In the eighties, tall, tanned, and super hot, Tom Selleck (a.k.a. the original Magnum P.I.) was all the rage. For those of you who don't remember this, here's another shot of the actor from that era:
Yeah, the guy was pretty impressive!
I was thinking about him while I was working on my book, 30-Love. Not that Tom is in the story, but I did write about Ceilia Valdez, Charlie's younger sister who's always running late. (Don't worry, I promise to weave Mr. Selleck back in here, so just hang with me)
Excerpt from 30-Love:
It was a chilly day in early February, and the Dallas skies were dark, promising a cold rain. I'm so ready for spring, Charlie thought, happy that their club had multiple indoor tennis courts.
She chuckled to herself as she pulled into the Renner parking lot and saw her sister's white BMW. I can't believe Ceil's already here! She's always late for everything! Charlie thought, mentally preparing herself for her sister's ribbing.
Charlie entered the club through the tennis center, stopping to greet the spunky redhead working at the reception area. "Hey, Felicia," she said. "Great to see you!"
The woman looked up and smiled. Charlie and her sister played frequently, and the attractive, outgoing sisters were two of her favorite members. "Ceilia's already down on court 2," Felicia said. "I think this is the first time she's ever arrived before you!" She gave Charlie a mischievous grin. "You may want to try to get here earlier in the future."
Charlie cocked her head. "Why's that?" she inquired.
"Check this out," said Felicia, beckoning Charlie to follow her to the observation windows that looked down on the indoor courts. She made a sweeping gesture indicating the two people on court 2. "That's what I'm talking about."
Charlie peered downward and saw her tall, slender sister standing near the net on the court they'd reserved. She was animated, chatting it up with an athletic-looking man. She watched as Ceilia tossed back her long raven hair and laughed at something he'd said. Even from her vantage point, Charlie could see the guy was very attractive. She laughed good-naturedly. "Who's that Ceil's talking with?"
"That would be Drake Winstead. Isn't he somethin'? He's our new tennis pro," Felicia replied dreamily. "He just relocated here from Florida."
Charlie rolled her eyes. She knew the club had been searching for a new pro, but lately, she hadn't been in the loop enough to know they'd found someone. She continued watching Ceilia interact with the new hire and felt a wave of protection for her younger sibling.
She hadn't even met Drake Winstead, but felt she knew his type. Tall, tanned, and too handsome for his own good! she thought. He might be a great tennis instructor, but guys like him are never good boyfriend material!
"I guess I'll go down and say hello," she said casually to Felicia. And put a little space between those two!
If you haven't read 30-Love yet, here's the link to order it on Amazon:
Click here: To Purchase 30 Love On Amazon
I don't know about you, but I find it annoying whenever I have to wait for anyone. Chalk it up to my military-brat upbringing (my father was in the Air Force and we always had ETAs and ETDs) To me, it just seems like whenever someone is late, they think their time is more valuable than my time.
This brings to mind my friend Sue. Sue had a knack for summing things up with her barbed-wire-sharp sense of humor. On more than one occasion, she shared with me her "Tom Selleck Rule of Waiting". (Sue was a die-hard Magnum P.I. fan)
"I'm not willing to wait for any person longer than I'd be willing to wait for Tom Selleck," she'd say. "If I look at my watch and see that amount of time has passed, I'm out."
Hmm, The Tom Selleck Rule of Waiting . . .
Sadly, Sue died from cancer a few years back, but sometimes if I find myself waiting for someone in a restaurant or movie theatre, I always remember her rule and it makes me smile. Sometimes, I'll call that person and let them know they're about to exceed my willingness to wait for them.
"You're in grave danger of surpassing The Tom Selleck Rule of Waiting," I'll say. Of course, then I have to explain what this is. (Side note: My chronically-late friends and family members already know the rule and groan when I recite it)
For the record, if you're reading this, Tom, I've learned I'm willing to wait about twenty minutes—max! It used to be thirty, but as I've gotten older, I'm becoming more impatient. After that, as my friend, Sue would say, "I'm out!"
That mustache!!!
Closet ClotheSure Week 16
It's been a while since I've posted the rules of my 2020 Closet ClotheSure Challenge so here's a refresher:
Monica’s Closet ClotheSure Challenge 2020
1. I must wear a different outfit to work, Monday through Thursday without repeats. 2. I must wear what’s in my closet. 3. I cannot buy any new clothes during The Challenge—gasp! 4. Anything that doesn’t make me feel like a “ten” when I’m wearing it will be donated.
For the past seven weeks as we've been "sheltering in place", I've continued on with The Challenge. For a while I was referring to it as The What I Would Have Worn To Work Challenge! I'm happy to report that we're finally back in the office! Here's a run-down of this week's outfits:
Monday - It's a keeper! Still liking this royal blue top with the peek-a-boo shoulders from New York & Company and striped capri pants (also from New York and Company) This outfit is perfect on a semi-casual day when I'm out delivering products or working in our showroom.
Tuesday - This high-waisted, v-neck dress from Charming Charlie looks blue in the photo, but is actually purple. It's super soft and I like the wide, built-in, dual clasp thick belt and the length. I've often worn this dress with boots, but it looks great with heels or even flats. For what I paid for it, it's been a fun addition to my wardrobe. I've tagged it and hung it back up in my closet.
Wednesday - This long, layered butter-colored top from White House Black Market does a great job of concealing the too-tight, lined grey trousers from Ann Taylor.
The pants are going away, but I'll keep the top for a while because I love the color.
Everybody's talkin' bout my tight pants . . . got my tight pants on!
Thursday -
I deliberately kept this photo large because that's how I feel in this Eva Mendes skirt and blouse - LARGE! (My husband, James has begged me to get rid of this outfit for years—I've kept it because the skirt has pockets) After seeing this photo, I understand why he hates it so much. Even my favorite Brighton brown leather pumps can't save this look. So, off the skirt goes. I'm going to keep the blouse because it goes with other things. (what can I say? getting rid of stuff is hard!)
Overall, not too bad of a week! Making more room in my closet and ridding myself of things that don't make me feel like a ten!
From The Garden -
We're coming up on Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start of summer. Like a lot of folks, James and I have been working in our yard—it's such great therapy in these interesting times.
Wishing everyone a happy Memorial Day weekend! Take care my friends and remember:
God is in control and hope is on the move!
Love,
Monica