Happy Feet!

Disclaimer...these are not my feet, but a resemblance of how happy my feet are!

When I was younger, I had a couple of pairs of off-brand ropers (cowboy boots) that were worn mostly for going out dancing. Just prior to Ryan's arrival, I got a pair of custom-made red snakeskin boots. And then along came Ryan and my feet have not been the same since! Before, I was wearing an 8 or 8 1/2 shoe/boot, and after, I'm lucky if I can get into an 8 1/2, usually have to have a 9 or 9 1/2. Needless to say, the boots no longer fit, comfortably, and with our move to Utah, I just quit wearing them.

Several years ago I stopped at Cavender's Boot City in Houston to check out getting a new pair of boots, and while I found out what size I needed, I didn't have the money to get them at the time, so I kept the information and planned on ordering them online....which never happened. During my recent trip to Texas, I was determined to get a new pair of boots. However, when Michele and I were in Denton Saturday, we were running short on time. After our run through the Braum's drive through for ice cream, we went to Foster's, the place in town for western wear. We couldn't very well take our ice cream into the store, and we didn't have time to finish and then shop. Since they had an "Open Sunday" sign on the building, I decided to stop by after church Sunday morning. Church was over about 10:00 or so, and after some driving around town, I was at Foster's by 11:00. They were not open. I found ways to waste time, and when they weren't open by noon, I left Denton and decided I'd find a Cavender's in Fort Worth or Dallas.

Monday I had a business meeting, then drove to Granbury to see my uncle. I chose not to stop at Cavender's on the way there, as I had several things I wanted to do before the sidewalks rolled up and the town closed for the evening. After visiting with my uncle, I made my way back to the hotel in Arlington where I spent my last night in Texas. It was located near Six Flags and the new Ranger Stadium, as well as the stadium they're building for the Cowboys. But, not having had dinner, more important than the stadiums and amusement park was the close proximity of Pappadeaux, my all time favorite place for seafood. I checked into the hotel and called Pappadeax to order take out—shrimp etoufeé with dirty rice. You'd think you'd died and gone to Cajun heaven! Despite the never-ending construction from point A to point B, I made my way to pick up my food and found my way back to my room. While what I took out in a plastic container and ate with plastic utensils didn't look as appetizing as the photo below (from a previous dine-in experience), it was OH SO YUMMERS! My tummy was happy and it was time for sleep!

The next morning I had to be back at the airport by 11:00 to return the rental car and catch my 1:00 flight back to PA. I made sure I ate breakfast and left the hotel in time to be at the very nearby Cavender's shortly after 9:00 and I was in cowhide heaven! They did not have a pair of red ropers in the store, so they had order them for me. I had done my homework prior to the trip—I had seen a pair of tan smooth ostrich ropers online and just my luck, they had them in stock! So I tried them on, too, but will have to get them at a later date...maybe Christmas? I also tried on a pair of low profile lace ups, which are waterproof and would be great for snowy days! Again, another order another day! Before they'd sent the pair I ordered, I was on the phone asking for a black pair, too!

The smooth ostrich (only available in men's but they fit beautifully!)


The lace-ups


The black and the red ropers....ahhhhh....feet heaven!

So now my feet are wonderfully happy! I always had a theory about boots (remember, I owned off-brand boots long ago)—they hurt when you first got them, felt great once they were broken in, and then hurt again when it was time to get a new pair. Let me just tell you, these Justin ropers fit like exotic gloves—perfect fit and incredible feel! I can wear them all day and not feel like I have to yank them off when I get home, like I do with other shoes. The only "problem" I've found with them is that there is a tendency to slip and slid a bit when taking the trash down the gravel drive....

Fast Food vs. "Gourmet"

Ok, before I start, let me just say that I know, for a girl wanting to see less of me in the mirror each morning, fast food should be taboo....however, there are days where it's either fast food or nothing (not that I'm going to starve or anything) and then there are days where you just CRAVE something really unhealthy....some days I crave a Big Mac, others it's deep fried fish and hush puppies (Long John Silver's is the only place around here that qualifies for that taste), and like tonight, I was wanting some extra crispy fried chicken. KFC is the place for fried chicken around here....and unfortunately, I've not been successful in getting my fix the past couple of weeks.

