The Empirical Manifesto

As soon as I got the invite for Thanksgiving Dinner with Bill, I started thinking about attire. Last Christmas Dinner with Bill, I wore a festive tie. Then there was Valentine's Dinner with Bill and I wore a pink one. I never wear a tie these days (honestly, I never even wear pants) unless its a Dinner with Bill type situation. Those shindigs are pretty fancy.

But then there was the problem. I didn't have any Thanksgiving-themed neckwear. Having only a Dillard's card instead of cash, I drove to the mall where I found not a single fall-colored tie. Believe it or not Sears had some fabulous silk Christmas ties and Halloween ties, but nothing even close to what I was looking for. I even ventured into Von Maur and fingered their entire selection.

In my head I'd imagined a leaf-patterned tie with golds and reds and oranges - all the Massachusetts foliage colors with perhaps silver metallic outlines highlighting the veins of the leaves. I know that sounds awfully specific, but surely that would be in any designer's fall fashion, right? As it turns out, no. So I drove back home empty-handed.

As I was bemoaning my luck to michelle1963, who was simultaneously driving back from a Northwest Kansas sales call, we happened to arrive in downtown Newton at exactly the same time where she assured me I would find exactly what I was looking for in the local fabric store, and she would make me my goddamned tie.

Those two things actually happened. In that order.

AND IT WAS AWESOME!