Upscale restaurants

I wear tennis shoes a lot and make no apologies. They're comfortable for my warped, aging feet--somehow the feet have gotten old before the rest of me. Tennis shoes also make me feel comfortable about my footing, which is sometimes a problem. But I do try to wear attractive, semi-designer tennis shoes--not just plain white dirty tenners. So today I was wearing brown plaid slip-on tenners, with brown pants and a brown turtleneck, brightened by a turquoise sweater vest and covered by an L. L. Bean coat that looks like London Fog. I went to an upscale restaurant where I had been invited for a longtime friend's birthday lunch. A sign of the door stopped me: something to the effect that guests were expected to dress appropriately for fine dining (I forget how it was worded), But it explicitly said no tank tops, t-shirts, sandals, or tennis shoes. Oh, oh! When I announced to the maitre d' that I was there for a birthday lunch, I swear he looked at my feet He raised his eyebrows and said "Really?" I knew the celebrant's name, but he didn't; I couldn't remember the host, but we finally decided it was Jeff. He immediately shunted me off into the bar area to wait--I presumed to hide my tennis shoes. I was early, they were late, and I spent a while reading. But at long last I saw a party come in and could see my friend Connie. But the maitre d' didn't come for me, so finally I went up to him and said I believed my party had arrived. Again, that surprised look. "Really?" I nodded in their direction, and he escorted me to my seat.
We actually had a delightful lunch--I was glad to be with Connie, who I only see from time to time since she's moved to a suburb, and to visit with her daughter from Denver who is a real delight. Jeff turned out to be most conversational and interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed a long lazy lunch. But I kept my feet tucked under the table. I won't go back to that restaurant voluntarily. Actually I had a similar experiene there before--twice warned should be enough.
Our Texas world has completely thawed--I went to one grocery yesterday and another today. But in my mind I was stocking up for Wednesday when we're supposed to get socked again with a bit of ice and then quite a bit of snow over it. Temperatures the next day will go from 14 to 32, but by Saturday we'll be at 60 (if predictions come true). I'm hoping since all the children and grandchildren are coming home again for a party for my nephew, who will deploy to Iraq. I am so ready for spring!
Meanwhile I have lots of work to do if I'm housebound Wednesday, which I fully expect to be. I guess I'm getting to be a vetran at it.