Douglas Braithwaite (41) is a doting father of two, and one hell of an accountant. You know those ads on TV where the enthusiastic accountant high-fives himself for figuring out a clever deduction for a client? Well that's pretty much Douglas in a nutshell. He is a self-described nerd whose two loves are his family and his job.
He is well aware that he is not a particularly scary-looking dude. And he generally has no delusions of toughness or street cred. But there is one giant annual exception. Winter. He loves winter. Coastal Tribune asked him a few questions about why this is his favourite time of year.
"Yes every year the weather starts to get a bit colder. I always treat myself to a new beanie at the start of each winter, and I just eagerly await the point where it is cold enough to fire it up. And that time has finally arrived. What do you think? Pretty rockin' hey?"
And it's actually a pretty sweet beanie. It's understated and classic, and looks like it would keep your head nice and warm. But there is a question mark over whether it has the transformative effects that Douglas seems to think it does.
"By day, I'm just a mild-mannered nerdy accountant. But as soon as I leave work for the day, I whack this bad boy on. I feel like Eminem from that movie he did. It changes how I perceive myself and I like it. I know I'm not exactly The Rock. But I kind of feel more in touch with that side of me with this thing on. I like how it makes me feel."
We asked his wife Heather (39) whether she liked her bad-boy hubby.
"Honestly yes I do. He puts that thing on and his confidence skyrockets. It's adorable. He calls me things like 'babe' and pinches my bum. It's a fun side of him. I mean, I don't think I'd like him to be like this all year round. But the really cold bit of winter isn't that long really if you think about it. So I just go with it and enjoy the ride."
We asked how her kids felt about it.
"The kids are absolutely mortified. But stuff them. He's done so much for them and he just likes to be a cool dude once a year. If they find his enthusiasm embarrassing, too bad I say."
We couldn't agree more. You do you, Douglas.