Getting Ready For Homecoming

After lunch today, I decided to go this nail shop near my house because they had a manicure and pedicure special today for $27. I know, ridiculous.

I never been to this place before. Just passed it a couple times. As soon as I walked in, a middle-aged Chinese woman asks me what I want. The special, I say.

"You getting ready for homecoming tonight?"

Homecoming? Um, no. Whose homecoming? I was thinking maybe she meant the university, which is about 20 minutes from my house.

"High school homecoming," she said. "All the girls have come in today to get their nails. You want school colors on your nails?"

Lady, I am not in high school. But it's cute that you think so. I graduated from high school 15 years ago.

"You look young," she said. "Your shape. Your face. You look young."

At this point, I didn't know if ol' girl wanted to do my nails or make out with me. But like any woman, I'm a sucker for a compliment, particularly one that takes some mileage off the odometer. And in this case, after I'd wolfed some fried fish, green beans, rice n' gravy, cornbread and yams...yeah, I was loving hearing that I wasn't looking like a heifer.

Anyway, it got me to thinking about how you get the pick-me-up in the most unlikeliest places. And even if ol' girl was doing it to get a phat tip, it worked. She got a 30 percent hook up.