Friday, November 09, 2012

Up in Smoke

Hookahs don't count. Apparently. 2009
I have never been a smoker. (Which of course explains the photo I chose to use for the Brutalism header...)

I don't feel morally superior about this fact...I am a non-smoker for purely practical reasons: health, cost, not wanting to get those lines around my mouth that make me look a lot older, and the fact that I like taking work breaks in a barren, exposed area in front of my office building reserved for the non-smoking employees, while the smokers get benches, overhangs to protect from the elements and a selection of delightful hors d'oeuvres featuring seasonal ingredients presented to them by uniformed butlers.

Faye Dunaway/Barfly impression. Mid-90s. This was either in
Cleveland, OH or Rochester, NY. But of course.
And that that is why it was so surprising that while cleaning out my home office recently, I found so many pictures of me pretending to smoke cigarettes and actually smoking cigars.

So for your viewing enjoyment...I present to you a pictorial history of my bad decisions -- both the smoking and the sartorial choices.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Thanks to DC Blogs for linking to my post today. It's always the posts of which I'm proudest...

A work going-away party, circa 1998. I was
probably fired for that sweater. Justifiably.



One of my first vacations with my now-husband, Key West, FL, 1996.
(That's called setting a man trap, ladies.)




With my college boyfriend. Mid-90s. (He was wearing a mini skirt so he was totally asking for it...)



Smoking a cigar in the back yard while wearing a t-shirt that says "I have issues" on the front.
(As if the blue-contacts-for-purely-cosmetic-reasons and cigar smoking did not give that away.)
2001-ish.


At a poetry reading with Jack Kerouac. Mid-50s.
In a cheesy limo on the way to see cheesetastic Richard Cheese at the 9:30 Club in DC. 2009.


10 comments:

dilettante07 said...

I had so many snarky comments ready for your fashion choices when you smacked me upside the head with the BLUE CONTACT LENSES? What the hell? How did I not know about this? I knew you then. Did you wear them a lot?

Next you're going to tell me you dye your hair.

Anonymous said...

The 2009 limo shot -- is that faux pearl braclet a true fashion accessory of yours from that time or were you cheesing it up for that event -- because it is awful either way.

Brutalism said...

Dilettante - And here I thought you'd be focused on the glasses of good, dark beer in the mid-90s photos. I should get credit for my awesome taste in micro brews even way back in the day...As far as the blue contact lenses -- I think that was the same era as the dyed-red hair. I have no explanation other than Mommy issues...

Anonymous - The bracelet was part of the 50s lounge-y dress code we agreed upon for the event. And is something I wore recently to work and to my nephew's bar mitzvah. So...both I guess.

Amy said...

You bar-flying, man-trapping, sweater-stuffing, issue having, smoke whore. The face with the sweater could be the blonde mom on Modern Family desperately trying to prove she can be fun. But the college boyfriend totally had it coming.

Brutalism said...

Amy - Right? Like I can help myself when I see a stubbled guy in a mini skirt and sorority sweatshirt...

dilettante07 said...

I heart the pearl bracelet. Don't listen to the haters.

I also think you should go back to the red hair and blue eyes. And maybe get a perm. Annie is all the rage these days.

Brutalism said...

Tante - I'm totally bringing "the Annie" back in 2013. And I will not stop with hair and eye color --I'm doing all peter-pan collar red dresses and mary janes with socks all the time. I can't wait for that to catch on!

Christian at Point Counter-Point Point Point said...

I've heard quitting pretend-smoking can be just as hard as pretending to quit real-smoking.

Sarah said...

tThe poetry reading beatnik picture might be my favorite picture of anyone, ever. I can't stop laughing.

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