Budgeting for Boots or Leather Gear

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Some people have commented from time to time about the size of my boot collection and the variety of leather gear that I have. I wear the boots and the leather regularly. I have been asked about the budget required to acquire the boots and gear.

First off, I should note that I have owned some pairs of boots for over 35 years. The boots and gear have been acquired over a long, long time. These items are not something that I went out and purchased entirely at one time.

I operate on one simple philosophy: I only buy what I can afford, and do not extend myself on credit. That’s right — I never carry a balance on a credit card.

How do I do it? I have a budget. Yep, a plain, old-fashioned plan for where my income will be allocated toward expenses.

The first person I pay with each paycheck is myself. I put 20% of my net income into savings. I divide the savings into 75% that I can’t touch until retirement, and 25% into my “rainy day” fund. I have figured out how much money I would need to live on to cover costs for my home, vehicles, food, utilities, and other regular expenses. I have 12 months-worth of savings in this “rainy-day” account that, if needed, I can use to cover a major, unplanned expense. That expense may be something like having to pay the deductible on my auto insurance in case I get into a wreck, up to and including losing my job. I have enough money saved that I could withstand — not to my liking mind you — losing my primary source of income by losing my job and still survive for at least 12 months without another paycheck. Not that I plan to get laid off or fired, but I have left jobs without another job lined up twice in my life, so I know what it’s like to have ongoing expenses without income, and still need to keep a roof over my head and food on the table.

I then allocate the remainder of my net income across expenses. My share of our home’s mortgage, utilities, and groceries. I include in my allocations the costs to own, maintain, and operate a cage (4-wheeled vehicle) and a Harley — not cheap! I also allocate a small amount toward what I call my “boot fund” which is really a small savings account that I tap into when I want to buy boots or leather gear or buy other things that I want — but do not “need.”

Some people have various amounts available after major expenses are paid. But even saving US$10/month can add up.

I also work pretty hard at preventing (or reducing) expenses that can suck my bank account dry in a hurry. I don’t, for example, pay for pay channels on television (such as HBO, etc.) I do not subscribe to a data plan for wireless services, so I do not pay the monthly ransom demanded by the wireless “providers” who charge such outrageous monthly fees. I walk at lunchtime and around my neighborhood — instead of paying for a gym membership. Since I do not carry a balance on credit cards, I do not have to pay what is essentially “debt service” — that is, paying someone else for your own money. Also, I pack a lunch that I bring to work and prepare our other meals at home, each and every day. Avoiding going out to eat except on rare occasions saves me about US$5,000 each year (I calculated that based on eating lunch out 4 days/week and dinner out 3 days/week, which is about average for my fellow residents here in Snoburbia, and offsetting that with the cost of buying more groceries instead).

You do not have to make it more complicated than it really is. Just employ the lessons that those who lived through The Great Depression learned, and taught me: save money for a rainy day and for your future; be a good steward of your money so you can pay your bills and not get upside down (that is, owe more than you take in); then, and only then, allocate funds toward purchase of “wants” vs. “needs.”

This is another reason why my partner and I are so closely synced — we think about finances exactly the same way. Some may call us “financially stable” while others may call us “cheap.” The thing is, we are able to cover our living expenses, reduce expenses that are financially draining, save for retirement and unplanned major expenses, and still have money left over to enjoy things — like our hobbies, interests, and activities. (One thing that many couples fight about is money. Thankfully, that has never been an issue with us!)

My philosophy on finances was best quoted by a dear friend in an email that I received yesterday: when there is something pricey you really want to do or someone you really want to help, the money is there. And when the economy tanks, you have the funds to ride the tide … comfortably.

It’s all about that “B-word.” Budget. Figure out how much it costs to live, see what you can eliminate from reviewing where you are spending your money and don’t really have to, and saving for a rainy day.

Life is short: live it well by budgeting.

Chippewa or Frye Harness Boots?

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Recently, someone sent me an email asking about the current boots made under the Frye boots label. He noted that a new pair of Frye 12R harness boots were already falling apart after just one wearing. One boot pull was not sewn on completely and was coming off.

His original question was whether those Frye boots are really made in the United States, despite the label saying, “made in the U.S.A.”

I replied by saying that yes, the boots are assembled (“made”) in the USA at a plant in Arkansas, in a location that Frye will not tell you where it is (which adds to the suspicion.) However, I assert, unless the owner can prove otherwise, that the leather and other materials from which these boots are assembled comes from inferior sources outside the U.S. Further, because the current owner of the Frye boot label is the Chinese company Li and Fung, known for producing the cheap clothing and footwear imported by Walmart, the boots are assembled by non-union labor using inferior lasts (boot forms) that were not from the original John A. Frye Company.

