July 16, 2006
Deadbeat Club
I went to college at a small liberal arts school in then-rural Ohio (this was a few years ago; by now, Gambier is just another Columbus suburb). Everyone lived on campus; everyone ate in the dining halls. There were no strip malls or fast-food. No one had a cell phone. We went to class and studied and drank coffee in the bookstore and talked about what we were reading and what we did last weekend and what we were going to do this weekend. Those four years of college were the last time I was completely untethered. I mean that in a good way; not that I was lost or aimless or drifting, but that I was responsible only for myself.
In my senior year, eight of my girlfriends lived in a house together. I was an RA and lived in a freshman dorm. On the weekends, I would go to my friends’ house and lounge on the sofa while they all got ready to go out. We would turn the B52’s up loud and sing and dance.
I was good, I could talk
A mile a minute,
On this caffeine buzz I was on
We were really hummin’
We would talk every day for hours
We belong to the deadbeat club
Yesterday was like that. I met SJ and Crayonz (of the now-defunct Baby Lauren blog) in Tulsa for lunch; two hours of noshing and talking and nursing later, we weren’t ready to go home. So SJ plunked Baby Sam in his carseat and we headed to Old Navy, where we took turns carrying Sam around (and possibly leaving him under displays while we browsed) and making fun of the short short skirts (SJ: “What is with all these girls walking around with their vaginas hanging out? I DO NOT want to see your vagina”). We talked about our babies and our boobs and our blogs. There may have been some making out. There was a lot of playing with each other’s hair.
Dude, WHAT is Sam doing to Crayonz?
Quick, cover the baby’s eyes! SJ is flipping me off. She’s so sweet.
Crayonz: “Pucker up!”
SJ: “Dude, not in front of my baby.”
Crotch fruit! Although he looks more like crotch vegetable in his little peapod carrier.
SJ and Crayonz are both over a decade younger than I am, but hanging out with them was just like hanging with my college girlfriends (okay, except we were hauling a baby in a car seat with us, but otherwise! exactly the same!). Of course, when I told them that I owned a pair of gaucho pants when I was in the eighth grade, the FIRST time they were stylish, they started giggling about how OLD I was. Because they’re both, like, 12.
I needed a day of lounging with girlfriends. I needed a day of not being the mommy. I needed one day to be a deadbeat again. Now I just want them both to move to OKC and do that with me all the time.
Posted by Susan @ 1:49 pm • Uncategorized
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July 16th, 2006 at 4:00 pm, Mir Says:
So. Jealous.
(I also owned gauchos in 8th grade.)
July 16th, 2006 at 5:36 pm, Laura Says:
My best friend’s fashion advice is this:
IF YOU WORE IT THE FIRST TIME, DON’T WEAR IT THE SECOND TIME.
I have found this to be true with most fashion items. Especially double-knit polyester. However, I do love my bell-bottom pants (OK, flared pants).
Come on up to MN and we would be happy to take you to Dunn Brother’s and shopping at Old Navy! Also, we have a lovely J.Crew here in our mall. Glad you had fun with the other bloggers!
July 16th, 2006 at 6:11 pm, ieatcrayonz Says:
OMG, you posted EVERY SINGLE PICTURE YOU TOOK!
Damn it if we didn’t get around to those drinks. Perhaps it’s because 100 degrees puts you in the mood for an icee instead of Crown.
Glad you made it home safely. Thanks for making the trip. I have a picture of you with Sam on Flickr.
July 16th, 2006 at 9:01 pm, Velma Says:
Waaaaahhhhh! I want me some friend-y types, too!
Ditto on the gauchos, but I’ll call this hand: Bobbie BROOKS gauchos, baby! I had ‘em in both navy blue AND burgundy polyester! Read ‘em and weep!
July 16th, 2006 at 9:07 pm, Susan Says:
Okay, girls, you asked for it: my gauchos were purple corduroy. WIDE WALE corduroy.
And I had a matching purple windowpane check blouse to go with them. AND I’m pretty sure I wore them with a gold snake belt (remember those?). And purple tights (TIGHTS!) and some sort of ballet flat.
I was not wearing any of the above yesterday.
July 16th, 2006 at 9:58 pm, Lotta Says:
Love the vagina comments! And what’s with skipping the skivvies! Girls, put on your underpants!
July 17th, 2006 at 5:19 am, Felicity Says:
crotch fruit….never heard that one before. Hmmm.
July 17th, 2006 at 6:41 am, Tara Says:
I hang out with short skirt wearing, lipgloss pouting femmes all day- the average age of our waitstaff is 25 and I am the resident old bag who has to field neverending questions about childbirth, marriage and the meaning of life. Your group sounds way better!!!!!!!!!!!
