Tales from the Steppes

2004-02-09

3:34 p.m.
And we'll have fun, fun, fun

Tonight I have to go to a dinner and pretend to be an executive's wife. This is one of my least favorite roles to play and this time it may be especially heinous. I have never really met the other executives and their spouses. I should just say wives, because the VPs are all men, of course. Except maybe for the HR person. And that's a big maybe.

But I have done this gig when the SU has worked for other companies. Sometimes it's ok; often it's a real bore. In Buffalo, the wives were expected to sit around and talk about decorating or other such topics. Very limiting. The wives were not supposed to talk about/have their own careers. I am hopeful that is not to be the case here.

But I am certain that I can afix a reasonably pleasant smile on my face for a few hours. I will not talk about any topic that is not brought up by someone else first. I will opine nothing. The real trick is that I am not exactly dressed properly for this dinner. I do not own anything to wear to a fancy dinner and I am coming straight from work. So it's yet another all-black ensemble and I am hoping a suitable application of jewelry and makeup will make it appear that I am not blatantly diregarding the rules of attire. A lot of times I don a form of camoflauge for this sort of affair. Nothing too stylish, nothing too edgy. Next time they need to give me more than 2 days notice and I am sure I can produce something suitable. Maybe helmet head hair.

But first, a meeting with one of my favorite land-use lawyers. I call him the Antichrist because he is sooo smooth in the way he twists the zoning ordinance to add density and subtract open space. I can simultaneously admire his wiliness and loathe his sleaziness. His toadiness amuses me as he tries to make small talk. Does he think it fools anyone?

To get me in the mood for the festivities: The Ramones. And repeating to myself "I will not do or say anything subversive."