My Morning with the Moto Jacket

Today, I’m introducing you to someone whose writing I adore.  The love affair (okay, maybe it’s more of a stalk affair) began quite some time ago and was carried out strictly online for months and months but then something happened — something that transcended the internet.  Meredith of The Mom Of The Year wrote a story that was featured in I Just Want To Pee Alone, one of the same compilations in which I was lucky enough to be included (#humblebrag).  It was a stunning piece of work about the death of her mother that was somehow both heart-wrenching and hilarious (yes, hilarious).  It takes a really special talent to pull off a tightrope walk like that.  So I grew to love her on a different, deeper level after reading (and rereading) her story.

I’m happy to say that I invited her to do a guest post on T&T and she said yes.  So now it’s official.  We are an item.  Although not the item she’s obsessed with just now.  That would be a moto jacket.

I am not a fashionista by any stretch.  My idea of “updating my fall wardrobe” centers around meeting people from my online yardsale group in the Chick Fil A parking lot to buy their old Target sweaters for $2/piece.  This has worked out extremely well with our budget constraints and the fact that all of my clothing is usually covered with peanut butter by at least 11am.

But then I went and got obsessed with the moto jacket.  What the heck is a moto jacket?  It’s this fall’s version of the classic motorcycle jacket.  In short, you have a ton of women bopping around wearing chic little coats who would never in a million years actually get on a motorcycle.   I don’t know how the moto jacket got on my radar, but suddenly I was in love.  And I wanted one NOW. Just picturing myself in it got me all excited and made me feel like I would be able to take anyone out instantly. Not that there is a lot of call in my life to take people out, but if I was wearing this jacket, I knew I could.  If the need arose.

I tabled and stuffed my yearning for this fake leather perfection (let’s be real–there is NO WAY I could convince my husband to pony up for the real deal) until one recent morning.  This particular morning the plan was to rise at 5am, Jillian-Michael my way through a work-out, shower, dress, and be happily pimping my latest post by 7 when my kiddos got up.

What actually happened was me crankily yanking myself out of bed at 6:30am and repeatedly stabbing the coffee machine brew button in my desperation for java.  It was a non-preschool morning, so there was no need to hyperventilate about getting the kids out the door, and sluggishness was on the horizon. My kids were feeling it too–my poor daughter crashed on her way to her chocolate milk.  So I turned on Curious George, fired up my laptop and settled in for a susbequent 2 hrs. of wasting time obsessing over this moto jacket. I called in the support crew, begging my Facebook friends to help me figure out whether I should go collar or no collar.  Was quilting on the sleeves too trendy?

The very wise Kerry of HouseTalkN suggested a dickie.  This made total sense, because then I could probably actually afford the fancy real vegan leather stuff with such a minimalist garment. Fully recognizing the first-world nature of this problem, I am not going to beat myself up too badly.  For coveting a coat, for wasting my morning when I should have been cleaning or washing dishes or something productive, or for feeding my children a heavy dose of PBS.

The thing is, our family runs hard.  We keep it intense around here and some mornings…you just need to dedicate to senseless obsessing over moto jackets. And the jacket itself?  I did what any classy gal would do.  I ordered two on sale from Target.com since I still couldn’t make up my mind and will make my husband return one on his way to work. (I don’t actually allow myself to step in the store b/c I can do serious wallet damage in that nifty dollar section in the front).

The jackets haven’t arrived yet, so I don’t know whether collar vs. no collar will win out.  But this fall, rest assured, this Mom of the Year will be boss.

Visit the Mom of the Year’s blog and follow her on Facebook.  Order your own copy of I Just Want To Pee Alone to read the truly amazing story I mentioned above.  (Along with those of more than 30 other fabulous women).


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