July 17th, 2006 at 7:29 am, Lisah Says:
Ok, so where did that fabulous baby carrier come from? Do I have to go across country to get one? I must have it!
July 17th, 2006 at 8:03 am, Susan Says:
Lisah, you can order one on the Internet, but I can’t remember the name of the company. Go see SJ for details.
It IS mighty cute, isn’t it?
July 17th, 2006 at 9:03 am, Velma Says:
Aaaaaaaaggghh! Gold snake belt! You WIN!
July 17th, 2006 at 10:11 am, sarcastic journalist Says:
No pictures of the sarcastic nipple? It only made about 78 appearances that day.
Also, you are cute! And so wee! And you are now my heterosexual girl crush.
I guess this means I like older women.
July 17th, 2006 at 10:12 am, sarcastic journalist Says:
PS: The sling is the Peanut Shell. Mine is the apple green microfleece one.
July 17th, 2006 at 11:07 am, Jenorama Says:
So. Jealous. Too.
Damn.
This is just payback for Mary P., isn’t it?
July 17th, 2006 at 12:41 pm, Jenorama Says:
Wait, you went to Kenyon?
God.
So jealous.
July 17th, 2006 at 2:19 pm, melynda Says:
Waaaahhhh!! I’m not too far from Tulsa! If I promise to bring chocolate or vodka or something, can I come next time?
By the way, I wore gauchos, too. With a cowl neck sweater and boots. I was oh-so-very Charlie’s Angels. I will never wear them again.
July 17th, 2006 at 6:27 pm, Nancy Says:
That sounds like it was a lot of fun. The only way it could have possibly been better is if you’d located and worn the purple wide-wale corderoy gauchos.
(well, maybe not better for YOU, but better for ME…)
July 17th, 2006 at 7:39 pm, Molly Says:
Oh, Velma, I had those Bobbie Brooks gauchos, and the matching striped cowl-neck sweater, too. Nothing but the best 100% acrylic, baby!
I’ve always heard “If you wore it in high school, don’t wear it again,” and it just about killed me when preppy stuff came back in a couple of years ago, because I loved that phase. All pink and green and grosgrainy. There’s just something about grosgrain. ESPECIALLY polka-dot grosgrain. I can’t walk past it. I have this urge to buy it and tie it around the button-down collars of all my oxford shirts.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:02 am, Crazy MomCat Says:
I had gauchos too. I wore them with my tall brown vinyl boots with the rubber souls. Didn’t everyone?
July 18th, 2006 at 5:20 am, rzdrms Says:
dang! everybody gets to meet yonz! and now it seems like she AND sj live only four or so hours away from me. ::jealous hrrrmph!::
July 18th, 2006 at 5:23 am, rzdrms Says:
ooops, nope. seems like y’all were in tulsa. (i should read more carefully.)
July 18th, 2006 at 7:18 am, ieatcrayonz Says:
C’mon now, I’ve only met a total of 5 bloggers. I’m working on the other 4,203,293.
Nah, you just have to plan your vacations and trips around bloggers. It’s not hard to do onced you get sucked into blogging and it consumes every minute of your…wait, what was I talking about?
July 18th, 2006 at 10:53 am, Silly Old Bear Says:
Sarcastic Nipple would make a great name for a band.
Just sayin’
(imagine the t-shirts!)
Jealous of y’all getting to meet up, my kids aren’t as easy to amuse at Old Navy. They would likely attempt a hostile takeover.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:14 am, Busy Mom Says:
How fun!!
July 18th, 2006 at 11:49 am, Susan Says:
SJ was making wise about her “hospitable uterus” and I told her that’s what she should call her next blog.
But now y’all have me thinking that should be a band, too. Sarcastic Nipple and the Hospitable Uterus.
I’d pay to see that.
July 20th, 2006 at 8:17 pm, Anonymous Says:
What are Gaucho pants? Seriously? I’m in my late 20s. Should I know what these are?
July 20th, 2006 at 8:50 pm, Susan Says:
Anonymous, gaucho pants are those wide legged cropped pants that are EVERYWHERE these days (although unilke when I was, ahem, YOUNGER, they seem to come primarily in flowy fabrics–the ones I was snickering at in the Old Navy were made from that yoga pants stuff).
They are horrible. HORRIBLE! Run far and fast. Trust me on this one.
July 20th, 2006 at 9:50 pm, Izzy Says:
Gauchos? Ewww. Scary. They were ugly the first time around.
And you hung out with SJ? Color me green with envy.
July 20th, 2006 at 10:59 pm, sarcastic journalist Says:
ARE YOU CALLING MY PANTS UGLY????? Those, my friend, are my fancy pants.
July 24th, 2006 at 8:28 pm, DebbieDoesLife Says:
I saw her the SJ nipple ages ago. And, I am WAY older than any of you. SJ totally has a crush on me.