A Post--Eventually--About Something I've Never Done Before

OK, so apparently I must like shoes.  By that, I mean that I really must like shoes...like more than I ever knew I liked shoes...like it seems that I actually LOVE shoes.  I didn't realize this about myself until this week.  I was planning to write this post about doing something I've never done before and I started looking around me and realizing that everyone else already knew how much I love shoes...whilst it didn't even strike me that maybe I like shoes more than the average person.  Yes, it's true that I have a plastic bin in the basement that holds my "off season" shoes just like I have a huge hanging rack that holds all my "off-season" clothes.  I never saw anything odd about trading out my clothes each season.  My Mom always does it, her Mom did it, and since college I have either been transporting seasonal clothes back and forth to school or changing out clothes from one closet to another, or now--from my closet to the basement.  I'm realizing now that maybe it's NOT so common to trade out your shoes on a seasonal basis.

Back to the "looking around me" part.  I started looking around my office and noticed that my co-workers definitely know that I like shoes.  In fact, they know that I love shoes.  Following are a few examples of cards, gifts, functional items, office supplies, etc. that they have presented me with over the years because they apparently know how much I love shoes.

 I wish this pic had not turned out blurry.  It's a birthday card and the outside says, "The feeling of wearing new shoes while shopping for more new shoes."  The inside says, "That's what I wish for your birthday."  I think this was from Dawn--a nurse who moved a way several years ago and Brian--a social worker I don't get to see much anymore since he works in a different office now.

 I think this card is from Christine as is the "Shoe Diva" card.  Funny that one year I got her a high heel shoe that is a cell phone holder for Christmas.  We must share this affinity for shoes.

 Here's a shoe shopper with four coasters that have various shoe styles displayed.  I think the coasters were from Carrie.

 This was a framed picture of shoes that our lovely receptionist, Esther, left in my office for my birthday this summer.  She and Brenda, and I'm pretty sure other co-workers, painstakingly cut out pictures of shoes and decorated my office with them amidst various and sundry pink girly items.  There were even pink streamers hanging from my ceiling.

 This is a red high heel door stop that Christine got me for Christmas one year.  Enough said.

These magnets came with note cards shown below.

I think this was from our previous home care administrator, Michelle.  

 I believe the sweet little picture below was from our previous receptionist, Michelle.  If you can't tell what is in the picture they are pumps with little umbrellas attached.  What a novel idea?!  It also says, "Just when you thought you had everything."  Cute cute.

These little eraser shoes were from Susan--this summer for my birthday.

This little picture says, "Wishing You Sweet Essentials"

This is the latest item in my collection.  I had misplaced the plain old tape dispenser I've had for years and I was telling Becky about it.  She told me she had seen a tape dispenser I would love and the next thing I knew this was on my desk one morning.

I noticed all of these thoughtful items that have been given to me over the years after I realized that I recently did something that I've never done before.  You see, I buy cute shoes--whether they are flip-flops, heels, boots, etc.  It doesn't really matter as long as they are cute and they go with something that I have to wear...or I can buy something to wear with them.  :)  There have been only two styles of cute shoes that I try to avoid--sling backs and ankle straps.  I avoid sling backs because they just will NOT stay on my heels and that's annoying.  I avoid ankle straps because I inherited my mother's thick ankles and ankle straps don't do anything at all to slim your ankles if you need help in that area.  My mother has even said that she wishes I had gotten my Dad's ankles instead of hers.  Speaking of my Mom, the last time I was at home she was complaining of her knees hurting and I suggested that she get some SAS shoes.  I was jesting, of course.  She told me to bite my tongue.  Those are fightin' words in our world. 

I do own a pair of tennis shoes and, against my better judgment, I have included a picture as proof.  The picture below is me--6 months pregnant with Gavin on a little get-away trip to Chicago with Lindy.  We walked for miles and my feet were hurting.  I think the shoes I was wearing originally were also tennis shoes but they were old and hurting my feet.  I found these shoes at Nordstrom Rack, bought them, and threw away the old pair.  (Obviously, they weren't that worn out since I didn't ever wear them but had owned them for many years.  They just weren't comfortable).   My sister-in-law, Cayla, found this picture in one of my Facebook albums and she commented that in spite of my three pregnancies she had seen very few pictures of me pregnant.  There's a reason for that.  Exhibit A below proves that I'm not one of those cute women who get little basketball bellies.  I get pregnant all over.  Again, enough said, and if you're also one of those women then you share my pain.

So, what did I do recently that I have never done before?  Wait for it...wait for it...(that's what Ethan likes to say).  I bought a pair of actual, real-life, comfortable, sensible shoes.  I can honestly say I've never done that before.  I don't count my tennis shoes as "comfortable" because they really are not.  Lindy always gives me a hard time for wearing flip-flops on summer vacation rather than tennis shoes but flip- flops are more comfortable and you can avoid the weird tan lines.  It's a win-win.  When we go skiing I have my cute pink Columbia snow boots that are really more cute than comfortable.

Buying shoes just for the sake of being comfortable.  What a novel idea.  What spurred this crazy behavior,  you ask?  Well, I'm going on another trip to Chicago where there will be much walking involved and I guess when you get to your mid-30s (no debating that, please) you realize that maybe comfortable shoes aren't such a bad idea.  Don't worry.  I haven't completely gone off the deep end.  I did get fancy socks to wear with them.  :)  Once I'm back from Chicago I'll go back to my preferred shoe attire, but I'm looking forward to no aching feet in the Windy City. 

Here they are, the debut of my Eurosteps sensible, comfortable shoes.  Don't expect me to make a habit of this and if you ever catch me in a pair of SAS shoes just send me somewhere for a full evaluation.  

I will require one.