Tie Dye.

When I first started this little blog, I had my list.  Tie dye was one of the things on my list. I like it, what can I say.  A couple of years ago, when I was wearing a tie dye shirt, my sister Spring said, "You know, Peeps - tie dye is sort of out now.  It went out a while ago."  Now, granted, Spring is usually way more up on the current trends than I am, and her kids dress really trendy and always look really cute, but I had to disagree with her.  I didn't think it was "out" ... and then one day, shortly after that, I was driving around Salt Lake and saw these t-shirts chillin' in the wind and had to snap a picture just to show Spring that tie dye was alive and well!

She still wasn't buyin' it.  She thought only the people who didn't know better would be the ones purchasing these shirts.  (I liked 'em.)  My kids all had a couple of these big, boxy t-shirts that they had made at an extended family party .... they were fun.

The tie dye shirt that I wore, wasn't homemade.  In fact, I think I got it at Nordstrom, it was fitted, and the colors were pink and blue and I thought it was dang cute.

Sidenote:  Several  years ago, I went through a difficult breakup, and I was having a really hard time shaking it.  I was watching one of those early morning TV shows and they had a guest on who was talking about three important things to do to help you get over a relationship.  One of them was to realize that you can't be friends if you still had feelings for them because that would just be WAY too hard on you, prolonging your ability to move on. Another was to join a gym - not only for the physical benefits, but for emotional benefits as well, and in addition, you might meet someone new ... and I can't remember the third one for the life of me, but this sidenote is about joining the gym and tie dye anyway!  :)

SO.  I joined a gym.  For the first time ever.  Now, you know how it is when you sit down at the desk to fill out the paper work? They talk about what your goals are and what your motivation is for being there.  Then they offer a few complimentary sessions with a personal trainer to see if that would be something you might be interested in, yada, yada, yada.  Fine.

So I had three complimentary sessions with a personal trainer. The kid was 24 years old, cute, blond, tan, buff, charismatic and asked me why I was there.  I said, "Honestly, because I have just been through the biggest heartbreak of my life, I can't shake it, and an expert suggested joining a gym."

He commiserated with me, said that he had had a girlfriend for three years who broke his heart so that he could totally relate.  (Okay.)

At the second session, we started talking and he told me he had a friend that he wanted to set me up with.  "I met him here at the gym.  We started playing basketball together and now we golf all the time together too!  He is so cool!  He is really successful in real estate, in fact he just had a really awesome house built.  He's got two kids in college, he's the greatest guy, I think you would really like him!"

Hearing all of that, in my mind, I pictured an older version of this kid.  A charismatic, handsome, totally into his body kind of "gym-ite" who more than likely was into the female version of himself ... which would be Malibu Barbie, which I am NOT.  I consider myself just an average, normal MOM.  I told him probably not. But the kid said he would have his friend call me and we could just have a conversation and see.

Victor called me, and we talked.  Then he called again and we talked, and I decided to meet him for dinner.

Third session, the kid asks me, "So what are you going to wear on your date with Victor?  He likes his women hot.  Wear something that will make you look young."  What?  (I thought this was not going to go well.  I didn't consider myself hot or young and this Victor was going to be expecting Barbie.  I felt a lot of pressure and seriously considered cancelling the date.)

Hot and young .... hmmm .... what did I have to wear that was hot and young?  Then the thought occurred to me - my jeans with the tears in them, and my TIE DYE SHIRT!  Perfect.

So the day of the date arrives.  I am totally nervous. We were going to meet at Johnny Carino's.  He told me that he would be really casual because he would be coming from a golf game - maybe he'd even be in shorts. That worked with my outfit, right?

I'm walking into the restaurant, soooooo nervous, but a little excited too just because I hadn't been out with anyone else and it was a step toward moving on .... I opened the door, and a guy stood up from a booth and said, "Polly?"

In that moment, I was tempted to just turn and walk right back out that door, but I was raised to be polite, so I stayed.

The guy was NOTHING at all what I had been expecting. I wanted to go slap that kid at the gym and say, "Really?  REALLY?!!!  This is who you thought I would be attracted to?!  This is who you thought I would like?  This is who I stressed out about looking good for?!!!!"  (I am so reliving this night right now ..... )

He looked a little like Steve Urkel, only Jewish, and I'm pretty sure I was taller than him.  He was in a crisp white dress shirt, with black high water pants and suspenders.  I'm like: Wait, What?!  He was balding and wore glasses.  (Now, I have nothing against Steve Urkel, or Jewish men, or balding men with glasses as a rule - I just wouldn't have thought that this was what "Victor" the bff of the little hottie who set us up was gonna be like!)  Ah, boy.

We started chatting and I wanted to hold the menu up over my face so I couldn't see him, just because it was SOOOO odd that this was the person who went with the voice (who sounded a bit like a player on the phone) - it just didn't match.

After we had placed our order he handed me a little bottle of hand sanitizer and said, "These menus are just so dirty."  The night didn't get much better.  We discovered that we both had the same birthday and by the end of the date he mentioned that he would love to take me away for a weekend to celebrate our birthdays ... I was thinking, "Oh sweetie.  You are never going to lay eyes on me again."

And then I sent a text message to the old boyfriend that said, "Thanks a lot for throwing me back out to the wolves."

I was NOT happy and never did see Victor again.  (Oh how I hate dating!)

So ... back to my affinity for tie dye.  I did have to laugh when another sister, Leslie and her family had a reunion and they all wore tie dyed shirts!  One of her kids posted this picture on Facebook. (And then Leslie left this comment:

"Must we always take our family picture on the last day of our 4 day camping experience?  

Geez!  I do love the GROOVY tie dye ensemble though."

Libby's other grandma just got her a new dress for her birthday last week from Nordstrom:




And I want this from the newest Sundance catalog:

So, even if tie dye did indeed "go out" for a little while, it's Ba-aaaaaaaack!!!   I'm lovin' it.