Daily Prompt: Smell You Later

The writing prompt today was as follows:

Humans have very strong scent memory. Tell us about a smell that transports you.

My sister and I getting ready for a dance recital in the 80s

My sister and I getting ready for a dance recital in the 80s

Think 1980-something, in the fall and early winter.
Teenage girls, donning Gloria Vanderbilt, Sergio Valente or Sasson jeans and fuzzy sweaters, and coating soft, supple, unspoiled skin with Merle Norman makeup.

The bathroom mirror is shared to capacity, each girl straining to get the best view. Makeup stains, and hair filled brushes line the formica countertop along with curlers and Aqua net hairspray. Speaking of hair, it had been determined by those who determine all trends that as for hair; the bigger the better.

Thus, the girls bent upside down, with luscious locks falling all topsy-turvy, and hairspray creating a fog so thick, we were dangerously close to needing a lighthouse. But coat it we would, ensuring that it last through Endless Love and Keep On Loving You and Celebration and whatever else our cassette tapes held.

Glossy lips shimmering, Bette Davis eyes complete, gaudy earrings hanging, charm necklaces bulging with charms, which continually caught in the sweaters, and finally everyone is ready.

It is at last time for the last touch, the scent. Our favorites at the time were Cinnabar and Ciara. It was always one or the other. I have never been able to smell Cinnabar without it bringing me back to those carefree, teenage dating days.

My mom, my sister and I and many of our friends wore it. It’s funny how a scent can transport you to a special time and place filled with such delightful memories.

Memories as sweet as the scent of Cinnabar.

Eyebrows and Toenails

Pedi in Hawaii

Pedi in Hawaii

Today was a day I decided to just meander into town and do whatever I felt like doing, a “me” day, I guess.

After a couple of errands were out of the way, I found myself at the mall which was just beginning to open.  There weren’t many people there and I thought that from now on, early morning is the right time to come to the mall.  The only thing you have to watch out for is all of the elderly walkers who come here to have a safe, indoor environment to move those bodies.  Some of them are fast and you have to get out of their way.

My stop at Sephora was very productive, although a tad costly, but what’s a girl to do without her cosmetics?  I even allowed myself the luxury of letting the girl try some new products on me and got a new “eye look”.  She insisted primer is the key to keep that eye shadow in place.

Next, I stumbled on a huge dress sale, so of course, I had to stop.  After trying on about 10 dresses from the sale racks and one of the latest arrivals, guess which one fit?  Right, the latest arrival, which meant it wasn’t on sale.  But, it was too cute to pass up.

My next to last stop of the day was to redeem the mani-pedi gift certificate one of my daughters gave me for Mother’s Day.  I don’t know if it’s just me or what, but it’s a challenge for me to sit still and relax during this process.  I look at it more as a “necessity”; something you just do, get it over with and feel prettier because of it.  This time, I told myself, I would really try to relax (except for the waxing part as that is impossible!).  I settled in and closed my eyes, the massage chair already doing its thing.

Wouldn’t you know I would be perched near the lady who proceeded to regale everyone within earshot with stories about her and her husband’s feet.  She went on for approximately 20 minutes expressing her angst over her ingrown toenails and telling her friend how she comes to get them “dug out” once a month.  She enlightened us on more than we ever wanted to know about ingrown toenails, her husband’s bunions and a horrific trip she had to the podiatrist who drew blood.

Needless to say, I was glad when it was my turn to go in the back for eyebrow and upper lip waxing.  The pain of that would surely be better than the next topic she would thrill us with.

Finally, I was ready to go.  I got to my car to try to remove some of the gooey, shiny stuff they plaster all over your brows and lip after this process.  When I opened the mirror, I was horrified.  My new “eye look”, was stripped mid-way down from the brow and thanks to the new primer she used, I couldn’t rub what was left around to fill in the huge bare gaps.

At this point, I knew that the only place I could possibly go was Walmart to pick up my last few things, so I hurried through with a prayer that I wouldn’t see anyone I knew.  I saw one, but managed to avoid them.  It was for their benefit as well as mine (so don’t judge people for avoiding you sometimes as you never know the reason, hehe).  I was a puffy, red mess with goofed up eye makeup.

I got through there in record time and made it home undetected and unnoticed for the most part.  I’m feeling much better after a cold wash cloth, a glass of sweet tea and a piece of dark chocolate.  I’m thankful that my toes are still kinda cute, for a while longer anyway.

Vainly searching

English: Avon Daring Curves Mascara. Español: ...

 Today started out okay if it weren’t for that one thing!  I got up on time and was dressed, ready and out the door by 6:30 but sans mascara; the one item I forgot.  I’m certainly not going to teach a class without it; my eyes will look bare.  No worries, I’ll just stop at a drug store on the way and pick some up.  Yeah, right!  No such thing enroute to the training center. 

Even though my GPS refused to cooperate with the address of my intended location, and I had to go back inside the hotel and print out some help from mapquest, I still managed to arrive early.  I figured since it wasn’t even daylight yet,  I would continue looking for a “mascara” store.  I wanted more coffee anyway.  I’m independent, self-reliant, I could do this. 

I continued down a winding, hilly road, filled with blind curves.  I even found myself singing, “The long and winding road” by the Beatles.  You just sang a line too, didn’t you?  Fresh in my memory from my last trip out this way was the discussion about the abudance of deer and the admonition to be very careful so I didn’t hit one.  Granted, my rental car is ugly but I don’t want to return it with dents or worse.

So to imagine the scene now, it’s still before daylight and I’m poking along in my hideous rental, braking at the top of each hill (because I’m used to flat land and who knows what is on the other side) and behind me trails a line of headlights.  The poor locals who have the pleasure of following a FL girl, unsure of herself in the hill country, are probably about to lose their patience with me.  I’m driving along feeling badly for all the times I get impatient with tourists at home (although I doubt most are in hot pursuit of mascara!)  I did have to brake for one deer and that made me feel a little more justified in my creeping along under the speed limit.

I continued on, for approximately 7 miles, not finding a safe place to stop or turn around.  I finally reached a dead end and right in front of me was an old gas station.  You know the type; pigs feet and dill pickles on the counters and bathrooms on the outside (with the big key rings that you don’t want to touch). I didn’t go inside, but I didn’t really have to (that last epidsode of Criminal Minds I watched was flashing back).  I’m thinking an unexpired tube of mascara would have been way too much to ask for anyway.  So, I turned around and went back the way I came.

Can you believe I went to all of this trouble because I was worried about naked eyelashes?   Well, the day went along fine and if anyone noticed, they didn’t mention it and I forgot it too as time passed.  For those who know me, this was a major accomplishment.  

So after class, I went sightseeing and took a few pictures and I even managed to locate a Target before I settled in at the hotel for the night.  Yes, I bought some mascara (and peanut m&m’s), so let’s see what tomorrow brings.  If nothing else, my eyes will look good.

 

 

Mitch Teemley

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