Back on July 18 came a headline in my music feeds: there’s a new clothing line. It’s called TatCo and it’s got the power of the guitarist from Saving Abel behind it.

Say what you will about Saving Abel, but Addicted never fails to crack me up. They’re a fun band. Not destined to be my favorite, but you guys know me. I have discriminating tastes.

Word of this new clothing line came with a list of stars who are helping launch it: Members of Buckcherry (okay) and Shinedown. Shinedown!

So. Rock-inspired clothes… yeah. You guys know where I like to spend my book royalties. Before I can, though, I need to go take a look.

Guess what? I’ve been trying ever since I read about TatCo to get in and take a look at the site and … no go.

I am very sad.

Let me know if you manage to connect, and if this is stuff you can see me wearing. Until then, hope springs eternal here at West of Mars… So eternal, we won’t talk about what a publicity gaffe this is…

Okay, so it’s March, not July, when I’m posting this, but the weather here makes this a fitting piece. Less than two weeks until the release of King Trevor — are you ready??

Mitchell called last night and asked me to bring some warmer clothes for him when I come back out on the road. He said he’s already stolen a sweatshirt from his own merch, but it’s not enough. He needs a coat or something.

I don’t get it. It’s the summer, for crying out loud. July. And the band is in the States, where it doesn’t exactly get cold enough to be coat weather. At least, it usually doesn’t do that in July.

You don’t argue with Mitchell when he gets in these moods, though. You shut up and dig through the coat closet and find something that’s not as heavy as his ShapeShifter jacket, but is still warmer than the denim he’s got with him. Maybe even warmer than the warm-up jacket I was eyeing, but then my choices are this horrid stadium jacket that had to have been one of those prank presents from Amy or Beth, or this even worse barn jacket.

That’s what makes me think that Mitchell doesn’t need a coat right now. That he’s looking ahead and knowing he’ll need one soon, and that if he whines about being cold in the middle of July, I’ll take pity on him and buy him something nicer than either of these two. Yet why he thinks I won’t come up with something worse is beyond me.

Unless he’s planning that if I do, he’ll just make me wear it. Me, who wants nothing more than a heavy leather ShapeShifter jacket like the one in the closet. The one I’m half-tempted to take out and sleep with. I mean, it reeks of him. I may be home for only a week but damn, I miss him.

Maybe I’ll wait on the whole coat thing and drag him out shopping on a day off once I’ve gotten back out there. That way, any ugly thing he winds up with will be his own doing.

But I’ll pack him an extra pair of sweatpants, just in case he really is cold. Maybe another sweatshirt, too. A heavier one. Just in case…

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