Out and About -- In the World at Large

[dillon]

Last night the wife and I were in downtown Wilmington for the Fourth Friday Gallery Walk. In addition to regular art galleries, a number of businesses also host galleries and rotate exhibitions of local artists on a monthly basis. The new exhibits are welcomed by later hours along with wine and finger food. I call it the Gallery Crawl, since by the time you’ve been through five or six galleries with their free wine...well, you know. I was in my long prAna skirt and a black tee shirt with a “Grateful Dead-ish” design representing the 17th Street Surf Shop. Yeah, I have been suffering a lack of variety in my skirt selection but comfort is part of the equation, right?

But I think my toenails painted in “Lavender Lustre” - and I was wearing sandals - complemented my much worn skirt.

I had one comment from a woman in a shortish dress complaining that the high winds had been blowing her hem up, and remarked that I probably didn’t have that problem. All I could say was that my skirt stayed down but I enjoyed the breeze through the relatively thin fabric.

[STEVIE]

I obviously do not frequent the right art galleries, free wine mmmm?
Alastair, is it possible that Mum and the kid just did not understand what you said?
I once had a compliment on my "dress", after a moment of confusion I realised it was meant quite literally.
Many congrats on the obvious progress with your good lady too.
Steve.

[skirtyscot]

Yes, Stevie, it is quite possible. I have no idea where she is from. The most commonly heard languages at Keukenhof were Dutch and English. If she's Dutch, she can probably speak English - they all do. But if she is from some backward nation where people are still monoglots at her age*, she might not have had the foggiest idea what I was saying. Then again, I bet she knew what the inscription on her T-shirt meant, so when I quoted it to her, running my finger over my own shirt as if the words were written there, my meaning ought to have been fairly clear.

* Unless of course it is UK or USA!

[nervous walker]

Hi All, Had an interesting couple of days, on Friday I was supposed to be polishing 2 workbenches I had made for my son's new premises so I could fit them but the polishing pads didn't arrive so I couldn't and took the opportunity to go to the chiropodist's and get my feet sorted out. After that I went on a trawl round the local charity shops looking for a denim skirt ( as I seem to be the only one without one I was determined to put that right ) well I couldn't find one but did find a nice red tartan skirt, picked it off the rail and went to the lady behind the till and asked if they had a fitting room? her eyes flicked between my face and the skirt a couple of times and she pointed to a little cubicle in the corner. I tried it and it fitted fine so I bought it much to her surprise. On Saturday morning I ventured out in my new skirt to the paper shop ( a couple of smiles but no comments ) and then on to a busy parade of shops. Walked along window shopping ( a few double takes and smirks but I just smiled back at them ) then into another charity shop still looking for the elusive demin number. Couldn't find one so asked the ladies on duty if they had one in the back maybe, there followed a half hour conversation about how many men they get in there buying ladies underwear, clothes and even wedding dresses!! It would appear that there are many more of us than will admit it. It ended up with them saying come back when you can and if we get one we will save it for you, what good service. From there I went to the bakers next door and bought a cherry scone and also asked where the best cheshire cheese could be bought locally as my favorite deli has just shut down, that turned into a 6 way conversation on cheese shops with no mention of my skirt or any hesitation in talking to me. Another very good skirted day.

[skirtyscot]

Seems like you had a good day, NW. The skirt looks fine but soon the weather will warm up and it might not be quite right with bare legs, so you may have to put it away for the summer. Something to look forward to in the autumn!

[r.m.anderson]

NW will do just fine in the summer - just need to replace those tights/leggings with some other supporting under clothing structure
keeping everything in its proper space/place !

[denimini]

Shopping day today. The weather is getting cooler but with 400 kms driving ahead I wanted to wear a mini skirt. Filling up with fuel this morning, wearing the incongruous combination of a mini skirt and windcheater, the lady at the fuel depot remarked "Aren't your legs cold? .......... or are you like me and don't feel it on the legs so much". It is nice that the mini skirt is now so normalised locally.
The weather did warm up but was windy ...... which I enjoyed.

