Thursday Ramble: Dress for Success

My college alumni association keeps trying to organize a Washington DC chapter, and turn out reportedly is underwhelming, so they try again a year or so later and make the exact same mistake. The organizing meeting is a cocktail party at a "Private Club" in DC, hosted by a prominent local alumnus. The "Club" has a strict dress code, men MUST wear a coat and tie, and NO ATHLETIC SHOES. I simply decline the invitation, I don't dress for dinner, I have worn dress shoes once in the past five years, and then only when I had a relatively short distance to walk or time that I expected to stand in them.  I wear mostly running shoes. I have a couple of pair in simple black, with black soles. They are not flashy Air-someone's, they are simple dark shoes that I can walk and stand in for two or three hours. I am old, my feet and legs are not what they once were. I wear shoes that fit my needs.  The last time I wore a tie was a funeral, the next time I wear one, will probably be another funeral. This is not 1926, we don't dress for dinner. The dress code is decades out of date with the way people live. It is attempt at elitism. 

I don't need to dress to impress. 

I have only once been turned away for not being appropriately dressed at a restaurant. And it gave me one of my favorite stories.  It was January of 1991 in Paris, I was wearing Levis 501's, a navy blue Scottish wool sweater (I still have the sweater), an expensive brown leather jacket, and timberland hiking boots, and the doorman at Maxim's literally pushed me back in the taxi at lunch time. We went around the corner, up a narrow side street and had an extraordinary lunch in a tiny restaurant with Michelin Stars on the wall, and a lifetime of storytelling.  If you are going to be turned away at the door, this is a great place to start. I won't try to go there again.   

My World of Wonders June 24, 2026

Where have I been this week? Into DC for a long walk, lunch with a
friend, and another long walk. Out to lunch at a local Tex-Mex restaurant. Dropped a friend off at the airport, the Farmers Market, the pool, the treadmill, the community center. The pool, the treadmill. Out to Dulles to see a friend who is visiting the area. 

Who have a talked with this week?  Erica, Giuseppe, Michelle, Kevin, Jon, Ruth, Amy, Rebecca, Bonnie, Dian, Joan, Pratibha, Rebecca, Marcell, Susan, Paul, Jennifer, Guido, and Jennifer. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Not much, we went out to eat three days in a row. I started a batch of spicy pickles. Saturday was smokes sausage, cheddar mashed potatoes and a simple salad with a fresh vinaigrette. Sunday meatloaf, baked potatoes, and sauteed zucchini and mushrooms. 

What is below? Three of the over 40 works in the most recent community art show. 

The General by me (Yes, I would sell it.) 

Land that I Love, Rebecca (available for purchase) 

Iwo Jima Memorial, Paul P. 

Travel Tuesday: Sails on the Potomac at Alexandria Virginia

 

Monday Moods: Hopeful for the Future

**

Saturday afternoon was the opening of the latest community art show. My co-chair had a schedule conflict so I was solo in hosting the opening reception and it was great fun. The theme is 250 Years of Red White and Blue. Some took this literally and included red, white and blue in their art, others interpreted this to mean things that celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

Many of the contributors talked about their work, I spoke for those who were not there. Everyone was brief, we moved through at a nice pace. 

One that I described is a photo of a car with political bumper stickers on the back of it. Why would we include that image? Well, what is more American than expressing our political opinions? The contributor explained in her submission, that she had parked at a shopping center and came out to find a note on her car, disagreeing with her political bumper stickers, and I have to think "what is more American than disagreeing with politics?" We can have differing points of view, we can express our political views, we don't have to agree - except to agree that others are allowed to have their views. When I said this in the reception, everyone across the political spectrum nodded and expressed agreement. This country was founded on political and economic differences. *

There is a four canvas mixed media work talking about the struggle for women's rights.  A really neat piece. 

I challenge our neighbors to be creative. The next show goes up in early August on a theme of "Explosion of Color." I urged those at the reception, if you don't have something for this show, you have a month to create something. Go for it. 

* A struggle on total freedom of thought, is at what point do we limit hate speech? And how do we keep those limits from becoming tyranny? 