Current Frye harness boots have a cheap off-brand rubber sole. Further, you can see from this image from Frye’s website that they imprint a pebble grain on the boots to hide blemishes that otherwise would be noticed if the leather were smooth. That is a way to hide that the leather is not Top Grain, the best leather for boots.

I assert, then, that today’s Frye boots are cheaply made from inferior materials. While the going price for a pair of these boots is about US$300, the company and all the middle-men involved are making a huge profit from the well-recognized name, and are not purchasing quality materials to go into the boots in the first place. This is definitely where the adage caveat emptor (buyer beware) applies.

Chippewa harness boots are a fair comparison in today’s harness boot styles. The Chippewa company is owned by another conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway. (Actually, the U.S.-based Berkshire Hathaway owns Justin Brands, of which the Chippewa label is a subsidiary.)

However, in my humble opinion, Chippewa boots are made better. They still use the same lasts (boot forms) for their boots that they used before the company was bought out by Justin Brands. The boots are still made in the USA. From my direct observations of the materials and craftsmanship with which Chippewa boots are made, I feel that they leather and materials that they use to make Chippewa boots is of better quality. The boots are made of smooth leather. Blemishes are not observable. Double-stitching is used on stress points, including the boot pulls. Quality Vibram soles are used, which are far superior for a biker’s required traction (and will last long.)

And Chippewa sells a pair of their “Street Warrior” model 27868 harness boots for about $100 less per pair than Frye. Go figure — are you getting what you are paying for with Frye? I don’t think so. You are paying for a label, not quality.

Just because boots are made in the USA does not mean that they are all made with quality materials and craftsmanship. Look closely and compare, and be a well-informed consumer.

Life is short: do your research before making a purchase.

More than 1300 blog posts later…

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I usually note the milestones of this blog by the 100s, but when the 1300 mark arrived, which was my post about a new way of displaying bike cop galleries on my website, I did not want to delay announcing that gallery. Then I plum forgot (until now).

Not much has changed in the last 3-1/3 months since I celebrated the 1200 blog post milestone. What has been most popular on this blog? Finding a masculine gay man — a perennial favorite search that lands thousands of visitors on this blog; How To Tell If You Have Vintage Frye Boots — also an ongoing favorite, with many inquiries trying to determine what is “vintage” from the current Frye-branded much lower quality boots available these days; and finally, another ongoing favorite — how, when, where, and with what to wear cowboy boots. Man oh man am I surprised by the vast number of guys who search the web anonymously about how to wear cowboy boots.

During the last 100 blog post timeframe, my partner had successful brain surgery, my twin brother and his wife visited for a month while he retired from 32 years of service to our country; and I rode my Harley around my lovely home state and didn’t get lost (much.) We had a hot July, decent August, and very rainy September.

My “new” job at which I started working last November is going well. Four articles or papers that I wrote were published in two peer-reviewed journals, one monthly Association newsletter, and as a chapter in a book edited by a well-respected researcher and professional colleague. One of the papers received a lot of attention internationally and was nominated for an award from my professional association, which I will find out about later. As a result of that (and perhaps doing a few more things right,) I got a promotion of sorts by moving off of conditional probation earlier than the one-year timeframe originally set out in my employment contract and getting a small raise.

Life is going well, smoothly, and quietly. Not much else to report! Keep blogging!

A Closed Relationship

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I read often on various gay forums, blogs, and fetish sites about gay guys who have an “open” relationship. To them, it is okay to “play around” (i.e., have sex) with men other than their partner. That is how they live their respective lives and understand their relationship to be.

I have a rather strong opinion that such relationships do not work for the long term, but who am I to judge — a guy who is for all intents and purposes, monogamously married.

The common marriage vow expresses a couple’s relationship to each other “to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”

I know that is rather hokey in today’s society, but I have to say that this is exactly how my partner and I feel about each other. We live by the meaning of that vow even though the law does not allow us to express it to each other formally and have it be recognized by the state.

We have a “closed” relationship. We love each other without question, without judgment, and without reservation. I almost said, “without condition” but I have to say that there are indeed some conditions. We didn’t put these conditions in writing; rather, we obey the tenets of the conditions by what we do (or don’t do.) We must remain honest with each other. We will strongly protect the other as best we can. We must communicate with one another clearly and meaningfully without using words that can be hurtful. We must respect each other and show that respect by our behavior.

These are the conditions of our relationship, and we are proud of it.

And notice in all that I said above, I have not yet said anything about sex. Another important “condition” of our relationship is that we remain faithful in a sexual way to the other.

