It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month, so here’s my pink t-shirt. Which I own because I like pink. Pink is nice.
No, I do not own pink overalls. Even I have limits!
From above….
Looking down on myself…whoa! I took this with my cell phone, just holding it up over my head with my left hand whilst sitting in my arm chair using the Interweb to distract myself from the awful football being put on display by the Buffalo Bills. Hey, I gotta have fun some way, don’t I?
Share This Post
It's me…Bayified!
So, what could possibly be going on here? Why would I be walking toward an orange sports car with Shia LaBeouf sitting in the passenger’s seat, with explosions behind me, a fighter jet bearing down, a bomb on the ground, and a gun hanging in the hammer loop of my overalls?
What on Earth could be happening here? It’s like I was cast in…a Michael bay movie!
Share This Post
The Rachael Ray Seal of Approval
Well, let there be no doubt that overalls are officially coming back into style, folks! I’m at the library yesterday, looking through the latest issues of various “handyman”-related mags (like Popular Woodworking, Family Handyman, and This Old House) and I spotted this, the latest issue of Rachael Ray’s magazine. And there she is, right there on the cover, decked out in bib overalls! Huzzah!!!
I don’t have an opinion on Rachael Ray, really, one way or the other. I definitely think she’s totally cute and all, but I’ve never watched her shows, read her magazine, or referred to her cookbooks. For all I know, she’s the most irritating person on the planet, or she’s a Giant Pile Of Awesome. But I do totally endorse her donning of overalls for her magazine!
Share This Post
It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, stepping out your door….
After a summer that has seen a surprising amount of weather that’s been truly unpleasant — from our cool-and-rainy June to our incredibly hot-and-humid July — we finally got a welcome taste of autumnal cool this weekend. Or, as I like to call it, “overalls weather”. The highs were in the upper 50s and it was quite windy; and with The Daughter out of town with her grandparents, I took advantage of a perfect opportunity to venture out for once in overalls instead of shorts, look around my environs a bit and learn a little more about Orchard Park, the town I’ve called “home” for seven years now. This is, actually, one of my favorite pastimes.
So, yesterday, I went to Green Lake.
Green Lake is a small artificial lake in the southern part of town. It runs east-to-west, and is bordered on its northern shore by a park called Yates Park, which is the location for most of the big town festival-type events. (Except for July 4th fireworks — it’s too heavily wooded for those.) I’ve driven through Yates Park and along the north shore of Green Lake quite a few times, but I’ve never stopped to explore, until yesterday, when I learned, among other things, that in lieu of a town municipal swimming pool, Orchard Park has a swimming area in its lake.
I never knew this before. Why not? Who knows? But once again, it amazes me how many details about my own town have escaped me after a number of years living here.
Now, Green Lake is not very big. I’m not entirely sure on this point, but when comparing Green Lake on Google Maps to Thoreau’s famous Walden Pond in Concord, MA, at the same level of resolution, Walden Pond looks substantially bigger. So with Green Lake, we’re not talking about a juggernaut of a body of water. Just a pleasant artificial lake in the middle of a town.
After I parked and got out to walk, I headed for an overlook that’s caught my eye several times when driving by. But I was instead captivated by the dam that creates the lake, and the stream that the dam blocks and which spills over the dam on its way through to Lake Erie. The dam isn’t big, at all, and its back side is not a sharp drop but a long, gentle decline away from the lake to the bottom of a ravine where the stream bed lies.
The water runs down a slope of concrete that ends after about twenty or thirty feet, and then returns to a very rocky stream bed:
Actually, I suspect that those rocks were placed there and not part of the original stream bed. They seemed rather “artfully arranged” to my eyes.
At the bottom, there’s a small waterfall which spills into a pool. The water was pretty green and sufficiently murky that I couldn’t discern the depth of the pool there:
I suppose it’s probably no more than a couple of feet, which is a shame; I’d love to find a nice secluded swimming hole around here one of these years. Anyway, after the waterfall (I’m being generous here, really — the water falls no more than four feet), the stream babbles on and down, into what looks like a deep forest.
