Tell Me What They're Wearing This Year

Here are some snapdragons that are getting choked out, but still hanging on this late in October.

So, you know how sometimes Friday nights can be hectic? What with returning from work and then running for an hour and getting home with a thirty minutes to spare before all of your daughter's friends are supposed to come by and you still have to do a little cleaning and go to the grocery store, so you skip a shower? You hair has that whole frizz halo thing going on and you're wearing a pair of old faded jeans and a thermal that you must have spilled something on, but you don't change, because after all, you're in a two bedroom apartment with 15 eighth graders and it's so loud, that no one can see anyway.

The doorbell keeps ringing and more and more smelly teenagers enter. Finally, when the bell rings, your daughter yells, "Mommmm! Someone's here for you." Your first instinct might be to hide under your bed, but you go to the door, and there stands your good friend, fresh from NY with her husband. Your friend doesn't have any smelly teenagers, so she looks amazing. Her hair is all styled and highlighted and she's wearing the cutest plaid dress ever made, along with a pair of totally kick-ass boots. You expect to see some look of disappointment when she catches you looking like you've been wrestling hogs all day, but all she has is love and hugs and her amazing laugh.

You ask her how she found your place, and she apologizes for barging in, but she said she must have written your phone number down incorrectly, and she was so worried that she would miss you, if she didn't hunt you down. She and her husband went to the restaurant you suggested when you messaged over Myspace and then they went to a bar and asked the bartender if he knew a woman named Churlita. Of course, the bartender happened to be a guy named Brad, who, not only knew you, but could tell her how to get to your place.

After a half hour, you get to know her husband and are so happy that he seems really wonderful and in love with your friend. It always gives you hope to see that, especially when you know that your friend used to date the same kind of emotionally retarded guys that you have.

Then your other daughter calls and needs a ride for her and her friends from Blackstone where they were eating dinner, to another friend's house. You have to go, but you make plans to meet up for a drink the next night, and you know for damn sure, that you are going to clean-up and dress-up and defrizz and defunk yourself just for the occasion.