was I going to get them back home?

I posted a status message on my Facebook profile to let my friends know what had happened, and I emailed my kids and my parents to let them know. I was so bummed — really and truly bummed. Sure HHG had told me that they could use me in Herndon, but c'mon. I wasn't going to be able to commute to Herndon. Maybe they wanted me to go to Herndon so they could formalize my separation from the company and give me my exit interview.

I packed up some of my more personal items — a picture of my kids, my coffee cup, my plant (yeah, I had even lugged a plant down there), all the things that really made that little space my own — and then walked dejectedly out of the building to Union Station. I was very, very careful walking back ... Falling on my butt again (see that story here) would have been the last straw, and I probably would not have been able to hold myself together at that point.

I got home between 8 and 9 pm, and I just hulked over my computer. I whined and cried on Facebook for the next few hours, making sure that all my friends knew just know how miserable and wretched I was. They were great — so kind and supportive, and made me feel a little better. Because no matter what HHG said, when you get laid off or your position is eliminated, you still wonder if it's something you did or if you could have done something to prevent it.  

(to be continued ...)

I'm starting to feel a little guilty for dragging my story out, but honestly, this is completely how it unfolded for me. I'm not exaggerating my feelings or what happened in the least. And you have to realize, I pretty much live alone, and I struggle with my emotions sometimes. My kids are great, but they have their own lives, and besides they don't live at home. I'm not complaining, but I was devastated when this happened, and didn't really have anybody to turn to. I really and truly just wanted to come home and have somebody tell me that it was going to be okay, that I was okay, and give me a big hug and take care of me.