The illusion was spoiled, a bit, by the bits of trash along the stream bed (not much, but enough — a few empty water bottles, a scrap of newspaper) and the graffiti on the trees. Yes, graffiti on the trees. Who knows.
More than that, though, I knew that civilization actually picks up not far beyond that deceptive-looking forest into which the stream flows, and when I got home and checked the stream’s course on Google Maps, I discovered that this stream is the very one I often cross when driving to the nearest giant suburban shopping region (McKinley Mall). And the stream runs just beyond the property line of Ralph Wilson Stadium, on the “tunnel end” of the stadium. Eventually the stream joins another and flows through the harsh kinda-sorta wastelands of the old steel mill regions before emptying into Lake Erie.
Still, it was a lovely place to find, this small piece of nature in the middle of boring old suburbia.
And Yates Park itself seems like a nice place — it has swings…
…and cute little gazebos. Who doesn’t love a cute little gazebo?
Communists, that’s who. Seriously. Look at photographs of old Moscow during the Cold War. You know what you don’t see there? Cute little gazebos. Tell me I’m wrong!
Share This Post
Continuing the Answers
More answers to more questions! As usual, most questions end up coming from Roger, which is fine because he comes up with good questions. Here’s another:
What do you think will happen with issues involving US gay rights in the next three to five years: gay marriage; Don’t Ask, Don’t tell; the Defense of Marriage Act?
I’m not sure I can predict so small a timeframe, but the long-range trend with respect to homosexuality is clear: acceptance is growing, and it’s going to keep right on growing. There’s very little doubt in my mind that gay marriage is going to come to pass, as will allowing gays to serve in the military without having to hide the fact that they’re gay. It’s coming; it can’t be stopped.
And that’s a good thing.
I remember when I was a kid I had the standard homophobia that I suppose you’ll find in any young kid growing up in a small town; one of the harshest insults with which you could strike another kid in your class was to call him “gay”, “faggot”, or “fairy”. (I have to admit here, though, that when I first heard “fairy” used as a synonym for “gay”, I was dumb enough to think that the word was “ferry”. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what a passenger boat for taking people across a body of water had to do with sexual orientation, but I went with it because I wanted to fit in. Sometimes I wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box.) I don’t remember when I came to the realization that homosexuality isn’t wrong at all, but I did. And thank heavens for that.
So, the specifics of how it all might unfold? I have no idea. There will likely be more setbacks, such as more crap like Prop 8 in California. It’s going to be a struggle, but I’m convinced that it’s a struggle the gays are going to win.
A couple of questions come from one of my Flickr contacts, Artist of Life, who posts wonderfully quirky and evocative photos (many self-portraits) that relate to various issues of life she grapples with. She can be serious and whimsical and is one of my favorite people on Teh Interweb. Her questions:
Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes?
Oh, many! Most books, in fact, change my life in some way or other, I suspect. Each one alters the trajectory of what I plan to read in the future. If I find myself loving a book by an author who’s new to me, there’s that. Or if I’m reading a book that I’m finding I deeply love — then I am likely to read something in a completely different genre next, because anything in the same genre might well pale in comparison.
But I think what my friend is asking is for those books that really shifted things in my head, the books that made real, permanent marks on my soul. Here, we’re talking about some very special books indeed. A partial list:
The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien (Well, yeah!)
The Prydain Chronicles, Alexander (Before Tolkien, actually. My first foray into epic fantasy.)
2001: A Space Odyssey, Clarke (The first true SF book that I remember reading. I didn’t get all of it, but it was endlessly fascinating to me.)
Cosmos, Sagan (I didn’t really understand much of this book at all when I got it when I was nine, but I read it all the way through in college, at long last — and it rocked my world. In fact, I’m due for a re-read.)
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig (Not sure how I feel about it now, but this book fueled a lot of my thought processes in college.)
Macbeth, Shakespeare (when I first realized that the Bard was not boring!)
