Construction Wear

Day Two of my construction apprenticeship was just as fun as the first. Mostly my role was similar to a surgery nurse. Instead of scalpel and rib spreaders it was... flashlight, tape measure, sand paper, tape measure, caulk gun, tape measure, fine tool, tape measure. I found a new use for my coloring-inside-the-lines skills. I didn't get my hands on any power tools, but am hopeful for tomorrow. I even got to talk to the electrician about hot wires and shorts.

But I wanted to share with you the dilemma of construction attire. Yesterday I wore jeans, sneakers, & a sweatshirt (a red one since it was Valentine's Day.) The customer, however, did not recognize me as part of the company team. I had to explain to her my new role. I didn't want her to think I was just some woman walking by who came in to check out the construction workers.

So to clarify my status as an employee, I stopped by the office for some logo shirts. Apparently they are not stocking any of the cami tops until summer. So I settled for two gray cotton shirts with the company logo.

This morning when I dressed, I was reminded of the difference in men's and women's t-shirts. These logo shirts were not designed with women's hips in mind. So I considered my tucked-in or untucked options. Then I had to decide if I should curl my hair and put on lipstick like I always have in the past when I get ready for work. I decided yes. Construction Girls aren't ugly. I'm sure there are some others out there. These other Construction Girls are beautiful - I'm sure. We still want to look pretty - even if we have to wear a bright orange vest.

So I threw on a flannel shirt for an extra layer and headed downstairs to face my four most honests critics: my children. My 10 year old son, Kyle said "Cool shirt, Mom." He can be a man of few words, so I took this as high praise.
Then I faced the girls. My oldest, Kat, is at the pinnacle of fashion, being a 7th grader. My youngest, Suzy, wears the free-wheeling styles of an 8 year old. And my almost-daughter, Fern, who I watch before and after school, dresses safely within the acceptable standards of fifth grade.
"Mom, those pants are too high-waisted."
"Try the shirt untucked."
"Maybe you should knot the flannel shirt like this."
"No, that looks too cowgirl."
"If you're going to button, only button the middle button."
"Are those your only sneakers?"

Gheez!
In the end, I went in untucked, a concession to my in-home fashion police. Being Construction Girl isn't as easy as it looks!

As for the double-entendres today (I mean beside the shorts & hot wires) there were many. Here's the best:
Did any of you know that someone actually invented a real-life, very handy tool called a perfect mount?
I dare you to go into a hardware store and ask for one.