I was riding the Metro (DC subway) to work just now, seated next to one of the exit doors in my car, wearing my favorite olive UK original, hiking boots and standard issue blue button down oxford shirt. A woman who was maybe 10-15 years older than I pulled my attention from the book I was reading to say in a lovely Scottish accent that she liked my "working kilt."

I thanked her, and she went on to say that she was listening to an Alexander McCall Smith book on her iPod, and so was in the midst of Edinburgh, and that seeing me in a kilt made it feel all the more like she was there.

She asked if I got the kilt here in the US, and I told her yes, it was from a Seattle company called Utilikilts. She asked if I had a tartan one as well, and I said I was working on it but that of course they were quite a bit more expensive (meaning the hand-sewn wool tank made in Scotland, of course; I know where my next inexpensive tartan kilt is coming from, Rocky!). She agreed, and said that in any case ones like I had on were probably more practical (didn't dispute it with her). By this time we were both smiling, and she asked what kind of reception I usually got in it, and I said usually a lot like the one I was getting from her, then she said, "Well, thanks, you've made my day!"

And of course I told her that she'd made mine! What a nice way to start the day!