100 Days, 100 Ties

Using the alma mater song of the University of Texas (the other UT, remember) was quite the easy choice for my tie-pun-subject. What I was hoping was that one of the lyrics in “Deep In the Heart of Texas” went along with it. My ulterior motive was to show this clip from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, where our hero must prove that he is indeed in the Republic of Texas (the only state that can legally secede from the union). Mission accomplished.

All of that to get to our Tie du Jour, from deep in the heart of Texas. Yes, Neal Pearlman, half of your dream has come true! I wore a bolo tie! Now if I can just find an ascot…but I think I have a line on one. Then I’ll just need to learn how to tie it…AND get invited to a regatta or a country club board meeting.

None of my exes live in Texas

My BTdJ is a gift from my dear friend Janet, who you may remember (from this mid-July post) is the one who gave me the interesting series of gifts (in case you’re wondering, interesting = heart-adorned boxer shorts and red velvet handcuffs) on Valentine’s Day during our time together teaching pre-school at the appropriately named School for Little Children. Janet’s daughter goes to Baylor University, down in Waco; on the way home from visiting her daughter, Janet decided to bring me back a little souvenir for my tie project. I do love it so…Thanks Janet!

I was finding it hard to choose a work-day outfit that was apropos for the bolo, so I chose one of my Leadership Evanston days to sport it. It went well, until my fellow classmates decided to, um, take the lead in creating a new nickname for me, based upon my cowboyesque gear for the day. The winner: Best Western. Thanks, Miro. Hope your Mudlark play, “This Is Just To Say”, is a success this weekend.

After picking up some leadership tips (and getting towed–grumblegrumble) during the day, I took Julia to the Merchant Mingle, hosted by the Chicago North Shore Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, or CNSCVB, for short, Thank Gawd. While Julia shopped happily, I was able to recruit a GWT for the ranks. Raphael, an administrator at the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette, attended the event with his girlfriend Bridgette Schnider, a friend who is an amazing artist. When her website is redone, I’ll put some of her design work on this blog. Amazing.

One more little nugget about bolo ties…every year, during my Christian Brothers High School orientation assembly meeting, Mr. Waff or Brother Adrian would run down the dress code. One of the rules was very curt: No Bolo Ties. Someone (and I think it was the same person every year) always…ALWAYS…asked what a bolo tie was. Every year I laughed, and every year I hoped that it was a tradition that lives to this day. Someone should always ask a school administrator what a bolo tie is. Always. Thank you, you’ve been kind.

Thanks for reading, y’all…Brooke