NaBloPoMo – Page 3

Why does everything hurt? And other stories about getting older.

November 12, 2024 littleshoeprincess

About a year ago, Mr. KK and I splurged on a new bed. We finally got to the point where we were tired of waking up each morning like we were in crippling pain (which we were) and not being able to stand up straight.

After much research – and recommendations and reviews from friends – we landed on a Sleep Number bed. We each have our “number” that we can independently set on our phones to give us the best night sleep. Not only do we no longer dread having incessant back pain and getting up in the mornings, we can’t wait to go to bed at night. Plus, we are now in a healthy competition to see who gets a better sleep score (9/10 times it’s him).

Even though we’ve gotten our sleeping and backs on track, that didn’t stop old age from creeping in. While some things tend to be harder when you get older – understanding technology, seeing, leaving the house after 7pm – the one thing that continually gets easier is the frequency that you can pull a muscle.

Here are all the ways I’ve pulled a muscle this year:

Sneezing
Putting on perfume
Turning over in bed
Coughing
Putting on my seatbelt
Unbuckling my seatbelt
Breathing
Picking up a grocery bag
Putting away groceries
Picking up the dog
Sleeping
Stepping over the dog gate
Putting on underwear
Blowdrying my hair

Inside, I don’t feel old. But man, is my body trying to tell a different story!

So far no muscles were pulled in writing this blog.

cooking, Italian, Mr. KK, recipe

Italian Kitchen: Pasta with Anchovies Recipe

November 11, 2024 littleshoeprincess

Mr. KK and I both come from Italian families. On both our mothers’ and fathers’ sides, all Italian.

When we started dating approximately one million years ago, we would compare the Italian traditions our families had. While some were the same – fish only on Christmas Eve and ham pie on Easter – we discovered that while both families were Italian, there were different recipes and traditions each followed.

First, Mr. KK’s grandmother would put hard boiled eggs in her meatloaf and top it with bacon, while our meatloaf was unstuffed and naked on top. My grandmother would put pepperoni in her escarole and beans, and Mr. KK’s family made a no-meat version. Mr. KK’s family enjoyed basket cheese on Easter (eaten sliced with salt and pepper?), while my family put the basket cheese in the Pizza chiena (aka: Italian ham pie).

In sharing our families’ traditions, Mr. KK told me how his grandmother would make pasta with anchovies. Prior to this courtship, anchovies were not part of my food repertoire (unless you count the ones in caesar dressing).

Fast forward a bunch of decades, and I’m listening to Ina Garten’s podcast “Be My Guest”, and she has Bobby Flay coming to visit her in the barn to chat and cook. And what does he make for Ina after they talk, pasta with anchovy butter!

It just so happened that I found myself with an open can of anchovies with two missing (that I had used for a salad dressing); what better way to use them up than in a delicious pasta.

Bobby Flay’s recipe was a little more complicated, involved a food processor that would be caked with butter and impossible to clean, and used fettuccini. I used his recipe as a guide, but modified it to be less labor intensive, and to use fresh pappardelle pasta, one of my personal favorites.

Pasta with Anchovies Recipe

This pasta dish is easy to make with just a few ingredients. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter
8 anchovy fillets (removed from oil)
9 oz fresh wide pasta (I used pappardelle, but fettuccini works too)
Lemony breadcrumbs (recipe below)

Lemony breadcrumbs:

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced to a paste
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Zest of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Make the lemony breadcrumbs. Melt the butter and oil in a small frying pan together. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant (don’t let it burn!), then add the breadcrumbs and stir until coated. Continue stirring and toasting until golden brown. Add lemon zest and stir. Let cool.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Once water is boiling, start melting the butter.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the anchovies. As the butter melts, break up the anchovies with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the pasta to the water. Fresh pasta usually only takes minutes to cook. Once cooked add pasta to the butter and anchovies and reserve a cup of pasta water.

