Why do the simplest things have to turn into a moral dilemma

This was our Friday morning this week; white wine, blue cheese, herbed crackers, smoked salmon, walnuts, fresh fruit and jams on the porch. We played chess and I lost badly, but didn't mind since the blue cheese was so good.

Mornings like this I can't help but think about the Pakistani construction workers. How rich we have it, really. Mind you, we drive the crappiest car in Dubai, eat cheaply, don't subscribe to TV, make do with cellphones from 1996, and wear generic label clothing. We have massive student loan debt. But we're still a thousand miles ahead of the construction workers, who work 16 hour days in 100-degree heat for pennies. Sometimes it makes me want to take my cheese back to the store.

I'm having a lot of wealth-guilt this week because Colin Powell is in town and we're going to a dinner with him at the Madinat Jumeirah. My evening-wear collection is limited so I went shopping for a dress, and after trying on several in the $500-$1500 dollar range, I settled on a very beautiful one for $119 and got a little black lacy shrug to go with it for $76.  Still, it took a long time to decide to buy it. The last time I bought an evening gown was over 4 years ago, and off the clearance rack at Meier & Frank. The clincher on purchasing this one was a mental image of myself in a room full of gorgeous women dressed to the nines, smiling and greeting Colin Powell, and me ashamedly sitting in the back hoping no one will notice my frumpy "business casual" day-wear. Should this really be a major concern??? Obviously not.

Anyway I'm looking forward to seeing Colin Powell. Now I'm trying to decide what to say, should I get the chance. Preferably something other than "waaahhhhh!!!" as I fall off my shoes.