Monthly Archives: April 2014

Insoles for Boots

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Lucmidbrownfr09I am asked from time to time about how to make boots feel more comfortable on the foot. Since I wear boots every day as my only choice of footwear, having boots that feel comfortable is important.

All boots come with some sort of insole — from cardboard to a thin cushion to an actual built-in gel insole. Most boots, though, have only paper-thin insoles of cardboard.

Interestingly, some higher-priced boots come with paper-thin insoles and they feel hard as a rock to wear. This includes Lucchese boots. Other lower-priced commercially made boots come with cushion insoles, like Dan Post boots, and feel comfortable right away.

What do I recommend about insoles for boots?
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Priority of So-Called Necessities?

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Note: rare rant alert.

I was reading an article in the Sunday newspaper where the financial situation of a family of 5 were described in-depth, asserting that the middle class is in a downfall. The family lives in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. They have a nice house, one car and one truck, and a $90,000 per year income between both adults. The kids, ages 8, 10, and 13 are enrolled in a good public school system.

One would think that on that income, they would be able to live comfortably. Perhaps not be able to buy all the latest toys, go out for entertainment often, or drive the latest snazzy yuppie-mobile, but they’re doing okay.

The story, however, revealed that this family claims that they are barely making ends meet and last month, were late or didn’t pay the bills for utilities such as electricity because they had to reallocate resources to buy a used car to replace one that died. Now their credit rating is taking a nosedive.

How can it be that they are in such a financial mess?
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21st Year of Lovin’ My Man

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Marriage03Today, April 25, marks the 21st anniversary of the date that I met the man who fundamentally improved and changed my life. Yep, 21 years ago there was an event called the “March on Washington” for LGBT rights. It was an amazing, life-changing time for me and for the man I married one year and three weeks ago.

Thirty-seven and one-half percent (37.5%) of my life has been spent loving one man. Where have we been? What has become of this relationship?
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Normal Boots

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Lucblue15Someone asked me the other day, as he looked at a pair of boots that I was wearing, “don’t you have any normal boots?”

Hmmm… what did he mean by that?

Rather than get upset or angry, or say something that I might regret later (especially since this guy works where I work and I see him regularly), I thought for a moment and said,
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Technology and Caregiving Requirements Hinder Connecting

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I have a dear friend who lives in Hawaii. We have worked together professionally for more than 25 years. We share many passions and have about the same outlook on life. We have bonded closely with many shared interests.

Although we do not work together these days, we are in the same profession and belong to the same professional association. Last time we saw each other was at our Association’s annual conference last autumn. We played hookey for a few hours, went to a casual restaurant, and really caught up with each other’s lives.

However, there are differences. My friend is all about technology and social media. I am not. Recently, she sent me a message via a social media messaging platform. I didn’t see that message until a week later.

In it, she said…
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No Time for a Holiday

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Yesterday was Easter Sunday. It also was a sunny, warm day. My spouse remains sick, so we could not do anything together. I really miss having his help, especially with physical labor and painting. Of all the trades, I like painting least of all. But my spouse can barely get between the bedroom and the chair where he sits most of the day in our family room, so there was no way that he could help me with some painting that had to be done.

I also do not follow any organized religion, so there was no reason to go to a church. Working full time during the week leaves me very little time on weekends to get things done. So yesterday was not a holiday — it was a full-on work day.

I pulled on my work boots and…
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Chippewa Hi-Shine Strapless Boots 71419

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Late last Autumn, I received an email announcing that a new style of Chippewa Boots were being offered — model 71419 “Strapless Engineers.”

What are “strapless” engineer boots? Same style as regular engineers — round toe, form of the vamp (foot), stovepipe shaft, buckle at the top of the shaft — but no strap and buckle across the instep.Chipstrapless04The boots took a long time to be made. Delivery was promised in January, but slipped until February, then March, and finally the boots arrived in April.

Now that I own a pair of these boots, what is my opinion and review?
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Outlook: Enrichening or Depressing Experience?

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Readers of this blog are aware that my spouse remains ill with an ongoing, persistent, chronic set of physically debilitating conditions caused by an infection that can’t be beat. So far, medical treatment, change of diet, consultation with allied health professionals, and much more have not resolved these problems and he remains in bad shape.

A close friend of mine was asking about him, and said, “I’d find that depressing to deal with day in and day out.”

Like a “glass half full or half empty” outlook,…
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