Toss the pasta with the butter until evenly coated. Add a small amount of pasta water to help coat the pasta. Divide pasta into two shallow bowls. Top with breadcrumbs.

***

If you’ve never had anchovies I suggest you try this. It’s not fishy and has more of a rich, salty taste.

1821, cocktails, thanksgiving

The best fall cocktail

November 9, 2024 littleshoeprincess

Each year when we host Thanksgiving, we like having a signature cocktail for the day. Something that embodies fall flavors, is relatively easy to make in batches, and that can give that little turkey day buzz we all need.

And because we can’t just serve a cocktail cold turkey (see what I did there?), we have a day or night where we’ll test out cocktails to see which ones makes the cut. Last year’s cocktail – the Brown Sugar Cranberry Bourbon cocktail – (and the entire cocktail tasting day) was delicious.

This year, Mr. KK and I were taste testing on our own, and we started with just one cocktail. And it was a winner – no further testing needed! (However, I should probably drink a few more of the chosen cocktail to make sure it’s exactly perfect).

This year, we will be shaking up the Fig Bees Knees.

Fig Bees Knees Cocktail

Makes 1 cocktail.

Ingredients:

2 oz gin
1 oz honey syrup (see note below)
1 oz lemon juice
1 Tablespoon fig preserves
Sprigs of thyme
Fig slices (for garnish)

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, add the gin, honey syrup, lemon juice, fig preserves and 2 sprigs of thyme. Add ice and shake vigorously.

Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a sliced fig and thyme sprig.

Honey syrup:

Combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of honey in a small sauce pan over medium heat. As the honey starts to melt, continue stirring until the honey and water are completely combined. Store is air tight container.

Cheers!

Age, getting old

I’m in my ma’am era.

November 8, 2024November 8, 2024 littleshoeprincess

You never forget your first time.

The first time I was ma’amed, I was in my 30s, in a Starbucks in Westport, Connecticut. It was the afternoon, and I had walked down with some coworkers for an afternoon pick-me-up during a new business pitch. The barista finished my order, handed my drink to me and said, “Here you go, ma’am.”

Um, excuse me?

I walked away in a daze. I had been ma’amed. If you worked at the Westport, Connecticut Starbuck downtown around 2005, you made a very big impression on me. And not in a good way.

Was I old enough to be a ma’am in my early thirties? Did I LOOK like a ma’am? I’m on the short side, so I often hear that I appear younger than I actually am. Did that barista ma’am everyone and I was just lumped in with the general public? Did I look like the general public??

I chalked it up to a severe misjudgement on the barista’s part.

Shortly after that scarring experience, I was a grocery store and the lovely cashier handed me my receipt with a sweet, “Here you go, Miss.” And all was right in the world again.

I knew I couldn’t hold onto my Miss-dom forever. There would be a time when it just wasn’t feasible anymore: my crow’s feet would be too visible; my gray hair would give me away; I had that look of someone who has lived half a century and wasn’t taking any bullshit.

And that time has come.

This past summer I was picking up Little Mister from camp. The slew of camp counselors this year looked like they were barely out of middle school, let alone old enough to be responsible for 10 year olds. On a particularly hot July day, I rolled up to the pick up line and a young man approached my car.

“Hello, ma’am,” he said to me, proud of his politeness.

Now, his parents should be proud of how cordial he was. And there is a chance I looked slightly haggard after a day of meetings. When Little Mister came out and jumped into the car, the counselor shut the backseat door and leaned in my open passenger window to give me a wave and a little “Have a nice day, ma’am!” before I zipped up my window and peeled out of the parking lot.

I had been ma’amed not once, but TWO times. In the span of 5 minutes!

What was happening? After that horrific episode at camp pick up, I started hearing it everywhere people were talking to me: the airport, restaurants, delivery people! I was being ma’amed left and right.

It seemed I had transitioned to ma’am territory, and there was no going back.

