100 Days, 100 Ties

Although this really isn’t a problem this year, it’s never good juju to mention the words “Cubs” and “playoffs” in the same sentence. Unless, of course, the rather vulgar phrase “no fucking way in hell” is involved in a rather meaningful way.

[Cue: peaceful music entwined with nature sounds]

Collar stays, Uncle Lou…collar stays!

Back before the Mike Quade era, when Sweet Lou Piniella took Chicago’s National League participant to back-to-back playoffs, fans actually got excited about the day-to-day happenings in the standings. Conversations between Cubites were careful to avoid the jinx, which would allegedly occur if one mused about a playoff appearance or–the horror–even advancing during stated appearance. Knocking on wood didn’t help, as they were feebly swept aside by the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, maybe or maybe not in that order. It’s just too painful to google it.

I, too, am going to avoid the jinx here today. I had a second interview for a great new job today, and I’m not going to mention where it was. See, maybe the jinx minx is susceptible to reverse psychology, and the job is mine! Well, at least it was a second interview; getting bonked after just one would be tantamount to a sweep, don’t you think?

Here are the two gorgeous ties that I sported this week. They are both from my newest favorite Californian, Hendrik. He owns Bows ‘N Ties, as well as Cheap Neckties, two amazing online purveyors of great ties. Hendrik had found my TieXchange website, and had inquired about its activeness. Being a great guy, he gave me a shopping spree on his sites. 

These beauties are from his Puccini label. I went in left-right order, in terms of my interviews. It’s a lock, wouldn’t you say? Believe me, there is nothing cheap about these ties…the fabric is stunning, the quality is very evident, and they tie really well. If you have ever tied a truly cheap tie, with its lame–or non-existent–lining, the lack of structure and staying-power is pretty defeating. However, these ties made a great knot, and really stuck around up at my collar. Check them out, if you get a chance.

I’ll let you know how everything turned out, once the statute of limitations on the jinx has ended.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

Deadlines are good. Great actually. This may end up being my worst blog (yep, still hate the word), but it’ll feeeeeel good. Damn right I put 6 Es in there.

I’m scared to check my last post, but I’m sure it’ll soon be simple enough to see the date. I think it was May. I have worn ties since then, and have taken pictures of all of them. No more hefty haughty promises about writing them all up. I am sure that I have forgotten where/why I wore them. Although…that could be a fun game for any readers I have left: if they can guess if my story is true or bullshit. Or both.

My travels for Few Spirits took me to our nation’s capital, where I attended a gala dinner out at Mt. Vernon, George and Martha Washington’s estate. The dinner was sponsored by several different lobbying organizations; our affiliation with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States got us invited. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, thankfully, has an acronym: DISCUS. Or is it an anagram? No, it’s definitely an acronym. Anyway, they avoided being called DISCotUS, which would be too trendy. I would have gone with one that called to mind dancing with cheesy records: DISCOTECA (Distilled Spirits Council of the Entire Country, America).

The gala was a blast, and it was exciting to meet folks from other distilleries. Good thing I brought along a couple of ties to choose from. I ended up going with another swell looker from Paul Fredrick. I knew DC would be a professional tie-wearing town, and it didn’t disappoint. More than a Few bow ties in attendance (harder to spill booze on ’em, don’t-cha-know). I can only assume that my Freddy did me proud.

Let George Do It!

As for Mt. Vernon? Serene. Idyllic. Iconic. All that and more. I met the Ghost of the Father of our Country, or GOTFOOC. Actually, he was probably just a Hired Actor Portraying the Father of our Country (HAPTFOOC).

Thanks for deadlining. And thanks for reading.

I guess Julius Caesar should have heeded the warning of the blind man (wasn’t he blind?) in the square, before he and his tunic and laurel sashayed into the Senate foyer. Hindsight rarely saves a man, though, especially when the business ends of a few daggers are headed your way. Such an interesting way to execute (literally) a recall vote…now political opponents just go to the media, and babble and tweet and post. Infinitely more legal, obviously.

