September 21, 2016 CAUSE EVERY GIRL CRAZY 'BOUT A SHARP DRESSED MAN

I can be pretty catty sometimes--I'll admit it. I can't really help myself--I notice things and try as I might--I usually have something to say. The only people who really know the depths of my cattiness are my comrades because they spend the most time with me--BELIEVE ME THOUGH--at least one of them is as catty as I am--but I'm not naming names. Anyways, one of the things I notice is running outfits. I AM SORRY--I CAN'T HELP MYSELF--I even make fun of my own comrades--no one is safe. A few years back we were getting ready to go to a run and one of my comrades showed up in this strange running shirt--I'm pretty sure it was a negligee--but she still insists it was in the athletic wear department. SURE--It had all kinds of holes in it and it was practically see through--Hey-if you're going to wear your Victoria Secret Special to a race than you are certainly going to hear it from me. So after we teased her to death, we went to sign up for the race. Of course, I immediately spied this guy signing up for the race in regular clothes. I thought to myself--THAT'S REALLY WEIRD. I pointed him out to my comrades and we were all mystified. WHO RUNS A RACE IN LONG, COTTON KHAKI SHORTS, LEATHER BELT, DRESS SOCKS AND SHOES?? Well, he did---We saw him along the course--SWEATY BUTT--and all. It was really strange even more so because this was a 12 mile race. Anyways,  I can happily report that I saw him  at the same race this year and he had a regular running outfit on. THANK GOD! But, I  still wonder how long it took for his diaper rash to go away.  I told you I am a pathetic, catty person. Who else would ever ponder such things?? Oh, I know!!! Ignatius J. Reilly of A Confederacy of Dunces would.

Ignatius J. Reilly

Although  this 1981 Pulitzer Prize winning book's author John Kennedy Toole wrote this book in 1963, he sadly committed suicide in 1969. Thankfully, his mother found the manuscript for the book and with the help of Walker Percy, had it published in 1980. Anyways, Ignatius is a thirty year old man who lives with his mother in New Orleans. He is well-educated but pompous in every sense of the word. He views himself as a tragic hero fighting his way against the evils in the world--that being anything modern. Ignatius is quite a character--you will love to hate him as he "studies the audience for signs of bad taste in clothing" while he wanders around the city in his FAVORITE GREEN HUNTING CAP with  giant flaps on the sides like elephant ears, bad flannel shirts, baggy pants and scarf to complete the ensemble. He can't hold down a job because he is a lazy, obese slob who prefers to focus on what is wrong with everyone else--it can't possibly be him.  He is a wack-a-doodle. This tragic comedy  is written much like a Dickens novel where every character is important and comes full circle by the end. The characters that support the story are interesting and unique too.They will leave you shaking your head and chuckling as they meet Ignatius as he jumps from one job to the other--one disaster after the other. Somehow, Ignatius' muddles through life trying to make sense of it all with little success.  This is not a tale for the light reader--It's a little dense-about 400 pages or an 8 mile run--but worth the effort. If you are a Dickens' or Irving fan, you will feel right at home. Enjoy!