h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Apparently they make a bacon-flavored salt, for recipes that "need" the flavor but people who are trying to avoid it. I tend to just use a couple drops of liquid smoke.

Now if I can figure out where to buy watercress, I'm giving that a try.

The soup I made this morning was good- we ate it for breakfast. I tossed in a couple of chopped beet leaves (we have a ton of fresh beets) and a half a cup of quinoa, for good measure.

Then we went grocery shopping and K must've been a bit peckish, because he picked out some snacks he normally wouldn't...

OK, now that I've returned the response card with:

"1- chicken
1-vegetables only please"

I'm afraid I may have committed a major faux pas and will have caused all sorts of undue hardship for my boss's wife. I hope not.

According to all of the Emily Post types out there, I should have indicated either the chicken or the fish and just not eaten it, or not indicated any preference and not eaten anything. I'd never dream of bringing it up at a family style dinner- at K's cousin's wedding last December I just had bread and boiled potatoes, making do with what I could. But when someone is placing a plate in front of you and asking you what you'd like on it, we have a concensus that requesting neither kind of meat and eating the sides/salad/vegetable is OK, right?

I'm all paranoid now. Obviously my boss isn't going to sack me for an etiquette faux pas, but I hope we won't think I'm a total dork now, either.

And I still can't find any watercress.

I still don't think you have done anything wrong honey! I believe that it is perfectly acceptable to have responded that way - you couldn't make it any easier for them and it should be no hardship for them to serve you only veg.

Don't be paranoid, chill out. No use getting worked up over and RSVP.

I've gone to 4 star restaurants (with a group) where we ordered a la carte. As I wasn't able to eat the things I fancied and didn't fancy the things I could eat, I explained my problem to the wait staff and asked the chef to make me something from scratch.

In that instance I'd made the booking in advance and made them aware that this would be likely to happen and they were fine with it. I think the chef found it quite easy to deal with, if insulting (I don't know). The only thing they struggled with was pricing it up!

Don't worry about this so much - what's the worst that could happen?

Seriously, you're not gonna get sacked (and if you are you should sue!), the bride and groom probably don't know who you are anyway (it's the family of your boss, right? people you've met not lots?) and even if they did, they have bigger things to be interested in on that day!

You are only panicking about this because it's a vegan request, as opposed to an allergy issue - I'm guessing that with allergy risks you're as fierce as I am (i.e. very) and don't take any cr*p. You're not giving anyone any cr*p, so chill. S*d Emily Post.

And don't spend so much time thinking about it.

I guess I succeeded in that, since I didn't notice the last three postings till now.

Just over a week to go, and now my concern has shifted from what I'll eat, to what I'll wear. I have a black two-piece dress I wore as a bridesmaid several years ago and had altered to mid-calf length to make it appropriate to wear as a guest at weddings in the future.

Now I find something got on the front of it and apparently dissolved small "holes" (not quite holes, but serious thinning of the material) in two places- right on the front. And neither zipper wants to work. I have another little black dress but I'm not sure if I can still squeeze my fat self into it or not.

Moths spitting on it?

The only thing I can think of- there might have been a spot or two when I took it to the dry cleaners after that wedding, and maybe they spot treated it with something they shouldn't have.

Or it dissolves in ?

Hi girls!

Silly girl! Forget that old dress right now!.
Dear, that wedding is just an excuse for your "Time for the F**ing Renewal Beauty Session Every Woman Needs From time to time" In your case, from century to century, not because you don´t care much about such frivolités but because your powerful charm is enough for you

<that intro means Hi, Pc, glad to see you "worried" about such things)

I wish I could be there. It's fun for me to accompany my friends, particularly my sister, and act like a personal-shopper-assistant.

OK, let´s see,

Black is always right. It is elegant and for fatty selves like us, it is always "a friend".
Off you go to buy a black dress with a cut-design that helps to emphasize your cleavage. Discreetly, but it must be shown. YOu will feel sexy and happy.
YOu also need:

A bottle of body-milk that gives shine to your skin. Put it on your breast, and in your shoulders, if you are going to show them. The shine effect is subtle, but try it out any of these days at home.

The lingerie is VERY important too. Buy a new set. Comfortable and sexy ( the night shouldn´t stop at the wedding cake. Time to be wilder than usual)

Confy shoes, a bit of heel.

Jewels? yes, choose between a pair of beautiful big silver earrings or a necklace of Pearls, silver or any other.Long pearl necklaces are always elegant and stylise a lot. But don´t mix earrings and necklace. YOu can still put a flower,artificial or not in your dress. A little one.

Make-up. a bit of gloss on your lips, colour on your cheeks and rimmel can enhance YOUR already existant beauty, so... disclose it to the whole world!!!

Perfum. My favourite is Aromatic Elixir, by Clinique. F**ng expensive... but... It's really special. It has something powerfully atractive. Put anything you like. Perfum is important. Don´t forget it.

OK, I have finished, I think. YOu can take off the sunglasses. A lot of shine, isn´t it?

Ugh! I didn't want to go shopping for a new dress during Christmas shopping season. The stores are crowded and too hot. Plus I'll have to go on my lunch hour for work because I won't be able this weekend.

Jewelry- my earrings (sterling silver hoops- nine of them) are welded shut so I never take them out. So I'll probably skip putting a necklace on- good idea! Makeup- my usual black eyeliner and mascara from Urban Decay and a bit of glittery lip gloss. Perfume- I'm allergic, but I do normally wear a nice talc scented with sandalwood oil. Shoes- I have a pair of black Mary Jane style shoes with 3-inch wedge heels. I wear them only for "special" or formal occasions. And my handbag is covered, too- a black satin Chinese take-out box with a silver handle.

Lingerie- I have a nice set that I use for these special occasions.

I'm not buying anything new (unless I have no choice about the dress) because I'm diligently saving our extra money towards a down payment on a home. We've been saving $700 or so a month.

Hmmm. You say the other one is two-part. Just combine the skirt with a top?

I usually forget about the "what to wear" question until the day of

It's a two part dress- the skirt and top piece are separate. The skirt is an ankle-length A-line, and the top is like a bustier with spaghetti straps. Both pieces have the same damage- one spot each piece.

I'll try on the other dress tomorrow or Friday, with the pantyhose, etc I plan to wear, to see how well it fits. Last year it was a bit snug, but I'd had another med-related upturn at that point and have since lost a few pounds. Stupid thyroid.

Yes, I usually weight till the day of too. I won't take that chance this time.

Hmpf. That's inconvenient. Maybe if you line the skirt? I don't know the damage, but often these things are only visible if backlit.

Well, the material's kind of satiny, so it has a kind of sheen or gloss to it, if you know what I mean? And the damaged bits- they almost look like when you wear a spot through the knees of your pants or something- are "darker" and not-shiny. I don't know how to describe it. You probably couldn't see it from far away, but from within a foot or so, clearly.

Plus I still need to get the zippers replaced. Sigh. I may try the other dry cleaner near home over this weekend, just for the heck of it. They may be able to repair the damaged spots and the zippers in time.

If not- I wear the knee-length one or buy another (maybe I can leave the tag on and return it afterward ).

, anyway.

I'll lend you a cloak, they cover everything You can even wear nothing underneath if you're thus inclined.

Good combination:

more or less little black dress, red tights, black cloak lined with red

A cloak would've worked out nice. I'll make do with the long-ish pea coat my grandma gave me.

Meanwhile, the little black dress fits even better than it did before. Which not only means I won't look like a cow for the wedding reception, but that my GP might be pleased when I go for my annual checkup in February. (not 100% pleased, though, as I still have a ways to go before I reach my desirable weight)