Amazon, shopping, Target

The best things I bought this year

November 8, 2024 littleshoeprincess

If you ask Mr. KK, we have boxes delivered to our house every single day. And while I think that’s a slight exaggeration, the delivery drivers are so familiar with our house they know they can drive right down our driveway and have enough room to turn their big trucks around.

As a professional shopper, I have made some AMAZING purchases over the last year. And I’m going to share them all with you right here!

Cabinet water bottle organizer.
If you own more than 2 water bottles (and honestly, who doesn’t?) this is the perfect organizer for you. I knew we needed this when Mr. KK kept opening the cabinet and swearing when water bottles would either fall on his head, or he couldn’t find something behind the sea of water bottles.

Black summer dress by Eddie Bauer.
This dress is deceptively comfortable and can be dressed up or dressed down. I’ve worn this to date night with sandals and around a city with sneakers. It’s especially great for hot weather because the material has wicking and doesn’t cling.

Small pizza peel.
I know this one isn’t for everyone, but we have an Ooni outdoor pizza oven and Mr. KK needed this! The peel we had was too big to do the quick rotation of the pizza that you need to do so you don’t end up with a burnt hockey puck. This was probably the best thing I bought him this entire year.

A set of grown up luggage.
It was time to have a set of matching luggage so I didn’t look like a college spring breaker headed to cancun with mismatched bags. I love this set. The tote is very room and unzips for extra room. The roller bag is durable and fits a full long-weekend of clothing!

image from amazon.com NOTE: this is not me.

Soft pajamas.
I love these pajamas so much I bought a second pair! They are soft and just the right kind of loose to be uber comfortable. I’m going to see if they come in long sleeves/long pants for the winter!

Pool slides.
When I first saw these, I said NO WAY. But then after going to pool day after day, I needed something rubber that wouldn’t slide off my wet feet. It was the watermelon color that got me, and then they turned out to be super comfortable! I wore them every day to the pool.

Rothy’s loafers.
It wouldn’t be a list without a pair of Rothy’s! I LOVE THESE MULES. They are super comfortable and the perfect fall shoe. The leopard goes with so much, and it’s like wearing a slipper out in public (that’s my kind of shoe!)

Rothy’s clogs.
And…a second pair of Rothy’s! These clogs are so very comfortable and the perfect slip on shoe to run errands. They run big so I sized down and they still fit with cozy socks. They provide great support and this color goes with everything!

image from instagram

ReciMe recipe app.
If you save recipe posts on Instagram, or any other platform, this app is for you. It’s so easy to use: just download the app, and when you find a recipe on instagram that you love, you hit the share button and choose the ReciMe icon, and the recipe can be immediately imported into your account. From there you can file it in your themed “cookbooks”, such as “desserts” or “soups” or in my case: “cocktails”. Your recipes are always easy to find and at your fingertips! There is a minimal cost for an annual subscription.

Duster cardigan.
Long cardigans are everywhere this year, and this version from Target is lightweight and comes in a variety of colors. And the price is always right. It’s not too long on my short frame.

Happy Shopping!

food

The password is: protein.

November 7, 2024 littleshoeprincess

2024’s word of the year better be protein.

My feed is filled with news about protein:

How much protein do you need to eat to lose weight?

What foods have the most protein?

Are you getting enough protein?

Eat more protein!

Protein for President!

(too soon on that last one?)

Over the last year, I have been working with nutritionists to help balance my food intake, manage my weight, and counteract the M word. In the last few months, I have been tasked with focusing on eating more protein, in order to meet a certain goal each day. I’ll tell you, some days, I don’t want to even look at more protein. But I have learned a few things.

