Crusing the Drag in Our Pajamas

Hey you're s'posed to be the fastest thing in the Valley man, 

but that can't be your car, 

it must be your mama's car! 

I'm sorta' embarrassed to be this close to ya! 

~ Bob Falfa in American Graffiti

You apparently cannot dress them up, nor can you take them out!

It was the second holiday event of the year.* My good friend DC invited me to a "sisters" event at a local church. "Polar Express" was the theme and we were to wear our pajamas.

Now, I don't really wear pajamas. Most people who know me, know that I sleep in my clothes **  most of the time. If it is really cold I'll wear a flannel sleep-shirt that's as big as a tent. I thought long and hard about skipping the costume and wearing jeans, but what would be the fun in that? I remembered BF had handed down some pajama bottoms not too long ago (Yes, I STILL get hand-me-downs from her. It's a sister thing.) So we avoided the "tent look" and I dressed in long johns, pj bottoms, a T-shirt, and my shower shoes.

DC was smartly attired in an Eeyore nightgown, tights, and boots.

It snowed all the way to the party. Yup, snow. [Further south they have REAL snow....snow on the ground...snowmen! We just got flurries - still it put us in the mood for a party.]

The party was fun - a few hundred women celebrating their friendships and the holidays. There were games and songs. Yeah, there was an altar call (not my heritage, but one I understand). And I won a prize!***

Now, what do YOU do after the pajama party (where you don't get drunk on the hot chocolate) and it is still only 9:00 p.m.? **** Well, I don't know what you do, but we decide not to go home and debate what we are dressed for (don't judge!). And we decided.

First you cruise the drag.

Take It easy, take it easy
Don't let the sound of your own wheels
drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can
don't even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand
and take it easy. ~ Glen Frey & Jackson Brown

Then you hang out in the Walmart parking lot.

Brrrrr! NO ONE was hanging out in the Walmart lot.

Seriously - we would have cruised the drag had we known where the drag was. Neither one of us grew up around here so we just cruised over to the new(ish) Walmart. We got out of the car into a frigid north wind. There would be no "hanging out" in any parking lot. And, since we were dressed for Walmart, we headed into the store to see what exciting Christmas fantasies might be fulfilled.

DC headed out to find some bargains.

I documented "the look."

Lots of ornaments.

Owls! They were cute but a little gaudy.

"No!" said DC. "THESE are gaudy!"

We did not rescue the dogs from the puppy cookie jar display.

We debated the infused socks (is that infused or confused?).

We giggled our way through the Christmas stuff - there was a GREAT Santa mask! And then we knew we had had about as much fun as we could tolerate on a Thursday night and headed home.

Walmart has a new recycling area at the door. Plastic bags go where the plastic bottle is pictured. I asked.

Still nobody in the parking lot although we could just imagine we heard the voices of some crazy kids we once knew who might have enjoyed this evening 15 or so years ago.

NOTES:

*We always try to go to the local symphony Christmas concert in early December - and we did.

**Yeah, yeah. I know. This is probably not a good idea, but who do I need to impress. AND one is always dressed quickly for those first dog walks of the day! I learned this trick when I was in elementary school and I wanted to be dressed and ready for the school picnic. It was at Welder Park. We got to ride the school bus (since we walked to school, riding the bus was a big deal to us). [Our mothers worked like maniacs to put on a spread you cannot imagine and to keep track of these wild children (grades 1 through 8) at this place. It's a wonder there weren't more injuries. Wow! That was a blast from the past.]

***It was a coffee mug and mascara. No, this makes no sense, but I DID break my favorite mug the other day and I am willing to try this one. AND since my mascara is likely more than 3 years old (when I retired), I may actually try this stuff too. So maybe I was MEANT to receive this gift!

****The TRUTH - wait, can you handle it? The truth is that there is so much construction and traffic that driving in this town is a pain and challenge on a good day. Add snow and dark night and you miss the exit for home. So we found ourselves on the way home from a different direction and past the new(ish) Walmart.