You know you're getting old when you avail yourself of the opportunity to use the blood pressure/scale/body fat monitor at the pharmacy each time you shop. I remember when my dad was first diagnosed with high blood pressure in the 80's before the public machines were common. He was friends with a couple of firefighters in Milwaukee that told him to stop by the station after he made his delivery down the street, and they'd check it and keep records for him. That relationship continued for about 20 years, long after his customer had gone out of business. More than once they were able to alert him to potential problems, and he'd see the doctor before it became serious. These days, you sit at a machine, shove your arm in a cuff, and a recording tells you what a "great job" you're doing before it spits out your results.
Today, I thought it would be interesting to have it read my percent body fat. I placed my hands on the metal strips, hit the button and...nothing. I tried again. The cheerful recording let me know "Something must have gone wrong"(no "Great job!" this time). I finally gave up realising the lack of circulation in my hands probably overwhelmed it. I looked at my blue fingers, muttered something about arthritis, and went on my way. I've never had high blood pressure, and don't expect to, but I still stop to get a reading because it seems like the sort of thing you do at my age.
One issue aging has brought is my inability to tell blue from black, and in the case of this tweed skirt, brown from grey. In the end, I decided it would have to be grey because my grey tights were clean. Next week, it might be brown! It is maddening, because half the time I'll step outside into natural light and my error will be glaringly revealed. I'm sure young people are clucking their tongues tisking "Poor old dear, she got dressed in the dark" which is not completely inaccurate.
Outfit Particulars:
Vintage coat-Hand-Me-Ups
1970's tweed skirt-Goodwill
Orange top-K Mart
Matching 70's necklace and bracelet (there's earrings too, but they hurt)-Hand-Me-Ups
Large white lucite vintage ring-Goodwill
Egyptian revival ring-Et Cetra. Seward
Brooch on top-Goodwill
Brooch on jacket-New Life Thrift
Earrings-Thrift World
Shoes-Clarks
Tights-Walgreen's
Fragrance-Vintage formulation Cabochard
Get the hell off my lawn, will ya?
Well I'm a sucker for monocramaric looks. The grey shoes (luuuuurrrve those shoes), tights and skirt are very sophisticated. But I think that mixing up grey and brown would look great too.
ReplyDeleteBTW you look wonderful....and I'm getting off your lawn, haha!
Happy thrifting ;)
The skirt is "greige." Yup, Bobbi Brown made that color a Fall/Winter makeup trend about 2 yrs ago & it's still going strong. Bye bye taupe!
ReplyDeleteNo mechanized anything at our local pharmacies. In fact they're 'open air' with a sort of garage door front.
I suggested a random blood glucose and BP check at our local eye specialty clinic down the street. (We have a lot of undiagnosed diabetics & kidney failure due to uncontrolled hypertension.) Now I've been designated the local glucometer expert with random folks coming to my door asking me to teach them how to run a glucometer.
That shade is the very hip & on trend Fall Winter color "greige." Yup, Bobbi Brown did an entire Winter collection around it 2 yrs ago & it's still going strong.
ReplyDeleteThe fat-o-meter runs a mild current through your 'mass' determining what % is fat (supposedly). Unfortunately it really doesn't take into account that your entire nervous system is lined in fat. I wonder if the US will ever get over it's fatphobia, especially now that studies are showing carbs are far more damaging?
Oooh, that nice coral-tipped brooch again.
ReplyDeleteThe skirt looks grey in the photos to me. Looks fab with those tights and skirt. Then, I can never tell my navy tights from my black ones till I get out of the house, so I've taken to tying a knot in the foot of the navy ones so I can identify them while dressing. Still managed to go to work in a black skirt and navy tights last week, though.
Looks grey to me too. I'd be far too scared of what it might tell me to get on one of those machines, ignorance is bliss!
ReplyDeleteFrom the pictures, I'd say the skirt is grey, but then again it could be brown. I know, I'm no help here. It's one of my colour issues. I'm having problems with black and blue too, and - most famously - with certain greens and blues, but I don't think it's age related. Over time, I've become very adept in hiding my "ignorance" and call things greyish brown or something. Maybe we should go for nondescript colour names like greige and taupe, as pointed out by Bibi? xxx
ReplyDelete@Thrifty Parka
ReplyDeleteThose grey Clarks probably get more wear than anything else I own. You never realise how important a pair of grey shoes are until you have them. Thankfully, Clarks last forever.
@Bibi
Hon, my fat is lined with fat!
I'm a great example of why you shouldn't do distance running to lose weight...it won't work. I feel bad for the people that take up running at New Years thinking they'll get thin.
I've said it before-pharmacists are the people you go to with questions-not doctors. That's kind of you to help people out-I'm sure it is greatly appreciated. I developed gestational diabetes when I was pregnant (common in old mothers, I'm told) and it was a major hassle checking my blood so often and adjusting the insulin. I rarely got much helpful advice from the doctor, but the local pharmacist was great.
@Mim
That's a great tip about tying the toe in a knot. Thanks!
@Miss Magpie
My sister never kept a scale at her house. I think that was probably the wisest decision she ever made.
@Ann
As kids, we used to joke that the family car (a dull, pale yellow with grey undertones) was, "phlegm" coloured. That might be a tough sell for Pantone though.
We had a car called "silver mushroom" when I was small. That was a pleasing colour. Then there was my little brother'c coat, "gentleman's relish". I do like your various neutral colours together, here.
ReplyDelete@Radostin
ReplyDeleteBoth those names do conjure specific images!
You look beautifully co ordinated to me, Goody and I love that coat/jacket. It really sets the whole outfit off perfectly.
ReplyDeleteMy phone can apparently take my BP and loads of other medical things but I've never bothered with it....