Well, I’d be Brute-ish if I didn’t remind you that it’s March 15, which is but a day before the 1-year anniversary of starting 100 Days, 100 Ties. I’m sure I’ll mention it then, but for now let’s take a gander at Tie No. 243.

It’s rather staid, compared to the rest of my collection. It’s from the Claiborne line, which I was surprised to learn was entirely a JC Penney mark. Go, JC, go. I tried to pomp (or pimp works, too) it up with my blue shirt, but it didn’t really wake it up. Oh, well. I have mentioned recently (as I have before) that a quick glance at my tie rack makes it painfully obvious that there will be some painfully morose days coming up in the TdJ department. When I’ve had this problem before I’ve simply made a trip to the resale shop(s), but I gave up buying ties for Lent. Boring ties be damned, I may as well try to make a dent in the Unworn Collection, and 40 days won’t kill me.

Editor’s note: My Lenten penance only states that I cannot buy any ties; it doesn’t say anything about accepting gifts of ties. And, would you look at that, my birthday is coming up on April 8. I’ll be 42. For a whole year.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

As I had my January edition of my Leadership Evanston sessions today, I decided not to wear a tie all day. However, I did don one for the evening’s event. Unfortunately, it was for a memorial service.

My good friend Claudia Rosario Hammond passed away last week. Wife, mother, sister, artist. Tonight, her husband Eric made it quite clear that we were doing the right thing by celebrating her life, rather than mourning her death. She will be missed.

Tie No. 199

I would love to dedicate the Tie du Jour to Claudia. It is a simple black tie from a company called TBA. I realized something, looking at Claudia’s artwork, placed around the chapel at the funeral home: I should have worn my most colorful remaining tie, not funereal black, to celebrate the vibrancy in her life and her art.

Rest in peace, Claudia…Your friend, Brooke

When I was in junior high, I loved AC/DC. At one time, they represented 50% of my entire music library. In these days of iPods and other libraries holding thousands of songs, I actually remember my first 8 cassette tapes, and how they filled just over half of the wooden crate purchased especially for them.

1. AC/DC – Back In Black
2. AC/DC – For Those About To Rock, We Salute You
3. AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
4. AC/DC – Highway To Hell
5. Devo – Freedom of Choice
6. REO Speedwagon – Hi Infidelity
7. Styx – Paradise Theater
8. .38 Special – Wild Eyed Southern Boys

Yes, that’s quite a mix, I agree. The reason I bring this up is that the song ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ was being played somewhere or other this past week. I was amazed that I still knew every verse (“42-39-56”), note and grunt, perhaps 27 or 28 years after I last played that song on a crappy turntable (oh, yes, I had albums, too), dozens of times over. I love that my brain has reserved…no, PREserved…that stuff (or garbage, as my dad probably put it) up in the old gray matter. May have to invest in the CD versions of some of that good ol’ AC/DC. And, would you look at that? ‘E’s wearin’ a tie! Angus Young–Rocker With Tie!

I went with the road theme for the title because I actually found my Tie du Jour in the street. Over the summer it caught my eye as I walked to my car to head to an appointment. It didn’t register with me that my life actually has something to do with ties until my return trip. So, I picked it up, and it looked remarkably clean for having been run over a couple dozen times. It’s not particularly good looking, but it went fine with my outfit yesterday–ironically it may befit an AC/DC concert (nahhh!). It’s very dark, with black and red diamond shapes, from Dockers, of all places. By the way, their tagline (“If you’re not wearing Dockers, you’re just wearing pants”) always kinda bugged me; does that mean, logically speaking, that, If you ARE wearing Dockers, you’re NOT wearing pants? Kinda creepy, especially if you’re wearing Dockers around children or unchaperoned young ladies. Aaanyway, I’ll leave the logic discussions to the logicians…and the pants discussions to the, um, pants-wearing people (of which I am one).

Thanks for reading…Brooke