Well I'm done with the first part. I don't want to say too much in case someone from the firm reads this forum. But I could have definitely gone casual -- I was immediately shown to a conference room and given the test. The only employee I saw was a guy wearing a t shirt and cargo shorts who met me at the door and handed me the test and collected it at the end. And the test was surprisingly hard given the level of position I applied for so who knows if there will even be an interview. Oh well -- even if it nothing comes of it, it was definitely an interesting way to dip my toes in the job market.

This navy dress at Nordstrom Rack is nice (and cheap). I live in Florida and would wear this on cooler days/evenings here December-January. This might also work up north for a wedding. It's lined. I like the neckline. Add a long necklace with pendant or dainty choker. Don't know your size. The smaller sizes are sold out. Starts at 10. Maybe it's on another site. https://www.nordstromrack.com/shop/product/2542280?cm_mmc=feeds--adlucent--google-_-pla&utm_source=adlucent&utm_medium=feeds&utm_content=google&utm_campaign=pla&utm_channel=shopping_acq_p&sid=545650&aid=%5BADL%5D%20%5BPLA%5D%20%20-%20Categories%20-%20Non-Brand%5BMobile%5D&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzrm-l8KN3gIVkEoNCh1vNg0-EAQYBiABEgKRTfD_BwE&color=NAVY ------------------------------- How about these? You could wear them with the dress OR jeans down here. Wouldn't go to waste! I really like these as long as they are barely noticeable metallic. Add some navy sheer tights?

Then I suppose it depends on a lot of logistics. For example, we're not seeing much spread at church, it's not that crowded and most are older, vaccinated folks. On the flip side, the concert where my grandkids and daughter in law got covid I imagine was very crowded, lots of heavy breathing and full of young people much less likely to be vaccinated. As I mentioned, I went to a celebration of life and that was full of older folks too, in a large, well ventilated setting. Most were not masked but I stayed masked except when I ate. Was not perfect but minimal exposure in a space unlikely to be populated by a lot of covid floating around. Not zero but minimal. As for masks, when I know I am going to be in close contact with non masked folks, I wear a K95. I have some fancy cloth covers for those. In places where I can count on OTHERS to be maked, a lighter mask will work. I went to a meeting at a community foundation in a small meeting room last week, I was wearing a heavy mask but when the two other people at the meeting volunteered to mask up, I was able to switch to my lighter, cooler disposable mask. So that's the way it goes, it depends on a lot of variables and I can only control a few. For example, I'm visiting a close friend at her family's large, well ventilated cottage. I won't spend a lot of time in close contact with many folks, and they are all well and vaccinated and boosted (they work in health care so don't mess around). But I'm not going to spend much intimate contact time while there or stay overnight, maximizing my time for visiting in person and by not just hanging around any longer than necessary to visit, minimizing my exposure time. So one just has to add up all the variables and make the best decision possible, knowing nothing is perfect, virus transmission is a complex game of probability. I try to just keep myself in a probability zone that is reasonable, which is what we do for all other risky activities in life, like driving, for example. We just try to do what we can to maximize our safety and not endanger others but still use the car . . . I think this is the wave of the future. There are many infectious diseases out there and as population grows and grows, so does exposure. I can't live a perfect life, but I am more and more looking to make sure I have everything wrapped up that I want to do in this one . . . so one has to weigh that too . . .

I just havent been in the mood for shopping lately ... but I made my first purchase for the season that kicks off with Sept: my only other black sneakers are athletic ... I have this style in 2 other color combos and so I know they are comfortable and very stable with my vision/depth perception challenges. Bff has been telling me I *need* the platinum color. I compromised -- black with platinum heel.