Dress codes and free throws

This morning, the only email in my work inbox was one from my supervisor reminding the "admin staff" of our business dress code. The official title of this dress code is "conservative corporate casual."

I do not approve of the use of "casual" in its name. There is nothing casual about it. No jeans. No T-shirts. No "gym or pool" sandals. No sneakers. It is nothing like casual. Take that work out, and we've got ourselves an accurate desciption of the way we are supposed to dress here.

Now. I am painfully aware that, while this memo was sent to the entire admin staff (6 of us total), it was just a less direct way of addressing me. The other folks dress perfectly appropriately. I have been known to wear, say, scuzzy flip-flops to work (8 years old, given to me free at a luau when I was 15, probably purchased at the Rite-Aid nextdoor to my highschool). Or, on occasion, a skirt that is above my knees (I always thought the rule for decent skirt-length was a few inches longer than where your fingetips land at your sides). Sometimes, although I don't like doing it, I have shirts that have a little bit of cleavage (listen, I'm a very tiny person with very ample bosoms...do you know how hard it is for me to find clothes that fit that do not reveal a little bit of cleavage?).

All of this to say that I am not offended by the memo, I am simply annoyed that I am going to have to spend a good day this weekend shopping for more clothes that can be deemed "appropriate" for work (now that sweaters are no longer seasonally applicable). I figured since I had always dressed this way (and have now been working here for more than 7 months), it wasn't a problem. Twas not to be.

It is harder than I thought to transition from theatre major college student (who wears comfortable, slightly trendy casual clothing until it is time to get into a costume) to conservative casual professional who only gets to wear jeans on the weekend. Mostly because I loathe spending money on clothes.

On an entirely unrelated subject--I was at Game 2 of the playoff series w/the Hawks Wednesday night. In premium seats. Looking down at Bruce Willis' shiny head (have you ever heard 20,000 people yell "Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuce?" It's phenomenally similar to hearing 20,000 people yell "Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke"). I had a great time, and am seriously considering investing more time into watching the NBA on television as a result. I'll watch a Sox game or (more commonly) a Pats game every so often (all the time in playoffs...but during the regular season, let's face it, I've got better things to do than sit there for 4 hours), but never really considered watching the NBA before. I played basketball in high school, and really enjoy the sport, but it just never dawned on me to really pay attention to the NBA. But basketball games are quicker than baseball or football, faster-paced, and just as exciting as any other sport. Plus, I like it that we have a player who shares a name with a musical composition form (bonus points if you know who I'm talking about).

So Celtics, I think I'm going to start paying attention. Please thank my boss and his ticket raffle for your new fan. And I'm aware that Mr. Bibby would say that I'm a "fair weather fan," but a fair weather fan is better than an imaginary one.