My Personal 10 Thoughts About Protein

Eggs do not have a lot of protein. So if that’s what you’re hoping to get all your protein from, you will be very disappointed. Or, you will be eating 20 eggs a day and likely have other issues.
It takes advanced math skills to balance the amount of protein you need without going overboard on fat and carbohydrates. Be ready to spend half of the day doing calculations.
If you are a vegetarian, good luck!
I hope you like cottage cheese.
Start drinking bone broth. Not chicken broth, but BONE broth. It’s the same, but more expensive, and like double the grams of protein in a cup.
Buy Greek yogurt in bulk.
Factor in nuts! Then see how how much fat are in nuts and cut your nut intake in half. Realize you are short your protein goal. Repeat.
Eat meat. Then more meat, topped with meat and with a side of meat. Fish also works.
Meal plan. Plan your whole day’s meals out ahead of time. This helps to eliminate you crying in front of the fridge when your dinner is ready and getting cold, and you realize that you still need 20 grams of protein in your meal.
Eat beans. But make sure you won’t be in public, or that you work from home.

So am I getting the 120+ grams of protein I should be eating in a day? Sometimes.

Luckily, I eat meat and fish. And yogurt. And cottage cheese. And bone broth.

Do I make my protein goal every day? Nope. Can I easily go overboard on my carb and fat goals? Yep. Because carbs and fats are delicious.

That statement could not be more true:

Some days I find myself not meeting my macro nutrient goals, but I’m not hungry. And the number one rule is DO NOT eat if you’re not hungry. So on those days, I miss my goals. When I find a magic combination of breakfast/lunch/dinner, I do a little dance, and then I tend to try and replicate that.

Tips for Eating Enough Protein

I’m not an expert, but this is what I’m trying:

Find a protein-rich breakfast that works for you, and eat a variation of that.
Have something high in protein that you can snack on. Last week, I made a batch of turkey meatballs and when I needed a little boost or addition to a meal, I snacked on 2-3 of those. Or beef jerky.
Make one recipe each week that you can quickly and easily grab as a meal. For me, I make a soup each week that I have for lunch. Something with – you guessed it – meat and vegetables of some sort.
Try a new recipe each week. I bought the Macros Made Easy cookbook, and I’m trying 1-2 things from this each week. This week it’s the Sunday Quiche (makes an easy breakfast!) and the Blackened Chicken Caesar Cobb Salad, which packs a hefty 42 grams of protein in a serving!
Do your best. Make conscious choices (yogurt is better than potato chips, that sort of thing).

Now get out there and eat some protein!

election

Get Your Vote On

November 5, 2024 littleshoeprincess

There are a few topics I tend to stay away from in group settings: religion and politics. (And also sports, because I cannot contribute).

Today is election day. The last election day post I wrote was during COVID, when an orange, egotistical madman was running for President. Little Mister was just six years old, and we had a very honest conversation about what the presidential election means, and who the candidates were.

Fast forward to today, and that very same “not nice” candidate is running again.

Our polls opened at 6am today, and I was there at 6:10am. I knew the polls would be crowded and that the day would get away from me, so I made voting the first thing I did today.

There was a beautiful sunrise, which I’m optimistically viewing as a light of hope on a very big day.

Today is a day to do your civic duty, and then find something to occupy your mind – work, a run, shopping, binge a show, cook something, anything – so you don’t fall down a mental rabbit hole. Personally, I’m going to happy hour for cocktails.

As a woman, I’m remaining optimistic that we will elect a President that will protect our rights, and the rights of our children. I’m optimistic that we will move forward as a society, and not backwards.

Now go get your vote on! (And make the right choice!)

Computer

I Was Mixed Up in an Underground Computer Theft Ring

November 5, 2024 littleshoeprincess

Part of my “Year of kk” was finding a new job where I felt challenged and spend my days exercising my creative brain. In March I received a job offer that brought me back to my creative agency days.

As I was untangling myself from my marketing director role at the surrogacy agency, I was preparing to give back my Macbook (before getting my computer from my new company), and I decided that I wanted to have a personal computer separate from my work computer.

I purchased a brand new Macbook that was to be delivered that week. I was so excited – I don’t know the last time I had a new computer that was not a work computer!

Computer Delivery Day

I was in meetings when I got the UPS email that my package had been delivered. Squee!

I texted Mr. KK: “My computer got delivered and I’m on calls for the rest of the afternoon. When you get home from work can you bring it in?”

