The Really Big Day

I can't believe it! On the biggest day of her life, when the whole world is clamoring for her company, I actually corner Drew Faust in the powder room. I won't tell you where, but it was one of those fancy places where there are easy chairs covered in bright florals. I found her literally sunk into one. I wasn't going to bother her, but she gave me a big smile and invited me to chat a while. Wouldn't you know it I lit into her right away.
Miss Grimke: You were yanking my chain about what you were going to wear to the picnic. You never wear anything but that suit suit suit. Not that it doesn't look just right on you.
DGF: You got that right. I am not going to wear anything that will give anybody any excuse to talk about what I wear. What a boring subject.
Miss Grimke: Now you've hurt my feelings.
DGF: I am sorry sweetheart but I do not want people talking about my clothes the way they talk about Hillary's, so I make it incredibly boring by wearing the same thing all the time.
Miss Grimke: Pretty smart I guess. I do think the ecclesiastical look suits you. That double-breasted president's gown is so you!
DGF: Isn't it though! But it's not ecclesiastical for heaven's sake!
Miss Grimke: Whatever. That ceremony was very impressive. I found myself tearing up a few times, and I couldn't help note that you were using a hanky from time to time. Were you getting all misty Dr. Faust? Were you? Now be honest!
DGF: It was moving, but it was also damp and windy. My nose was running! Give me a break Miss Grimke!
Miss Grimke: Sorry Drew! I did think that speech of your was, well, I think you kitchen-sinked it.
DGF: Pardon me?
Miss Grimke: You put in everything but the kitchen sink. Global warming, diversity, the past, the future, the I don't know what, I started drifting. Frankly, I think the new president of Northeastern had a much better inaugural speech, even if he does look like Mr. Bean.
DGF: (sigh) I agree. That man's speech made me want to get up and do good. But be fair, Northeastern's mandate is a little easier to get your arms around than Harvard!
Miss Grimke: Point taken. It was good enough. I do wonder though what you said to Larry when you sat in the president's chair. You said something in his ear and laughed. What was that all about?
DGF: About how lucky he is not to have to sit in that torture device.
Miss Grimke: By the way, several people called you a rebellious daughter of the South. What is up with that?
DGF: That's the only way Yankees can process a southern lady with half a brain. She must be rebelling against her mother and her motherland.
Miss Grimke: It do vex them so!
DGF: It sure do! And I aim to keep on at it!

Ice cream sandwiches in Harvard Yard

I wore my Nike capris and my Gettysburg baseball cap. Drew was not impressed. I tried to explain how hot it was, that I didn't want to wear something I could mess up. She looked cool and fabulous, but I never saw her eat an ice cream sandwich. Even if she is rich as the queen so dry cleaning bills don't matter, she probably doesn't want to have to try to get chocolate cookie out of that nice summer-weight wool. I'm so jealous!

The Big Day!

Drew has invited us to meet and greet in Harvard Square today! We will be there to find out what she decided to wear!

Talking about books

We get down to brass tacks at last!

Miss Grimke: I just finished reading that book, Confederates in the Attic. Did you read it?

DGF: I did read it. I had to read it, just to shut people up. Anyone who learned I was interested in the Civil War said, "Oh you have to read...blah blah blah."

Miss Grimke: So? What did you think?

DGF: I think he made a book from going around interviewing Southerners. Anybody can write a good book doing that!

Miss Grimke: Ain't that the truth! Not that he isn't a really good writer!

DGF: Bless his heart, he can write up a storm. I'm sure he knows what he owes all those people he talked to.

Miss Grimke: I thought of you at the part where he meets the couple with Southern wife and the Yankee husband. And the wife says, "My husband's a Northerner--from Boston, the worst kind--and he'll always be one....He wants to tell people how to do things, the same way the North tells the South how to live." Are Bostonians the worst kind of Yankee?

DGF: Yes indeed! But that's what I love about them. They think long and hard and do a lot of research to figure out how things should be done and they have no qualms about telling the rest of the country what's what. I love it! They lead the way. They can be obnoxious, no doubt. But you have to listen to them, and much as I hate to admit it, they can be right a lot of the times.

Miss Grimke: But do you consider Cambridge part of Boston?

DGF: Absolutely not. The people in Cambridge are all darling sweeties.

Living in Yankee Land

Miss Grimke gets Drew to talk about culture shock.

Miss Grimke: Here's one for you: lunch or dinner? dinner or supper?

DGF: O Lord that takes me back! I remember when I first came up north, to go to that girls' school, I got my feelings hurt so bad, and it was all a misunderstanding! I was embarrassed to death!

