I like shoes. Not in an obsessive, hoarding way (that’s purses, so keep ‘em straight). I just appreciate a good, pretty, comfortable pair of shoes. So much that I usually wear them until they are falling apart and I end up wishing I had bought two.

FACT: My favorite pair of tennis shoes (that I still own and wear regularly) was purchased when I was in 10th grade. Yes, that means they are 10 years old.

Even though I love shoes, I often make bad shoe choices. Like my bad food choices. I pick out things that look good and I end up paying for it a few hours later.

About a month ago, I spent a day shopping with my mom. I don’t even remember the shoes I wore that day, but I do know one thing — they hurt. My feet were screaming by the time we made it to our 4th stop, which just happened to be TJ Maxx. After I had wandered through every aisle of their housewares section, answered phone calls from my mom (who was in the dressing room), and become bored beyond all reason (I hate shopping in stores unless I am looking for something specific — but YES, I am a woman), I found myself in the shoes. And before I knew what happened, I had a shoebox in my hand a new sandal on my foot.

And it was glorious.

It felt like a massage and walking on air all at once.

And the best part? FIFTEEN DOLLARS.

Sold!

The only thing is, I don’t know what my shoe is. I mean, I don’t know its name. It’s a Columbia sandal, but I’m pretty sure they don’t make it anymore and there’s not one in their current line that’s exactly like it.

It looks like a cross between the Gretta™ II and the Kambi™. The body of Gretta II (without the icky flowers) with the little between the toe strap of the Kambi.

Flowers? Yuck.

Toe strap. Keeps my foot from sliding all the way through and the inevitable tripping scene that would follow (trust me).

So I don’t know what I’m wearing, but I love it. It’s all that I wear now. With shorts, with jeans, with skirts, and you can just almost get away with dressing it up…but it’s tricky. And I will wear it until all the support is gone for my one foot that still has an arch. (Long story. I’ll share sometime. Suffice to say I have got a whacked out right foot with a fallen arch, that is also 1 inch longer than my left.)

Columbia doesn’t know me. I mean nothing to them. And that kinda hurts, but I’m okay. Alls I know is that they make warm jackets that have kept me safe and cozy whenever I left mine at home over a spring break trip to New Mexico and ended up snowed in under 3 feet of snow. So, yes, Columbia, I kinda owe you my life.

Okay, so it’s actually Pink Lemonade flavored Emergen-C. But I’ve got a mean recipe for lemonade that’ll make you slap your grandma.

Uhh.

I didn’t know I knew that phrase until I typed it. And then I looked it up to make sure that was the appropriate use. Never second guess a country mind.

• Can’t wait to take part in Offering Hospitality’s Recipe Swap next week! The theme this time: POTLUCKS! And trust me, this girl (the one that wanted a potluck wedding reception…oh hush up.) has got plenty to share.
• Zen Habits: a brief guide to life
• I know all the lyrics to “California Love,” but that’s pretty much unrelated to this link (except for the whole Tupac thing). Unrelated and not nearly as fabulous.
• OMSH’s schoolroom makes me want my four bonnet-wearing children RIGHT NOW so that I can start with all this homeschooling. And I’m pretty much kidding about the bonnets. Pretty much.
• We’re finally watching the LOST epilogue tonight! That means I can read JOpinionated’s analysis of it right after! And I’m linking it before I’ve read it because I already know it will be great.
• And to bring the subject back around to my wedding again — The Beauty of a Mason Jar. I really wanted to incorporate these into the decor at the reception, and we did, but things didn’t get quite as rustic as I wanted them. Oh well. Too late to start complaining.

