The Price of Love

Attending your spouse's holiday office party.

That's right, Friday night is the holiday dinner party for Dan's company. So I will spend the night being uncomfortable in my new shoes, drinking two much wine before the meal is served, and smiling uncontrollably and getting increasingly flushed in the face due to beforementioned wine drinking.

On top of that, we are expecting a snow storm Friday. Which means no party which will negate my one opportunity to dress like a woman this year. No I know. I dress like a woman in my favorite jeans and t's. But people I got a new outfit for this affair. I spent some money at 8am on Saturday at Macy's "Please, Dear God Come and Spend Money at our Customer Appreciation Employee's Discount and a Free Bag of Chips Sale." Because who doesn't love chips? I was gonna be looking goooooooooooood. But not too good. We don't need the Partner's wives thinking the Senior Network Analyst is making too much money.

You know, the wives! Most of whom have been beyond generous when Liam was born, sending gifts and cards. Wonderful people. Really! Being honest here!

But then there are the wives, who, when Dan travels to their oppulent estates to figure out what is wrong with their husband's wireless connections (yes there is a joke in there somewhere), he finds them getting manicures from the housekeeper/massage therapist/beautician. Yeah the ones who will greet me cautiously before dismissing me with The Up-and-Down.

I didn't go to the holiday dinner last year as I was home with a 4 month old and leaky boobs that could not be contained by any sort of pretty girly outfit. Seriously I would have needed something in the Delta Burke Special Occasions line with those puppies knocking around. Plus I couldn't self-medicate with wine while breastfeeding, so really... what would be the point? The year before that Dan worked at a different company. So we were at their party at another posh place that had me shifting weight from one sore pinched toe to the other and smiling widely as I downed another glass of pinot grigio. "What? My cheeks are pink? HEEHEE."

So we will do the cliche things like, "sit tight," "keep an eye on the weather," and "wait and see." Darn I'd hate to miss it! It is going to be at a lovely place like this.