I had to bring my laptop to work today, for perfectly legitimate work purposes, but now I have a really strong urge to blow off the rest of the afternoon and watch Community eps.

I probably shouldn't though, huh.

Oh, Tom, much support for you all.

ita, I would put a dress-and-matching-jacket in the same category as a suit.

I'd also be very careful of evaluating trends on dress codes and perception with anecdata from just large cities or the coasts.

Also, we're adults, and a lot more comfortable with fuzzy boundaries than kids are. Kids (even middle-schoolers) tend to be a lot more hardline about dress and roles.

I'm sometimes surprised I got out of high school relatively okay, despite the fact that I wore jeans or cords and oxford shirts most of the time. In junior high I got teased, but NSM high school, where I managed to find a niche with the other nerds.

I'm sometimes surprised I got out of high school relatively okay, despite the fact that I wore jeans or cords and oxford shirts most of the time. In junior high I got teased, but NSM high school, where I managed to find a niche with the other nerds.

When I was in junior high, the big trend (for girls) was baseball-style concert shirts, with flannel shirts over then, jeans, and Timberland work boots. Which we all wore religiously for about a year.

I was in high school at the height of the preppie frenzy, so I wasn't as completely out of it as one might think. But really, I had no idea what to wear, except that I didn't want to be perceived as girly. Or as a boy.

I went to a voc tech high. Most of the girls wore workboots, jeans, and flannels. And REALLY BIG HAIR.

Has anyone traveled with a guitar? Can I take it as my carry-on? I'm paranoid about checking it.

7th grade (1985 ish) was unending shaker sweaters with ribbed racer-back tanks. Except I am pretty sure I only had one, but that is what the popular girls wore-- they were the brand 'Forenza' from The Limited. I cannot for the life of me find a picture of this look, though.

School uniform until age 16. I don't viscerally get a lot of high school issues people talk about, for a number of reasons.

Like, I'm still processing that my sister went to prom. PROM! Like in the fanfics!

I want to go to prom, I decided. And told my mother. Why I felt the need to explain to her I meant as someone's date, I'm not entirely sure. My sister's prom date had graduated high school himself, though.

I was in school long enough ago that we had dress codes - skirts/dresses for girls, no bare legs, no bare feet under sandals, you weren't allowed to wear boots to classes, no jeans or t-shirts for boys. I think they loosened up the year after I graduated.

It is super hard to travel with a guitar. You need a serious case. They will occasionally let you gate-check it, but more often than not, they will not. Loosen all the strings (the biggest potential damage is the neck snapping upon impact because of all the tension from the strings.) Pack the case firmly with balls of newspaper. So firmly that you're not sure the lid will shut. BUT make sure it shuts and locks securely (TSA locks). Label it inside the case and out with your home and destination address. Take pictures for insurance.

Upon arrival, gradually retighten the strings, a little at a time on each, so that you gradually increase the tension on the neck overall. Don't just crank one of them all the way up and then the next. Expect a certain amount of drifting as it gets settled into its new atmospheric conditions.

All I have is a soft gig bag. I'm calling the airline.