Scotch Guard

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with wearing white Keds. Growing up in south Georgia, on a flat plain of red Georgia clay, did little to encourage the color white, and often resulted in my begging for new Keds every 3 weeks. I was a bit of a tomboy, and the fact that we didn't have cable (up-hill...both ways...in the snow!) didn't encourage me to sit inside and be very girlie. My mother took to Scotch-guarding my wardrobe pieces which I was obsessive about (Keds, Jordache jeans, NKOTB t-shirts and the like) in order to preserve my both my attire and her cash flow. I've yet to stop mocking her for this...until yesterday that is.

It is winter break here, and saying the island is super quiet is an understatement. Jami and I are the only ones at 7am spin, and I must say it certainly helps me realize that she is in fact talking to me during class "Shoulders back, open your chest, add resisitence" when there is no one in the room. A combination of PMS and TRX prevent me from attending Johnnas 8:15 (is it just me, or does that sound like a Bible verse) and I head on to my next task of the day: helping a client set up her new shop.

The Islander has been on 3 Polpis Road for 27 years, and is now moving to 15 Old South Road. Salesmen and Division Manager's descended upon Nantucket like it was 4th of July weekend to help Paula move her shop, and things were looking great and it looked like everything was ahead of schedule. After an hour or so of alphabetizing the single-malts and blend Scotch whiskeys, a rival distributor's DM and I were placing the last few bottles on a shelf when it gave away, and 75+ bottles of malted peet came raining down upon us. I have honestly never heard the continuous sound of glass breaking for that many seconds...it was quite possibly one of the top 5 heart-stopping moments in my life. David and I are clutching each other for emotional and physical stability, having long put aside our differences in business, and are now standing knee-deep in a heap of broken handles and bottles. My Lucky Jeans soaked from the knees down...thank GOD I didn't wear my new red vintage Gucci loafers...tears would have been shed for sure.

And all I can hear...is the sound of my mother's voice saying "I told you so...". She would also appreciate the irony in Scotch-Guarding against Scotch.

Mom in a freshly Scotch-Guarded sweatshirt....