So I bought a cheap pair of shorts at a local shop, thinking they would get me through at least a few days until I could do some real shoppng.
15 years later... they are still in my closet.
What's remarkable about these shorts is that, though I actually have articles of clothing that are even older, these were still in heavy rotation.
These were the lounge-about Saturday morning scrubs that were just barely passable for a breakfast at the pancake house.
They have been to remote areas of Thailand, and have crossed the Appenines on bicycle. They've been to Alaska and down the Grand Canyon. Over the years, the cotton became softer than any silk, and the fabric had become grooved and stretched like a trusted baseball mitt.
Oh, and they had some quality Japanese-English nonsense written on the tag:
Surf CompanyLong narrow board, usually modern, standing on it you can glide at high speed on the top of the highest waves good luck
So it saddened me this morning, as I was cleaning my closet, to find them crumpled at the bottom of my summer clothes box. This -- I thought -- is no way to treat an old friend. True, I could probably go on wearing them for another 5 years, as the paint and garden stains contine to accumulate, but I want these shorts to go out with some dignity.
And so today, after one more fitting, I have decided to retire them. I have not decided the exact fate, but it will defintely be a cremation of sorts. Probably the Topix parking lot. Eulogies, as well as cash and food donations are welcome.
Speaking of Topix and saying goodbye to another old friend...
Goodbye .NET ! We hardly knew ye.