jacket

5 Comments Posted on Storytelling, Uncategorized

Why I Own 7 Puffy Vests (or 3 Reasons I Don’t Own a Jacket or Coat; or 3 Reasons Puffy Jackets are Better Than Jackets or Coats)

Why I Own 7 Puffy Vests (or 3 Reasons I Don’t Own a Jacket or Coat, or 3 Reasons Puffy Jackets are Better Than Jackets or Coats)

Two Christmases ago, I began collecting puffy vests; and gave away my jackets and coats. I now own 7 puffy vests, which only cost me around $18 each; though some of them were gifts:

Red, burgundy, blue, gray, green, orange, and black.

I even own an 8th vest; which is black too, but it’s not a “puffy” vest. It serves as my “outdoor project” vest that I don’t have to keep clean; like when I changed my wife’s car tire after it froze and went flat.

Why I Own 7 Puffy Vests (or 3 Reasons I Don’t Own a Jacket or Coat, or 3 Reasons Puffy Jackets are Better Than Jackets or Coats)

As for my 7 puffy vests, I basically wear one every day from the months of October to March. I think they go well collared button down shirts. I think they look cool and are masculine in an outdoor sort of way.

Why I Own 7 Puffy Vests (or 3 Reasons I Don’t Own a Jacket or Coat, or 3 Reasons Puffy Jackets are Better Than Jackets or Coats)

I fundamentally don’t believe in wearing jackets or coats. I have never liked wearing a jacket or coat. As a kid, my parents always had to tell me to wear one in the winter, telling me I would get sick if I didn’t.

As an adult, in recent years, I’ve gathered my thoughts on the subject and now officially understand why it is that I don’t like wearing a jacket or coat.

Why I Own 7 Puffy Vests (or 3 Reasons I Don’t Own a Jacket or Coat, or 3 Reasons Puffy Jackets are Better Than Jackets or Coats)

1)      I don’t like the responsibility of keeping up with a jacket or coat. Once I’m inside a building, which is most of the day, I typically don’t need my jacket or coat again until the end of the day when I go home. I don’t want to have to worry about forgetting it and leaving it somewhere.

2)      They restrict the use of my fingers. When I first arrive in my office each day, while I am wearing still a jacket or coat because the heat isn’t fully turned on, I find it annoying that the ends of my jacket or coat sleeves slow down my thumbs and sometimes block my view of my fingers as I’m typing; should I need to seem them.

3)       Jackets and coats either keep me too warm or not warm enough. It’s a guessing game. I don’t like having to planning my day about how thick of an outer garment to wear.

Meanwhile, a puffy vest eliminates all 3 of these issues:

1)      Puffy vests take up less space. When I do need to take them off; it’s not a burden having to find a place to put it, nor must I worry about the sleeves of it dragging the floor while it hangs on my chair when I’m not wearing it.

2)      My arms, hands, and fingers are free. When you only wear puffy vests, you learned that unless it’s extremely cold and/or snowing, it’s mainly just your torso that needs to warmth.

3)      They keep my body temperature consistently regulated. Just like an insulated mug keeps cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot, the plastic material of my “torso-sized sleeping bag” keeps my body temperature consistent with itself; as opposed to overkilling the heat like a coat can or not keeping me warm enough like a jacket. When it’s really cold, I can simply wearing gloves, a scarf, and a hat; in addition to my vest.

Why I Own 7 Puffy Vests (or 3 Reasons I Don’t Own a Jacket or Coat, or 3 Reasons Puffy Jackets are Better Than Jackets or Coats)

So between my 7 colors of puffy vests, not to mention my “outdoor project” vest, I’m set. Give away your jackets and coats this Christmas. Buy 7 puffy vests instead!

Leave a comment Posted on funny, parenting, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: Bribing Me By Calling Me “Cool Daddy”

3 years, 11 months.

Dear Jack: Bribing Me By Calling Me “Cool Daddy”

Dear Jack,

This morning as Mommy buckled you into your car seat, I was sitting up front in the 2015 Buick LaCrosse we’ve been driving this week.

After she already had you buckled, you then decided you wanted to take off your pullover, even though it was chilly outside.

I saw it as a way you were just trying to stall Mommy leaving. She had to leave that very minute in order to get to work on time.

So Mommy had to leave on that note, walking to her car to drive to the other side of Nashville.

You were somewhat upset, raising your voice at me because you wanted your pullover off and because Mommy had to leave because of your attempted stall.

