Another bad shirt and necktie combination

Another bad shirt and tie combination:

I've worn the shirt before -- but not with this necktie!


--GG

Spreading the sunshine

As I've mentioned, I'm reading a book on tidying.  Inspired by that book, I've started to go through my closet -- particularly things that I haven't worn for a while.  If I don't like the article of clothing, I should get rid of it if I do like the article of clothing, I ought to wear it more!


During the process, Wednesday night, I came across a pair of green tie-dyed pants that my late sister gave me about 1994:  I think she found it in the thrift store that she worked at.  It's been a few years since I've worn it -- but I like it.  So, I decided to wear it on Friday, because:


1) It's Friday, so I can get away with being casual.

2) We've been having a lot of grey days (it's winter) -- and the greyest of days is when one must wear the brightest of colors. 

3) I'm happy to amuse people.


So, Wednesday night I picked out a vest that went with the pants -- and a necktie that went with the vest.  And then I picked a black shirt, just to serve as a frame for the outfit.



And, here's the outfit (selfie in the men's room at work):

I made a **lot** of people smile -- or even burst out laughing.  So, mission accomplished!


--GG

Two neckties and one hat

Two more nectktie-shirt combinations.  And a hat.

--GG

Two more neckties

Two more neckties:  the first was from 31 Oct, and the other was from Friday (yesterday).

As I've mentioned before, I like to push the boundaries as far as what "goes together".  Wearing a patterned tie with a plain shirt, or a plain tie with a patterned shirt, isn't very interesting.

The second is often my "Friday shirt":  the pattern is of eucalyptus tree flowers.  I reasoned that the pink in the flowers corresponds to the pink in the necktie.  And maybe it does.

It probably helps that no one except the grand-high boss actually wears neckties (Queensland is a fairly casual state).  So the fact that I'm actually wearing a necktie is a "bonus".


--GG

More neckties

I collect neckties -- so I figure I ought to wear them.  So I wear them to work (hardly any of my co-workers do so).

And I try to push the boundaries of "what goes with what".  So:

Also:  Here's a shirt I decorated myself.  It was a simple white "dress shirt" -- but it got a stain.  So I "Eddie van Halen-ed" it up with some masking tape and spraypaint. 
 


--GG

Blue Stata t-shirt

Today was "Casual Friday" at work -- so I got to wear my new Stata t-shirt!!!

The photos aren't terribly high resolution -- I have a cheap phone -- but they're good enough.

Regular

Bold

 

The back

Stata is, of course, the statistical software that we use at work.

"Thanks", of course, to Natalie down at Survey Design and Analysis Services (the Australian distributor of Stata), down in the Australian Capital Territory.   :)


--GG

I must be eyecatching

Tonight I almost stopped by the local fish and chips place -- but then decided that I should get something that wasn't deep-fried, and went to the Subway sandwich place next door.

Whenever I choose Subway over the fish and chips place I feel a little guilty, because the fish and chips place is a non-chain, whereas the Subway shop is a multinational chain (although I suspect that this branch is a franchise, so locally owned).


While I was standing in line -- wearing a funky vest and tie, and my black cowboy hat -- a guy entered the shop, approached me, and asked if he could take a "selfie" with me.  I agreed.

When he left, I followed him outside to see what it was all about.  It turns out that he was sitting with some friends outside the fish and chips shop, and one of his friends had bet him forty bucks that he wouldn't approach me and ask for a photo.

I jokingly asked if I could get some sort of commission, for my participation.  Just then the waitress from the fish and chips shop walked by, so I changed my request and said, "If there is a commission, just give it to the waitress as an extra tip." 

Then I went back to the Subway shop.


A little while later, the guy stuck his head inside the Subway shop and told me that he'd given the waitress ten bucks.

Sounds good.  :)


--GG

Dressing like I'm old

During the warmer months, I wear walking shorts, a short-sleeve button-up shirt, and dress shoes.  I wear this to work, and also on errands.

I basically don't wear jeans any more:  because I'm lax about shaving, I figure I need to "dress up" a little, to compensate.

The exception is that if I'm doing yardwork or something in the shed, I'll wear my "shop clothes" to the hardware store, landscape supply store, or the pizza place -- because, eh.


However -- now that it's winter (down under!), I can "play dressup" a bit, without sweating like a monkey.  So, I've been wearing neckties for the last two weeks -- and last week I even wore a suit jacket at work!

I also have four or five hats that are pretty nifty -- but I don't wear them during the summer months (in the summer I wear a broad-brimmed sun hat).  So winter is the time to wear my groovy hats.


The above photo is what I wore on Thursday (June 18th).  My manager said I looked "natty":  I'm pretty sure I've never been called "natty".

