The weekend started with a cocktail party at the football stadium's tower area (luxury box access). It was for all graduating business programs, so honestly we hardly knew anyone - since most of them were May, 2012 graduates from the day time MBA program, and the accounting and MA in management programs. But, I wanted to go anyway - show off some of my weight loss in a fabulous dress the Man bought me for the occasion.
There honestly were only a few people I really wanted to see. As part of the Event, 3/4 of my study team fairly well betrayed and abandoned me - I ended up working the next semester completely by myself, even the "group" project of our macro economics class (which I nailed, btw, A- on the overall project). Another team was gracious and took me in for the final summer semester, and I love them for it, but I will never forgive those 3 people who screwed me over. None of them were at the cocktail party - I was kind of hoping to be able to snub them while looking fabulous. Oh well.
It's really odd when people see you for the first time after a significant weight loss. They either don't react at all, sometimes you notice a slight look of surprise on their face, or then absolutely freak out on you. The first 6 or so people I did know that were there hardly reacted at all - and honestly I was getting disappointed. I thought I looked awesome, and how could people NOT notice the changes? Here's my look for the night:
New dress, new black patent pumps that you can't see, and a shawl I knit for myself (had to cover the flabby arm droopage). I mean holy crap - I have a waist in this picture! Boobs are lifted to where they belong! I thought I looked pretty hot.
Just before we were getting ready to leave, one of my classmates Bobbi showed up and did a double take at me and squealed - it made my night.
Sunday was the actual hooding ceremony. For those who haven't been to a ceremony for degrees being awarded above the undergraduate level, there's additional bits of cap and gown regalia that are given to the graduate based on what type of degree is being earned. For a masters degree, that's a "hood" - which isn't really something that goes up over your head, it hands around your neck and down your back. PhD earners get a fancier gown and other things I'm not completely familiar with.
It was my intention to wear the same dress to the hooding ceremony, but after the cocktail party my toes hurt enough from wearing heals for the first time in a decade or two that I knew I needed some flats, and with that, I really wanted another outfit. I talked the man into taking me shopping Sunday morning, and we came away with a very cute printed dress and little shrug sweater that helped cover my arms. I was a bit mortified at how much I paid for that shrug when I probably could have knit one with $15 of materials, but it wasn't something I could produce in 3 hours, so I went ahead and bought it. Also, the Clarins beauty lady caught me looking at lipstick, so I walked out with lipstick, eyeshadow, and some make-up remover - I'm turning into such a girl again.
Anyway, here's the second outfit.
Not sure why my face is a bit blurry, blame it on the Man's droid camera.
So the assholes were there at the hooding ceremony. We had to hang around (for nearly 2 hours) getting class pictures taken, etc. (I'm seated, 5th from left - horrible face because sun was directly in our eyes at about 11 o'clock - could look straight and open my eyes even for cash). I still look bigger than most people, but my friend that squeeled , Bobbi , (2 more down to the right from me) looks about the same - something I couldn't say in the past at all.
One of them spoke to me only when I addressed him as part of a group standing around, the other guy in the group wouldn't even make eye contact with me - par for the course since the betrayal back over winter holiday 2010/2011. Didn't surprise me, he's a complete spineless chicken. The other woman on the team showed up late, and I don't think even looked in my direction. She had a habit of being "fake nice" when contact was necessary as class finished up. I actually wanted her to notice my changes, but didn't really want to have to interact with her over it - so probably best we didn't have any contact. I still wanted to kick her in the teeth though.
So after an interminable 2 hours of class pictures, we were finally all lined up and walked into the chapel. A nicely short address from a local CEO who's also a Wake MBA graduate, and they started calling us all individually to receive our hoods and then shake hands with the Dean and the speaker.
No pictures of that right now- while the did allow family and friends to walk up to the front of the center aisle for pictures, the Man chose not to do that, so if the professional ones turn out nice, I might purchase one - otherwise, oh well.
I did snap a couple photos after my group was done.
My project management partner and good pal Cynthia
Sweet classmates Camilia and Jeff
and a silly self-portrait with the hood on (the gold thing everyone's wearing)
I'll admit after nearly 4 hours, I was wiped out - I snuck out while they were still calling the MA students and the Man and I came home to have dinner and head to bed. It was a very long evening, something I'll only do once, but I was glad I did.
Did I get the karmic "fuck you" I wanted? Maybe - but honestly, those people don't matter at all. They'll get their returns some day. And I will smile a little inside, even if that makes me a vengeful and ungrateful person. Yeah, that sounds a little bitter - and I guess I still am. But 99.5% of my time, those people never enter my thoughts - not worthy, don't need them!
No comments:
Post a Comment