• I got married and got a longer name. It never even occurred to me, mostly because my new name has the letter “L” in it and a lowercase “L” is pretty skinny. But what was already a long name is now one letter longer. I’ve got a post to write about this name writing business.
• This review covers my EXACT feelings on Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. In short — I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, it didn’t change my life, I don’t believe full devotion to God and devotion to carnal pleasure can occur at the same time, and YES, if you hole up in an apartment having sex for a month you will get a UTI. Ahem. Interesting, but I don’t find Ms. Gilbert’s work to be authentic. If you paid me to go on a trip and “find myself and God”, consume all the carbs I want, and practice yoga all day (I am a practitioner) I’m sure I could wax epiphanic as well.
• Today Ronnica is asking a question over at The Ignorant Historian: What’s your favorite school supply to shop for?
• Waiting Without Worrying
• The reports mentioned here do not make me feel good about the well-being of children in Oklahoma
• Walgreen’s “Friends and Family” coupon!
• “The remarkable offspring of Jasper and Alice” — Mama, make it go away!
• Things You Might Be Mistaken For In This Hoodie
• Huxley was right: “Amusing Ourselves to Death“
• Hand it over and everyone will be safe. (I may have a problem.)

It’s a strong cup of French roast this morning. I have never tasted a light roast that I enjoy. Very few mediums. Any coffee drinkers out there have suggestions for me?

• We have a dehumidifier now! It’s as close as I’ll ever get to living in Arizona and I’ll take it. Feels great.
• I wish I was this good with a welder. Or, you know, that I knew how to use one PERIOD.
• On second though, it’s probably best that I stay away from the metal arts. Did you see that she mentioned setting the pasture on fire?
• Does blogging make you feel small? Don’t let it.
• How to Make a Gift Bag from Sofia’s World. I think even I could do this. And I’d rather make a gift bag than wrap a gift any day.
• I find this story terrifying. It’s about breastfeeding and one of the “on the job” hazards. Which means my brothers and my husband need to avoid this link altogether.
• Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. – Mother Teresa
• I really can’t begin to explain my love for dips, sauces, condiments, etc. So I’m just going to leave you with this link to a bazillion yummy “Cold Dips for Warm Evenings.”

Now I’m going to go scrub baseboards or something and live in complete denial that I go back to work the day after tomorrow.

I have no idea how many ounces this thing is, but it’s too much, too late at night.

Pretty sure the rules of blogging say that 10:38 on a Tuesday night is the worst time to publish a post, but I’m doing this for the people. Not for whoever makes up those rules.

• How much do you spend on groceries each week? One Week of Food could put that into perspective for you.
• Very interesting essay on the manipulation and reuse of images in culture.
• The Calorie Police (Do you think the ACLU would defend my right to consume calories in whatever form I please? Just asking.) There’s a double standard here, folks.
• Micah’s post discussing “slow parenting” was eye-opening for me. It’s exactly what I hope to do someday. My parents raised us that way, to a certain extent. While it was not always on purpose (I know that much), I do appreciate that we were allowed to pursue our interests within reason and that we weren’t on the road every night of the week.
• Mango Slaw with Cashews & Mint (This is a recipe for you, Heather)
• Chagrin chagrin chagrin. Chagrin? Chagrin. CHAGRIN. Chagrin. (thanks, Rammi )
• I’m linking this post because Misti is talking about guys named Make Time and Cob.
• “Because I think the world knows just how much NBC, home of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, among others, has been in the tank for George W. Bush for lo these many years. Their relentless cheerleading for the former president, his domestic initiatives and his foreign policy has made them a laughing-stock among serious news organizations and a network no serious-minded person would admit watching.” – The Friar

Oh, and Clare got a haircut!

Back home with my coffee. But I haven’t been to the grocery store yet so we don’t have any cream *pout*

• Have you seen Juvenile Justice starring Annabel?
• Honestly, I’m not sure that I think it’s too far out of line to threaten to kill someone with an ax for playing the vuvuzela. Just sayin’. I mean, I could see myself doing that. Threatening that, not actually going through with it. So far in my life, empty threats have been enough.
• How To Tell When Meat Is Done (Brilliant!)
• Brownies! Bars! …Battlestar Galactica!
• Number 11. Read #11 and try not to cry. (And then read The Bwue Neckwace for a good giggle)
• A Royal Seal of Approval (h/t @jennifrwhite)
• Need a Peace Retreat? from True Woman
• Stories like this make me realize why I never would have made it in the armed forces. I would have fallen in love with my commander (à la the video to “The Heart Won’t Lie” by Reba McEntire & Vince Gill, see below) and then he would have made me cry.

• Edward Mariohands

Rose tagged me to answer a few questions so I thought I would include them here.

