Monday, March 3, 2014

Pretend



It is now March. The temperatures remain a good (bad) 30 degrees below normal. I'm sick of hearing myself complain about it so I think I'll just pretend it is still January. That way I won't be quite so stunned when I wake up every morning to discover that it is -6 degrees outside. 

There has been a fair amount of pretending around here. And not just weather related.

This past weekend my kids' school had their annual fundraising gala and it was a Great Gatsby theme. I was more than happy to pretend it was the roaring 20s again. I always thought I should have been born in a different era (20s or 50s preferably) so this was right up my alley.

Luckily, I had a dress that I bought for a wedding a few years ago that would pass for a 20s style. All I had to do was purchase some long black gloves and a black hat on Amazon and I was set. Todd bought a white tie and borrowed a hat and we were good to go.


It is always so fun for me to dress up. I really don't get to do it often but I sure have fun with it. My kids' faces when they see me all dressed up is just priceless. They are so used to me in jeans and t-shirts that it shock on their faces is hilarious. Mom can be fancy!

The gala was loads of fun and raised a good chunk of change for our school. Afterwards a bunch of us went out (in full 20s garb) to a local watering hole to play darts, have a couple of drinks, and chat until far too late. It was a good night.

The next morning Todd and I struggled to pretend we weren't absolutely EXHAUSTED. We managed to wrangle all the kids to mass on time where we saw some of the other parents we had been out late with. They were all pretending to be wide awake as well.

Somehow we made it through the entire day (complete with a trip to Cabela's, and hour away, and dinner at the kids' favorite restaurant). I was so tired by the time the Oscars came on and yet I still made it through until the end.

I'm sorry to say I can't pretend to be that impressed with the show. The dresses were all very hohum. There were only a very few that stood out. The singers were very pitchy. I wondered if they were having major sound problems. Pink rarely sings flat and she did so a number of times. Idina Menzel (SHAME on John Travolta for slaughtering her name so badly! It is not THAT difficult! CRIPES!) had a very shakey performance. It even appeared she had forgotten the words in the beginning and the orchestral arrangement was so loud that I thought she was going to pop a chord at the end there. She was really straining. I blame the less than flawless performance on John Travolta.

Best speeches were Lupita Nyong'o (loved that dress on her too) and Matthew McConaughy.  They both made me cry. Maybe I was just overtired.

I think I am still overtired today. I guess I'll just pretend I'm not as long as I'm already pretending not to be freezing. And I'll pretend to be excited for an extra long choir rehearsal tonight. And another one tomorrow night (as well as an important meeting at the kids' school). Ugh

Anyone else pretending today?

12 comments:

Bijoux said...

I'm pretending I'm a sane person for living in this climate.

You guys look fabulous as 20's duo. My grandparents were in their 20's during that era. Crazy!

betty said...

Loved the picture of the two of you before your evening on the town! Sounded like fun! Remember the days we used to be able to "party" like that and function just fine the next day? Didn't watch the Oscars, enjoyed reading your review about it. One of the "blessings" of being tone deaf is I never know if anyone is off key, etc. However, hubby being a musician, he always is commenting (like when we watch American Idol) if someone is off on their pitch.

I think pretending is a good thing! I do hope it does warm up this month sometime!

betty

Midlife Roadtripper said...

I'm going to pretend I'm being productive. Stay warm!

Always enjoyed those rare nights out when my kids were little. Just a little spice of something different. Hey, maybe I should do that now!

Mimsie said...

Love your outfits! I find it helps the winter blahs just to get out of the house, like you did, even when it would be easier to stay in. Some girlfriends and I get together every Wednesday night to play board games, and though it's a simple pleasure, it is something to look forward to. Especially when a few snacks are involved. :)

Anonymous said...

Let's pretend we didn't waste Sunday night on the Oscars;)
You two look very cute--glad your event was a success.

Charmaine said...

Hey Kat :) you guys make quite a striking couple ... hope your weather gets better real soon...Ps are you on FaceBook...i have tried looking for you...stay strong C

Angie said...

You all looked fantastic in your 20's costumes! How fun!!!

I'm pretending to be camping tonight. My little man wanted to set up a tent in our living room and sleep in it so that is what we will be doing tonight :)

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

I'm going to pretend I'm going to bed at a reasonable time. But really, this is the only time I have to get work done...and I'm hungry!

You guys look so good! I love it when you guys dress up, too:)

Unknown said...

I have the Oscars on my DVR and have not had a chance to watch any of it yet. I heard it was pretty lame on the whole and OF COURSE I have heard about John Travolta - WOW!

I do want to listen to Matthew's speech though because I heard it was amazing.

You and Todd look SO great! What a fun time!!

Hilary said...

Oh my goodness.. you two look adorable!

Cyndy @ Back in the Bush said...

Y'all are a gorgeous couple!
Lupita Nyong'o's speech made me cry too. I missed MM's. I love Ellen and mostly just watched some of it to see her!
Let's see, am I pretending right now?? Yes, my back is killing me and I'm using a little hand-held massager pretending it's a private masseusse!

Mom24 said...

LOVED that picture of you two. I thought the Oscars were ho hum too, though I did really like some of the dresses.

It's warmer here today and tomorrow, I'm thankful for that, you can start to believe spring will come before it snows on Wednesday. ;)

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson