In Which I End Up Reviewing A Different Tie Entirely, But...Oh Well.

Brian has another tie just like this. Whereas this one is a rich plummy purple crossed with narrow white stripes at wide intervals, the other one is more of an orchidy purple and looks like its lower-class cousin. You know what I mean, right? The part of the family that shows up to reunions in a big, beat-up car with one of the doors that doesn't open. All the kids come spilling out and the baby, who is fat-cheeked and robust and isn't wearing anything but a soggy diaper, is being carried by the skinniest and most frail six-year-old whose shoes are untied. But their mom is everyone's favorite aunt and makes the best brownies with the frosting piled high.