Got a call from a headhunter today ... and I have a j. i. IN THE MORNING. And he hadn't even seen my resume.

What happened was, someone had given him my boss's resume, and he called her last week, and wanted to know if she had manufacturing experience. She didn't, and the closest she knew about among people at our workplace was me. I used to work for an environmental lab that was owned by a chemical company. The lab was actually located at the plant for about 18 months.

The importance of this was hinted at by the fact that I am to wear, not my navy suit, but "business casual" to this interview. I have to not look like I will be scared to work at a plant. R and I found the place this evening so I won't be hunting for it tomorrow. It isn't very fancy looking, for sure, but you know, I really don't care about that.

I used to wear blue jeans and loose knit tops (T-shirts, really, but never with pictures or writing) to work every day. When you work in a lab, you don't want to dress up very much. My boss dressed the same. We had a meeting one day, though, with some men from corporate and a couple from our location, and it occurred to me at the meeting that my boss and I were the only people in jeans and with shirts not tucked in. On our way out, I told my boss that we really needed to upgrade our appearance. "I was thinking the same thing," she said. At my next opportunity, I bought some khaki pants and a nice belt, and started tucking my shirts in. There was some commentary at first. People seem to have my wardrobe memorized. Let me buy one new blouse, and I get comments all day long. It's kind of funny.

So when I told my boss that I have to wear "business casual" to my j. i., she said something about getting some new pants. "You don't like my khakis?" I said. "They're getting kind of roomy," she said. R is on a diet, and I have been so supportive of it that I have actually lost a little weight. So I was FORCED to go to the mall this evening and buy some clothes. Some new khaki pants (size 10; I never thought I'd see that again) and a red twin set in a pretty, bright fine-gauge knit whose sleeves push up nicely so it won't look dorky in a Memphis summer. I'll polish my walnut SAS loafers and there I'll be. And everyone at work will wonder about my new outfit, and about five people will ask if I have a j. i. I love my coworkers.