Continuing our (my?) list of 30 things I need to do / have before I turn 30 on June 30th today and combining the next two as both are related. I'm efficient, people!
Thing I should have: At least one friend who gives honest fashion advice. / A tailored suit.
I have a wife that does this. Now where on the list does it say, "at least one friend who can make you feel better after your wife trashes your fashion sense."
I also have a tailored suit from our wedding - a suit I purchased 2 months before the wedding that I somehow got too fat to wear a week before the Big Day. I spent the last week before our wedding having the suit let out and walking on a treadmill. A TREADMILL! Marriage is tough, you guys.
Thing I should do: Score the winner. / Invent a cocktail.
Man stuff!
I think we can officially agree these lists are less an honest critique of milestones a man should reach before he turns 30, and more a menu of things women look for in their metro-sexually dressed, yet rugged-acting, yet romantic/sweet dream guy. That being the case - this entire exercise feels like a waste since I already fit all of the criteria, but I'll indulge.
So have I scored the winner or invented a cocktail?
Probably.
I played a lot of sports as a kid - I'm sure at some point I was responsible for a win. Does it count if I was also responsible for all of the losses? Do they cancel each other out? Or does a 'winner' count if it's a really great comeback to some troll on an online sports message board? No? What if there was a great .gif, too?
As for a cocktail - it's pretty hard to invent a cocktail that is just straight whiskey. Maybe I'll throw a splash of water in it and call it the "Shut Up and Leave Me To My Whiskey." It should be ordered neat.
It'll be a real winner.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
30 for 30 on the 30th Part 4
Counting down until my 30th birthday on June 30th with a 30 part series of random things some writer somewhere decided were important tests of my manhood.
Today's items:
Thing I should have: At least four good pairs of shoes: dressy, business casual, casual, exercise.
The sad thing about my shoes is that they accurately describe my entire wardrobe: dress clothes, clothes that aren't dressy but I pretend that they are, a bunch of gray casual shirts, and a bunch of older gray casual shirts I use for anything that takes physical activity (for the record the last 2 pairs of Chucks are actually from two different pairs).
Thing I should do: Ride a horse.
In 5th grade my class went on a trip to Camp High Hope. At camp we did all the usual campy things, highlighted by the fact that this was the first time all the boys had to shower in a public shower together. It being 5th grade, this was really one of our first pubic showers, as well. Gross.
One of the activities at camp was to brush and ride a horse. The camp guide led me to the steed, handed me a brush and told me to start using it. No problem. I've brushed things. It's not that hard.
WHAM!
That fucker kicked me. Right in the thigh next to the parts I had exposed to my friends in the shower for the first time earlier that day. A horse kicking you hurts exactly as much as you would think. Like hell.
But it was camp and it was about learning lessons. They stood me up, made sure my reproductive parts were still attached and marched me back up to that horse. Brush in hand, I reached out to begin brushing again...
WHAM!
This time it was an attempted head shot that I narrowly ducked and took in the shoulder. I literally had a hoof-print bruise on my shoulder for two weeks. It looked like I got the Colts' log tattooed on my back. It was awful. I was a 5th grader getting my ass beat by a goddamn horse in front of my entire class. You think bullies and wedgies are bad? Imagine if a horse was the one shoving you in a locker. With his legs. By kicking you. Maybe this visual didn't work like I expected.
Anyways, the camp counselors again made me approach the horse and eventually ride him. So I have ridden a stupid horse. I hope you're happy now, stupid list of things I need to do to impress you.
Today's items:
Thing I should have: At least four good pairs of shoes: dressy, business casual, casual, exercise.
 |
| Dressy, Biz casual, Casual, Exercise |
The sad thing about my shoes is that they accurately describe my entire wardrobe: dress clothes, clothes that aren't dressy but I pretend that they are, a bunch of gray casual shirts, and a bunch of older gray casual shirts I use for anything that takes physical activity (for the record the last 2 pairs of Chucks are actually from two different pairs).