There are some who believe that it is okay “just to have sex” as a casual fling, but since “it’s just sex” then it cannot (or should not) cause problems in a couple’s relationship. To my partner and me, though, sex is a part of our intimate relationship that we hold dearly and sacred. That’s why neither one of us would consider having “just sex” with someone else. It is not “just” anything — in our opinion, sex with someone else would destroy the most intimate relationship that we have and break our bond of trust.

I realize that many gay couples struggle with maintaining monogamy. Some have said to me, “hey, we’re not married; we have no Contract in the eyes of God.” That may be true, but in our opinion, we have a contract to remain true, faithful, and honest with each other.

I have to say, that is one reason why we have been together for over 18 years, and plan on being a couple in love (as well as “in like”) with each other until we die.

Life is short: maintain trust through personal integrity.

Boot Heel Plates Squeak?

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A friend sent me a question asking how to stop (or reduce) severe cowboy boot heel squeaking that he was hearing.

Most cowboy boot heels have a thin rubber plate attached to the bottom. This rubber plate can easily pick up oil from a surface that you walk on. Even if the surface doesn’t look oily, it’s possible that some type of oil may be on a roadway, sidewalk, or even a linoleum floor, for that matter. Oil from what you walk on forms a thin film on the rubber plate on the bottom of boot heels. Then you hear a very annoying noise — squeak, squeak, squeak, when you walk.

It does not take much oil to cause an interaction between the rubber and certain flooring products such as tile, hardwood, or other finished surfaces. The interaction results in that annoying squeaky noise.

To get rid of the noise (or reduce it), try this simple and inexpensive home remedy:

1. Find an old toothbrush or any form of small bristle-brush.

2. Pour a little bit of laundry detergent — the best type to use is the powder form — into a small, flat-bottomed, container (dish or bowl.)

3. Drop a few drops of water onto the detergent and mix it with the brush, so you have a paste. It really doesn’t have to be any certain consistency. I’m just saying that a paste works better than a liquid.

4. Using the old toothbrush, rub the detergent paste across the bottom of the rubber heel plate. You do not need to create a bubbly foam. What you are doing is using detergent to break down the oil. That’s what detergent does (and much better that regular soap, so that’s why you should go for the laundry stuff instead of the dishwashing stuff.)

5. Once you have brushed/scrubbed the heel plate with the detergent paste, then rinse the heel plate with water. Remove all residual of the detergent.

6. Let the boot heel plate dry in a well-ventilated area but not in direct sunlight.

Once the boot heel plates are dry, pull your boots on again and see if the squeak is gone.

If you still hear squeaking, then the noise is probably coming from the boot itself, not the heel plate. That’s a topic for an entirely different blog post.

Life is short — hear a good solid cowboy boot heel clunk, not squeak-squeak-squeak!

Basic Grammar

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I continue to be appalled at people who grew up in the United States and who write with the most fundamental errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Here is a snippet of a message that I received the other day:

I bought a Beautiful Pair of Old Gringo All Leather Cowboy Boot’s With Wooden Peg’s Through The Sole’s Great Quality Cowboy Boot’s.

And from the same author, another in a follow-up:

Hey dude, I love your cowboy boots there the bomb!

Here is another:

U R good to lern from.

Here is another:

I think, that, you should, create, another video.

Oh please… come on, folks! I am accepting and understanding when English is not a primary language, so I do not criticize messages that I receive from people who live in other countries where English is not the primary language. I recognize that many of these people are trying to communicate with me in my language because I may not understand their language.

However, each of the above examples came from people who identified themselves to be from the United States. I have no clue why someone would capitalize the first letter of every word in a sentence and use an apostrophe before each “s” to make a word plural. The plural of boot is boots. That’s it. The only time one may use an apostrophe with that word is in this example, “the left boot’s heel needs repair.” Apostrophe “s” is used to indicate a possessive — such as the boot’s heel.

Do NOT get me started on how many people do not understand the differences between “there” (designation of place), “their” (designation of plural ownership), and “they’re” (contraction of “they are.”) These words are used incorrectly all the time! Arrrgggh!

Abbreviations through text-speak, such as “U R” drive me crazy, but for purposes of keeping a message shorter, it is understandable. However, if writing a message for email, please spell out these short words. Do NOT use the single-letter abbreviations just because you usually communicate via text message. Some of us do not.

And finally, one does NOT use a comma when taking a breath. Seriously — a comma after every two words? Really? Oh brother…. if in doubt, leave the comma out.

Okay, end-of-rant. I cannot anticipate that everyone may communicate using the language and skills of a college graduate, but I do expect U.S.-educated residents to employ the most fundamental of grammar, spelling, and punctuation skills. Is that too much to ask?

Life is short: Write right!

Viewership: Zing!

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It is not surprising to me, but I remain amazed at the sheer volume of interest in my motorcycle police galleries that I posted on a photo gallery software system on my website.