One night last week I really wanted some extra crispy KFC with hot buscuits with butter and honey, but it was not to be. I pulled into the drive through and placed my order...10 pieces in a meal, expecting to have leftovers the next day...YUM! I get to the window, hand the gal my card, she swipes it, then comes back to say, "We only have 2 legs in extra crispy, what would you like to do?" And I'm thinking, they have breasts and thighs in extra crispy, but however many legs normally come with a 10 piece meal, they only have 2. Wrong! The ONLY extra crispy they had was 2 legs, period. No breasts. No thighs. Nuttin! And it will be 14 minutes before they have more extra crispy. Well, I must say, I'm a bit discriminating when I indulge in fast food....the extra crispy seems to be less greasy than the original, so I told the gal to forget it, I'd go somewhere else. Then I had to wait another 5 minutes for her to get the manager to come void the sale and credit my card what she'd already charged it. I'm thinking this gal was a few bricks shy of a full load...ok, maybe she only had a few bricks to her load, period!

Tonight I decided I would give it one more try. Fortunately, I wasn't craving extra crispy chicken, but my tastebuds would have been really happy to indulge. So I aim for a proactive strategy as I approach the menu board in the drive through. As a greeting, I was asked if I wanted to try their 7 piece meal for $9.99...you know, the meal they've been advertising so much on TV. (You'd think with so many dollars spent on advertising, they'd make sure they have enough food cooked to accommodate orders, especially 5:15-5:30 p.m. when folks are going home from work!) I asked if they had enough extra crispy to make a 7 piece meal....this time, they had all but breasts. After a brief assessment, I told her to forget it, but did comment on the fact that they have failed to have extra crispy each time I've stopped. She was unphased by the problem at hand...it wasn't her dinner plans running amuck!

What started out as plans for extra crispy fried chicken and mashed potatoes ended up being the highly "gourmet" home-cooked meal of hot dogs and baked beans! It was yummy, and probably "healthier" than the fried chicken, but I certainly would like to indulge in some friend chicken, soon! :)

Successfully Facing a Fear

In July 2007, we got a HUGE amount of rain, which resulted in water in my basement...my theory is that it came up through the floor drains...others believe that it came through the wall where there apparently had been issues before, which led to the landlord installing a drainage system in the front some years ago. Either way, the 2007 rains resulted in two not-so-good problems—a hot water heater and a furnace that went "out". By that, I mean that the pilots were out. Shouldn't be a big deal, right? Wrong. I'm deathly afraid of pilot lights, and for good reason.

The landlord was called and he and his "crew" came out to "fix" the problem—at that time, the hot water heater was the only problem we were aware of, after all, it was summer, what did I need the furnace for then? For 5 days I was without hot water while the circus clowns worked to fix the hot water heater—and for one day, I was completely without water. Needless to say, I was not even just a little bit happy about these events. Nor was I excited to find my landlord walking into my house without knocking or any other advanced warning as I was leaving for work a couple of times. Locks were changed, keys not shared with the landlord.

Along came winter and the "out" furnace was discovered. Hoping it was just a pilot needing to be lit (which I couldn't figure out how to do), I called the landlord, again. And again, he and his crew came out. The thermocoupler was replaced....who knows what else was done, but eventually the furnace was working again.

Fast forward through 2008....we got another big rain in July, but fortunately the hot water pilot did not go out again. However, as the weather has been getting cooler, I finally turned on the furnace...and it didn't work. I agonized for a couple of days about what to do....the last thing I wanted was to have the landlord in my house....with or without me here! So this morning I called the gas company. The one in Utah used to send people out to light pilot lights, but then stopped that service. I was hoping the gas company here offered it, however they are closed on weekends. So I called a heating company in the phone book....the answering service took my information and promised a call back from the on-call technician.

The gentleman called and advised me of their weekend minimum rate—$150. If I waited until tomorrow (Monday), it would be $95 to have someone come out. Yikes! All for a pilot light, hopefully! I explained to the man my inability to find the parts shown on the instruction diagram, and he offered to walk me through it. I gave him the model of the unit, and he very carefully walked me through the process. He was so very patient and kind, and voila, we got it lit, with no mishaps, and the furnace is on and my 55˚ house at waking it slowing getting warmer.

Thank heavens for heated mattress pads—and for the kind gentleman who walked me through the process of lighting the pilot! (I still don't like the idea of fooling with the pilot lights, but I have a sense of accomplishment for today and confidence for the future!)