Like many preppies, I run on my own Lisa Birnbach Time (LBT), which is a casual approach to timekeeping, to say the least. There's no such thing as 1:00; there's one-ish. For example, I believe I was supposed to start this blog yesterday, on Labor Day. But no one reminded me, and by the time I knew for certain, it was just too late. (So went my application for a Fullbright Scholarship.
C'est la guerre.) (Sigh.) This is why not too many preppies go in for airport controlling jobs or managing the Swiss train system.
I must say I'm a bit humbled by the people who've been writing, posting, and blogging (I don't know the difference between any of these) who seem to have been awaiting True Prep. (I hope they have remembered to eat dinner now and then and feed their dogs once in a while.) The book comes out today. It kind of feels like a real event, at least to me.
And I know you mean to be polite and don't want to ask me any intrusive questions, so here we go: I have not been hiding under a rock, in a cave, or been kidnapped by wandering ____________ (fill in the blanks). I've been home, raising my three children (or trying to; it is hard work), writing school plays, even writing for television, hosting a radio talk show, and walking safety patrol. (I have safety patrol today. TODAY! So help me. I have to don a Day-glo orange mesh vest (TTFW) over my Brooks Brothers ensemble today and walk the walk. With a walkie-talkie, no less.)
Just because I've been lying low doesn't mean I haven't been preppy. Here's a list of some of the things I've done since you last heard from me. (When was that, by the way? You could have written to me too, you know. Just saying. It's reciprocal.)
I had the children. I bought them all cotton clothing. My first was a boy, but you might not have been certain from seeing the lovely, rounded Peter Pan-collared onesies I put on him. I taught the children table manners. They Never Text At the Table. And I'm very proud of that. (They don't always wash their hands before meals. Note to self: Must do some remediation there.) I tried the book club, but when I went to work hosting a daily talk show, I was on the air from 9?noonish (actually 9:06 to 11:57 am), when the ladies met, talked, and drank. I summered on the Vineyard, made new friends, and life has been good, and also hard, and sometimes sad, and sometimes exhilarating.
I'm a giver. You'll see more of that as the week goes on.
Hope your Day One is a smash.
xxxLisa