** The sculpture above. The artist has a studio in the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, they meticulously cut layer after layer of fiberboard to form the shape, then paint the work in amazing colors. I should take a sculpture class someday. 

The Sunday Five: Tell Us About Yourself

1: Where do you hope to travel to in the next year? 

2: Is there a trip you keep putting off, that you know you really should take? 

3: What bloger(s) would you you like to have lunch with? 

4: What is your favorite way to travel? 

5: When I am in your area, should I make plans ahead, or just drop by? 

My answers: 

1: Where do you hope to travel to in the next year? Alaska. 

2: Is there a trip you keep putting off, that you know you really should take? A friends and family trip to Florida. 

3: What bloger(s) would you you like to have lunch with? Michael, Mitchell, John, Bob, Mistress, Sharon, Angus, Neil, Steve, Diane, Ken, Walt, I have probably left a few out. 

4: What is your favorite way to travel? Often, I enjoy flying, by ship, by train, driving needs to be in short intervals. 

5: When I am in your area, should I make plans ahead, or just drop by? Always plan ahead. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post: The Gallery of Unmade Art

 We all have it, a gallery of ideas, of art we wanted to create, and just didn't. Some of the unmade art would have been brilliant, the best we ever made. It would have communicated a message, expressed our feelings, moved other to laughter or tears. Some of it would have been unremarkable. Some of it may have not worked. But we will never know, because we didn't create it, we didn't make it. 

Life gets in the way. Work, family, health, resources; we have more excuses than the art store has colors of paint. There is an old saying that excuses are like assholes, we all have one, and most of them stink. Fears and insecurities get our way. We don't start because we are unsure we know what we are doing. We don't start because we are afraid of the outcome. And we will never know, until we overcome all of this and start. It is time to not let excuses and fears get in the way. 

Inside each of us is a brilliant creative spirit, we need to let it free. Pick up a pencil, a pen, squirt some paint out and grab a brush, frame the photo with a camera or phone, go boldly into the kitchen and play with our food, open a blank document or blog post and start putting ideas on paper. At the end of the week, the month, the year, the end of our life, we want to look back a gallery filled with what we created, what we made, not an empty gallery of excuses, fears and regrets. 

Freestyle Friday: Travel Tips

I was once dropped off at the wrong hotel, by a London Taxi driver. London Taxi drivers are world famous for their knowledge of the city. They have pass a detailed test to become licensed to drive in the city, and there I was at the wrong hotel, actually on the wrong side of the River. And it was at least in part, my fault. The hotel I was going to was relatively new, and I didn't have the address handy when I got into the taxi. I have struggled several times with take me to Hilton, only to be asked which Hilton, there are three of them downtown? 

The solution is simple, before I leave home, no matter how simple or complex the trip, I find the address of the hotel(s), copy and paste them into a google doc, increase the font size to about 14, and print the address(s) out.  When I get in the taxi, I hand the driver the address of the hotel.  Even if I am renting a car, I do the same, then I have the address easy to find to program the GPS or satnav.  

I print out copies of all of the travel details and put them in order in a file folder before I leave home. Phones can fail, you can't always get a signal, but printed reservations don't require power or a signal.  I put everything on my calendar, this provides a cross check for dates.  

Especially with carry on bags, if I can't heft it in and out overhead bins, I don't pack it. It seems like everytime I fly, there is a small person overwhelmed trying to lift a bag into the overhead bins. If you can't lift it, don't pack it. 

On this topic, check a bag when flying.  I have traveled a lot, hundreds of flights, and I can count on my fingers the number of times I have flown without checking a bag. I have had bags delayed a few times, only three times on outbound flights, and two of those were delivered to the hotel later the same day.  I loathe that airlines have made checked bags an extra on most domestic flights. I get free checked bags as a credit card perk on the two airlines I fly most often.  Well worth the small annual fee. 

I avoid overnight flights when possible. If there is no way around an overnight flight, I book a hotel to check into as soon as I arrive. Even if it means paying for an extra night. In dozens of overnight flights, I have slept on just a few of them. 

What is your best travel tip?