1. If you had to wear one color every day for the rest of your life, which would you choose and why? Green. It’s visually pleasing and I own a lot of it, so I wouldn’t have to do too much shopping.
2. What’s your favorite not-for-profit? Autism Speaks
3. You’re at the Farmer’s Market. Which veggies are you most excited about? Squash, tomatoes, and potatoes.
4. Share the city you most want to visit and why. I don’t like cities. I would prefer to visit the highlands of Scotland.
5. I’m a HUGE cheater! Read this entry of mine. What are some of the things you’d take with you if you moved across the world? Hmm…shall we have a list?
   • MacBook – There’s no way I’m leaving this behind.
   • Roku Player – We don’t watch a lot of TV that we keep up with on a regular basis, so having the Roku has been nice for watching what we want, when we want to. I get my BBC serial comedy and period drama fix this way!
   • Blanket – Enough said.
   • My parallel Bible
   • Pillow mist - I use a few different scents depending on how the day went and they really help me fall asleep. It would be nice if I could have the same scent to go to sleep with half a world away.
   • Calphalon cookware – It’s too good to give up.
   • My library – You know I can’t part with my books.

We fly Southwest. Always. Always always. Kevin does not believe in paying extra for bags and hey, I’m right there with him. So I’ve only ever flown Southwest except for that one time that we had to fly Delta. Thankfully our experience looked nothing like what Colleen usually deals with, but still. I prefer our usual.

Long before I stepped on my first flight (3 years ago at age 22) I was a fan of the A&E show Airline (it’s streaming on Netflix so go check it out!). It was an early reality-based TV show that actually showed what the people of Southwest Airlines did on a day-to-day basis and not some cooked up drama. I love flying through BWI because most of the time I see one of the ladies that I used to watch every week. The show is really entertaining (to me at least, but you have to keep in mind that at the time I wanted to be a flight attendant) and can be hilarious at times. I mean, drunk people in an airport, trying to get on a plane. Or drunk people who have missed their flight. Or drunk people who swear they aren’t drunk and if you don’t let them on that plane then by George you’ll regret it because they are missing their own wedding to a person they met in the bar at this very airport one month ago (actual plot from an episode). Common denominator here — drunk people. Coming from a family of teetotalers, drunk people are hilarious to me, especially the ones making royal fools of themselves in public.

The thing is I’ve never run into anyone drunk in an airport. Ever. Haven’t witnessed a scene of any kind. But Airline had prepared me for what I might encounter, so whenever I was boarding the plane in Denver to fly to Philly and felt someone bump into me and sort of get all up on me, I tried not to react because I had an idea of what I might be in for. Well, then this woman started shaking my shoulder and saying, “Excuse me, excuse me please, can you tell me where I need to be?” Her voice sounded familiar and I turned to check out the number on her boarding pass to help her find her place in line.

Oh. My. Lands.

It is a drunk.

It’s Meredith from The Office.

DRUNK MEREDITH.

Okay, it was Kate Flannery, but in my mind I am thinking DRUNK MEREDITH FROM THE OFFICE IS RIGHT HERE. I am not sure how many different faces my countenance contorted into at that moment, but I know my eyes were as big as saucers. Somehow I remained composed, checked out the number on her boarding pass, and told her that she was in front of us.

All the while, Kevin is deep in conversation with this guy about the Big 12 and what’s happening to it and yada yada, he doesn’t even notice that DRUNK MEREDITH is standing right in front of him. She is a pretty tiny lady, but still. So I’m kind of jabbing him but he doesn’t really respond because he’s used to me doing that sort of thing. And because I’m afraid he’s going to miss this or that the internet won’t believe me when I return with my tale, I dig around for my phone and snap the best picture I could get in that lighting. My real camera is a little too serious looking and I didn’t want to scare her or think I was some weirdo.

He finally responds to all my poking and prodding by turning around and saying, “Do you see who that is?!” And I’m thinking, No, I’ve only been poking your ribs for the past minute in a half to annoy you. But I just nod. By this time, Ms. Flannery has started eating an Egg McMuffin and I was really really hoping that Kevin would just let her be. But do you know Kevin? Okay. And the thing is, he’s sneaky. Quiet. Almost a creeper, but not quite. He’s very good at jumping out and scaring people. And really, his cunning is rivaled only by that of some African jungle cat. I’m pretty sure we put it on the table during our premarital counseling that he is never allowed to sneak up on me or scare me in anyway. Like my mother, I am highly susceptible to those types of attacks.

