Clothes Complaints and Other Items

My thoughts on clothes did not end with the end of our trip to Texas and Oklahoma. Yes, I have calmed down about an attempt, albeit innocent to sell me capri pants in Oklahoma. But now I find that Nordstrom is selling their 8 panel side zips as back zips this year, so I've lodged a formal complaint to Nordstrom and am enlisting Talbots for their help in finding side zips. Back zips are impossible for women with arms that are less than 14 feet long and who may or may not have flexibility or coordination limitations. As an aside, I entered a public restroom just the other day where a woman was swearing about her back zips slacks. Anyway, the 8 panels are a full length pant (of course) that are extremely easy to alter because there are 4 panels per leg. They were the answer to my black pant prayer. If anyone knows of a good side zip, please contact me right away, if not sooner.

My sterling nephew Garrett has checked in to say that the latest and last Harry Potter book is the best. He loved it. Garrett had his copy in hand at 12:07 a.m. Saturday morning. He read for 17 hours. That's my guy. Garrett is quite a reader and a very smart guy all the way around. He has my mother's green eyes and the innate common sense of a West.

Kathy and I spent a lot of our weekend trying to bring order to our home. We are calling in California Closets for some organizing and closet building. One of my tasks with all of this luscious time off is to throw out years worth of papers, receipts, light bills, etc. and I've nearly completed the task, although there's shredding left to do. But this didn't solve our closet problems. I will get rid of more stuff by going to work, where I will take a box of office accoutrement, including cds, a cd player and 9,000 little cartoons that I'll paste up around my desk. I can take some of the art work that is sitting around, too.

I did in fact go into my new job twice this week to aid in hiring a program assistant. The people are funny and nice and I have high hopes. I am delighted to be back on upper campus. The building is old, set in a lovely location, and right around the bend from two stellar libraries. The bookstore is 1.5 blocks away and so is the Shalimar restaurant. Who could ask for anything more? I hope I do this group proud and can accomplish what we're setting out to do.

We're into books on cd these days and are listening to the next book by the author who wrote The Kite Runner. This book is about women in Afghanistan. I believe the book will plot revolution in Afghanistan through the lives of at least two women. 1973 is the year for the first woman's story, 15 years later for the second woman's. I'm reading Poor People, a long essay on poverty, by William Vollman. It's tres reflective, very well-written, and a book I read, then put down for several days. It reminds me how privileged I am, and cuts down on my complaints, except those having to do with clothes and who they're made for.

I have finished my book for the time being. I went back through a chapter that I liked the other night and see that although I get off some good lines, the chapter is a little out of character for the book. More re-writing ahead.

I hope you're all having good summers and wearing the pants of your dreams.