Simply Shoes

This morning the email that most women wait for appeared in my inbox... DSWs Summer Sale began today. More shoes were slashed to 80% off, triple points for members today... a shoe extravagnza!! OR so they want you to believe.

Don't get me wrong, I left with a new pair of shoes, but I have to comment on a few things.

1. Designers need to stop trying to mimic the "Glass" slipper. The poly-plastic-crap used to make them are sticky and look good are almost no one when the feet start to swell and appear like sausage in a casing.

2. Adding large plastic globs that looks like the Goody hair twisties when I was 5 to the thong on a pair of sandals does not make them worth an extra $25.

3. Just because the shoes were $80 and are now only $8 does not mean that you should buy them if they aren't really want you wanted. If you don't like wedges, ladies, you will not like them any better only paying $8.

Again, today, I wandered the aisles of DSW thinking that, for the most part, the shoes were plain and unoriginal. There was a pair of Chinese Laundry that I loved, but they didn't have them in my size. Instead, I kept coming back to these dark red K-Swiss shoes... so when I came back to them a fourth time, I decided to get them... and my size was not there. I tried them on in a half size smaller than my usual, and they were a great fit.

Shoes represent who we are; they are part of oue essential personality... shoes matter. I just wonder what it says about me that I'm suddenly bored by the "usual faire." And tonight, while IM'ing with a friend about mid-life crises (MLC), I wondered if that might be part of it. An early MLC... And I decided in our conversation that a MLC Checklist was in order... so here it is:

__ Buy a very expensive article of clothing (or two).

__ Have a fling with a 20-something.

__ Experiement with hair color.

__ Join a community garden.

__ Ravage your closets to throw out anything that is remotely useless.

__ Begin dancing to your iPod in the weight room of your gym while waiting on a machine.

__ Download to your iPod those songs that remind you of the ::Glory Days:: (bonus if you download Glory Days).

Ok, what am I missing here?

A change of color

Blonde Energy comes to you a little less pink today--I let the nail tech choose my toe color yesterday, and she opted for silver. It is fabulous. And, in the spirit of some change, I picked up a bottle of Aruba Blue by Essie... not my usual OPI product, but I liked the name of the Essie color better. And isn't that the key to picking a nail polish? And so, now my fingers are blue tipped--and for a change, not because I'm cold.

I did make myself go to DSW after the pedicure, and while I purchased nothing, I realized that not wanting to shoe shop is more a reflection on the utter unoriginality with which the shoes produced en masse represent. It's almost like buying 3 prints for $40 when nothing is as satisfying as the $3.1 million dollar original. The shoes I envision in my head don't exist... and right now they would be the only satisfaction I would recieve... the rest are empty calories.

So a new week has begun, and I am without plans on this very gorgeous sunny day. I'd like to see Oceans 13, but why? It is too nice outside to have to freeze to death in a movie theatre. Same goes with shopping. I've love to go to the mall and find a flirty new sundress, but again, inside is not what I'm shooting for... so I think the day will find me picking up a few items to do some cooking and mostly sitting out on my patio, working on some writing. Perhaps I will venture out for a walk later or even a coffee... but mostly, it is a lazy Sunday with sunshine, and it just seems kinda nice.

Mahalo.

Saturday Miscellany

Apparently, the lack of sleep caught up to me last night and nailed me. It seems that my mom called at some point, and while I remember talking to her, I have not a clue about what. All I do remember is that when I got up from the chair to go into my bed somewhere in the area of midnight, Bowie had been stalking and hunting a moth. This is big excitement in the life of a housecat... so you can imagine his utter disappointment that I was not about to have his trophy buried in the blanket next to my head and tossed it to the floor. Yes, it was his blanket, but overall it is my bed.

But I awoke this morning, feeling quite good and appalled that it was only 6 a.m. So I went back to bed, if not to sleep and laid there thinking for about an hour and a half. I've had a really good bout of feeling down this week... and nothing really seems to be helping to pull myself out of this funk. I tried shopping today, but I'm feeling like a balloon right from the Macy's parade. I don't even feel like shoe shopping these days.

I'd love it if the girls all got together and hung out at an outside patio at some bar... just hang out and chat and talk and all that shit like we used to... but so many have moved, or moved on, or I have moved on. I miss it right now. I think since I'm moving some feel like I'm already gone and have just annexed me out--like it is a personal affront to our friendship that I am leaving the area. Someone pointed out to me today that I need to reread Women Who Run With the Wolves and not worry about it... that many of my local friendships currently exist not because I share a lot of common interests, but because they have always been there... and I will find my "urban tribe" when I seek out and away where it will be easier because I will have no other options.

In the meantime, I really want a pedicure, so I think I will treat myself and go out for one. It will go nice with the tattoo appointment I have for Tuesday--if I am going to be drawing attention to my feet with an ankle band tat, best that they don't look like I've spent hours in the garden over the last few days!

