Our concert dress (for the women’s ensemble) is black pants, black shoes, and a black suit jacket. A few days before the first concert in which I sang, I realized I had yet to purchase the black suit jacket, so I ran off to the nearest department store and consider myself extremely lucky that I was able to find one quickly, that fits (the fact that it is also machine washable is a huge bonus because me and dry-clean-only do not mix).

That was little over two years ago. Every concert I pull out the jacket, and put on my pair of good black pants, and I find myself wishing that at least one of the two items of clothing had a pocket (because I have sinuses of doom and am often in need of a tissue). The jacket *looked* like it had pockets, but they were just little flaps, with no pocket underneath (and the jacket is lined inside, so there was no indication that pockets might actually be lurking there in the first place). It was not until last night, sitting in the rehearsal room and waiting for the concert to start, when I bemoaned my lack of pockets, that one of my fellow singers said ‘Oh, actually, you probably do. See? These were just stitched close so the jacket wouldn’t hang funny in the store.’ And then she proceeded to carefully remove the thread underneath the previously useless little flaps revealing, ta da, pockets! Wow.

(In my defense, computer nerds / research writers do not normally make a habit of wearing suits. But still. Two years I have had this jacket, people. Two years. Sigh.)

Tis the season for Holidailies!