About the Classic Look for Men....

Mr. Milfs' Timeless Look (part 1 of 2)

Today I will tackle the classic look that never goes out of style. There are some clothing items that withstand the test of time and fashion. Regardless if you are taking your lovely lady for a night out in the city, heading out in the jeep to explore the mountains, or just head out to grab some coffee on a sunday morning…This look is time tested and transcends past, present, and future decades - It saddens me to see guys fall victim to the ever so changing fashion trends. It's ridiculous, and the truth of the matter is that - all tho' it might seem like a good idea at the time, to impress the women, it is and always will be a total "Fail" situation. These are my top items that comprise my classic look…ultimately you will have to find your own.

Lets start at the feet and climb our way to the top….

Socks - To me this is a no brainer. There is something magical about putting on a brand new pair of wool socks. Its like laying your head on a Goose Down pillow after a week long backpacking trip tossing and turning on a stuff sack of bulky clothing…Or like the first time you got high off pain killers. Here are some of my favorites.
SmartWool Merino Heavy Mountaineering socks - $19.99 ea.

Thorlo Medium Hiker - $12.99

Thorlo Running Crew - $7.99

Shoes - I initially thought this was going to be a tough one, but then i decided to just inventory my closet and pick out the shoes that I have been wearing since I have been a little kiddo. As I got to my closet I realized that I don't have near the inventory of shoes that I used to. I counted ONLY 8 pairs of shoes/ boots. Wow! Thats it?!? Out of this selection of 8 there are only 2 pair that I have worn since adolescence, and one pair that I have been meaning to replace for the last 5 years.

Adidas Samba $59.00 - Classic White with black stripes and suede rand & Classic Black with white stripes and suede rand


LaSprotiva Makalu - Classic Mountaineering Boot $259.00

Classic Timberland Chukka $159.00 - This boot is currently not in my closet, and is not a shoe/boot that I have worn from early age on, but I remember getting my first pair sometime in the late 80's. It has to be my all time favorite due to its classic look, great construction, and cloud like heal to toe instep. (definitely on my 2010 X-mas List)


Moving on……Grrrrr……Pants! All I can say is that I prefer the classic loose leg fit of any type of pant. I wear my pants on my hips, but like them form fit around my ass. I like them loose but not baggy in the legs. To each his own - but there is something wrong with guys wearing extremely tight Or baggy pants. This is obviously subject to your build!!! It goes with out saying that your pants should never get close to your belly button Or drop below your hip bones….A word of advise to all you wanna be gangsta's - wearing your pants on or below your Ass is just as bad as having them pulled up above your belly button. Douche!
Length?…This is easy! 1/4 of an inch off the ground from the heal of your shoes! ;)

Belts…probably the most under rated accessory of your look, but the color and buckle should not clash with your shoes/ boots. It should be a well worn in piece of leather that compliments your pedal attire and other accessories. Don't wear a black belt with a shiny gold buckle if you are wearing a pair of rugged suede Makalus and and a white gold/ platinum wedding band!!! 'Nuf said on this one- eh?!


Ok, this is a 2 segment piece and next week I will tackle the meat and bones of the Classic look and put together the final LOOK! Until then I wish my fellow Male Milfians' good fortune and blissful bottoms up on your testosterone filled HumpDay adventures. GutHolz Pussies!

p.s. If you totally found this segment of the blog lame and boring, I will treat you with something Classic and Timeless that will reward you for chewing through this piece! You could relate it to watching the worst C Movie only to see some T&A….here you go…..something that withstands the test of time and will always be in fashion. Photo curtesy of one of the best (if not the best) Kansas City Photographers - Paul Andrews

Technical Tuesday: Washing Machine

Technical Tuesday….

When talking about love/hate relationships, this appliance places in my all time top three. Lets talk washing machines!

…Over the last 10 years a lot has changed in the washing Machine Industry. The once ever so popular top loading, laundry swallowing, and water consuming BEAST has been replaced by a sleek front loading, moderate loadable, efficient water using Pussycat. I bought my first washer for $75.00. It was a used Whirlpool High Capacity washer with limited features…I think the options were water temperature/ cycle and capacity of the load. Thats it folks! What more did you need? Once a week I would feed that monster a 5 course meal, stuffing its drum to the point the lid would not close, and I never had any problems with it. I loved it - it took care of me and I took care of it. In the 5 years I owned it, I had to replace a piece for the agitator once, and other than that the only issue was the occasional un-balanced load - which to its defense, was my wife's fault for not filling it with enough laundry!

One sad saturday morning, after having withstood several cross country moves and the customary loving abuse, its fate was sealed when it would not turn on. It was probably a cheap fix, but Trisha had already been eyeballing washers at Lowe's and HomoDe-Pot for the past 6 months. This was a no win situation, so I did not even step up to bat!

…Enter into our family the new sleek, upright, front loading, space machine looking, spin cycle sounding like a jet engine, too many features, no water using, dry cleaning, ironing, and the MOST FOUL SMELLING WASHER in the universe. WTF?!? Yes my friends you heard it here and if you have a front loader, then you already knew it!