Mr. KK came in from the garage with no computer. “I looked everywhere,” he told me. “No computer.”

Hmm. I went back to the email from UPS, and it did, indeed, say it was delivered. I texted our neighbors to see if by chance my computer was delivered to their house by mistake. Nope.

Where was my effing computer? We live down a long driveway, so it’s not as if someone would be walking by on the street and see a package and take it.

I then logged into the UPS website for more info and saw that not only was my package delivered that afternoon, but the notes said, “Package was given to resident.”

And that’s when things got interesting.

The investigation.

That night, I filed a claim with UPS and alerted Apple that while UPS is saying my package was delivered – to me, apparently – that was not the case. Apple was very understanding; so much so that I wonder how many times computers that are delivered aren’t actually delivered.

The next morning UPS sends an email to confirm that there was truly a problem with my shipment, and that another family member was hoarding my package, or that I didn’t check every door at my house. When I confirmed that yes, my package truly was not delivered, I received a phone call from the UPS claims department.

UPS: “I’m calling about claim 12345. Can you relay in your words what the problem is?”

ME: “UPS is saying they delivered my package and it is not here. The website actually says it was given to the resident – that’s me – and that is not true. I never received the package from a delivery driver.”

UPS: “I’m going to call the driver of the vehicle and call you back.”

5 minutes later…

UPS: “I spoke with the driver, and he said that he gave the package to the resident.”

ME: “That is blatantly not true. I was the only one home, and he did not hand it to me. I have video proof that this did not happen.”

UPS: “Uhhh…let me call him back.”

5 minutes later…

UPS: “Ok, the driver said that he gave the package to your boyfriend.”

Oh, Mr. KK was going to LOVE this story.

ME: “My boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend!”

UPS: “He said that he gave the package to your boyfriend, who came up to the truck before a few streets from the destination and gave the recipient’s name and told the driver what was in the package, and then told him to give the package to him because he wanted to surprise you with it for your birthday.”

What in the actual eff? Either someone has been tracking my movements and knew I was getting this delivery and what it was and knew my name and address (CREEPY), or the delivery driver stole my computer and made up this ridiculous story.

This UPS guy was admitting that he gave a package to someone who was NOT the recipient, at an address that was NOT the delivery address.

I shared all of this info with Apple, who probably already knew where my computer was and who stole it because of the serial number and I’m sure some high-tech tracking device.

Apple – who should be named Cucumber because that’s how cool they were with all of this – said, “No problem, we’ll send you another computer.”

But the drama doesn’t end there.

When I received the delivery date for my new computer, I called up UPS and told them to hold my package at the facility and I would pick it up. I was NOT going to lose another computer to an unscrupulous delivery driver.

I safely brought my beautiful, new computer home. I opened up the box and turned it on and connected my Apple ID. Finally, my very own computer! It was so shiny! So fancy!

And then…I heard from a family friend that they had also just bought a new computer and wanted to know if I wanted their old Macbook, which was a few years old but in great condition.

WHAT?

While my new computer was awesome and still a virgin, the thought of having a computer that was lightly used AND FREE was very appealing.

Mr. KK: “Maybe you can return the new computer? You haven’t even used it!”

This was true. I once again contacted Apple and told them the situation.

APPLE: “You want to return the computer you just purchased?”

ME: “YES! It’s not even used. I just put in my Apple ID but we can clear that out.”

APPLE: “Which computer are your returning? The original one or the replacement one?”

So Apple apparently thinks that I now have TWO computers from them – the original (stolen) computer and the second (paid for) computer that was delivered the day before. They must think I’m running an underground computer ring.

ME: “I’d like to return the second computer that was sent to me as a replacement for the first computer THAT WAS STOLEN. I only have ONE computer. And I didn’t even use it!”

APPLE (likely tired of people stealing computers, ordering new computers, then returning computers): “We’ll send you a shipping label and refund you.”

