I have been meaning to post a thank you since Memorial Day. On that holiday weekend, the weather here in Chicago was brutally hot and humid with the kind of air that seals your skin like blacktop. Temperatures made a one day jump from the mid-60's to the upper 90's. And picnics, cookouts, and outdoor gatherings all around were affected. Suddenly, smoky grills and BBQ pits were to be avoided like wind sprints in August from your football coach. Sweaty, dirty , and dangerous work that only the truly dedicated should undertake.
And on that day, I was due to attend a backyard cookout with friends and family. Trouble was, I had no sleeveless t-shirts in my wardrobe. As I have said, this was a day unsuited for mere short-sleeve t-shirts. It required NO SLEEVES AT ALL. If I were in better shape physically, I would have gone shirtless. But, alas, I no longer have the flat stomach I had at age 22. So it was time for a sleeveless solution - And where to get it ? The local re-sale shop, of course. My favorite re-sale shop has been the source of many a 3 or 4 dollar wardrobe treasure, and this time it came through again.
I found two perfectly good Fruit-Of-The-Loom sleeveless t-shirts, one yellow and one light-blue. My size exactly and no defects whatsoever. However there was one detail I had to inspect : there was some writing above the tag. It was in black felt-tipped marker. And the writing said "Mark Cordell ! " That's right. Mr. Cordell not only had to mark his shirt with his name, he had to add an exclamation point. Dammit ! These were HIS SHIRTS. And you had better KNOW IT ! . I wonder what had happened to him in whatever locker room in the past that made him take a stand.
Stolen clothing obviously, and maybe a confrontation with someone. (Somebody shirtless and threatening ? ) Who knows.
I paid a total of $4.34 for the two shirts and they will serve me well for the rest of the summer. Quality cotton. Good stitching and still-bright colors. And the black felt-tipped marker which reminds me that once upon a time, Mark Cordell(!) valued these shirts so much that he personally autographed them.
I am lucky and I know who to thank.
