The Ups and Downs

Pluses:

-I turned thirty-three yesterday!
-I went to get my nails done with my mother, and had them painted a cool shade of orange. They look very nice.
-The new Janet Evanovich book is out, and I've borrowed my mother's copy.
-My parents got me a cell phone as a present, which is going to make life a whole lot easier.
-I went to a 2nd job interview this morning, and think I did really well. Whether they hire me or not, I made a great case for myself.
-I have lit for Shabbos, this made possible by the incredible cleaning work I have been doing this past week. The dining room table is not piled with junk.
-I had rosewater ice cream from the Persian grocery place earlier.

Minuses:

-I went to another job interview after the first one, and it was a wipe-out.
-My feet hurt.
-I was tired and hot and stressed, so I ate an entire pint of rosewater ice cream. I didn't really notice it happening, I just kept reading DovBear and eating ice cream. Back to the gym.

I think the pluses are winning.

Thirty-three. It sounds good, doesn't it? Mature. I found my first gray hair some weeks ago. I could only find it once, and then lost it in the rest of the hair, but the fella saw it and confirmed its silveriousity. I've even got some tiny wrinkles developing around my eyes.

Mostly, though, thanks to being chubby and round-faced, I apparently look about twenty-four half the time. This may sound great, but it is not. People talk down to me. They assume a job is my first, or maybe second. This is getting better, but it's slow. And the general trend is the reverse, you want to look as teenybopperish as you can. Last year when I went to get work clothes, the lady at Chicos started showing me how if I did this, or that, I could look a LOT younger. All I could think was "What about older? Do you have any suggestions for hairdos or accessories that could make me look forty-seven?" I teach. All teachers are old ladies. Those of us who are actually not-quite-middle-aged ladies have to do the best we can with what we got.

I think next time I will try the rosewater saffron ice cream with pistachios.