And the photo to the left is what I wore today (Sunday; note the subtly different hat).  My outfit was originally just the charcoal-grey shirt and the green sweater -- plus black dress shoes and black slacks.  But, during our errands I ducked into a thrift store and picked up the red tie and the green tweed(?) jacket.  So I wore those around for the rest of the day.

The suit jacket is a little "granddad" -- but I'm OK with that.  I think it makes me look 55 -- although a very well-preserved 55 -- even though I'm in my 40s.


Different people have different modes of dressing.  For myself, I don't wear jeans and sneakers any more:  I felt like I could get away with that in my 20s -- but now I'm "dressing like a grown-up".

Or like a granddad.  Either way.  :)


--GG

Mixed metaphor

This morning I noticed a guy wearing a Chicago Bulls baseball cap.  I'm not into sports -- but isn't the Bears the Chicago baseball team?

So, putting a football team on a baseball cap -- that seems... incorrect.


--GG


(May 8, 2015 -- UPDATE -- Perhaps my intended point was that somehow baseball caps have become universal enough to be divorced from the sport that spawned them.  To use the teams that I actually am familiar with:  having a "fan" baseball jersey that says "Mariners", or a "fake" football jersey that says "Seahawks", or a basketball jersey that says "Supersonics" makes sense.  But a basketball jersey that says "Mariners" would be weird.

But a baseball hat that says "Supersonics" would be accepted.  And no one notices the disjuncture.)
 

My outfit

The outfit I wore to work today.

I received several compliments on the tie and/or vest. I told everyone that my mommy made them for my daddy 30 years ago. Although a co-worker pointed out it would be more like "40 years ago".

I think the hat used to be my paternal grandfather's.  But I'm not sure.


--GG

Feelin my roots

While I was visiting my family in Seattle, my folks gave me a yukata -- a Japanese light, cotton robe.

It's summertime here, so I've been wearing it around the house -- feelin' my roots.


--GG

I heart my slippers

During my recent trip to Seattle, I packed a pair of slippers. Brought them with me to all my visits. Wore them around people's homes.

And at the hotel, on my final day of my visit to the U.S., I padded down the hall to the ice machine and back, in my old, old slippers.

I like my slippers. Maybe that's an Old Guy thing to say -- and that's o.k. But they're **so** much more comfy than shoes. And more padded than just wearing feet.


Good stuff.


--GG

P.S. ''Wearing feet'' is a term coined by The Girl. The other one is something being ''loud in my ears''.

Family ties

Today, while next door borrowing a DVD from my brother-in-law, I somehow ended up talking with his wife about my necktie collection. She mentioned that when her father died she inherited some neckties, and that her husband doesn't really wear ties: would I like them?

Sure!


So, I gained eight additional neckties (pictured).

I had eight ties in the queue that I have yet to wear: since I don't wear a tie on ''casual Fridays'', that's two weeks before I've worn all my ties once. With these additional seven, that's fifteen ties. So, nearly four week (esp. since I occasionally leave the house without a tie).


Once I've worn each tie once, then I can start wearing whichever ones I feel like.


--GG

My most expensive tie ever

The weekend before Mother's Day, I went to an antique mall that we used to go to, to find some gifts for The Lady. Came across this tie (see photo). Twenty bucks: the most expensive tie that I've ever bought.

Hemmed and hawed over it. Finally decided to get it, because it's paisley (I like paisley), and a **really** nice color of blue. And because I knew that I'd regret not getting it, and probably have to make a special trip back to get it.


By the way: I know that it looks like I've suspended the tie over a toilet bowl. But it's just a sink.


Speaking of ties: I'm still doing my "one tie a day at work, never repeating". Started doing this at the end of January.

As of a few days ago, I had about 40 ties left. Now that I'm not wearing ties on "casual Fridays", that's four ties a week. So, I still have ten weeks of tie-wearing before I start repeating myself.


That's a lotta ties.


--GG

Family ties

Took my folks back to the airport today -- very, very early in the morning.

Among other things, they brought me some ties that had belonged to each of my grandfathers.

I used to collect ties, and had 50 or 60. So now I probably have 70 or 80.

In the photo to the upper left are two ties from my maternal grandfather's estate.

Below are some ties from my dad's stash, as well as from my paternal grandfather's estate. My mom made the purple, tie-dyed one a few years ago for some costume for my dad. I wore it to work last week, and got a lot of compliments on it.


As you can probably see, the ties span a fairly broad range of eras and styles.

I think there's 15 neckties in there, plus a bow tie. It's a little deceptive, as the photo below actually belongs to the left of the photo above. So three(?) of the ties appear in both shots.


I'm still wearing a different tie each day to work. Except now I've stopped wearing a tie on "casual Friday" -- which will further prolong my "methodically go through my tie collection by wearing each one once" endeavor.


--GG

Are we not men?

