Who is that masked woman?!

Mask up, my friends!! 

If only one single, solitary post in Bag and a Beret 

were to go viral (hehe), 

I would hope it's this one.

10 Reasons to Wear a Face Mask When You Feel Like Crap

1. Wearing a mask conceals a red chapped nose.
2. Wearing a mask provides a shield you can hide behind when you're not feeling your best, like a little face blankie.
3. Wearing a mask means you don't have to bother with makeup on the bottom half of your face. Men, you don't have to shave.
4. Wearing a mask can be stylish, sort of, if you customize it (see below).
5. Wearing a mask masks bad breath so you can eat lots of super-stinky food without worry.
6. Wearing a mask will help keep your hands away from your nose and mouth, which may reduce the spread of germs on surfaces like doorknobs and stair rails. 
7. Wearing a mask will free your hands up for other vital tasks such as playing with the remote control or pushing the button for room service or (if you're really sick) blogging.
8. Wearing a mask will reduce your exposure to new germy airborne bits that might make your condition even more miserable.
9. Wearing a mask warns others that you are not feeling your best so please be gentle and don't be surprised if you bite their heads off or fall asleep at your desk if that's not something you normally do.
10. Wearing a mask is cool - it shows you care about the people around you. 

I'm hooking up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style because a mask is pretty visible. I've worn all these clothes this week except the mask because I don't, touch wood, have a cold at the moment. See you there. I don't mind at all if you want to swipe the sidebar image.

Also, thank you, Sally of Already Pretty, for the mention in your Lovely Links on Friday. It's a great honour to be included in your eclectic lineup, which also includes a very funny video of west coasters eating Minnesotan food.

[Edit] Aha, I knew I was forgetting something - Sacramento's Share-in-Style: Black and White at Mis Papelicos. And this time I almost fit the theme.

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Below explains in part why I put up this post: 

[I posted this then took it down and now I'm posting it again, only because I can.]

Hack hack hack. The whole café seemed to peek and wince at Ms. Hacker every time she coughed with violence, except her friend who was oblivious to the direct wet hits on her face. When I realized with mild alarm that I was seated directly downwind and there were no more free tables indoors, I gathered up my coffee and journal with exaggerated calm, like a child in a school fire drill, and relocated to the patio, no big deal – it was only about 5C (41F), and although my coffee was no longer hot, if I sketched faster than usual with grand flourishes the exertions might help keep me warm.

I had just settled in when Ms. Hacker and her friend stumbled outside too. As they brushed past my table, she sniffled and smiled at me. I smiled back – I knew she was suffering. She had a kind face. And then she coughed straight into my naked eyes with gale force. I felt the rush of wind and light spray, which is lovely at the seaside but not as foul weather from her infectious phlegmy inner shores. She didn't even blink; I did, furiously.