So in the end, I didn’t get a new computer after all (but some random UPS driver did!). UPS also never followed back up with me, so perhaps that driver was fired. At least, that’s what I like to think instead of the thought that someone was tracking my computer delivery and knew all of my info and truly did claim to be my boyfriend when he intercepted the truck.

Did I mention how much Mr. KK liked the story of my boyfriend accepting my package?

Age, getting old

Feet don’t fail me now.

November 4, 2024 littleshoeprincess

I could easily fill 30 days of blogging with posts about getting older – every day focusing on a new ailment. (But really – who wants to read that?)

Over the summer months, the side of my right foot started to hurt. There’s a bone there (go ahead, find it on your foot) that was sensitive and painful. I was wearing lots of flip flops and pool slides, so perhaps that was the cause? When I consulted Dr. Google, it said I’d likely have to amputate my foot. And after 3 months of hobbling around in excruciating pain, I decided to get a second opinion with an actual foot doctor.

One of the many jobs I had while in high school was working in a foot doctor’s office. My job consisted of me standing at a counter for hours punching holes in pieces of paper, adding them to the patient charts, and then putting all the charts back alphabetically. This was the early 90s, so there were no iPhones/spotify/airpods/audiobooks to be had. I would have had to bring in my (rather large) Discman (!!) and wired foam headphones if I wanted to listen to music. If I had head phones on, I’d miss the juicy office gossip that swirled all around me. And, I wouldn’t be able to hear the misogynistic doctor who owned the practice walk into the area where we were all working, clear the phlegm from his throat while openly scratching his man parts through his thin scrubs yelling out patient names so I could fetch the charts for him. Did I mention how glamorous this job was?

While the doctor was an asshole who I would never let touch my feet (or any other part of my body) there was a sweet, young female foot doctor who also saw patients, Dr Wong. I have no idea how she put up with him, but she was quiet and professional and I liked her very much. Over the last 25 years when I did need a foot doctor, I did some sleuthing and found Dr Wong! She has her own practice in Cheshire and was always so gracious when I would go in.

I was four month deep in my foot pain, and it was bad enough that I had to go see my old friend Dr Wong.

I made an appointment and after having to cancel it twice due to work travel, I finally made it there in October. Dr Wong was thrilled to see me (her memory is unbelievable, she told me stories about myself I had zero recollection of).

She inspected my foot and listened to my woes and declared that I have tendonitis because my foot bones are off (?) and I’m overcompensating for something and pulling on the tendon on the outside of my leg. (This detail is about the extent of what I take away from a doctor: vague diagnosis and unclear cause). I left the appointment with a taped up foot (“Don’t get it wet – shower with a bag on your foot” Dr. Wong advised) and the insole of my sneaker doctored up with arch support.

Spoiler alert: that didn’t fix me. I went back three weeks later, and that’s when she really gave it me straight.

“Both of your feet are problematic,” she told me. “Your right foot the bones on the bottom are uneven and it’s pulling on your tendon. On your left foot, your foot leans in.”

“So what you’re saying is,” I say to her, “is that I’m falling apart? I’m old and my body is breaking down?”

“Not your whole body!” Dr. Wong exclaimed. “Just from your ankles down. The rest of you looks good – and you have great hair!”

As flattering as the hair compliment was, Dr. Wong went on to explain that I needed additional support in order to walk properly and pain free. She picked up my New Balance sneaker and folded it in half. “See this?” she said. “No support!”

“But those are actual walking/running shoes!” I exclaimed.

“This is just a sock with sole!” she said shaking my sneaker at me. True story: I love my New Balance sneakers so much – and they are so comfortable – that I have purchased the same sneakers the last 3 times I needed a new pair.

“You need shoes with more support!” Dr. Wong said, pulling up ugly, geriatric sneakers on Amazon. “Like these!” she said.

The sneakers she was showing me were pairs that my grandmothers (rest their soles) would not be caught dead in.

“And you need inserts!” she exclaimed, typing furiously into her browser.

