ARCHIVES: FEBRUARY 2009
Wednesday February 25
I prepared this goat cheese and beet salad as an appetizer and it turned out quite nice. The beets are no doubt from our vegetable sharing program. I coated the goat cheese in some panko bread crumbs. A nice pairing, methinks.
Tuesday February 24
This is a short story with a happy ending.
Saturday morning, I wander into the shoe section at Nordstrom and I think, "I am 36 years old... am I REALLY going to wear sneakers and cowboy boots (with an occasional summer sandal) for the rest of my life?"
"Really?!"
And I should back up and say that the reason I have been cornered into wearing sneakers and boots is because I have fought such a battle with lady-like shoes. I try on this shoe and that shoe and everything is uncomfortable. Occasionally I think that if I just put my mind to it, then I can wear something uncomfortable -- but then I have to walk and then I realize, that it's not going to work. This has been happening for 15-ish adult years.
Then I think, "What if I spent $300 on one pair of shoes?" Would money buy comfort? Could I invest in a shoe that would carry me through many years of my life?
It was at that time a lady offered to help me and I told her that I was looking to spend a little more money on shoes in hopes of finding something I could wear long term. She said, "Would you like me to measure your foot?"
I said, "No, I'm a 7 1/2."
As she was walking away, a voice came to me and told me to have my foot measured.
I said, "Wait. On second thought, yes, please measure my foot." And in the back of my mind, this sounds completely ridiculous but I am going with it anyway.
I take off my right shoe and step on the metal scale. She looks down at it. I look down at it.
She says, "Looks like you're a size 6."
"Yes, yes it does."
"Let's measure your left foot."
I take off my left shoe and put my other foot on the measurer and she says, "This one is almost a 6 1/2. Yep, you're a 6 1/2 WIDE. I'll bring you what I have in stock."
[this next part happens in slow motion]
She came out with a stack of 3 boxes. The first box I opened was a pair of shiny brown strappy shoes - like the kind that attractive women wear. I slid my foot into it and at the open toe, I could see my little toes looking very perfect in the little shoe peep hole. Like they had been there all along. And I started buckling the strap and that's when - at that moment - I burst into tears. I am crying in the ladies shoe department. I am putting a shoe on my foot and it fits!! Like, a real honest shoe! Maybe for the first time ever, I am wearing a shoe that fits!
Yes, I was embarassed. Happy and embarassed. It was Saturday morning so the shoe department wasn't THAT crowded...oh well.
After that, the lady was happy for me, we hugged, she got me some Kleenex and rang me up for one new pair of shoes that were $100, not $300. Then I came home, got on Zappos.com and ordered 3 more pair of lady-like shoes in my size.
The Universe has shifted.
One other thing about my new special-sized footwear is the brand names that make wide shoes. This particular pair is Sofft and they seem to have the cutest inventory -- by far. Some others are Fitzwell and Walking Cradles (my personal favorite) (though "Walking Pillows" sounds better to me.)
Sunday February 15
(Blanton)
I have been sick and am still not back to normal. And what are the range of activities you are likely to do when you're feeling bad? Read? Watch tv? Read? Watch tv? PLAY LEGO STAR WARS on the Wii??!?!? Yes and for hours on end.
I wish the weather had been nicer for Valentine's Day - it was chilly and cloudy.
Monday February 09
A nice lady in our neighborhood organized a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) program and those who have signed up, get food every week (or every other) from a local farm in the form of different sized baskets. We got our first basket and it was full of your usual winter vegetable suspects like kale, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, green onions, spinach, salad greens, turnips etc. Also some farm fresh eggs.
It has been exciting to try to some new vegetables and I think the fresh eggs have a nice fluffy texture that I don't get in store bought eggs. Other than some bitter turnips that ruined my soup, it's all been tasty and we will continue to give it a try over the next few months and see how this pans out -- as far as if we actually make use of what we get and so on.
I hope it works out at least long enough to get past these nerdy winter vegetables and on to the good stuff of spring and summer. It would be a shame for it all to end on a ugly rooty note.
Sunday February 08
It's not the future yet. I will know when the future is here because when I am sick in the future, I will have unlimited, free, unhindered access to tv/movie media from my bed.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy rewatching Lord of the Rings, along with LOTR commentary and LOTR DVD extras..... it's just that it's not the same as the future.
January - a fine start to 2009
Back to top
|
