Further proof, if any were needed, of my hypocrism:
When I arrived at work Friday, the receptionist returned my greeting by asking, "Didn't you get the message?" and I saw that he was dressed a little casually and perhaps had layered a sports jersey over his other clothing because the heat in the building was dead and the office was closed? He was continuing: "The governor's message?" Had he declared a state snow day, so the office was closed? Finally the rest of what the receptionist was saying sank: Both the Colorado governor and the Denver mayor had asked their constituents to wear orange on Friday in support of the football team. I don't know if my hatred for orange clothing began in childhood for St. Patrick's Day's sake or if even without the Sassenachs I'd've wound up hating the color, but hate it I do, and football is about the least likely reason on earth to change that. I begged off, pointing out that my punishment was brief fiery but dashed hope of a day off.
In late morning I scampered down to the receptionist's desk for another errand, while vaguely craving elevenses. The receptionist offered me a little round orange sticker to affix upon my lapel. I declined again because I am that much of a grinch. What's the deal with the city building a privately-owned football team a stadium, yet that stadium being named for a corporation rather than for the city, and afterward seats in that stadium not being freely available to the citizens who funded it? Grr. And I still don't understand why a team's players come from all over the place instead of from that team's area. High school teams are drawn from that high school, but city teams not from that city? I don't get it.
After being chastised for declining, I sought out Kal to tell her how glad I was to be out of the city (if not the state) this weekend, and planned to stop at someone's candy bowl afterward. On the way, though, I saw free chocolate cupcakes on a low table. "Score," thought I, and picked one up. At Kal's desk I asked if I could give her further proof of my hypocrisy--"of course!"--and told her about being glad to leave town and declining even stickers--"You have no spirit at all"--and finished by showing her the cupcake, which I had helped myself to despite its blue and orange frosting.
Go Broncos.
Addendum: This was a story as soon as I showed up at Kal's desk cupcake in hand, so I'm glad I didn't take a bite first. That would have destroyed my story because the cake was pointless, as (with apologies to Melissa) I think the cake in most cupcakes is, and the frosting, being blue and orange, wasn't chocolate, and therefore was also pointless. Broncos suck!