If not used and maintained correctly they will make your laundry smell sour and stink up your laundry room. The good news is that after you finally figure out what the hell is going on, you can fix it. First lets understand what happens. Since the entire drum is never filled with water, and the clothes slosh around in about 3 cups of water in the bottom of the drum, dirt and grime accumulate at the top of the washer (in-between the drum and the outer tub) when the laundry goes into spin cycle. If not maintained/ cleaned properly your washer will smell like Arse. Ok, so here are some fixes and helpful hints

1. Once a week run about two cycles with a couple heavy towels on sanitary with a bunch of bleach. This will break up the build up or possible mold forming. Wow, real efficient eh - having to run extra cycles using water and energy! Note: this problem takes about 6 months to develop. It's not something you are going to see as soon as you use it.

2. Leave the washer door open! This will reduce the chance of mold forming in-between the drum and outer tub

3. Transfer laundry immediately to dryer - due to the washing chamber being air tight, anything left in there longer than 24 hours will start smelling sour. The old washers were not sealed and had some minimal airflow which allowed for a longer sit time before rewashing was required.

4. Limit your use of Fabric softeners! All fabric softeners are made up of water and fats, and these will increase the accumulation of unwanted deposits in your washer.

So there it is. I told you it was a love hate relationship. I used to love my washing machine, and now I hate it! If you have any questions regarding fixing some of your washing machine problems just post questions in the comments sections. Until next week Milfians! I wish you technical harmony and the clean smell of the old top-loaders!

...the fiber construct

Mondays will now deal with the fundamental THOUGHTS and IDEAS of raising children...

…the fiber construct

Last month I found myself questioning, re-evaluating, and re-inventing my ideas on LIFE. Maybe not so much re-inventing…more like revising them. In doing so I realized how important every little experience in life is. Every single one, regardless of how significant or unimportant it might seem at the time. All are interweaved - every fiber equally important, every fiber part of a whole, every experience being cradled in the construct of all others. Exposing your children to controlled positive experiences is essential to how colorful and vibrant the fabric of their character will become. Help your little ones find the beauty in something ugly, the strength in being weak,the mystery in the ordinary, and the hope in despair. Wow! …so how do we do that?!
Well, it is the everyday little things you do with your kids that start shaping them into physically and emotionally healthy beings. I will give you some examples of what i think is important.

1. Get outside and take a walk with your kids everyday! Especially if they are young - It does not matter how far they can walk initially, they will be able to walk a little further everyday. There is so much mystery outside - so much to explain to them. Make it fun and educational by teaching them about everything they encounter OR the little things that they walk by with out noticing. Have them read the letters on the mailboxes, look left and right before crossing the street, have them point out certain shapes and colors, get to know the neighborhood and neighbors, collect rocks, acorns, buckeyes, and other fun things to take home and make something with. There is always an adventure to find outside!

On a side note, look at some of the health benefits too. Being outside and walking burns calories, and is a good routine for your children to develop and continue the rest of their life. Being outside also helps your little ones create vitamin D, which is important for a strong bone development.

2. Setting them up for failure and teaching them to rise above it. This sounds kind of cruel - hahaha, but it really is not! It is important for kids to know how to deal with failure or an unpleasant experience, and rise above it. It is also important for them to know that "We" are here for them, and that they can trust our advice and support. Creating these situations from a very early age on and teaching them how to get through them, builds their confidence and helps them look at experiences differently. Here is an example:

Scenario 1
Kid A tries to do a summersault and fails…the other kids around kid A laugh at her. How does kid A deal with it? Probably some hurt feelings and no more attempts at a summersault (at least in front of other kids). Kid A might not want to be around those other kids anymore, because they made her feel embarrassed. Kid A might not confide in her parents either. So, this is a negative experience that will be weaved in with all the others.

Scenario 2
Kid J tries to do a summersault and fails…the other kids around kid J laugh at her. How does kid J deal with it? Kid J keeps trying regardless of the other kids laughing. Kid J will keep trying and tho she might not be able to do it, she still plays with the other kids. Kid J knows that there are things that she won't be able to do first try, and she also knows that not everyone is always going to play nice. Her feelings were hurt also, but she walks away knowing she kept trying and did not let anyone discourage her. She also comes home and tells her dad what happened and creates the opportunity for her family to emotionally support her and also practice summersaults together. This experience altho starting off negative, has turned into a great one, bringing the family together and building trust in one another.

I guess the hard part to raising our kids is coming up with some type of fundamental IDEA of what we are made up of as human beings. Once we figure that out, we can start thinking about what it takes to create one strong vibrant fiber, on at a time. Of course that is just the beginning, because we somehow have to figure out how to weave it all together and make sure it does not unravel at the edges over time. The best way to do that is to weave our fibers around the edges… I'm still trying to figure it all out - but it all seems to be working for now. Time will tell…

until next week! Happy adventures on your walks!