Miss Grimke: Oh dear, do tell!

DGF: I was trying to be friendly, about a week after we moved in I said to this girl on the hall I'd been chatting with,"Why don't we go to dinner together?" It was about 11:45 and I knew the dining hall opened around noon. She pulled this long face and said, "Oh I really need to do some reading I've been putting off." I thought that sounded a little strange, but I said okay and went off to eat by myself. Then, here I am standing in line with my green plastic tray and she shows up at the end of the line laughing with a bunch of other girls! I couldn't believe it! She had brushed me off and then didn't have the decency to stay out of the dining room! I tried not to let her see I saw her, but when I sat down all by my lonesome with my food, she came up with her friends and asked to join me! I thought what nerve! When I could stand it no longer I asked her, "What about all that reading you have to do?" And she said, "Oh don't remind me. I'm going to have to skip dinner and eat a peanut butter sandwich to get it all done." She thought I was inviting her to join me for an evening meal. A rather strange thing to do in the middle of the day unless you're asking for a date!

Miss Grimke: Did you ever live it down?

DGF: We got to be pretty good friends so I told her a few weeks later and we all had a good laugh.

Miss Grimke: You have to laugh.

DGF: Ain't that the truth!

Hair Styles

In this interview we discuss the importance of personal grooming.

Miss Grimke: I love your hair! It looks polished, and easy to care for.

DGF: I know what you are really thinking. That I went at it with the hedge clippers.

Miss Grimke: No no no! I do love it! I wish I could get my hair to do that.

DGF: It drives me crazy. I hate thinking about it. I just get it whacked and move on. Please, let's not talk about hair!

Miss Grimke: Okay, let's talk about something you are interested in. Livestock. You were into livestock as a kid.

DGF: I have the best memories of that! Get me near a barn, the smell of hay and manure are perfume to me.

Miss Grimke: I wondered what that was.

DGF: Oh you evil thing!

Miss Grimke: What was your favorite animal in 4-H?

DGF: I cannot play favorites. I will tell you about my first. It was a sheep named Bambi. I got her as a baby. Have you any idea how cute baby sheep are? Lambs! They look like toy poodles would like to look. But they are stupid, just really really stupid. Some how that makes them even more loveable--like a sorority girl!

Miss Grimke: Now you are being evil.

DGF: I know, I'm sorry. Some of my best friends were sorority girls. I'm just playing on an evil stereotype. It's so easy! I should resist. Help me!

Miss Grimke: What was Bambi like when she grew up?

DGF: She sort of broke my heart. Like all things when they grow up they lose interest in their mommas. She wanted to run off an eat grass and, you know, make love and have babies of her own. Also she got just huge. Big as a ride-on mower! But of course that was the point. That's why I won the blue ribbon. I swear to you I could get enough wool off one sheering of Bambi to outfit the entire Army of Northern Virginia!

Miss Grimke: Now that's some gentlemen who could have used a wardrobe upgrade.

DGF: The poor things.

Office Decor

A postprandial continuation of our inaugural interview:

Miss Grimke: So Drew, how was dinner?
DGF: Just delicious, thank you. The meat fell right off the bone. The gravy was a little lumpy, though. We need to get to the bottom of that one day. But you wanted to talk about something else. What's on the agenda this time, Miss Grimke?
Miss Grimke: Office decor. What the heck was Larry thinking?
DGF: Oh sweety you will not get me to trash Larry. I will not pile on. I do not pile on. I move on. He's a real gentlemen and did not deserve the trashing he got for speaking his mind in an unguarded moment--and it was only part of his mind! The rest of his mind totally disagrees! On the other hand, I owe him my job, a job I am very excited about. I will not pile on and critcize his knicknacks on top of everything!
Miss Grimke: But the color! Can you believe the color!
DGF: I can believe you are not listening to me sweetheart.
Miss Grimke: Drew, I'm a journalist. I have to probe. How about we talk about your plans for the office. What kind of a feel to you think you'll go for?
DGF: Really, I have to live in the space first, to get an idea of how it feels, what it says to me in terms of what it wants in order to make me feel like it's my space. I also need to think about what I want it to say about me.
Miss Grimke: What do you want it to say about you?
DGF: I want it to say "Duck! She's gonna getcha!"
Miss Grimke: So a guillotine, maybe?
DGF: Yes! Exactly! Or a blunderbuss. I love to say blunderbuss. No, seriously, I want it to say, "She knows what she's doing, trust her!"
Miss Grimke: Do you know what you are doing?
DGF: I have no idea! Don't you love it?