Thursday, March 27, 2008

My 40th Reunion Calamity

My Infamous Black Knit Top

The day of our 40th High School Reunion finally arrived. It was a sweltering August afternoon and I knew I would be soaking wet after running around and setting up equipment. I wore my grubby work clothes and packed my "Reunion Outfit", so I could change later. While packing the car, my bag was open on my bed with clean underwear, slip, panty hose, dress shoes, my skirt, my black knit-shirt, my hair dryer, make-up kit. I rechecked my list three times, then left for Little America at 3:00 PM.

I arrived at the hotel and put all my bags and equipment on a hotel cart to transport to the appointed ballroom. The hotel "tech" geek helped me set up the PowerPoint projector, hooking it up to my computer and the ballroom sound system. The large screen was on the stage and the projector/computer were lined up, ready to go. As predicted, I was sweating profusely by the time I was done with the set-up.

I grabbed my "personal" bag and rushed to the Ladies' Restroom just as guests started to arrive for the Silent Auction. In the restroom, I got out the hair dryer and started drying my hair. Then I stepped into a stall and stripped down to my birthday suit. I washed, dried and began dressing. I put everything on except my top --- but where in the world was my black top!? The top was not in my bag. Where could it be? What was I to do?

I didn't have a cell phone with me. My former classmates were arriving just outside the restroom door--wearing their Sunday Best. No one came into the restroom to rescue me. I couldn't leave without a blouse, so I did the only thing I could do. I took off my good clothes, folded them neatly and put them back into the bag. I put on my wet, grungy work clothes and crept sheepishly into the foyer to look for help.

I found a friend with a cell phone and called home. My husband had already left to come downtown to the reunion. I sat down and started to cry. "This can't be happening!" It was worse than all the Nightmares I'd been having for over a year. Finally my husband arrived. He looked at me curiously, wondering why I wasn't dressed.

"Bill, what am I going to do? I don't have a blouse and the reunion is starting!" I cried.

"Were you going to wear the black knit top?" he asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Well, I saw it on the bed, but Persy (our cat) was sleeping on top of it, so I thought you'd taken another blouse!"

"But I have nothing else to wear!"

I told Bill we'd have to go home, so I could change (1/2 hour home, 1/2 hour back). I would miss the first hour of the reunion. I then tried to find my purse and the bag with my clean dress clothes. In my panic, I'd forgotten where I set them down. After a frantic 15 minutes search, I located my belonging and we drove home.

We decided that Persy had seen my open bag on the bed and had decided the black knit top looked like a comfortable bed. He pulled it out of the bag, kneaded it for awhile and then curled up for an afternoon nap.

At home I redressed, redid my hair and make-up while my husband brushed cat hair off the infamous black knit top. Finally in one-piece, we returned to the hotel in time for the dinner and the program. I had missed the Silent Auction and the picture taking (okay with me).

The rest of the evening went fairly well. Except when it was my turn to start the PowerPoint and couldn't get it to work. Again, after a few tense moments with 200 people waiting, a techno geek stepped forward to help.

The PowerPoint (a fun synopsis of the '60s and our school, with '60s music) was a huge hit. We had pulled it off a successful reunion---I lived through it and the nightmares stopped.


My Infamous Feline

1 comment:

Travelin'Oma said...

This is such a funny story!! I have huge hot flashes whenever I'm rushing, and I sympathize with anyone who's having a "power surge."