Checking the Cattle Prod

So, I was curious--which we all know is never a good thing... and went to tsa.gov to check and make certain that what I had heard was true--and it was, in fact, true that shoes with gel inserts are prohibited unless in your checked luggage. Checked luggage? Feh, not on short trips. But while perusing the list, I did notice that my cattle prods, throwing stars, sabers and "gel type foods" greater than 3 ounces need to be checked. Sadly, tear gas is not allowed at all. What is the world coming to when I can't even check a gallon of gas... I mean what the hell? Here I am, a good American and can't bring a gallon of gas with me at all.

Ok, and now that I've stopped laughing hysterically....

I did make it through security TWICE this week without my liquid lip gloss securely packaged in my quart sized ziplock baggie. Fortunately, it did not impact the flights I was on in any way, but it was a dangerous risk, and one not caught by TSA. Imagine the scandal if that lip gloss had leaked?! Good god, can you imagine the meyhem that would have ensued and the terror caused because my Clinique Kissy Fit was not secured confined by the top notch technology of ZipLock?

But, I and many others, were not Kissy Fitted and arrived safely, if not a bit haggard from Philadelphia this evening; and many more continued onward to San Francisco--where they will, undoubtedly, be Kissy Fitted upon arrival.

More shit that pisses me off

After two beautiful days, they are calling for SNOW in the morning. Today was in the 60s, so was yesterday, it is still rather nice out... and SNOW? Someone will have to pay for this.

Another thing is American Idol... can we just be over with that rot already? If I wanted to hear second rate copy cat singers with limited creativity and vocal ability I would pull out my Pussycat Dolls CD or hang out in Karaoke Bars.

There are some commericals, too, that have rendered me speechless in the last few days out of their sheer stupidity... but I really just needed to get the snow and American Idol off my chest. This should really just be a reminder to myself that I shouldn't get so excited to pull out open toe shoes in March and to charge my iPod so I don't have to listen to morning radio on the way to work.

Poetry and Shoes

So, I was checking the forecast for the area today, as I’m eagerly waiting the arrival of sandal season… and yes, it is March, but early Daylight Savings Time has skewed my perceptions but I will get back to that momentarily. I came across the following headline to a video on the wildfires at weather.com:

Wildfire flames lick the back doors of homes

Hmm, I’m all for poetic license, but this isn’t poetry—this is a serious fucking fire about to lay waste to the homes of many folks, it is not a kitten pawing on the screen door looking for milk.

That said, the forecast for tomorrow is a high of 64 degrees in the Fahrenheit measure (because we all know that Centigrade sheeyat is Communist and highly suspect), but for my dear Commie friends—that would be about 17 degrees. And what this really means, if achieved, is the opening of sandal season. That is the rule… 60 degrees and sandals are allowed—OFFICIALLY. This in no way impacts my sandal wearing of this previous Saturday; it was in the 50s, I had put a good 18-19 miles on my feet already and they needed to be free. But mostly, I had just forgotten to bring fresh socks with me for when I left the gym, and as such, kept my flip flops on.

Now, I realize that beyond tomorrow, the weather seems a tad cold for sandals, being that there isn’t currently a day forecast to be warmer than say 43 degrees now through the 10-day forecast, but do not let this deter you should you wish to wear sandals. A few suggestions for this time of year in sandal selection, if I may:

1. For simply chilly weather falling below 60 degrees, you may decide to wear boots to the office and change into the sandals. Alternately, if this option does not appeal to your pedicure, park close to doors and walk briskly. Remember it may have been a while since you wore heeled sandals, so stick with the lower heels (1.5-2.5 inches) until you build back up to the 4 inchers.
2. If the forecast calls for a “wintery mix” I might suggest you opt for a shoe that is more of a platform with a thicker heel. This will provide a bit more traction should the sidewalks be a tad more icy than one might like. Of course, the tenets of #1 above still apply here and throughout.
3. Should the weather for the day call for rain, this is simple—you will want to follow the same protocol for rainy weather as you would anytime of the year when wearing a sandal. Given the air temperature, however, I might suggest a wedge—this will provide enough of a platform to keep the toe from flooding (providing the wedge is one with a platform toe, but that is the implied recommendation here) and the wedge itself will provide a safe barrier between your foot and the cold, wet ground.

Now, you may ask… why wouldn’t you wear a wedge in the “wintery mix” scenario…? and it is a good question—for the novice. A wedge does not provide traction, which you can get around in simple rainy weather. For the wintery mix, you will want something with more of a heel to be able to “dig-in.” Heels also, as contrary as it may seem, provide a good deal of traction by their very construction.

Later, a refresher on how to properly purchase sandals, strengthening your feet for the upcoming season, pedicure basics and of course, everyone’s favorite, how to actually walk in sandals.