Was it just yesterday I sat comparing myself to the list here and most particularly step 3:

DRESS LIKE YOU MEAN IT When it comes to office attire, "people who get comfortable in their jobs tend to dress comfy. That's a risk," says Jill Bremer, a corporate image consultant whose clients include Intel and Abbott Laboratories. A casual wardrobe signals a casual approach to work. Your best bet: Take a cue from your boss' attire.

Step 3 is not a revelation. I know you need to look professional to get ahead. All this week and in fact every week for awhile now, I've been sprucing it up with button-down shirts, conservative sweaters and lace-up shoes. A high proportion of Kenneth Cole.

But of course that's not what I chose to wear today. Today I reverted to what I've worn my first 3 years here: a print shirt featuring blue trees and one of the widest collars from the 70s; 501 jeans; red converse hi-tops.

Not exactly Execu-wear.

And what a day to choose to wear this. My Admin stopped by a few minutes ago: "There's cake in the conference room if you'd like some; it's to wish X a farewell." (X being one of the high-movers I've met with 'informationally' about my career and who is now leaving the company for another, even higher-moving opportunity.)

I went and wished him well--best to put in a face and a kind word at least. But all I thought was so much for presenting a management image.

*sigh*

In addition to looking for a job, remodeling my house and becoming debt-free, I'm also doing a lot with the experimental film festival. In a week or so, we're taking off to Pittsburgh. Hello, City of Flashdance!

The hotel rooms and some meals are donated, so the only cost is gas to get there, picking my friend up on the way. I think I'm able to bring Grace, too.

I had some sad news today. Two of my best friends in Colorado have heard from Canada: Their immigration status has been approved. Their house goes up for sale tomorrow. We talked about my visiting at their new home in the wine country north of Tacoma in July.

Colorado will be awful empty without them there.

According to folks In The Know about Astrology, setting multiple high goals is a trait of my sign, Sagitarius. In addition to paying off my debts and trying to find a new job, I've been working on my duplex.

Phase I, completed three years ago and before I moved to Cincy, was getting the place a new roof and installing Central Air. (I believe I charged those items to a credit card.)

Phase II was revamping one of the units after the chainsmoking lesbians ("The Ladies"--heh heh) moved out. New paint, new carpeting, a new kitchen and some electrical upgrades. (I paid cash and did a lot that myself.)

Phase III is redoing my side. It's taking a little longer. (I have no one to impress and, well, other priorities sometimes overtake.) Even so, last year I finished the Living and bed rooms, and am almost done with the Dining Room (spackle and paint cornice; then remove carpeting).

Last weekend, I turned to the Kitchen. This and the bathroom have been my least favorite rooms in the house. The kitchens are small one-level extensions at the rear and--particularly noticeable this winter!--obviously uninsulated. I've squeezed around appliances too big for their spaces and made do with squeaking and rusting metal cabinets. Only one ceiling fixture (with a missing shade) lights dingy walls made dingier from years of cigarette smoke.

Last weekend, I shut the water off and pulled out the old chipped enamel sink. Its metal base left a trail of rust to the curb. Out came the old cabinets, except for one original wooden wall cupboard that I will keep for a retro look. Out came the floor--two layers of linoleum sandwiching a wallboard between. The original floor was worn hard in some places and pristine in others: There had been some kind of 'carpet'--a covering that did not extend to the baseboards--in the room's early years.

This week, I will be painting the walls and ceiling and pricing new cabinets. I'll be motivated because at present, I have to go downstairs to the basement laundry tub to fill Grace's water dish, the coffee pot and to wash the dishes.

The High Cost of...
The Indigo Girls came through Cincinnati on a tour last weekend and one of my good friends wanted to go. Ugh, $30, I thought. But my friend was able to snag tix for $25 and the IG are one of those icon bands you should see once in your life or get voted off the LGBT Island.

So, I went. I run the risk of pissing off the gay blog community or waking to find hundreds of nasty-grams in my comments box: You see, I was disappointed.

Not even sure why. The crowd was really into them, and everyone sang along to all the songs; a few times the IG stopped singing and let the crowd do the work. I've been to plenty of concerts where the crowd knows the chorus, or one or two of the songs, but all...? Quite a fan base. There is no doubt they have beautiful voices and harmonize well together with nice melodies.

I dunno, I thought they were bland; each song sounded exactly like the last and to me each one will make perfect soundtrack or background music you will hear in movies or in the malls one day.

Don't hate me, IG fans! My friend loved the show...

And Some More On Clipping Coupons...
Trying to locate coupons for my dry cleaners, I came across this--a sort of public consumer complaints site... I kinda liked how this guy wrote his, sort of poetic in its way.

Looks like you can e-mail the consumers, but why anyone would do that I have no idea. ("Say, the same thing happened to me! I'll never shop there again!" Or maybe: "Gosh, I hope your wife got to see her mother.")

Later...
"Hi," I say to the Avril LaVigne lookalike behind the counter, "I couldn't find any coupons for here."

Avril hesitates from looking bored, then scrawls "15% dis" across the claim ticket. "Here," she says and hands it to me.