Happy Festivus

by Bryan

5 comments

1 John B. { 12.23.07 at 3:06 pm }

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for you and yours, Bryan. I left a present for you, unwrapped, at my blog.

2 Bryan { 12.23.07 at 4:26 pm }

Fortunately my niece and nephews arrived at the gift giving stage after ties died a natural death. Hmm…did tie-dyeing lead to ties dying?

3 Steve Bates { 12.24.07 at 1:46 am }

“Hmm…did tie-dyeing lead to ties dying?” – Bryan

Groooaaaaaannnn! You haven’t lost your edge at all, Bryan!

At my previous abode, I had some neighbors who hand-created, in large quantities, tie-dyed shirts well worth wearing; considering the quality of the shirts, their children were better dressed than I was. They wore no ties (though the father worked part-time waiting tables at an upscale restaurant, so I suppose he must have worn ties on the job), but they certainly did tie-dye as part of their livelihood. Several local trendy shops carried their wares. I suggested several slogans to them… “ties to dye for,” “live free and dye,” etc., but they had plenty of customers w/o fancy slogans.

The only time I wear a tie in a business context is at meetings with new clients or clients’ clients. The last such meeting was with clients’ clients from California, and everyone… especially the c’s c’s… dressed very, very casually.

(BTW, among local hair places for women, there’s one named Curl Up and Dye.)

4 andante { 12.24.07 at 6:18 am }

The Raising of the Festivus Pole? Oh, Lord – I knew I forgot something. I hope I’m allowed to air grievances without it.

Mr. Andante only wears a tie to funerals of close relatives who could have cared less what he wore or what sort of final ceremonies his next-of-kin arranged. As is often noted, a funeral is for the living.

In my fashion-challenged teens (okay, I’m still fashion-challenged, but now I don’t care), I occasionally wore a tie. Don’t laugh – so did all the other GIRLS.

5 Bryan { 12.24.07 at 9:19 am }

That was the first thing I had to unlearn in California, Steve. I arrived with suits and ties from working in New York, and had to switch to chinos and blue button-down Oxford cloth shirts.

[Salons are some of the worst/best abusers of puns.]

It has been my experience, Andante, that it is much safer for all involved when six-foot metal poles are not available as grievances are aired.

I remember the period when men molted their crow’s plumage and became peacocks. It was an interesting time.

Wearing ties was a relative minor variation on the norm, unless that was the sum and substance of your raiment. 😉