Which leads me to two things I want to share with you. 

First is a simple guideline on how to be ridiculous. 

Not that you don’t know how, Indy. Any dog that goes in and out of so many pictures and wears, literally, so many hats certainly knows. We just need to share the code with others. So here are three premises:

1. Be in touch with how you stick out, then embrace it. Growing up requires some level of conformity. It is the grease that eases friction of social engagement. Follow the rules. Say please and thank you. No flip flops at fine dining. However, there are aspects that make you pleasantly absurd. Don’t be shy. Share it.
2. Realize that’s it’s not about costumes. Yes, a hairstyle or signature jewelry might do it. Queen Elizabeth used a brooch to send a message to Trump. TV Chef Alex Guarnaschelli once told me that fellow celebrity Geoff Zakarian only wears wingtips even when he first gets out of bed. However, it does not have to be a costume to make it work. It could be the fact that you knowingly cross-pollinate clichés in unexpected ways. Like “a stitch in time saves lives” (instead of nine). Or maybe singing off key to a certain song while it plays on your headset and others cannot hear.
3. Don’t take a good thing too far. There is a subtle art to being different without calling attention to yourself. Very few of us can dress like Elton John without hushed whispers. It should resonate with your personal frequency without being noisy. Know there’s balance between self-expression and self-indulgence.

That’s it. There may be other guidelines or even better ones. These are just the ones I’ve noticed. Remember this an amateur’s guide to being ridiculous.

Now to second point I wanted to make. Up to this moment, I’ve shared images of what other people saw. Now I want to show what the mirror shows me. The image below contains a 1962 cream colored Mercedes Benz. Crimson interior. Stick shift all the way.

That nutjob of a dog is a Border Collie blended with a Labrador Retriever. His name is Radar. He’s my best friend and a genius in his own way. We are free from everything except physics and the limit of a half-way decent income.

Until next time. Aroo.

–Anthony (and sometimes Tony)