With each declaration, her diagnosis and suggested plan of action got worse and worse. I sent this text message to Mr. KK:

It just kept getting worse and worse. Old age was now affecting my favorite feature: my feet!

I tried to explain to her that I wore a lot of fashion sneakers and other shoes (read: Rothy’s) that would not fit these bulky orthotics. But she had a solve for that too! Half orthotics that are perfect for “going out” shoes.

“Try these inserts in your shoes,” Dr. Wong instructed me. “And if those don’t work, we will try the heel lifts.”

If my foot didn’t hurt so much on a regular basis, I may have ignored her. But I was literally in pain 24/7, and limping around like an invalid. I already walked like I was 95 years old, so why not wear shoes like a 95 year old?

That afternoon, I ordered the old lady sneakers, and the insoles. I drew the line at heel lifts, because I was just not ready for that commitment yet. Today, everything arrived in the mail – stay tuned.

Fashion

Putting my best foot forward.

November 2, 2024 littleshoeprincess

I love my feet.

When we lived in Boston I was working in the advertising department at Filene’s (remember Filene’s??). One of the perks of the job was having access to the sample sales to unload merchandise that was photographed for the catalogs, since it couldn’t go back on the selling floor. Each department would hold a sample sale down in the buyers’ “offices” (cubicles) and all the advertising folks would scamper down from the 8th floor to be first in line (if you didn’t get there early you would be left with slim pickings). I would come home with $15 comforters, $2 towels and $10 handbags.

The best sample sale BY FAR was for shoes. You see, I am a sample size 6 shoe. When photographing shoes for a promotion, they would shoot the smallest size which was almost always a 6. Once shot, the shoes usually didn’t go back on the selling floor (they were marked with a big X on the bottoms) and they’d be at the next sample sale.

The beauty of the shoe sample sale – compared to the bedding sample sale – is that while everyone could use a duvet, very few people had size 6 feet.

On shoe sample sale day my friend and forever shopping partner would get the call from the shoe buyer that the sale was on. I’d grab an empty shopping bag and we’d sneak down the back staircase, through the maze of cubicles until we reached the small conference room which contained one long table covered in never-worn shoes, all a size 6 and all $5 a pair.

That’s right. $5 a pair!

Leopard calf hair ankle booties! Red kitten heels! Pink ballet flats! Black Mary Janes! I bought them all. I had a very impressive shoe collection for a twenty-something making $30k a year as a copywriter.

When I left my job at Filene’s and we moved out of South Boston (7 boxes of shoes in the moving van), I arrived at my new job with an impressively strong shoe game. And I loved wearing every pair. Each day I’d dress and show up to work in heels. Not only was I able to walk around the office all day in pointy toed boots and platform wedges, I drove the hour to and from work wearing them! Wearing heels make me feel glamorous, but they also enabled me to wear pants without hemming them to fit my 5 foot frame. I was literally wearing heels from 7am until 8pm every day. I was, apparently, slightly insane.

Fast forward a decade or two, and you will have a hard time finding a shoe with any height in my closet. Waaay in the back I have a pair of black heels that make my feet weep after wearing them for only an hour. I could potentially get a few hours out of a wedge, but that’s about it.

My closet is filled with flats and sneakers. I might as well own stock in Rothy’s I have such an embarrassing number of pairs #sorrynotsorry.

Back to my feet.

Once, I was coming home from work on the T in Boston (wearing jeweled kitten heeled thong sandals) and a very nice homeless man was staring at me until he finally drunk shouted at me: “You have really beautiful feet!” I was flattered.

My feet are small and proportioned. My toes behave accordingly, and are in perfect descending order of length. My feet look good in any shoe, because every shoe looks good in the prototype size 6. In the summer, my feet turn a beautiful bronze from the sun.

And the best part about my feet? They always stay the same size! So while I have bins of pants that span 4 sizes, my shoes have always fit perfectly and never disappoint me.

I could always count on my feet.

That is, until my feet started failing me.