An Old Pair of Shoes

Recently (as in, yesterday), I had to bid adieu to an old pair of lovely brown leather loafers that have somehow helped define me as a person since I first got them in college.

I remember the day fondly: I met my mom and "the queens" in Atlanta for a big shopping trip to purchase a MOB dress (that's Mother-of-the-Bride for those of you who have forgotten your wedding lingo - or never knew it) for her daughter, Megan's, upcoming nuptials. I found them at Nordstrom's, a store with an awesome shoe department, that I find myself pulled to visit again soon to find my replacement pair. My mom was with me and bought these slightly out of our usual price range shoes. I assume that because they were at Nordstrom, that they were in style when we bought them. I have no idea whether they're in style now, but I do know that I don't care. They were pretty basic and I wore them slap OUT. I know beyond a doubt that I've spent more replacing soles, restitching the leather to the soles, etc. trying to keep them for as long as possible than they were ever worth - maybe double or triple the price at this point. But I loved them.

I knew their day of reckoning was coming, but I brought them to wear home from a work trip to New York last week. As I hurried along the sidewalk on the way to hail a cab, I stopped to see what could have possibly gotten stuck to the bottom of my heel because I felt a lump as I walked. It was the heel of the shoe itself, which had popped out of its' socket. Once in the cab, I jammed it back in the correct spot, but I knew it was time for me to say "goodbye" as I prayed the entire sole didn't fall off (like it did on my June 2011 hiking trip) before I made it home.

On another note, can I just say again how much I love big cities with good public transportation? I love the hustle and bustle of New York, Washington, D.C., London, Chicago, Boston - all those great, world-class cities, that Atlanta just doesn't quite live up to (I'm sorry!), because you can't walk/subway/taxi it to get around. Hence all my walking in NYC last weekend, at least as much as I could squeeze in! It just feels like more freedom there. And people are moving so fast and they're in such a hurry that no one has time to care WHAT your shoes look like! So, it's good they met their demise there, I guess.

In fact, my black boots also met their demise in New York. Now it's time to invest in another pair. Thank goodness I just got a couple in in the mail for DSW! ...and just how many pairs does a New Yorker go through in a year? My checkbook is shuddering to think of it (and I don't spend all that much on shoes - perhaps the more expensive shoes hold up better? Mine aren't big names, but they're fairly high quality mid-leve shoes I though.) Hmm... I think I understand Carrie Bradshaw better than ever.

While I was away, Libby had "pajama day" at school! She even got to bring her blankie - and her teachers wore their pj's, too! Gigi got to take her and Mimi picked up to keep her while I was out of town.

When I got home, Libby was happy to see me, but what made me laugh was when she stuck her finger at my face and asked, "What have YOU been doin'?"

She's so funny and I was thrilled to get home to her. If you'd like more info on the trip, I'll be happy to share when you when this cough/laryngitis thing goes away. And now Libby has it, too.  :( So sad. She even skipped gymnastics today.

Meanwhile, thank you for the kind posts on who all is out there reading. It was actually a better response than I expected (with some e-mails, too!) and it's great to know there are a few still around. Either way, I was going to keep blogging. But I do want you to know work is about to get a little nutty and I feel I need to focus a little more on that for a little while. It may be a whole week between some posts. Or perhaps even more sometimes. But I want to remember these special times, so I will definitely keep it going. My family is even going to have to deal with slightly fewer gourmet meals for a time. I've been far too wrapped up in that and work and other little things that put my in a bad mood when I should be happy. So, I'm going to refocus some of my time and talents to work, loving my family properly by showing them not always through food and a spotless house (okay, so it's never spotless), but through love and a better attitude. I think they'll like this even better - even if we have a few more leftovers and repeat, basic meals. Hopefully a little less "hustle and bustle" where I can help it, will help us.