Lopaka Lounge

Last month I received an email from Esquire.com regarding this photo on my Flickr account.  They were interested in featuring it in an upcoming tongue-in-cheek article on their site titled “What Not to Wear to Work”.

What Not to Wear to Work???

I was mildly offended since I’m wearing a navy blue Emanuel Ungaro suit with a respectable red silk tie.   OK, So my hair was a little messy but really…

The photo was taken at my nephew’s graduation from West Point in 2006.  (George W. Bush delivered the commencement speech!  That was interesting.)

Since I am somewhat of an attention whore, I gave them permission.   I figured that perhaps this would be the “after” photo.  The example of what to wear to work.

After checking the Esquire.com site over and over for days, the article finally posted.  Sadly, I did not make the cut.  Perhaps they came to their senses.  I think I have a pretty good idea of what to wear to work.

Here is the article.

I’ve been rather static over the past few months, as if I’ve been locked in a state of suspended animation.  I feel like I’m just…hanging around.  The experience has been similar to being frozen in a block of ice waiting for summer to come thaw me out (hence the lack of blogging).

Over the past two days, it got up into the high 70′s.  Ray and I went running both evenings after work.  Been hitting the weight training with full force again as well.  It feels good to move!

I think I’m finally thawing out.   My whole mood changes when the days get longer and the temperature rises.  It’s as if my cumbersome emotional overcoat comes off and I can move about freely.  I have been taking a vitamin D supplement as well.  It seems to be helping.

After my father died in December, I took on the responsibility of a leading role in a play with our local theater company. I figured, I needed something to distract me from the grieving process we all go through when we lose a loved one.  The play is entitled, “Here Today” and is written/directed by a lovely woman named Pearl Watkins. Our local paper wrote a favorable article on it.

I play Alan, a man with a highly active libido and an inabilty to decide if he likes women, men or both.  It’s a big role and requires that I speak with a British accent.  The first performances went well last weekend but I have to admit, I’m ready for this to end.  It’s been taking up a lot of my free time.  THe last performance is Sunday afternoon.  In two weeks, my family is going to have my dad interred.  There is something symbolic about the play ending and my father finally being put to rest.  He was cremated so there’s no real rush.  I’m just ready for this chapter to end.

Ray’s 93 year old mother has been failing.  She’s in end-of-life hospice care at home now.  He’s been going out to see her a lot.  He’s going out again next weekend.

Here we go again…