Thing I should do: Ride a horse.
In 5th grade my class went on a trip to Camp High Hope. At camp we did all the usual campy things, highlighted by the fact that this was the first time all the boys had to shower in a public shower together. It being 5th grade, this was really one of our first pubic showers, as well. Gross.
One of the activities at camp was to brush and ride a horse. The camp guide led me to the steed, handed me a brush and told me to start using it. No problem. I've brushed things. It's not that hard.
WHAM!
That fucker kicked me. Right in the thigh next to the parts I had exposed to my friends in the shower for the first time earlier that day. A horse kicking you hurts exactly as much as you would think. Like hell.
But it was camp and it was about learning lessons. They stood me up, made sure my reproductive parts were still attached and marched me back up to that horse. Brush in hand, I reached out to begin brushing again...
WHAM!
This time it was an attempted head shot that I narrowly ducked and took in the shoulder. I literally had a hoof-print bruise on my shoulder for two weeks. It looked like I got the Colts' log tattooed on my back. It was awful. I was a 5th grader getting my ass beat by a goddamn horse in front of my entire class. You think bullies and wedgies are bad? Imagine if a horse was the one shoving you in a locker. With his legs. By kicking you. Maybe this visual didn't work like I expected.
Anyways, the camp counselors again made me approach the horse and eventually ride him. So I have ridden a stupid horse. I hope you're happy now, stupid list of things I need to do to impress you.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
30 for 30 on the 30th Part 3
If Part 2 was a cheesy romantic-comedy version of what 'manhood' means, then today's is the passive aggressive Facebook status of a girl recently dumped.
Thing I should have: Respect for women as equals and not just as heads attached to boobs.
Thing I should do: Give up my seat.
These two actually sum up the duality of being a white collar redneck fairly well - balancing a very vocal support for women's rights while also being raised to treat a woman like a lady, when that definition is often at conflict with the word 'equal.'
I know women don't think it's that difficult, but balancing respect and chivalry is a delicate task - especially when women themselves don't always agree on the two. Women can't agree on which pack out of Ryan Gosling's six they love the most - how can they believe they all have the same definition of chivalry and respect?
I can't tell you how many times I've gotten a dirty look for opening a door for a woman - or how many times I've gotten a dirty look for not opening a door for a woman.
Something one woman finds charming can be taken as offensive to another. Is giving up a seat to a woman considered a courteous act? Because lord knows I've gotten, 'I can handle standing, thank you very much,' as a response.
So do I have respect for women as equals? Or course, and I 'give up' the driver's seat to my wife as often as I take the wheel myself - even if I try to still open the door for her.
But her head still looks great attached to those boobs.
Maybe I'll just give myself a half-point for this one.
Thing I should have: Respect for women as equals and not just as heads attached to boobs.
Thing I should do: Give up my seat.
These two actually sum up the duality of being a white collar redneck fairly well - balancing a very vocal support for women's rights while also being raised to treat a woman like a lady, when that definition is often at conflict with the word 'equal.'
I know women don't think it's that difficult, but balancing respect and chivalry is a delicate task - especially when women themselves don't always agree on the two. Women can't agree on which pack out of Ryan Gosling's six they love the most - how can they believe they all have the same definition of chivalry and respect?
I can't tell you how many times I've gotten a dirty look for opening a door for a woman - or how many times I've gotten a dirty look for not opening a door for a woman.
Something one woman finds charming can be taken as offensive to another. Is giving up a seat to a woman considered a courteous act? Because lord knows I've gotten, 'I can handle standing, thank you very much,' as a response.
So do I have respect for women as equals? Or course, and I 'give up' the driver's seat to my wife as often as I take the wheel myself - even if I try to still open the door for her.
But her head still looks great attached to those boobs.
Maybe I'll just give myself a half-point for this one.
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