3 Quick Pet Pleases

#67: That moment at a wedding or formal event when you can finally loosen your tie (or, for the ladies, when you can take off your heels).

#68: When you realize that the worrisome smell that you thought was coming from your car is actually coming from the car in front of you.

#69: Needing to speak a foreign language you haven’t used in 10 years (in this case, Japanese for my Japanese friend and her family who came all the way from Tokyo for my sister’s wedding) and discovering that the words magically appear in your brain.

9 thoughts on “3 Quick Pet Pleases”

  1. That is one cute toddler! I’d love to see her scream at goals and get excited about ice cream.

    Also, has your Japanese friend stayed in touch with Emily for the last 10 years, or did she mostly come in town to see you?

    Finally, is it a major faux paus if the moment you loosen a tie at a wedding is simultaneous with the moment you put the tie on?

    Reply
    • She is really cute. I hope you and Laura have a Japanese baby this fall.

      Tomomi has stayed in touch with Emily, Mom, and me (different people at different times). She considers Mom her “American Mom,” and her child even calls Mom “baba” (“Grandma”).

      I say no faux paus. 99% of the time when I wear a tie, I never tie it all the way.

      Reply
  2. #67: I never loosen my tie or take my jacket off, if wearing a suit. If I wanted to be casual, I wouldn’t have worn a suit.

    #68: Totally.

    #69: Show-off. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
  3. 67: Really? You’re missing out! I rarely do it when wearing a suitcoat (I hardly ever wear one), but when I’m just wearing a shirt, I always loosen the tie as soon as I put it on. I like the look of it.

    69: True. But it also applies to anyone who ever learned a foreign language or an instrument. Our brains are pretty incredible.

    Reply
    • #67: I think you’re missing out, on looking good. BOOM! ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Maybe this is an age thing. I just think it looks sloppy. Why go through the trouble of getting all dolled up and then loosen your tie as if you’re a Willy Loman coming home from a long day? Would you not tuck your shirt in with a suit? Seems analogous to me.

      I have been known to wear a suit with no tie in business casual situations, which to my eye is preferable to the sloppy-tie look.

      Reply
  4. A bit. More so than if you tucked in your shirt and kept your sleeves down. And so does your friend. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Jamey, you know my mother, I have a very Victorian approach to all this. Things should be just so. And it’s not just about how you want to be/look, it’s about the atmosphere and grandeur of the event.

    Take it to the extreme. Imagine a party where everyone was dressed to the nines and kept it that way for the entire night. Cast your eye across this magnificent ballroom with all these elegant people elegantly dressed. Women in beautiful dresses (but hopefully not strapless ones because, it’s time you were told ladies, you look odd in them) with their just so and men in pressed suits – maybe even tuxes – with glimmering cufflinks peeking out from their suit jackets. Ahh, such a magical event to behold! A night to remember.

    Then, take the other way. Same people, same room, but all the women have taken their shoes off and replaced them with flip-flops (talk about a pet peave) – maybe let a hairpin or two loose – and all the mean have loosened their ties and taken their jackets off.

    It’s just not the same feel. Your elegant (and likely expensive) event is just like any other office happy hour or unfortunate “semi-formal” frat party. A night to remember, indeed, for all the wrong reasons.

    Respect yourself. Respect your hosts. Become part of the event, don’t just go to the party. Keep the jacket on and the tie tied. Ladies, keep the flip-flops for the beach and where a dress with straps. You’ll thank me when the photos are on Facebook.

    Reply
    • Well said. I hear that. I can see how it changes the atmosphere. In the end, I think I just want people to feel comfortable in their own skin and clothes. Part of that is buying clothing that fits you.

      Takeshi does look a little more disheveled than I do–the hair isn’t helping him. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

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