Tie a Day, Number 13

Today I didn't have to wear a tie. If I paid 2 dollars I could wear a collared shirt with a school emblem on it. The only problem, I have one shirt that fits that requirement and I save it for Fridays!

So I paid a dollar, since it was all I had. After all, it is for a good cause- our students, and I wore a tie today.

This is a Disney themed tie with Mickey, Pluto, Goofy and Donald climbing a ladder to no where. I chose this tie because it went with the shirt and pants combination that I ironed.

I do remember that this tie was a gift from one of my Kindergarten students from years ago. I treasure that I mattered so much to a child to be worthy of a gift. That means the most to me.

Tie a Day, Number 12

Today’s tie is a surprise to me. Once again, this tie is 15 to 20 years old, just like the majority of my collection. I have worn it a few times, but it has never been one I was crazy about. The tie has yellow in it and I don’t normally wear yellow, but today it was the perfect match with my shirt.

The shirt I wore is not really a tie shirt but it is comfortable and big, just the way I like my shirts. Tight shirts make me want to squirm all day. I picked the tie long after picking the shirt and strangely the tie was drawn to the shirt like a magnet.

The yellow in the tie brings out the yellow pattern in the shirt, and in my opinion, they go great together. The grey leaf like pattern is confusing when you look at it up close. The first thing my daughter said when she looked at the tie pattern this morning was, “What is that?”

Somehow it all works for me. I thought I would have to go to work with an ugly tie outfit today; it is nice when you get a good wardrobe surprise!

Tie a Day, Number 11

When I was growing up, I spent countless hours in front of the T.V. I sat too close, and in darkened rooms and miraculously my eyes are still pretty good. No glasses for me! I wonder if the adults knew they were spreading bad information…

From the time I was first able to crawl across the floor to turn the channel, all the way up until college, I watched the Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show every Saturday morning.

Today’s tie is a group of bugs bunny pictures cut out and sprinkled all over the tie in tiny squares. I love this tie! It is colorful and fun. It reminds me of a simpler time in life when there were only 3 channels, and the day could not officially begin until the little pig said, “That’s All Folks!”

Tie a Day, Number 10

I have to apologize first today as this is a very negative Tie of the Day review. One of the problems with wearing a different tie everyday is that there are some days that I have to wear a tie that I don’t like just so I can reach my goal of a different tie everyday for the entire school year. Today is one of those days. Even though I wear brown shoes and belt, I am not a big fan of brown ties. This tie is nearly all brown. It was suggested that I wear a blue shirt to bring out more of the blue in the tie, but I am sure I would still not like this tie.

I am also not crazy about floral patterns in general and this one really rubs me the wrong way. Wearing flowers on a tie does not challenge my manhood the same way that pink does not frighten my manliness. I don’t care what others think about me for wearing flower ties or the color pink, I just don’t like either.

Based on the width of the tie, I think it is from the 80’s part of the “Dad’s Hand-Me Down” collection. It is a very soft tie made of beautiful Italian silk, but it is a bit on the thick side which combined with the nearly universal width makes it difficult to tie just right. It took me 5 shots this morning just to get it right. Annoying!

I think I have only worn this tie maybe one other time in my life, and after today, probably never again. On the bonus side, the Tie a Day dream is still alive and Monday I can wear a tie I like.

Tie a Day 9/23/09

The tie I chose today is one of my favorites, but not because of the design. As a tie design it is a bit much for any combination of shirt and tie. Loud and proud, this tie screams, “Look at me!” It is one of my favorites because it is a Save the Children tie. As a professional I have devoted my life to helping children. It is easy to stay in our safe little world and think only about making our own lives better, but this tie reminds me that it is all about what you give in life. Not what you receive.

This tie was designed by Daniel, age 13, who really captured the feeling of “My Favorite Sports.” I can only guess at the date I received this tie as early 90’s.



This is tie number 9.

Tie a Day 9/22/09

I wore this NFC tie today to celebrate the first weekend that I was able to enjoy a win by the Redskins and my fantasy football team, the Dogman Funk All-Stars. Considering that the Redskins won with 3 field goals (score Wash 9- St. Louis 7) over a team they were supposed to handle easily, and that fantasy football is cruel game of high expectations and low achievement, I thought it would be wise to wear this celebratory tie this week. Neither team may win anything for the rest of the year. I am a fan and a realist.

