August 7 Saratoga Points Picks go here . . .

[cal828]

I still have my mustache and probably always will as I wouldn't recognize the stranger in the mirror, if I did away with it, but just saying a full beard has become an uncomfortable thing to me. Don't know how I was ever able to tolerate one when I was younger, but lots of things change as we age. As for the FBI look, I was never in to that. The place I worked, had a dress code, but I always ignored it and usually wore jeans and T shirts to work. Eventually, the powers that be came over to my way of thinking and did away with the dress code.

[JolyB]

It's always intriguing how our conversations meander to all sorts of interesting topics. I tried growing a mustache once as an act of independence. While I was serving in the Army [1970 or so], I had a temporary duty assignment that attached me to a German missile unit that was stationed on the island of Crete as part of a NATO exercise. While we had military duties to perform, we didn't have the same military discipline that I had been used to and I took that 6 week assignment as an opportunity to grow a mustache. It was in many ways more of a bother than it was worth, but it did make me look older [I had a baby face and was asked for proof of age in bars until I was in my 30's. Now I'd generously tip anyone who asked]. Kept it for a few years thereafter but I guess I just got tired of trying to keep it trimmed evenly.

I'm just as glad that Ruff and I have never met in person. Her "YUCK" description pretty much summed me up every working day of my professional career, when dress down day meant leaving the vest on my 3 piece suit at home. The things you need to do to make a living and support a family. I've tried to compensate for that since retirement by wearing shorts and a polo or t shirt in summer and a sweater and jeans in the winter.

[cal828]

I'm just as glad that Ruff and I have never met in person. Her "YUCK" description pretty much summed me up every working day of my professional career, when dress down day meant leaving the vest on my 3 piece suit at home. The things you need to do to make a living and support a family. I've tried to compensate for that since retirement by wearing shorts and a polo or t shirt in summer and a sweater and jeans in the winter.[/quote]

Sorry, no intention on my part to disparage anyone for their dressing habits. We all have to make compromises for the working world. I was lucky that my employers didn't insist that I dress better which might have been because of the lucky circumstance of rarely having to be in the same city as my boss which was an "out of sight, out of mind" situation, but also it might not have made much sense to dress up in that I was a social worker and dealt with a lot of people of very modest means which meant visits to their homes. It seemed better to dress down a little bit. I didn't want it to seem like I was there to take an order for 10,000 shares of Microsoft, if that makes any sense. Also, I often didn't know what I would encounter when visiting with people. I can vividly remember once visiting a family that literally lived in what I would call a hut in the middle of a cow pasture. I had to climb over a barbed wire fence to visit with them and the entry to their home was not meant to allow entrance while standing. I literally had to crawl on my hands and knees to get in. They had only a single room with a dirt floor and a pot bellied wood stove.

[JolyB]

Cal, no offense was taken and I did not sense any intent to disparage in your posts. All is good.

I imagine that you could tell some great tales of encounters during your field work. Any of your clients ever discourage your visit with shotguns and the like?

[cal828]

Originally Posted by JolyB

Cal, no offense was taken and I did not sense any intent to disparage in your posts. All is good.

I imagine that you could tell some great tales of encounters during your field work. Any of your clients ever discourage your visit with shotguns and the like?

No I can't say that ever happened at work, but I have been in a couple of situations outside of work where gun play was threatened. Sort of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I still have all my fingers and toes so luck was with me. My brother told me once that he had a job as a census taker and he was threatened with violence while trying to do the census up in the hills of northern Arkansas. Most of the people I dealt with were nice and realized I was just trying to help them, but occasionally I would encounter someone that was just mad at the world so I did have to weather a little verbal abuse here and there. All in all, I was pretty lucky. My job wasn't exactly 9 to 5 which was good. I doubt I would have made nearly 40 years, if I had been in a conventional situation with a supervisor on site and watching my every move.

[DonGuido]

I really find the last 4 or 5 posts very telling, not sure how but . . .???

We're all friends here of different sorts,
Tied together with a love of
One of the greatest sports.

Ruffian, as a poet herself, will like that.