she's
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The tiny little local paper had some prom recaps today. My city's prom isn't for a week or so. Lil Sis has been asked by five different guys, and she's said no to all of them. That just boggles me. She went to homecoming and was bored out of her mind - formals just aren't her thing. So she's not going at all. Min and I just sit and wonder... Is she really related to us? (FIVE (5) guys!!)

I wasn't all that interested in prom or homecoming either, except that all my friends were going and I would be stuck going alone. I could have gone stag, but I just wasn't brave enough. So I kept telling myself I really didn't want to go.

Actually, I really honestly didn't want to go. I just wanted to be with my friends and experience what they were experiencing. I had no overwhelming desire to get gussied up for a night out on the town. So I didn't go all through high school, until my friends started discussing their plans for senior prom. Suddenly, I wanted in.

I ended up asking an acquaintance of mine. We were both in orchestra; I played violin and he played viola. He was a sophomore, I was a senior. And we went as friends - no more, no less - and had a pretty damn good time.

When I told my mom I was going to prom, she practically had kittens. She got started on a dress right away. The problem with me and dresses, however, is that I hate everything. (This is becoming a problem with the whole wedding dress thing, too.) We finally settled on a reasonable compromise - not too poufy and not too plain.

There were other travails I had to endure; hosiery baffled me. I needed shoes. Min (amateur fashion consultant) insisted I get my hair "done up" and helped me out with my make-up. Rather, it was her make-up, and she just slathered some on me. I had no idea what she was doing.

By the time Jed arrived to pick me up, I was so harried I didn't care if we were going to a dance or the zoo. (In retrospect, I probably would have enjoyed going to the zoo.) We were doubling with another couple, and didn't have much time to snap photos, run back to Jed's house, take more pictures, and then pick up our friends. So of course, my mom takes about 100 photos.

That's me you see there, dolled up and anxious to leave ASAP. (Jed's been trimmed out of the photo - poor guy doesn't need it broadcasted over the Internet that he went to prom with me. grin) I actually had more hair than that, but it was all "up." It was hard as a rock, as well - that ridge on top of my head could have put someone's eye out. Also, my mouth is open because I was wearing lipstick (for the first time ever) and didn't think I was allowed to close it. Don't ask.

We went to dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant. The restaurant was so impressed by us in our formal wear, they seated us in the front window. All throughout the meal, patrons of the movie theater next door kept walking by and oogling at us. "I feel like I'm in a fish tank," said Beth. I wholeheartedly agreed.

When we finally arrived at the school, my feet were killing me. All I wanted to do was sit. Jed seemed more than happy to oblige, and so we sat. (We did dance once, only because people were asking us if we felt all right.)

So, why did I bother? Did I have fun? Not really. It was an interesting experience, but I'm glad I only put myself through it once. I decided it's much more fun to get together with friends without having to dress up and eat a fancy meal.

(...of course, what am I doing next March? Guess I don't learn very quickly. Gotta go look at wedding gowns now. Bye.)