On Writing, King. (Still the best book on writing I’ve read yet.)
What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh?
I’m lucky in that I tend to laugh a lot! I laughed earlier tonight because I got to annoy The Daughter by working titles of songs from The Phantom of the Opera into conversation. (It’s her favorite movie now, and she listens to the music constantly. So it bugs her when I say things like, “I’d like you to do the dishes and sweep the kitchen floor. That’s all I ask of you!” Then she yells at me, so I say, “Oh, I’m sorry, didn’t mean to offend. Did I cross the point of no return?” Torturing one’s kid is one of life’s finest pleasures. I understand so much of my own father’s shenanigans nowadays!)
There’s a video on YouTube right now that made me laugh a lot. It’s about a young girl and her infatuation with SF writer Ray Bradbury. You can watch it here. Warning: it is not safe for work, and it includes a very dirty word right in its title! But yes, it made me laugh and laugh hard.
I also laugh when The Wife forwards me particularly interesting LOLCat photos, which are usually ones that look disturbingly like one of our own cats. Such as this one, which I’m almost convinced actually is Lester.
Finally: How many pairs of Over-Alls do you own? 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 You did say ANYTHING 🙂
Yup, that I did! And I’m kind of surprised that in all the times I’ve done Ask Me Anything!, this question has never been asked. And the answer is…well, it’ll sound weird, but then, I suppose that bridge is already crossed, innit? So, here’s a rundown…oh boy….
Dickies, stonewashed blue: 4
Dickies, regular blue: 2
Dickies, Hickory stripe: 3
Dickies, black: 2
Vintage Lee, blue: 2
Vintage Lee, hickory stripe: 1
Gap, blue: 3
Gap, brown: 1
Old Navy, blue: 3
Key, blue: 1
Key, Hickory stripe: 1
And that’s not all…there are a few more whose brand names I don’t recall or which I don’t count because they don’t currently fit very well (yup, time to start losing weight again). Maybe it’s a little less weird if I call it a “collection”, though. Hey, you name it, somebody out there is collecting it, right?
In terms of expense, most of these I bought cheaply on eBay, which is mostly a matter of luck and timing. The blue vintage Lee ones (this pair, and one just like it only a little darker blue) was a very surprising find; by some miracle I was the only bidder in the single auction for both of them and ended up paying less than twenty bucks total for both. That was pretty shocking; believe it or not, vintage overalls can fetch surprisingly high prices. I’ve seen some auctions that set their starting bid at $349.99! That is crazy. As much as I love my overalls, there’s no way I’d pay that much for a single pair!
OK, more answers to come. There aren’t too many questions left!
Share This Post
Be very careful when bending over….
This is one of the more unusual marketing efforts I’ve seen lately: overalls which are iPad compatible! As in, you can carry your iPad around in your bib pocket.
Well…OK then. Not sure about this…but then, I never carry anything around in my bib pocket anyway when I’m wearing overalls. I would think that would feel like walking around with a plate of armor on one’s chest. But hey, best of luck with that!
Share This Post
Angular Modesty
There’s something I’m seeing linked all over the place called the “Modesty Survey”, in which (as I understand it) Christian boys are presented with statements regarding how women should dress, and doing the agree-disagree thing. As in, “Any shorts that are shorter than mid-thigh are immodest” and “Fishnet stockings are a stumbling block”. It’s all, I dunno, kind of odd, but there really is a population of folks out there who think that women should dress as cast extras on Little House on the Prairie or in Witness, and it’s always interesting to see their thoughts.
But of particular interest to me was — you guessed it! — the survey thoughts on this statement: Overalls are modest as long as a modest shirt is worn underneath.
That cracks me up. It really does. The survey results actually fell on the “Agreement” side by a wide margin, so if you’re looking to be “Modest”, ladies, just put on your modest shirt under your modest overalls and go forth and be modest!
The text comments on this statement, though, cracked me up:
Overalls are usually very modest and if a modest shirt is underneath then it’s not a problem for me.
