The land of $.75 muffins and $9 manicures

I may just stay here.

The prices are low, the people are kind (a take-you-by-the-arm-and-insist-on-helping-you-find-those-Nature-Valley-granola-bars-at-the-Super-Walmart brand of kind) and aside from the year-round concern that your house might be funnel-clouded from Lawton all the way to Norman, the weather is pretty darn wonderful, too.

And the honeysuckle. Oh the honeysuckle!

But in the end, I don't think Oklahoma City is for me. Partly because Monte would refuse to come, partly because the nearest Sephora is in Texas (when I need more Stila concealer in shade C, I need it now, not in 3-5 business days), but primarily because I don't think the market demand for Chinese linguists could bear more than sweet Zhao Shanmei and her elderly husband, both of whom have been here so long they've unconsciously adopted the local "y'all" and have even plastered both windows of Lucky Jade Palace with Sooner football decals.

Several of you sent me e-mails yesterday asking me to comment on the style scene down here, and by "comment" I assume you mean "denigrate," and while I'm usually up to the task, after a most pleasant evening of palavering with the locals last night over lump crab penne primavera and a frisbee-sized snickerdoodle cookie at Nonna's, I decided not go down the path of poking fun at their bedazzled pantsuits, brassy bouffants and visor-to-sneakers Sooner pride uniforms.

The thing is, I don't really think I could, because even though I don't share their affinity for all things matchy-matchy and bedecked with flair, there's no getting around the fact that these women are seriously put together. In the 24 hours I've been here, I've yet to see a single just-'cause-it's-comfortable kind of woman. Granted, Okie ladies may not be wearing high-waisted trouser jeans, halter-neck tuxedo blouses or ballet flats; they may not be able to answer the question, "Did you prefer Katie Holmes' style pre-Tom or post-Tom?"; and yes, they may have names we Northerners like to associate with teenage pregnancy like Crystal-Anne, Tammy and Tricia-Jo, but even so, these women, unlike so many I see in NW DC, have taken the time and care to develop a style all their own. They actually know what they like and dislike. They actually get what fits and doesn't fit their frame. In short, they care about presentation.

And that right there, to me, is style.

And now I'm off to get that $9 manicure, which, yes, does include tax and tip.