I announced it on this blog, and probably had a few hundred visitors come from here.

I announced it in the “what’s new” section of my website, and also saw a few hundred visitors originate from there.

Google is bringing lots of visitors, too. Amazing how quickly Google indexes this blog with its search engine, and sends people searching “motorcycle cops” and related key words to that gallery.

I announced it on the “Boots on Line” board on hotboots.com, and man, oh man, the “visitorship” went … zing! Not a minute after I posted a message there, someone from from my home town immediately followed that link to check it out. (Hmmm… interesting… another follower of hotboots.com where I live? Well, I’m glad there is at least one other Bootman besides me in my hometown where boots are rarely worn except by real bikers.)

Throughout the day, hundreds and hundreds of visitors explored that gallery. By 5pm yesterday, my website logged the highest number of visitors and viewership it has ever had in one 12-hour period — over 20,000 page views. Wow! All that in just a half day!

Well, I’m glad there is so much interest in those galleries. And if you are among those who have gotten tired about the prattling I have done about cops, boots, and this gallery, this blog will resume with a different line of thought tomorrow.

Life is short: enjoy the view!

New Way of Showing Cop Galleries

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Over the last several evenings, I have been experimenting with using a new-to-me software tool that allows for easier management of photo galleries on my website.

I think it is working — Check it out to see the galleries from the recent Police Motorcycle Competition that I attended last weekend.

I have had a recently retired cop friend check it out for me. He has nothing to do but ride his Harley and give me grief (using his witty charm) by sending ransom demands. He and another local cop who I have known since grade school both said that the new gallery seems to work for them. Yea! It will take time to integrate it throughout my website, but I’ve done a quick-n-dirty redirect to make it “go live” already.

Life is short: use new products that can help make life easier (especially if they’re free! Thanks, Coppermine!)

Desensitized to Cops and Boots

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I guess it was bound to happen. When a guy like me who is particularly fond of tall motorcycle patrol boots and cops in uniforms surrounds himself with … cops in uniforms wearing tall patrol boots — like the situation in which I found myself at the recent police motorcycle competition that I judged — I no longer thought anything other than “nice boots, good looking breeches, now how are you riding?”

I know a lot of guys in a certain group have a “passion” for this stuff. I did, too. Sure, I still like to put on my tall black patrol boots with leather or fabric breeches when I ride my Harley, or on occasions to wear around the house. I might even don a uniform to wear privately to play with my partner. Fun stuff — like “arrest” him when he gets home from work for the crime of being too good to me. That kind of thing.

This past weekend, I saw lots and lots of uniforms and boots. After a while, I heard myself saying, “oh, there are a pair of Dress Instep Dehners. There’s another– that pair has a double sole. That pair has lug soles. Oh those are Chippewa Hi-Shine engineer boots. Those are Chippewa Patrol Boots.” Then more Dehners. Lots of Dehners.

You see it so much you stop looking. Well, let’s say you stop gawking. Sure, I admire a well-kept pair of tall patrol boots on a fit cop in uniform. I am a healthy, red-blooded, gay man. But that’s it. I have no fantasies, no thoughts in any way about what I’m seeing.

I guess that comes from being in a monogamous relationship so long. I don’t think “that way” about anyone other than my partner. And also because I have over a dozen pairs of tall black patrol boots of my own, seeing them on someone else is … just … seeing the same thing again and again. Further, I have several friends who are motor officers. I ride with them regularly (when they are not on duty). No.big.deal. They’re nice guys — the good guys whose service protects us every day.

Okay, I am “desensitized.” That doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t stop taking pictures and working on a new photo gallery for my website. The gallery should be ready tomorrow. Look for the announcement soon.

By the way, why is there a copyright overlay on these images? Unfortunately, I have observed that some unscrupulous people have downloaded images from this blog or my website and reposted my images as their own elsewhere. So overprinting a copyright statement is one way to try to stop that bad behavior.

Life is short: know when it is no longer overwhelming.

Where You Want the Bike To Be

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I see this all the time when professionals ride motorcycles in competitions, yet I remain in awe every time I see it — look carefully at the photos below. My friend-the-cop is demonstrating a riding technique that is very difficult to master. The technique is, “look where you want the bike to be, not at the path of travel.”

This is how such professionals — and some friends in my motorcycle club who have overcome fear of dropping the bike — get a heavyweight motorcycle to turn in a 16′ (4.9m) circle.

Personally, while I have practiced, I cannot do that. You have to be able to turn your head 90 degrees to the left and to the right. Unfortunately, due to a past skydiving injury, my head no longer swivels like that. I barely have a 30-degree turn to the left and a 45-degree turn to the right capability.

Oh well, it’s great to watch the pros do it.