Apparently a 13-year-old wrote that one. I’m glad we’ve established what women can wear so as not to give a 13-year-old certain needs, if you know what I mean.
From an 18-year-old: I agree, however, be sure the overalls come up past your chest, rather than sitting on top. For a girl who has a large bust, overalls are a bad idea, even with a modest shirt.
Now that’s just sheer nonsense, to the extent that I can even understand it. They should “come up past your chest”? Is this kid suggesting that the bib should scratch a woman’s chin?
And then there’s this 23-year-old, who is putting a tad too much thought into this: And as long as they’re not baggy, leaving a large, “horizontal” gap between the overalls and the shirt on the side at the waist, and as long as the bib terminates above the middle of the bust.
Good Lord. For proper wearing of overalls, a woman must calculate her ideal Bib Termination Point.
A 21-year-old opines: It would depend on the situation, but in public, a girl is overalls is looking for attention.
Oh, go have a beer, will you? You’re old enough now. It’s always such a treat to see the “But she was asking for it! Why else would she dress that way!” line of thought in action.
A not-unreasonable 18-year-old adds: Yes. Overalls are not tight, so that helps. The only thing I’d add is that they generally aren’t very feminine.
Yeah…so? What makes them feminine is what’s underneath, and their shape.
Here’s a 19-year-old who apparently has trouble looking upon a woman’s bust: Actually, if the straps come down too far, they can be pretty provocative by drawing attention to the bust.
A 25-year-old thinks: From a front profile they are fine. From the side profile, however, they are very suggestive especially if the shirt worn underneath is quite tight, which accent the curves of the bust.
I can see this guy on a date with a girl who is wearing overalls: “Oh Johnny, I’m having a good time, but why do you insist on facing me directly every place we go? Can’t we walk beside each other?”
“Sorry, Susie, but no. When I am beside you, I can see the curvature of your bust. And then I get a strange feeling, you know.”
Of course, this fellow is actually entirely correct, in a way; one thing I love about overalls on women is the way they obscure body features from certain angles and are more revealing from others. But that’s a feature, man! Not a bug!
Feature!
A 16-year-old gets the final word: Overalls still tend to show a girl’s figure, no matter how loose-fitting. However, they are more modest than regular jeans and having a modest shirt underneath is definitely helpful.
Well, thank God for that. A “modest” shirt is helpful. Helpful to whom, you ask? Why, all those men who might behold that lovely girl in overalls, see her figure, and be driven to a life of indulging sexual appetites. And we just can’t have that, now can we!
Oh, how I wish we’d get beyond all this “modesty” crap and see the human body for the source of beauty that it really is!
Share This Post
Being noir
I just finished the book pictured herein, and wondered briefly if the title could apply to me…but of course not! As if I could love books too much. Anyway, the title sounds like a 1950s detective movie, hence the black and white.
Look for the sequel, “The Man Who Wore Overalls Too Much”. Coming in 2011 to bookstores near you!
Share This Post
It’s RAWWWW!!!
Ahhhh, Hell’s Kitchen, how I love you. I’m enjoying the doubling-up of episodes this year, even if that means that the show will be finished much sooner than usual. Last week’s episodes were full of entertainment:
:: One of the theme nights was a “Family Night” at Hell’s Kitchen, which led Gordon Ramsay to point out to his charges that the dining room would be full of kids and therefore it would be nice if they didn’t make him swear.
So what happened? The Red Team proceeded to muck things up so badly that Ramsay threw all of them out and had his trust sous chefs finish the service. And if you know Gordon Ramsay, you know he didn’t break the news to the Reds by saying, “You have all underperformed, and now I would like you all to return to the dorms forthwith”. Oh no.
As he would say a minute later, “So much for me not swearing tonight….”
:: It’s not uncommon for Hell’s Kitchen to make me hungry for a certain food. That said, I want some crab hushpuppies. NOW.