While I am on the subject of the Redskins, I think it is important to say that I reserve the right to boo my team whenever I feel moved to do so. I have paid for that right. This “Dim Wit” doesn’t particularly care what anyone, even a large linebacker, has to say about how I express myself when my team can’t play its way out of a paper bag.

Back to the tie. I was trying to figure out how old this tie is and I know that the Panthers came

into the League in 1995. I also know that Tampa Bay switched uniforms in 1997. So, I must have received the tie in 1996.

Yes, my life is this fascinating. This is tie number 8.

Tie a Day 9/21/09

Today's tie is like something a Ninja might wear if he was trying to blend in with everyone else in a crowded office building while stalking his target. Urban, blue collar camouflage. It is not ugly, but not good looking. It is simply a tie.

Don't get me wrong, it is not that I don't like this tie, I do. We all need things that go with other stuff that we don't have to think about in a Garanimal kind of way. It makes Monday mornings much easier.

This is the 7th tie of the year.

A Tie a Day

As a teacher it is important that I look professional in my dealings with the public, but this term “professional” is open to interpretation. I have thoughts about what this means, the school board has a dress code, parents have feelings about proper dress, but above all, my principal has the most important say in this matter.

Personally, I am not sure why a tie is professional looking. I can say this because I have some ties that make me look like a clown, but they technically count as a tie. If wearing a ridiculous tie is the look for a male teacher, then I can always be safe and professional.

When I first became a kindergarten teacher I was told that a tie was not an option. I had a few ties then and when my father heard that I had to wear ties, he began giving me all the ties he no longer wanted. This was the early 90’s so I acquired some of his ties from the 80’s.

Since I was a kindergarten teacher, I began to get ties from my students as presents. Some were serious, but most were funny or holiday themed. And I wore them all.

This is the tie I wore today. Plain blue
it goes with almost anything. I like it
but I think the logo is presumptuous.

In the 90’s I rediscovered my love for football, and you guessed it, I started receiving football themed ties.

When I became a computer resource specialist, the technology themed ties became birthday and Christmas gifts. Then I had children of my own, and with them, ties with my kid’s pictures as the tie pattern.

At some point I forgot all about my manly attire and went to the opposite extreme and tried to never wear a tie. Perhaps it was an extended bout of rebelliousness, or even laziness. Maybe the extra few minutes it took to prepare for the day was taken up with my children’s needs in the morning grind. It could have been the perfect storm of all these things combined.

But somewhere deep inside, I missed them. The cartoon characters, the bazaar patterns that never go with anything, styles that were cool, and even the styles that were never cool. Ties are an expression of fun, just like themed boxers, except everyone gets to see them!

I used to joke that I could wear a different tie every day of school. I do have a lot of ties. I have so many that they are in different spots all over the closet. I can’t see them all at once.

Last week I began wearing ties again and I remembered my old boast. Today I decided I will do it. My math is very rough but I think I can. Today I counted over 100 ties and then got bored with the task. I had about 30 more to count. There are 183 days of school, but Fridays I don’t have to wear one. So that leaves about 145 days of ties…

Somehow, I am sure I will make it. Let the parade of ties begin!

The Tazmanian Devil Technology tie is an instant classic. The black background with the the spattering of brown makes the tie go woith just about any color combination. I wore this one yesterday. Everybody loves Taz!

Monday I pulled out the mouse and @ symbol tech tie. The pattern is nice and it does attract a bit of attention.

At some point last week I wore this tie. Not exciting. A conservitive choice for sure.

I don't remember which day I wore this tie. Another boring tie. I like it, but boring.

This is one of my all time favorite ties. It is a Jerry Garcia tie from the 90's. Bold and colorful it reminds me of the two times I got to see the Grateful Dead in concert. The funny thing is I think I gave this one to my Dad for Christmas one year and he promptly gave it back to me in one of his tie purgings that followed in early February.