Friday, October 24, 2008

Also, it keeps me awake at night

Yesterday afternoon, I was standing in a line-up at Toys 'R Us, buying a water bottle. (Meg saw that they had a good deal on the exact size I've been looking for, and the store is in the mall where I pick up Chris from the bus.) The cashier threw me for a loop for a moment when she mentioned to me, and hadn't to anyone else in line, that they had baby socks on sale for 99 cents.

It threw me for a moment, "Uh, I wouldn't have any use for those," I told her.

Afterwards, I looked at myself in a mirror, and wondered: of everyone in that line, why did I seem the mostly likely to be a mother of a small child? I looked down at my clothes and realised that my "I've been writing all day and I'm bleary-eyed, am wearing slightly shabby clothes and am long over-due for a hair-cut. My clothes are a little tight because I put on weight during comps, but do you like my sensible hiking shoes?" look could also be mistaken for "mother of a small child who doesn't get any sleep or time for haircuts or new clothes."

It's funny, because I always joke (with those people who ask why we haven't had kids yet) that my dissertation is my first baby. Apparently I'm looking the part.

In retrospect, it could also be the fact that I was a nearly-28-year-old woman standing in a line at Toys 'R Us in the middle of a work day.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

"In retrospect, it could also be the fact that I was a nearly-28-year-old woman standing in a line at Toys 'R Us in the middle of a work day."

That could do it. :)

Anonymous said...

:) I was touch by this experienced. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Do you have an Aveda Institute in Victoria? If so, you can get a luxury hair cut there for $30. Every PhD student needs a professional haircut. It might not keep you from looking like a mom, but it might make you look more like a MILF.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

stopasking...: I think they do, and I have a lead on a couple of other really good places for hair, but the problem is more me allotting myself time to go out and get a haircut! Sometimes I get a little head-in-the-clouds and forget stuff like that.

C said...

yes vic has an aveda institute, and they actually give pretty good haircuts! people still think i am in highschool, so if "mom" was the alternative, i don't think i would mind too much

Anonymous said...

You know, Andrew is in need of some new socks... maybe you could pick some up for me? ;-)