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Christmas is coming at the rate of a run-away freight train.
I don’t understand why this surprises me. Every year, Christmas is on the same date. Maybe not the same day, but after all, December 25 doesn’t change.
I finally woke up to the fact that Christmas is now only twelve days away. Hmmm, that sounds familiar.
My daughter’s already started on my twelve days. She’d given me a subscription to the New York Times (tres coolll!) and I know she’s giving me some underwear (NOT lingerie), a wonky tradition between us.
Now there’s only one big thing on my wish list—work clothes.
Long before, in the dim mists of time (three years and twenty pounds ago); I used to go outside my house to work. In my careers as a newspaper editor and the CEO of large non-profits, I was a professional. Skirts, pantyhose, heels every day.
I still have a closet full of suits, nice pants, jackets, probably 40 pair of heels and business flats. Every so often I go in and look at them, touch them, shake the dust off them and rearrange them.
But try them on? Not. And wear them? Not.
I tell everyone that I’m semi-retired because I don’t know another nice euphemism for how I spend my days now. I spend them in my jammies.
Not just any jammies, seriously disreputable t-shirts made of holes and flannel drawstring pants that would make a clown proud.
That’s right, I’m a writer.
It’s an insidious and addictive business. My commute is from my bedroom to the kitchen (for coffee) to my office (stepping over the cat and piles of paper). I do make an effort every day to wash my face and brush my hair, but after my shower now, I don’t style it, just let it dry with all its weird flips and waves.
The really difficult days are those when I actually have to get dressed and interact with people. First, it’s finding a clean pair of jeans either on the dresser or the couch in the living room, depending on whether I remembered to put them in the dryer.
Then a shirt. Finding one without holes is tricky, but I’ve finally broken down this winter and started wearing the cashmere sweaters I bought for work. Feels a little funny to wear this to the grocery store, but what the hey, it’s either that or have them used as moth food.
I may be able to get myself dressed but I can’t always pull myself away from what I’m writing. The other day in the supermarket I was contemplating the whipping cream display and what holidays were like in Hungary when a clerk behind me knocked over a display of panetonne.
She said, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to throw that at you,” and stopped short when she saw my face. “You didn’t even hear that. You didn’t flinch.”
No, I wasn’t even there.
I’m not sure I’d ever want my daughter to be a writer (in truth, she’s an RN in a Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit and makes more than I ever did. She’s found the only other job where it’s acceptable to wear your jammies to work.)
But I truly do like what I’m doing. My favorite movie is the opening scenes of “Romancing the Stone.”
I need some new work clothes so at least I can open to door when the letter carrier knocks. Now, I just cower behind the fish tank.
So, Santa Baby, as the wonderful Eartha Kitt sang, hurry down the chimney tonight, with new jammies in hand!
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Michele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home. During her career in journalism — as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers – she won awards for producing investigative series.
Her mystery Edited for Death, called “Riveting and much recommended” by the Midwest Book Review and a Memorable Book for 2011 on DorothyL, is available in paperback at Amazon and B&N.
Her paranormal romance series, SNAP: The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, is available in ebook and paperback at Amazon. The first two books, SNAP: The World Unfolds, and SNAP: New Talent, received 4 stars from Paranormal Romance Guild. The third and fourth books, Plague: A Love Story, and Danube: A Tale of Murder were given 5 stars. The first four books are available in a boxed set at Amazon. The fifth book, SNAP: Love for Blood, will be released Dec. 15.
Visit her website: http://www.micheledrier.com or facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMicheleDrier or her Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Drier/e/B005D2YC8G/