My March-October Bromance

"All summer long, we sang a song and strolled on golden sand. Two sweethearts, and the summer wind." -Frank Sinatra

The days are getting shorter. The air is getting colder. And once again, my days of wearing cargo shorts are over.



Peanut and I took Luna on a walk the other day. We don't do this together as much as we did during spring and summer. Thanks to Kindergarten, we have a new schedule. There is usually homework. She's either too tired or too busy. (Me too.) When we do finally get around to walking Luna, it's often too dark for Peanut to come.

Even on a chilly autumn afternoon on top of a
mountain, I am wearing cargo shorts

This day, however, the sun appeared to be making one final stand, fighting for survival against a suddenly relentless autumn onslaught. I had changed into cargo shorts and a sweatshirt after work. A mere twenty feet into our expedition towards the park I realized I was terribly underdressed. My sweatshirt shielded me from a brisk breeze but my shorts and sandals were outmatched.

I immediately regretted my decision to keep the shorts alive.

There is a very simple reason I wear cargo shorts well into autumn. It's the same reason I bust them out of the bin in the attic at the first hint of spring in early March. Storage. Cargo shorts are a man's purse. I can easily and will gladly stow two phones, a wallet, keys, an iPod, my eyeglass case, and anything Peanut hands me before and during our walk. Depending on the weight of the load, I may have to wear a belt. But that's both fine and extra fashionable.

Yes, that is a Lammie in my Pocket.
And yes, I am happy to see you.

There's even room for Giada, Peanut's favorite Lammie. Because Peanut will inevitably grow tired of carrying her "baby" 40 seconds into the walk. (Funny how she's already tired of "carrying her baby." Yet she still insists on being carried herself sometimes.)

Cargo shorts are the 21st century man purse. I should know. I used to carry an actual man purse:

June 2004. Florence, Italy.

That thing was pruchased in Florence. I used it as my work bag for several years. It's technically a European carry-all. (Seinfeld reference.) If you look closely, you'll see I am writing in a journal. I'm documenting our trip while standing in line to see the statue of David. I was blogging before blogging was really a thing. This picture is historic. Man purse + early blogging + I'm actually wearing freakin' CARGO SHORTS. (I still have that pair.)

But I digress....

While I am a man-purse trendsetter, I am also a realist. So I bid you a fine adieu, oh sweet cargo shorts. I will have to rely on multi-pocketed jackets to carry my many gadgets and other essentials over the next three or four months. Thanks for another memorable, productive summer. I will make you this promise: any hint of a day in the mid-60's and you're back in the game. Until then, enjoy your winter off. You've earned it.

My man-purse days started early, actually. I wrote about that here.