Who'da thunk it?

(Jenn commissioned me to write something on her family's blog and the following is it. Read it if you would like. Any bow tie mentionings are references of Jenn's brother-in-law. That is all.)

It’s not uncommon for me to board the bus in the morning sans tie. Usually this stems from the fact that I don’t have the time to put it on (I wait until I get to the office), or the fact that I want to be as inconspicuous as possible on my bus ride—I already stick out like a sore thumb simply because I wear a collared shirt and don’t talk to myself.

Whenever I stay late at work, I usually take off my tie. Sometimes it goes home with me in my bag, while other times it goes on a hanger in my office.Well, everything was pretty normal this last Tuesday—I woke up at 4:30., ran an easy 10 miles, did a quick 300 pushups and got ready for work—you know, the normal routine. Anyway, I didn’t think twice before leaving the house without a tie, as I suspected that I would have a plethora at work that I could choose from. What I forgot was that about a week earlier, I took them all home (for some reason, my wife thinks I should wear one to church).

So I get to work and find my tie hanger empty except for one lowly tie lying crumpled underneath it on the floor. As I stoop to pick up tie off the ground, I suddenly come to the realization that this once belonged to my wise and successful father-in-law. I forgot exactly how I came in possession of the grey and maroon-striped masterpiece. It looked like it jumped right out of a Beatles album cover (or the DI bin). I didn’t know what to do—I had to wear a tie at work but I was hesitant to put on the only tie available for a number of reasons, the least of which was the fact that it didn’t match what I was wearing. I also felt I hadn’t “earned” the right to wear it. I mean, this tie had probably witnessed the Kennedy assassination, the first moon-landing, or even the invention of the cotton gin. You can’t just put on an heirloom like that without some deep thought and meditation involved. Alas, dress code was dress code. The day’s business was starting so I reluctantly tied the knot, checked for deacon’s disease, and hoped I wouldn’t draw too much attention to myself.

Well, to make a long story even longer, I didn’t make it to noon without getting two different compliments on the beloved tie. Throw in one more compliment after lunch and it was the most compliments I had ever received on a tie choice ever—three more then the next most.

Well, as they say, the rest is history—I’m coming to terms with the fact that I may seriously need to reassess my current tie rotation. I make it through about six or seven before I start over—I will have to make room for this one.I believe this tie can single-handedly take me places in my career that I had once only dreamed of—I’m sure it “will make my wildest dreams come true.”

Now, I can only imagine my success if it was a bow tie…

Another book recommendation...

It may not seem as interesting as the other suggestions, but I have a book recommendation. Jenn and I were in the Library renewing one of her books and getting another one--I swear it seems like she is in 7 different book clubs. Anyway, I was bored and went to the non-fiction section and randomly pulled a seemingly interesting book called Fermat's Enigma.

I didn't really know what it was but the book referred to it as one of the greatest math problems that had gone unsolved for over 300 years. Anyway, it chronicles the quest for providing a proof for Fermat's Last Theorem along with a relatively elementary history of mathematics and number theory in general. It had been a while since I did anything with math so I found the read quite refreshing. I got it Saturday and finished it during my lunch break today so it is a pretty quick read. I actually found myself rooting for the mathematicians along the way with each discovery.The denouement was slightly lacking for me. I guess this was good though, as it left we wanting to read more.

One thing that was kind of cool was a quick and easy reference to the Pythagaras's Theorem that of course, everyone can quote without thinking. Well, it goes into it's proof, which I never learned (or was never taught) and it's kind of liberating to know the reasons why it works. This theorem directly relates to Fermat's Last Theorem.

Anyway, I recommend it to anyone, except of course to Nick, who probably could have written it.

World Travelers

Well, it's official.....We can go out of the country. Dad and I just received our passports in the mail. We look good.. Actually, I look better than Dad but don't tell him I said so. We are getting excited about our trip to Cancun. And what happens in Cancun stays in Cancun. Chad and Jenn, you are not getting those slides.

Books

I just finished reading a good book. It is a Newberry Medal winner: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. I would recommend it especially if you are looking for a quick read yet heartwarming story. Any suggestions on what to read next?