Saturday, July 29, 2006

 

Happy 25th, Mel!

I love getting back from the pool, and then hours later, catching the smell of chlorine on my skin...it's such a summer smell, and calls to mind memories of hanging out at my grandparents' house.

Ever since I bashed CL, I've been on a bent to have it touch every part of my life. Last night I met up with a CL girl at a nearby breakfast eatery to do a sketchy book exchange. I gave her $23.90 (shorting her .10), she gave me eight used books in a red Lord & Taylor bag.

Now, her ad had said that the books would be $3 each, or $25 for the lot. She was selling 16 books. For me, it was a no-brainer. Pay the $24, get the books I want. Why pay $25, be out a dollar, and have eight books lying around that I have negative interest in?

E thought I was crazy...and we had a tense few moments discussing our respective rationales, not seeing eye to eye, and thinking the other person is ridiculous. After agreeing to disagree (or, you know, just dropping it), we got up and went to our local CVS.

This morning Mel and I (chauffered by her fiance!) went to a woman's house to look at wedding gowns. We had found the ad on CL during a lag at work on Thursday...all it said was this woman had hundreds of gowns at her house, and was pricing them ridiculously low. Mel did the legwork, and set up a noon appointment.

The only experience I have with wedding dress shopping is that episode on Sex & the City when Carrie has a panic attack and tears a gown off in a fit of terror...with that as my only frame of reference, I was on the alert for any anxiety on Mel's behalf.

There was none of that, Thank God. And while I was looking forward to going (Why wouldn't I? It was a sketchy CL adventure!), I did not realize that it would be so much fun. The woman selling the dresses was very cool, with a beautiful townhome, decorated with an enviable North African flair. Her three year old daughter, shy at first, was soon sitting next to me on the sofa and tossing veils into Mel's already full arms.

The dresses...some of them were FABULOUS. So many skirts! So much crinoline! So many zippers and buttons and trains galore! And Mel has a body made for a wedding dress, apparently, because they all looked fabulous on her.

AND SHE FOUND "THE ONE"!!!!

It looks perfect on her...it's beautiful. I'm not going to describe it here, in case it should somehow get back to the groom, but if anyone wants a blow-by-blow description of the wonderfulness that is the wedding dress, let me know.

Since the woman had bought out a bridal boutique with her husband, and they're moving to Chicago in early September, they were eager to unload some of the merchandise. So, Mel got a terrific deal, with a veil and shoes thrown in for good measure. We left with thank yous, promises to mail her a copy of our magazine, and Mel's bridal costume wrapped in plastic and carried in a Disney Princess gift bag.

Is it premature to say that it's lucky to shop for a wedding dress on one's birthday? Until there's evidence to the contrary, I'm going to perpetuate this young single's tale.

Comments:
Happy birthday, Meg! A little late, but that's life on Craigslist.

You know this is your way to blogging and publishing fame and fortune. Pick a random CL listing and see where it takes you. And blog about it.

Furtive book purchases sounds like a great start.

Wombat
 
Thanks :-) But it's Melanie's birthday, not "Me"

But I don't like having a birthday in January - right after Christmas - all of the presents and joy come at once. So I'll take this moment to pretend that I have a summer birthday.

And that's a fantastic book idea. May I really use it? It's just my style - I'm rather weak on building plot. And character development. But short little ditties? Perfect!
 
Oh, now I feel like a dummy.

Happy birthday, Melanie!

Yes, Meg, please go forth and create an empire from your CL adventures.

As you write, all the elements are there; your sharp eye and sharp wit will be able to make gold from...dross.

Good luck.

Wombat

PS: Remember me if Letterman has you on.
 
Oh, Wombat, when this book is published, you'll get a front page "Wombat ;-)" dedication.

and then I'll have all these guys coming up to me saying that they're Wombat...it will become this big messy drama...thereby generating fodder for another bestseller!
 
Cool. Messy dramas are the best.

Wombat
 
Thanks, all! :)
 
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