The Mad Macedonian and The Adventure of the Suspenders Debut

Me wear Suspenders???

I'd never considered it before a couple of weeks ago.

I just thought I'd look silly, or the contraption would come loose, and my pants would fall off in a room full of 100 people. ;-D

Recently, though, a friend of mine, who wears them, talked me into getting a pair ("I'm sharing one of The Great Secrets of the Good Life!")  as I prepared to shop for new clothes, and also prepared to venture into making YouTube Videos.

What sold me on the notion, in the end, was not the claim of my friend that women would fall all over themselves at the chance to sneak up behind me, and snap my Fireman Red Suspenders...

"They are magical and will change yer life."

"I've had gorgeous wimmin sneak up on me and snap my suspenders from behind. They shriek with laughter, saying "I couldn't resist!"

Or, "Sorry, forgive me, I just had to do that! ;-D"

...but his report, after I placed the order, that one of my favorite authors, Mark Twain, on Dec.19, 1871, received the 1st of 3 patents for the invention of suspenders. ;-D

Further investigation, showed that the patent for Modern Suspenders was issued in 1894 to someone else, and that, even before Samuel Clemens, someone else had a hand in the evolution of this clothing accessory:

Benjamin Franklin, publisher, diplomat, framer of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, inventor of the lightning rod...the Franklin stove and bi-focal glasses, also adapted and made popular "gallowses" or suspenders around 1736 He made them part of the uniform of the nations first volunteer fire department in Philadelphia. "Why do firemen wear red suspenders?", the inspiration for gallowses probably came from gallows, which is a method of hanging things.

Like Franklin, and Twain, I am a writer with a peculiar Sense of Humor, and am often outspoken on a variety of issues that I care about. ;-D

I liked the idea of wearing a clothing style appropriate to my personality, sense of humor, writing style, and interests, and that I'd feel comfortable in when seen in public.

That it would be a "look" that I'd also feel just as comfy wearing while riding my bike would be an added bonus.

Since I also needed to retire my cheap beat-up, brown Fedora, I also went looking for a new one of much better quality.

The character of Indiana Jones has always been a favorite of mine: Intelligent, adventurous, opinionated, with a Sense of Humor, in a package made all the more dashing, and appealing, by a wonderful looking Fedora, and a whip.

I had no whip, but I DID have a Hiking/Walking Stick (With Camera Mount) that I really like, and have used in photos on this Blog before, so all I needed was that hat, or something similar.

So I went looking for the Bogart Style Fedora (Think of his Film Noir Detective roles, among others.), and ended up finding a company that sold the official "Indiana Jones" Fedoras, too!

I had no idea you could buy them, and was  overjoyed that a hat of such quality was within my budget.

I will be adding a few buttons, with messages related to my Ethnic Backround, love of cats, interests, and sense of humor, to go along with my 2 American Flag Pins, Ancestry.com Pin, and Bookcrossing Pin, and that would fit along the Hat Band (Next month I'll get a 2nd Hat which will be worn in, um, more serious situations than would the one with my pins and buttons! Gotta be prepared in case my friends prediction about the ladies leads to something improbable, hee, hee!)

So, this morning, I was ready to make my public debut in my new clothes, and red suspenders! ;-D

I boldly sallied forth, from Santa Ana to Long Beach. daring anyone to laugh at the spectacle I presented to the world. ;-D

While no women swooned, at the sight of me, I DID, get some interested looks, and one young, long-haired, hippie wanna-be was so roused from whatever drug-induced reverie had him bent over, and "enraptured" that, when I boarded the bus, he sat up straight in his seat, and raised his eyebrows in a sort of bemused quizicality, as I sat across from him.

After he gave me the once-over, for a couple of minutes, he leaned forward again, once more occupied with his dazed contemplation, apparently concluding that I must be an extra weird apparition appearing in whatever he was currently experiencing. ;-D

There are 2 Whole Foods Stores in The OC, and one in Long Beach, on the border along PCH, and it was at that store that I finally arrived.

It is a store much like Trader Joes, one of which was across the highway, and down the street a few blocks, and I wandered around taking in its offerings as I shopped for milk, and granola bars, and grabbed a 32oz. Plastic water bottle, to use at work, for good measure (Oh and, in a risky move for me, a package of Veggie Hot Dogs, too!)

As I turned a corner down an aisle, in the deli/meat dept., a wrinkled Little Old Lady (Who may, or may not, have been from Pasadena.), seemingly older than God, was so startled by my appearance, and the vision I presented, pushing my hand cart, that she first made a spry move to my right, then my left, with her store shopping cart then, looking at me with a wide smile, and teasing look in her eyes, laughed as she said, "I'm just trying to confuse you!"

I smiled back, and replied, "That's OK, young lady, I was born confused!"

So there ya have it!

That was how my first female conquest, as a Suspenders Wearing Gentleman, went down! ;-D

After stopping at Petco, for Cat Food, Trader Joes for fruit, and a Ralphs for a 12 pack case of Diet Peach Snapple, I headed home in triumph! ;-D

At home, after I had put everything away, I took out my new camcorder and gave it its first test run, making a 1 minute video of Nikita lounging on the bed, watching me as I moved around filming him, and talking to him. ;-D

The video looked, and sounded, good on the camcorder screen and, as I deleted it, I looked forward to my next attempt.

As I sit here typing this it is almost 10pm, and I've just ate 4 of those Veggie Dogs, on wheat buns, and lived to tell the tale!

A suitable ending to a landmark day. ;-D

Comments

[Jaspar]

Ya went and done it! Congrats!

You look GREAT!

[justin]

Can't understand why folks stare at braces.

They are comfortable and if they should not be seen, why are they made in so many colours and patterns?

If others have a problem, it's their problem.

I find the gals like them, but the guys are more reticent until they try them -

then they are hooked.