Wardrobe Review

So.... I decided to take a new look at my clothes today. I'm trying to clean out and pare down my wardrobe. I've finally gotten all of my clothes out of the moving boxes. In the last few weeks, I've tried to separate my apparel into categories (probably similar to ones you may have):

1) clothes I currently wear
2) clothes I currently wear (but are out of season)
3) clothes I would wear if I could fit into them
4) clothes I will never wear again (whether they fit or not)
5) clothes I keep for sentimentality - but would totally wear if they came back into style (not very many in this category).

All of this to say that very few of the clothes that I own do I "currently wear." Most of the clothes I have fit into category #3 - it all boils down to fitting into them - you know what they say, "Fit Happens."

Well, to move more of my wardrobe from #3 to #1, would involve, uggh, losing weight. So, yes, it is still the beginning of the new year and its time for everyone to resolve to be healthier - blah, blah, blah. I actually was planning on losing weight - I actually convinced folks at work to start a "Biggest Loser" contest. Each week, we weigh, and I calculate everyone's percent body weight loss for the week and for the duration. We are half way finished, and I'm in last place! Come on, I'm the only man in there, aren't men supposed to lose weight more quickly/ more easily than women? I'm sure it would be easier if my diet didn't depend so heavily on Funyuns and Raspberry Zingers, or if I were more excited about my Treadmill (which I finally got set up after the move) than my new TV (that's a whole other post).

So, as impetus for living more healthily (and winning the $90 - we all put in ten bucks to join), I went through my clothes that don't fit, and I picked out 12 garments which I hope to slowly but surely fit into once again. I've photographed them and placed a few of them in the front of my closet. My plan is to post a pic of me in each of the twelve garments as I am able to wear them.

This is the first garment - a Lands End casual shirt (it's actually made from bamboo). Truthfully, it almost fits - just a little snug. However, when I can wear it without it feeling tight, I'll know that some progress has been made.



So, let's see how this goes - maybe, eventually, you'll get to see me wear those green corduroy pants with St. Bernards embroidered all over them. I'm serious.

Mardi Gras Mambo

So.... I went to Natchitoches (pronounced Nak-a-tush), Louisiana, this past weekend to visit my folks and to have some Mardi Gras Fun. Their town has a nice little Mardi Gras parade sponsored by The Krewe of Dionysus (a group of hoity-toity's and old money) on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday (0n Sunday my nephew, Tyler, asked, "what's all this Krewe of Dinosaur stuff?).

Everybody lines up along the streets and watches as the parade floats travel through town (I guess that is more of a definition of parades in general, than a description of this particular parade). Anyway, fun was had by all.



My niece Hannah and nephew Tyler were staying with my parents this weekend, so I got to hang out with Tyler at the parade (Hannah was out of town at a softball game).



My Dad backed his pickup onto the street, so we would have a base of operation (just in case we caught so many beads we couldn't carry them all). My mom and dad love parades.



This is my sister Kaitlin and her boyfriend Matt. They really weren't at the parade; I just took a picture of them in front of the laundromat. No, really, they stayed on the truck to catch all the beads that went over our heads.



This is a picture of us at the parade. My mom's coworker Kim and her daughter Abby celebrated Mardi Gras with us. Their boss is a lawyer there in town (and comes from old money) and was on one of the floats. When he saw us, he just started pelting us with beads and throws. It was a little bit dangerous - the people next to us had to pick their kids up and move them away because he was throwing so many beads our way.

Hope you all had a great Mardi Gras - thanks for all the emails and texts wishing me the same.