Searching for the Perfect Pair
Not all sweatpants are created the same. I have come to understand this truism over the past six months or so. Blame the pandemic. I appreciated sweatpants long before COVID-19…
How I Pulled One Over on Lands End
Well, not really, but I made out nicely. Some of the details will be scarce since it involves Christmas gifts for my wife, but the gist will be clear. I…
Uniform Confusion
A friend posted a first day of school picture on Facebook recently. Her son looked ready for his first day of kindergarten at their nearby Catholic school.
I recognized this kind of picture very well. In fact, I have seen many like it, especially as social media provided a ready outlet for these kinds of photos. But this one set me off for some reason.
What has happened to Catholic school uniforms?
Disaster Averted
When I get ready in the morning, I don’t always connect the dots. I have to get myself cleaned up, get dressed, grab my lunch and grab my coffee before…
Wardrobe Malfunction
I knew the sound the moment I heard it. Unfortunately, I have experience in this area and started to think about the potential fallout.
The problem was, this all happened while I was in the midst of officiating a youth wrestling event, and I really had no chance to react or even fully assess the situation for a while. Finally, one of the young wrestlers watching the action from the sidelines alerted me to my plight.
“Hey, ref. You have a hole in your pants.”
From the mouths of babes. He was right. As I squatted down to start two little guys for one period, I heard the unmistakable sound of fabric ripping. I hoped I had not ripped too big a hole and pretty much put the problem out of my mind until the kid brought it to my attention.
Pushing the Fashion Envelope
When I first saw the shoes, I knew I needed to have them, even for a joke. You never know what you will find when the Clark’s store has its warehouse sale. I hit the jackpot this time.
Since I have small feet, the semiannual event can really help me out. I can find a good selection at a really good price. I went in this spring with a few things in mind, but never expected to see this pair of shoes, much less walk out with a pair all of my own.
You see, I don’t have the greatest fashion sense. I have probably covered this in the past, but I’m pretty basic when it comes to clothes. I don’t do “outfits” and stick with a few basic color combinations so that I don’t embarrass myself.
If I don’t go out on a limb, I won’t look like a fool. I can still pull off a pair of madras shorts (or at least I think I can), but I have enough sense now to make sure I own a plain shirt in a coordinating color. When in doubt, I just let my wife decide.
That’s why I worried she would put the kibosh on these shoes. Never in a million years did I think that Maria would encourage me to buy a pair of white suede bucks. But she did, so I decided to get them.
To Tux or Not to Tux
I felt a little nervous as I studied my computer screen. I really hoped no one would see the image which had my attention.
First off, if the guys from IT at work found out, I might get in trouble. Secondly, my wife would certainly have a problem with me if I clicked the button which had my complete attention.
We all have our weak moments. I didn’t sleep well the night before. I felt a little alone in my cubicle at work. I had a million excuses for what I planned to do.
In the end, common sense won out. Fear played a part in the decision. I didn’t want to walk around with that stain on my reputation for the rest of my life.
Even with that sense of relief, part of me still wishes I had bought that tuxedo I saw for sale on Cyber Monday.
Fashion Sense
The middle school had a very important event last week. As part of some sort of Spirit Week, Bridget and the other kids had a chance to dress up for…
Fit to be Tied
When I started my new job a little over a year ago, I made sure to dress nicely on the first day.
I wore a shirt, tie and jacket like I had at previous jobs. The jacket matched the pants I wore pretty well, so much so that people thought I had worn a suit.
My boss pulled me aside later in the day, told me she appreciated that I cared so much about my appearance, but that I didn’t need to dress that well each day.
I inquired further and found out that I didn’t even need to wear a tie each day. Better yet, I could wear jeans on Fridays as long as I didn’t have to meet with anyone important.
Score.
Fit to be Tied
I went to work one day a few weeks ago in a Maria-approved outfit. I don’t always have my wife sign off on what I wear, but this particular shirt and tie combination worried me the first time I wore it, so I got her OK.
I had worn the same thing a bunch of other times without incident, but I happened to see some female co-workers at lunch. Let’s just say they found my attire less than acceptable.
“What are you wearing? Did your wife see you before you left the house?”