Sunday 08 September 2002
Pocket stuff: it’s a guy thing
Dorothea Salo took her husband shopping:
The list was very simple: shoes, socks, and a denim jacket. He insists on wearing his good suit coats all over the place, you see, and the flimsy excuse he gives is “pocket stuff.” He won’t wear the denim jacket he has because of an ink stain. I’ve given up arguing with him about it; not even “you look like a dork in front of your students in a suit coat!” has thus far sufficed to move him. Time for a new denim jacket.
Sorry, Dorothea, I’m with David. “Pocket stuff” is a rock-solid, entirely legitimate excuse. I bought an R.M. Williams denim jacket a couple of years ago—in the style of this traditional Levi’s Denim Trucker Jacket but far more durable. It has two buttoned chest pockets, two exterior side pockets, and two roomy internal pockets. I can carry eyeglasses, digital camera, spare batteries and memory sticks, a paperback book, a couple of MO disks, gloves, pens, erasers, & notebook—and still have room for a cut lunch.
In fact, it’s a rucksack masquerading as a jacket. Or, six pockets stitched together in the shape of a jacket. I liked it so much that I went back to the store a week later and bought another, for when the first one wears out (just as well because that style has been discontinued).
I would have thought you could pick up the Levi’s jacket or one like it fairly easily, though perhaps I’m misinterpreting the word “jacket.” Is David after a sports coat made out of denim? If that’s the case, good luck. I looked all over Los Angeles and San Francisco for something like that a few years ago without success. Some fossicking with Google, however, did turn up this Pointer Brand Blue Denim Barn Coat. It’s even “Blanket Lined.”
Failing either of those options, you might want to consider Big Kev’s Goo Remover:
Goo Remover removes stickers, labels, grease, gum, tar, crayon, tape and also any sticky residue.
Completely biodegradable, citrus based and non-corrosive. It is specifically designed to remove oil and solvent based stains such as paint, oil, grease and nail polish. It also effectively dissolves any sticky mess such as glue, sticky tape, price stickers, adhesive residue, chewing gum, resins, wax, tar, make-up, crayon marks, stickers and even graffiti from walls. Goo remover is also capable of removing permanent inks (biro, marker) from fabrics and carpets.
Big Kev is an Australian icon who has taken the cleaning products business by storm—partly because of the quality of his merchandise but mainly because he appears in his own TV commercials wearing one of a large collection of spectacularly vulgar satin shirts and signing off with the slogan: I’m Excited! Thanks to Big Kev, Australia leads the world in stain removal technology.
As it says in the product description, “Goo Remover is also capable of removing permanent inks (biro, marker) from fabrics and carpets.” Even if Big Kev’s Goo Remover makes a meal of David’s jacket, what do you have to lose, given that he no longer wears it? Say the word, Dorothea, and I’ll shoot you over a bottle.
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Hm. Do you know what the active ingredient is? I could look for something similar over here.
You men. Just can't carry a bag, or something. :) No, not after a denim sport jacket -- looking for a genuine denim jacket. I'm amazed and appalled that nothing presented itself.
Dorothea, I think you might have missed the sentence that includes "Australia leads the world in stain removal technology." I doubt that you'll be able to find something similar in the US of A. But, when I go to the movies this afternoon or tomorrow, I'll check at the big supermarket (my local supermarket doesn't carry Big Kev's line).
I had a tendency when doing presentations to the CEO and executive board, back when I was in Sydney with Solution 6, to get extremely evangelical about the project I was running, and more than once quoted Big Kev : "I'm excited!"
It went over so well that I started using the line in client presentations as well. They thought it particularly amusing that a Canadian was imitating Kev, and usually made it a point to praise me to my boss, thus resulting in a doubling of my starting salary in 12 months.
How the mighty have fallen, at least in tax bracket. Heh.
I heard that Big Kev is being replaced as his own spokemodel with an animated Kev, as there are legitimate concerns that he's going to keel over from a myocardial infarction or something of the kind, and they want to be prepared...
I'd be willing to bet that the USA's "Goo Gone" is an equivalent product. It's been around for ages.
I also wanted to mention that the term "pocket stuff" is the same term my boyfriend uses. He keeps his stuff scattered about in his pants pockets -- loose change, bills, identification cards, credit cards, debit cards, library cards, keys, his cell phone.. the list goes on. When he comes into the house, he removes all his pocket stuff to guard against it falling from his pocket when he sits down and having it slip between the cushions... I even set up a "pocket stuff basket" for him to conveniently empty his pockets into, but now the basket is too full of the stuff he didn't deem worthy to put back into his pockets!
I thought Goo Gone was only for gluey type things. Does it really work on ink?
Not like I need the answer; I'll probably just give it a try and let you know. :)
Greater love than this no woman hath, Sarah, than to set up a "pocket stuff basket" for her boyfriend. I have a document tray filled with pocket stuff that has passed its use-by date.
Good luck with the Goo Gone, Dorothea. I look forward to hearing how it performed.
Continuing the 'goo' theme, does anyone know if ShoeGoo is still being manufactured? When skateboarding was my thing, there was nothing I couldn't repair with a bit of ShoeGoo and Duct Tape (and baling wire, for you Antipodean types). I don't know if ShoeGoo disappeared, or if I just started (gasp) replacing my shoes once they were more goo and tape than shoe.
Wait, here it is!
http://www.eclecticproducts.com/shoegoo/index.asp
They haven't even changed the packaging! No more new shoes for me!
Steve, I'm not sure we have "baling wire" down here in the Antipodes. Oh, unless it's the wire that you use to tie bales of hay... What do you call it in the USA?
Uh, baling wire, I think. But I'm not a farm girl, so I might not have the real scoop.
Thanks for the offer, Jonathon, by the way. I appreciate it.
Bales of hay are tied with a heavy coarse twine, not wire, because feeding wire to your livestock is a bad idea.
Fencing wire though, that's another thing.
Hm. I could have sworn I used to see huge rolls of hay (not bales, rolls -- unless it's okay to call rolls bales) that were wired. But I could be wrong.
As a child spending holidays on a sheep and cattle station out west, during dry periods when there wasn't much natural feed, I remember snipping the wire from the bales of hay and pushing them off the back of a flat-top truck. The bales were rectangular in shape (and we made sure to roll up and keep the baling wire).
As soon as I got a Palm & keyboard, I also got a handbag. And I've felt liberated and organised ever since. Somewhere to put loose change, mobile phone, notebook, pen, wallet, receipts, stamps, etc etc
And the best bit? My pockets aren't weighed down with junk. I hate having heavy pockets.
that's why I love winter...I can bust out with all the coats with lots of pockets and not have to carry a dorky purse. C has one of those barn coats that has about 15 pockets, and I steal it for months on end, filling pockets with my wallet, keys, handspring, pens, etc., etc.
when I want to carry a notebook (paper, not computer), then it's up to the backpack level. C keeps saying that I should get a briefcase or messenger bag so as to look more professional...any recommendations?
This discussion is now closed. My thanks to everyone who contributed.
© Copyright 2002-2003 Jonathon Delacour
Hm. Do you know what the active ingredient is? I could look for something similar over here.
You men. Just can't carry a bag, or something. :) No, not after a denim sport jacket -- looking for a genuine denim jacket. I'm amazed and appalled that nothing presented itself.
Posted by: Dorothea Salo on 9 September 2002 at 05:39 AM