To take control of the situation, I warned you as I backed away from our house that I would have to take away your stuffed animal you were holding if you couldn’t focus on something else.

You didn’t… so I did.

Obviously that made you more upset, but it worked- it got your attention. You stopped focusing on the pullover and instead were completely focused on getting your stuffed animal back.

“Jack, say something nice and I’ll give you your animal back,” I explained, in my attempt to redirect the focus to a more positive one.

Silence.

Ten seconds later, you proclaimed, “Daddy, I said it!”

I responded by telling you I didn’t hear you say anything.

Then you barely mumbled something under your breath.

“Jack, you have to say it loud enough where I can hear it. Just say something positive or nice and you’ll get your animal back,” I insisted.

This time you said it loud and clear:

“Cool Daddy,” you replied.

I begin instantly laughing out loud, so you did as well.

“Jack, did you just call me a ‘cool Daddy’ to be nice so you would get your animal back?”

You shook your head yes as you laughed.

So it’s official: I am a cool Daddy and you got your stuffed animal back.

Love,

Daddy

10 Comments Posted on People

How to Wear Dress Pants, If You’re a Guy: Don’t Wear Them With Sneakers and Avoid Khakis

Despite what you heard, don’t wear khakis.  Just because these men’s pants are classic, it doesn’t mean they’re timeless.  In fact, they’re starting to represent a dull and generic image for men’s attire.

Some articles of clothing go with anything, like Chuck Taylor’s.  Then there are specimens like Hawaiian shirts, that arguably go with anything simply because they clash with everything, technically meaning they go with everything.  And then there are khaki pants, which truly look good with anything they’re paired with, in theory.

But not for me.  I’m very particular when it comes to wearing khakis:

1)     They’re the same color as my legs, so I kinda feel like I’m not wearing pants at all.

2)     Because of their good reputation (“you can’t go wrong with khaki’s”) and popularity, they are a bit boring by now.  It’s assumed that a man automatically looks better because he’s wearing tan pants.  I say, not creative enough.  Deduct one point unless worn in moderation.

3)     Despite popular belief, they don’t truly look good with anything.

What has put these thoughts in my head?  Surely just random observances over the last twelve years:

1)     In high school, every Friday the football coach had all the football players wear khaki pants, a white dress shirt, and preferably a tie.  But  many of them wore running shoes.  It came across as predictable and forced to me (which it indeed was).  You want to look nice?  At least change the shoes.

2)     In the movie 40 Year-Old Virgin, Andy (the lead character played by Steve Carell) wears khaki pants in almost every seen.  His attire is most noticeably awful when he first goes to the night club wearing a yellow polo and khakis.  Nerdy, man.  Nerdy.  Same thing in Sideways with Miles (played by Paul Giamatti).

3)     In the past 15 years, khakis and polo shirts have become the official uniform for employees of places like Best Buy.  So now khakis are starting to represent a dull, generic work uniform.

Instead of khakis, try this. Note: Black shoes with black pants. Not brown shoes.

Khakis have become part of a stereotyped outfit of an outdated man from the year 2000: Khaki pants, faded polo shirt, cell phone holder on belt.

Noted, there is a difference between what a man wears to work and what he wears to every other public events.  I know for myself, I don’t care that much what my coworkers see my wearing as long as I don’t look like a slouch.  So yes, I do resort to polo shirts and once every week or two, I’ll wear khakis.

But for many, work isn’t as a professional environment as we often pretend for it to be.  I don’t take as good of care on the clothes I wear day in and day out to work.  Who cares if they’re faded or a little wrinkled?

Bottom line: For a man to truly dress nicely, and appear to be modern yet not trying too hard, he should simply try doing so sans khaki pants.

How?  Charcoal colored pants.  Dark brown pants.  Slate (very dark blue/gray) pants.  But not tan.  Heck, even dark jeans can look better than khakis when done right.

P.S.  If you must resort to wearing khaki pants in an attempt to look nice, do not be temped to wear a navy blazer or jacket with it.  That’s for CEO’s who are 61 years old and don’t realize that it’s no longer cool.  Wearing a navy jacket with khaki pants is for guys still wearing Levi’s jeans similar to Jerry Seinfeld in 1994.

And one more thing… Now that you’ve read my take on pants, why not read my perspective on being a dad?  That’s right- parenting from a dad’s point of view.  I have been documenting my thoughts as a dad since the week we found out my wife was pregnant.  I formally invite you now to read my “dad blog” by clicking on the link below:

dad from day one