It’s New Shirt Time!
Posted on April 16, 2018 Posted by John Scalzi 30 Comments
So, remember when it was Back to School time, and you’d go shopping for new clothes for the year? Yes, well, I still do that, except Back to School is now Going on Book Tour. The new book tour starts tomorrow, so I went out and got all these shirts.
The rule of the shirts is simple: They have to be easy to pack (because they’re all going into the same roller bag), they have to look reasonably nice, for a very casual definition of “nice,” and they have to fit. The last one has been a bit of a problem recently as I have put on a bit of weight in the last year, boooooo. Working to bring that down is a goal I’m currently working on, with a small bit of success so far, which is nice. But that doesn’t change the fact that at the moment, some of my older shirts do not exactly offer me a flattering silhouette.
So: New shirts! Hooray! For certain values of “hooray” that correspond to “You let yourself go a smidge, middle-aged dude!”
The only possible fly in this “short sleeves in festive designs” ointment is that most of the stops on the tour are in places that still have snow on the ground, because this April has been goofy, weatherwise — I mean, it was nearly 80 degrees outside two days ago and right now I’m looking out the window at a snow flurry. Ann Arbor looks to have snow when I’m there, Iowa City will be in the low 40s, and then I’m going to Minnesota. When I’m in LA, it should be sunny and in the 70s. Thank you, California. The rest of the time, well. I’m traveling with a jacket, too.
In any event, I enjoy new clothes shopping in conjunction with a tour. It’s part of what makes a book release day feel “really real.” The other parts being, of course, the book coming out, and actually going out on tour to see all y’all. Not long now. Tomorrow, in fact.
They’re all nice, but my favorite is probably the blue Hawaiian shirt on the far right. Second favorite is probably the all-blue plaid, near the middle. Enjoy your book tour! :-)
I’m counting 9 shirts. Let’s compare. Most women I know ( including me) would have visited at least 12 stores and walked 2 miles to compile that many purchases. How many did it take you?
I notice you didn’t include any commentary about Minneapolis weather. This is probably wise as who knows what it will be doing by then. Odds are that it will either be snowing or starting to melt again after the 13th last snow of winter.
Is your LA stop not part of the book tour?
Seems the older I get, the worse I am at laundry. Shirts keep shrinking more every year. Good luck on the tour.
A beige cardigan with a pipe should complete the picture!
Someone is in desperate need of a style makeover… :)
Of course, I haven’t bought a new shirt for *myself* in twelve years, so what do I know…
Here in Pogonippia, in the midwest, it’s 34 and sleeting and very windy.
You’re going to wear the blue and yellow plaid tomorrow in Ann Arbor, right? :) I’m looking forward to it.
Warm in LA sure, but meanwhile in the part of California where I live it was snowing today. Not that I’m complaining. I love it!
Not so fast about California. It was in…the low 40s in Oakland this morning, plus we had a twenty minute hailstorm.
Can’t wait to read Head On, and good luck on the book tour. May all your hotel beds be comfortable, may all your fans waiting in line be pleasant and polite, and may you never lose your stash of cough drops.
Also, I hate shopping. Happy you enjoyed yourself, though.
Can we expect a fresh set of Views From My Hotel Window?
I’m sure you’ll be glad to know that after our 15-18 inches of snow over the weekend here in the Twin Cities, we’re only expected to get 1-3 inches of snow on Wednesday. I’m sure some of it will melt by the time of your signing on Thursday.
We all have our own sense of style.
Depends on where you are in CA, and frankly depends on the day. We had hail in NorCal but the rest of the week is supposed to be sunny and 70’sish. Really varies. Thanks, global warming!
You should try knits. They expand around the gut, and still fit when the gut (hopefully) shrinks.
I’m heading to Melbourne Supanova to sell my books this Friday, so today I bought shirts. How synchronious. Except I’ll almost certainly be wearing more corsets than you.
I’d like to put in a good word for merino wool t-shirts, which (a) pack small, (b) will add fifteen degrees of comfort to a short-sleeve button down, and (c) don’t smell bad even if you wear one for five days. Excellent pieces for travel.
YAY HEAD ON JUST DOWNLOADED, KTHXBYE!
You make me happy. Hope to catch you in Ann Arbor.
If you want to start “Scalzi Justice Warriors” just to f with the people who demonize SJW, I’m in.
And to add, I am really grateful for The Big Idea. It has brought me to authors I would have missed, and who have made my life better.
You have a penchant for pineapples?
Losing weight… When I got out of the Army in 1988 I weighed 165. There’s a picture of me on a surfboard, in a skintight wetsuit, when I hit 250. It was inspirational, and 10 years later I’m down to 190. I cut out most junk food and ride my bicycle 100 to 120 miles per week, weather permitting.
Ah, yes, much of the continental US has been enjoying, what I like to call, an “Alabama Spring” and Alabama has had a particularly interesting one (minus MAJOR tornado outbreaks).
I like the aloha style. Safe travels!
That’s a fine set of shirts you have there.
I like your style.
I’m an IZOD fan too and have those same shirts. Awesome.
So… Reyn Spooner, Cooke Street, or Hilo Hattie?
Losing weight while travelling? Good luck with that!
(and congrats on the book!)