And what did Kevin do? He leaned down next to her and whispered, “We’re really big fans of the show.” She turned, smiling, enjoying her Egg McMuffin and said, “Aww, thanks.” That began a conversation between the two of them that I listened to but really didn’t participate in because it’s DRUNK MEREDITH and all my life I have wondered what I would do if I encountered a celebrity of any caliber and what I did know was that I would not be annoying. Shoot, sometimes I hate it when people start talking to me out of the blue. Imagine if people did that everywhere you went. That sounds like my worst nightmare (next to the movie Breakdown, but you know what I mean).

She was gracious and very pleasant, answered Kevin’s questions about her favorite episodes to be in (The Wedding), and went on her way to her seat. Whenever we got off the plane 4 hours later I asked Kevin not to bother her again, even though she didn’t put off the vibe that he was bothering her. And what happens? She approaches him while we’re waiting for our baggage and strikes up a conversation! What a nice woman.

Kate, you’re the only celebrity I have ever accidentally run into. And only the third famous person I’ve met in my life (the other two being Nicholas Sparks and Tom Lester aka Eb from Green Acres). And it was really nice to meet you. Thank you for putting up with us crazy Office fans.

And the best part, by far, is what she said to Kevin when they first started talking. “Sorry I’m just eating an Egg McMuffin and not drinking.”

• Aww, shucks, Matt. I don’t think anyone has ever said anything so nice about my husband and I.
• THIS. Exactly. “The best part about Facebook scam pages is that it helps announce to you which of your Facebook friends are dumb.“
• Say “I Do” to the name change
• The Dirty Dozen and The Clean 15 — read it!
• Burger King Crafts: Twilight Edition
• Colleen’s brief thoughts on the LOST finale
• Man, a baby hippopotamus looks like a great pet.
• The Traveling Red Dress, from The Bloggess
• 45 Things To Do With Fresh Sage – If you’re in the situation I was in a few years ago (planting one tiny plant of sage and having it stay forever and ever and multiply everywhere) then this will be really helpful.

On this, the last day of LOST, I thought I’d share a few show-related links with you. Tune in later today for my list of the “10 Questions I Would Like to See Answered Tonight” and tomorrow for a “How I Got LOST” post about how I got into the show, why it meant so much, and how I feel the finale wrapped up the series.

This is it, folks.

• As a child of the ’80s and a fan of both Perfect Strangers and LOST, I have to say that this is fabulous. Go watch it now.
• This one isn’t so bad either.
  
• LOST 365 Project: A new piece of LOST art everyday.
• Jorge Garcia’s last day on the set
• A LOST playlist
• “LOST devotees need a little faith”
• “The key to understanding LOST? Religion and spirituality” (Some good stuff here, but don’t listen to any of the talk about Chris Seay’s “in-depth” book on the series, The Gospel According to LOST. It’s garbage.)
• The cast says goodbye

And in case all of this “farewell to LOST” stuff is getting you down…

• 11 Reasons to be Cheerful
• Letting Go of Attachment, from A to Zen (I don’t completely agree with this, as I think there are things that are good to be a little attached to)
• Some LOST “Cake Wrecks” (and not-so-wreckish ones as well)
• Cake versus Pie: A Scientific Approach (for the record, I have been pro-Pie my entire life)

This week, my cousin (who I have never met and only recently found online…turns out blogging is in our blood) and his wife lost their dear, sweet baby girl, Ashleigh. As I mentioned a few months ago, she was born at 26 weeks and was a real miracle. I was shocked to learn this week that she had passed after spending almost 4 months in the hospital.

Please keep this family in your prayers. I cannot imagine the heartache they are experiencing, as it looked like Ashleigh was doing so well and would be going home soon. Please remember Curtis, Stephanie, and big sister Zoe in your prayers.

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning,
and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee;
the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward.
Isaiah 58:8