Was in Egg Records -- a used CD shop downtown -- today. Perusing the t-shirt wall, and considering once again the pretty-good Devo t-shirt that I'll -- one of these days -- purchase.

Turned around, and happened to see an additional, smaller stash of t-shirts on another wall. Never noticed it before: this is only my third or fourth time in there; somehow, never happened to look in that direction.

AND: Devo tee!!!!!!!!!!!! Brilliant!!!!!

Bought it.


I am pleased.


--GG


P.S. The words underneath are "Duty Now for the Future". It's the album prior to the one with "Whip It": if you're truly into Devo, you'll have that album.

St Pat Day

I wore very much green today. However, it is rather late at night and I need to be going to sleep, not blogging.

Thus, I can't be bothered to run fetch my digital camera, get the photo, and etcetera. But I will in a few days.

Black shoes, green argyle socks, green trousers, green belt, black shirt (for contrast!), green and white plaid necktie.

Toyed with wearing a green bow tie, instead -- but figured it wasn't "professional" enough for an office setting. Likewise with the green derby or the green top hat.

Also considered wearing one of my two green suitjackets. But, 't'was a somewhat hot day, and didn't want to sweat like a monkey.


--GG

Word

Hm. Looking like I'm not going to go back and fill in the events that occurred when our internet was down. Although I might have a few "remedial" posts, where I refer back. Like a post about the snake that's living on the porch.

Interesting Aussie word or phrase: I now say that something's not worth mucking about with. Back in the U.S., I would've said "mess around with".

Also: the week before I started my office job, I bought three new dress shirts (long-sleeve). Apparently, it's the style to **not** have breast pockets on men's dress shirts: two of the three shirts don't have 'em.


--GG

First day on the job

First day on the new job was today! Wasn't sure how formally to dress (an office job -- but AU is a little less formal than the U.S.), so I went with a shirt and tie, but no suitjacket. Figured I'd gauge how the other males dressed, and adjust accordingly.

The only other male in the office (it's a small dept. -- only seven of us so far) had a dress shirt, but no tie. So I'll probably wear a tie most days, but maybe not always.

At one of my previous universities there was a Thursday market on campus, where people would set up clothing booths, used books, and etc. One lady had a "vintage clothing" booth which included neckties for five bucks each -- so I used to buy one or two a week. After a few months, she upped the price to ten or fifteen bucks, saying that five bucks each didn't cover her handling and cleaning costs. Fair enough -- but it shifted the price (for me) from "impulse buy" to "a serious decision". And that was the end of my frequent necktie buying.

None the less, I think I have around 50 neckties. So I'll probably wear one every day.

Also: You know how I love the slushies. Well, there's a 7-11 directly across the street -- and another one two blocks away. Lovin' the downtown...!!!

And there's a "world music" instrument shop, with funky percussion instruments (and juggling gear, incense, and etc.) about two blocks away. Neat-o.


--GG

Shirts and NonEdible batteries

Today I was working from home, while The Lady had the boys out at B2's pre-emptive speech therapy.

A few hours later, I got a panicked call from her: B2 had managed to get open his hearing aids, removed the batteries (little disc-like watch batteries) - and only one was accounted for! Both boys are only two years old, so you can't really quiz them: when asked where the other battery went, **both** pointed into their open mouths.

Eating those batteries are bad: if they get stuck somewhere in your digestive tract, they start leaking, and destroy your insides.

So: from about 11am to 2pm, we camped out in the emergency room. Both boys had x-rays; neither boy had anything of interest in their insides -- so, the mythical "second battery" must be in the parking lot -- probably wedged in someone's tire tread by now.

We went straight from the E.R. to pick up The Girl from school, and went directly to her piano lesson. So, I didn't get a lot done that afternoon.


On the plus side: I had to occupy the boys for 45 minutes, so we walked down the block and I hit the local op shop ("opportunity shop" - what Aussies call thrift stores). All of my "around the house"/"yard t-shirts" are of about the same vintage, so they're all starting to fall apart at the same time. I **do** have "nice" t-shirts -- but those are for wearing out and about, where people can appreciate their wit.

So, I went in, and picked up four t-shirts, for an average of AU$6 each (about US$5?). Tried to get non-offensive things: so, no bikini babes or "getting drunk is kewl". Instead, one has a car (wearing it now!), one has some sport team name (which I've never heard of), one's a bizarre green, and one's from some boat sales place.

I **could've** gone to some discount clothing store and picked up some new shirts for a similar price. But, these were of good material, 100% cotton, and USED (reuse, reduce, recycle...). Plus, the proceeds go to charity.


Actually, the greeny-brown one with the orange print of a car possibly **does** have a bikini babe sitting on the hood. But the drawing is small, crackly, and just not very good -- so it's not really clear: it could be a skinny lumpy guy in a hazmat suit.


--GG