This week Hubby and I spent a morning in “Poll” school. That’s where we learned to be good poll workers during the next election in November. After our debut as poll workers, we may have to think about going shopping. I’m thinking I must be really getting frumping looking lately as I wear the same old clothes year in and year out. While I do get a new item now and again, many of my clothes still fit me rather large as they did when the styles were that way years ago. For awhile I told myself I was shrinking, but now I’m not so sure.

You see, the other day my clothes–or the way I look (frumpy and poor?)–earned me a free lunch. So my class yesterday was at 11:30 and that meant I had to leave home at 11 to get there on time. Well you know what happened. I’m too busy online to leave adequate time to do more than get ready (and that meant a shampoo and a “style” half hour–something I only do when it’s absolutely necessary). But I was ready with plenty of time to spare–at least 15 minutes–but I forgot to make myself a lunch to take with me. Class goes to 1 p.m., and we had a tour of a violin-making school (I’ll have to tell you more about that later–it was impressive!) at 2:30. So Hubby picked me up at the Commander’s house and he said he’d drive me to a drive-thru so I could get something to eat.

Instead, he stopped at a Bagel shop. The same bagel store where the clerk gave him a couple dozen bagels for free several months ago. I looked at the menu board, trying to recognise something that might be soft enough to eat, since I’ve been nursing an aching jaw for a few days, and just couldn’t make up my mind. All this time the clerk is watching me. Finally I order a bagel dog and a small soda. Since I’m eating so late I thought it was a good idea to eat light, so that I’d be ready for dinner at the regular time. The clerk asked him what he’d like, and Hubby explained that he’d already had lunch, but that I hadn’t had any so he stopped by.

While I took my empty 22-ounce cup and proceeded to fill with diet pepsi, I could hear my Hubby prattle on to the clerk about how he (Hubby) was here at few months ago and he (this particular clerk) had given him all these free bagels. How we’d put them in the freezer and how good they’d been.

About half way into eating my bagel dog, Hubby said “Y’know, your lunch was free; he wouldn’t charge me for the bagel, only for the soda. Well, that made the bagel dog that wasn’t very palatable to begin with a little more pleasing. But then I got to thinking. Is there something about me, or us, that makes this particular clerk feel sorry for us?

I looked down at my shirt. An old Liz Claiborne printed blouse, pink flowers on a sick green color leafy background, from when we lived in Ohio (we moved from there in 1993) and I don’t remember what year I bought it. It was big on me, the shoulder seam about 2 inches lower than the shoulder. A pair of Talbott’s moleskin sickly green color slacks from about 3 years ago in Las Vegas that still look pretty good and reasonably in time for an “older” woman. The colors matched, but I must look hopelessly out of date on the clothing end. Maybe everyone thinks I buy my clothes at the Salvation Army.

On a brighter note, I learned we’ll be paid for our Poll Working on election day. So maybe I’ll go shopping after I get paid. At today’s prices I should be able to afford a new blouse, at least, as long as it's on sale. If I get to work more elections, maybe I’ll be able to buy some matching slacks too.