[KenCT]

Wife and I ran errands today, she in pants, me in knee-length, straight, black denim skirt. Dropped off a bike for repairs at the local shop, left some donations at a charity shop, bought ribbons for granddaughters' dresses at the fabric store, picked up my birthday present, a new bike, at another shop, finally picked up a few groceries. After we unloaded the car at home, she developed a craving for a margararita. We had dinner out at a nearby Mexican restaurant - first time we've eaten out that I was in a skirt. Very pleasant day and evening all around.
Dennis, glad your vision will be OK. Monday night I started seeing flashes whenever I turned my head. Got into the ophthalmologist the next day and less than 24 hours after the problem started, the doctor had repaired the retina with a laser. So far so good.

[melsav]

After the beach cleanup today. Not a lot of people turned up, Scottburgh is only a small town (about 12000 permanent residents) so only the plasic was collected. skirt is up cycled shorts.

[denimini]

After the beach cleanup today. Not a lot of people turned up, Scottburgh is only a small town (about 12000 permanent residents) so only the plasic was collected. skirt is up cycled shorts.

Great! Looks like a good conversion of shorts, and a length that I can identify with. Did you have to do much bending over or squatting to pick up rubbish ........ in such a short skirt?

I have tried converting shorts a long time ago and realised it wasn't just a matter of cutting of the legs above the inseam.

We have a cleanup day tomorrow and our town population is about 600 people including babies, so I am not sure what sort of turn up we will get. The National Clean-up Australia Day is 3rd March but is usually far too hot at that time of year where I live and would get even fewer participants.

[melsav]

Hi Denimini. There was a lot of bending to pick but I have prefected the art of knees together and squat. Hope you have a good turnout for your cleanup, compared to your home town mine is a major city. Scottburgh is a place where people come to retire and die, the average age is well above retirement age. If you want to upcycle old jeans or shorts look on Pinterest or instructables.com that's where I get most of my idea`s. The skirt below is a mini box pleat kilt (home made)

[denimini]

Hi Denimini. There was a lot of bending to pick but I have prefected the art of knees together and squat. Hope you have a good turnout for your cleanup, compared to your home town mine is a major city. Scottburgh is a place where people come to retire and die, the average age is well above retirement age. If you want to upcycle old jeans or shorts look on Pinterest or instructables.com that's where I get most of my idea`s. The skirt below is a mini box pleat kilt (home made)

That is an impressive mini skirt/kilt that you have made. I would like to have a go at making one when I get a bit more time, I would like to hide a couple of pockets among the box pleats if that is possible.

Our clean-up was postponed due to rain, would you believe 12 months with only 82mm and now 81mm in the last 2 weeks. Perhaps the drought has broken.

[melsav]

Hi Denimini. There was a lot of bending to pick but I have prefected the art of knees together and squat. Hope you have a good turnout for your cleanup, compared to your home town mine is a major city. Scottburgh is a place where people come to retire and die, the average age is well above retirement age. If you want to upcycle old jeans or shorts look on Pinterest or instructables.com that's where I get most of my idea`s. The skirt below is a mini box pleat kilt (home made)

That is an impressive mini skirt/kilt that you have made. I would like to have a go at making one when I get a bit more time, I would like to hide a couple of pockets among the box pleats if that is possible.

Our clean-up was postponed due to rain, would you believe 12 months with only 82mm and now 81mm in the last 2 weeks. Perhaps the drought has broken.

Thanks Denimini. The box pleat is actually very easy, if you get plaid fabric just pick a vertical pattern and sew it up so the pleats are permanent, as to putting pockets in the pleat it's also quiet simple.
Sorry your clean up got postponed but it's good that that the drought may be broken. The last storm we had a couple of weeks ago delivered 120mm rain in 24 hour, that's why we needed our clean up.

[Gusto10]

While gardening last week, one neighbour noticed that I was wearing a utility kilt, asking whether it was a skirt. We discussed it ans she was full complements Another neighbour also noticed and said nothing, only darting eyes. A third neighbour also saw it while talking to moh, but as I was working on the other side of the garden, she only had a glimp. that neighbour is darn nosy and narrow minded I did keep out sight of possible. I had an encounter with that neighbour before, while sitting in my house she entered without ringing or asking permission while I was wearing a skirt & thights. At that time also bulging eyes, but no comments. I did consider it as an invasion of my privacy.

[Kirbstone]

Who'd have near neighbours? Best to arrange acres of green sward between one's domicile and those sort of people.....and populate it with big dogs.

Tom