:: Scott, the endless know-it-all with the unimaginably inflated opinion of his own worth, got tossed out on his ear. He kept saying “None of you work in fine dining restaurants!”, as though it meant something. It never occurred to him that since his food was constantly being sent back, since Ramsay was constantly having to yell at him for serving up raw food no matter what station he ran, that maybe he’s not as good as he thinks. The guy was utterly, utterly delusional. But he talked a good game for a while, even to the point of getting Fran to not nominate him for elimination. (Ramsay saw through this and brought him up anyway, although he eventually sent Maria packing.)
Of the remaining contestants:
:: Siobhan seems ripe to go. I liked her a lot at first, and I still think she’s really cute, but she’s over her head in each service, and her results are similar to Scott’s. The only difference is, Siobhan doesn’t think she’s God’s gift.
:: Salvatore is not long for the show either, I suspect. He’s got talent, but he lacks experience and his confidence has all the rigor of a skyscraper made of balsa wood. He can’t go much farther than he has already.
:: Fran has gone surprisingly far. I was actually a bit shocked when Ramsay looked her in the eye a few weeks ago and said, “I can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I have noticed over the years that he really does gravitate toward youth (such as a few years back when he chose a young woman over an older guy named Petrozza in the finale, when the two were really about equal in performance). I can’t see Fran winning, but I can see her at least making it to the Black Jackets.
:: I can really see Nilka winning, although I know — from the “This season on Hell’s Kitchen!” thing that was part of the first episode — that she appears to have a hell of a tantrum explosion coming up at some point. Of course, that, in itself, need not doom her. Nilka’s got some game, though.
:: Benjamin also has some game, although I was disappointed to hear him start to show some ego and arrogance in the last episode. The humble and confident chefs tend to be the ones who excel on this show. Remember Dave from last year? That guy just shut up and cooked, week in and week out. That’s what Benjamin had been doing, too, but now he’s been appointed “Possible Savior of the Red Team”. That’s not going to help his chances. Two seasons ago, another strong Blue performer was sent to a disastrous Red Team to help pull them back together; he was gone two weeks later.
:: Ed? I have no impression of the guy. At all. I don’t recall him even being yelled at yet. No read on him whatsoever.
:: Jay also seems a bit arrogant, but a bit quieter about it. He could be the type to reach the finale by outlasting everyone else.
:: Jason also seems to have a bit of skill, but I think he’s going to fall apart at some point. He just always seems to have a chip on his shoulder, and that’s never going to work out well.
:: Autumn? I don’t like her at all. Still. She appears to have some skill in the kitchen, but she’s a weasel. I didn’t like the way she would screw things up on the Red Team and then find a way to avoid the blame that was hers, and I didn’t like how, this past week, she tried to set the Red Team up for failure now that she was on the Blue Team. (One night, each team switched off kitchen and dining room service duties, so one team was waiting tables while the other cooked. Autumn was being really suggestive to customers that she could take their food back and have it re-cooked, she really really really could it was no problem at all. Ugh.
:: And then there’s my favorite contestant, the beautiful Holli. And she seems to have some skill as well; she has not yet been in Chef Ramsay’s line of fire, and she manages to pretty much stay out of the fray on a Red Team that gets more dysfunctional every week.
And she’s just…immensely cute.
.png)
She even manages to look cute when all the chefs are required to wear butchering costumes for a challenge that doesn’t even involve butchering!
Of course, that episode ultimately irritated me a bit. The Blue Team won a challenge involving using pork as an ingredient, so they all got to go to a spa where they got massages and sat in hot tubs and had mud baths, with lots of nicely lingering shots of the Blue Team members in their spa gear. There was a lot less footage of the Red Team’s punishment, which involved dressing up appropriately for the job of washing a bunch of muddy pigs.
Which means that the episode featured a number of lingering shots of Autumn in a bikini, and only a couple of fleeting glimpses of wonderful Holli in overalls. Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal, Hell’s Kitchen!
.png)
.png)
.png)
Sigh!
(Yeah, I’m weird. Your point?)
