Mint and Champagne

To liven the appearance and appeal of one of my austere and dependable black business suits, I purchased this champagne silk blouse to wear as a shell and paired it with my new mint pearl beads from the local church sale a few weeks ago. The blouse and the suit were neutrals that complemented one another well, and the necklace infused enough of a statement and flash of color to prevent me from looking completely dreary. Unfortunately, I should admit, the attention to detail, color, and texture fell short, on hard and cold and wizened eyes of physicians and marketing directors alike, receiving little recognition. Facetiousness aside, I actually did glean a sweet compliment from a woman in the bathroom, always a catalyst for some positive energy, a brief and kind interaction. I also much prefer to blend in, unnoticed, at these events, as much as possible, which is quite simple; attend my meetings and mind my own affairs. Pharmaceutical sales representatives are always swarming, buzzing, prepared to sink into the flesh and take hold in a politely forceful death-grip, engaging you in parasitic dialogue on the attributes of a certain product, the nuances of a particular disease state. A subdued nature can often be the preference. The conference I had attended was replete with armies of European attendees; silk scarves and acute aesthetic details were in abundance, so I was not alone in my attention to sartorial subtleties.

Today, I am enjoying a much deserved, if I may be permitted to indulge myself, day off and away from both the office and the San Francisco Moscone conference center. Katherine and I plan to head out to a few wineries in the Napa Valley region, explore the terrain and bask in the warm tongue of the sweating sun. This is a beautiful alternative to the climate of the east, which brought seven inches of snow to my proverbial door a mere week ago. Unfortunately, wine would be difficult to transport home, but I look forward to a long afternoon of conversation and imbibing.