Good old country comfort
November 5, 2010
I’ve never thought of myself as someone who takes comfort in things. I’m not the one who runs out to shop when I’m in a mood (what mood is one in when one comfort shops? I don’t even know), or who binges on donuts and potato chips when I’m upset. Buying a new pair of shoes does not make me feel better.
Nevertheless, I cannot deny how much I enjoy food and drink, and how I use both as comfort and reward. I know donuts and potato chips are technically food, but they’re junk foods so I discount them—empty calories of processed flour, sugar, potatoes. I feel slightly superior that my comfort food takes the form of pizza (dairy and vegetables with a little flour in the thin, flat crust that I prefer) and beer and wine (I experience a chemical imbalance from it).
I engage in a favorite comfort combo is when I’m feeling lonely. Not because I’m always alone because I’ve freely chosen and embraced the singleton lifestyle which I’m generally fine with, but due to those periodic occasions when I actually wish I had another person around. Nothing soothes me like a big old broiled steak, a giant salad with lots of veggies and vinegar and oil dressing, a movie such as “Bridget Jones’s Diary” or “Under the Tuscan Sun” or a James Bond (wha?) and a bottle of red wine, preferably one of my favorites like Pepperwood Grove Old Vine Zinfandel (a steal at about $7 or $8 per bottle). I’ll be hopelessly weeping by the end of the movie but the next day I’ll feel very satisfied and emotionally refreshed.
I guess beer’s just a general reward for having made to that point the next day. There aren’t many days that go by right now that don’t include a beer or three. I suppose I use it to compensate and comfort myself for the things that I have to deal with in daily life that I’d rather not have to, like working for a living. Not the best reason, but there it is.
Pizza always brings pleasantness to my life—sometimes more than others, as I have forgotten how to stop eating after a sensible amount. I LOVE PIZZA om nom nom nom nom …
When I am getting lunch during a work day, one of my favorites is the lunch special at D’Amico and Sons. I get the Caprese Panini and Tuscan Chicken Soup. That’s a fancy way of saying tomato soup and grilled cheese. Who doesn’t love and wouldn’t be comforted by that? Delicious tomato-based soup with a cheesy overtone and gooey mozzarella sandwiched (pardon the expression) between perfectly toasted and crinkled slices of Italian bread.
I’m sure I could come up with a few other go-to comfort foods (can you say Chipotle chicken burrito, black beans, easy on the rice, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, and green salsa, or The Brothers Deli totally awesome clam chowder on Fridays?) but I won‘t try. You get the idea.
And as for comfort of the flesh and blood kind, how about your cat lounging on you, or giving you a kneady back rub before she flops herself down against you for the night. What’s that? You say you have a human partner? Kids? Pshaw.
I wear bigger shoes now
February 4, 2010
Are feet one of the body parts that keeps growing as you age? Or have my feet gotten a little larger because I don’t impose tight confinement on them? It probably all started with my first pair of Birkenstocks (this is the second, and it seems it’s about time for a third), when I learned just how comfortable shoes could be.
These Nike Air boots are the last in a long line of that style that I used to favor in the 80s. Only these were actually comfortable and had good traction for snowy Minnesota winter walks home from work. I think they’re the oldest pair of shoes that I still have. I got them probably fifteen years ago and wore them regularly for a good eight or nine years. I have good luck with Nike. That’s what the trainers are, too. In footwear as in many things, I’ve gotten curmudgeonly about going for comfort and practicality over stylishness, especially since I had a bout with plantar fasciitis ten or twelve years ago brought on by walking too much in my Dr Martens, which apparently did not have good support. The toes of the shoes I buy have gotten progressively less restrictive, and I’ve gone for extra room in length, too. Whereas I was always a 7-1/2, now I don’t get less than size 8. Sometimes, they might even be 8-1/2 or 9 depending on what the style is, how they run, and whether there needs to be room for an extra pair of thick wool socks. Extra arch support insoles always go in. Someone I know judges shoes by whether they make her feet look big. I judge shoes by whether they make my feet comfortable.My favorite woolens
January 24, 2010
I don’t really have favorite clothes, but two items get a lot of use simply because they are seasonally appropriate—my Scottish wool sweater and my London hat.
During the Scotland portion of my first trip to the UK, I acquired two wool sweaters from a shop on Edinburgh’s High Street. I’m certain to the locals it was just another tourist-oriented business, but the sweaters really are quite nice. I got a blue one and a buff one. I pulled out the blue one first this winter and discovered that it’s perfect for keeping me nice and toasty in my drafty old place, thereby allowing me to keep the thermostat set about five degrees lower than if I weren’t wearing it (with a turtleneck underneath and longjohns under my sweatpants). I don’t recall having discovered that last winter. I was going to switch to the white one, but discovered that something has eaten a hole through it. Moths? Dunno. So I put it back aside. Therefore, needing to continue wearing the blue one but becoming concerned that it might get up and walk away all on its own, I threw it into the cold-water wash. I’ve done that with other wool items to no consequence. Not so with this sweater. It is now only two-thirds its original size. It’s still comfortably wearable as both sweaters were too big to begin with. I need to investigate washing the white one, too. If something’s been munching on it, I would prefer to clean it, too, before attempting repair and wear. My London hat, on the other hand, is polyester and acrylic and went through the wash just fine. Even though I’ve had it for at least seven years (it, too, was bought in a tourist shop near the Tower of London), this is the first winter that I’ve worn it much. I think it’s too small for my head and therefore always does its best to pop off. I have figured out that wearing a headband underneath it gives it something to stick to and makes it usable. Yay!Kelly goes shopping for shoes
December 16, 2009
I like shopping about as much as I like going to the dentist (nothing personal, Dr. Ottavi, you???re great as dentists go, but you???re still a dentist). So it was with low expectations that I went shopping for new winter boots this evening. I was filled with trepidation as I recalled my unsuccessful attempts this past summer to find sandals that were walk-inable yet not 200% butt-ugly.
The outing did not start out on a positive note, well, for two reasons, really. First, the temperature is hovering right around 0??F/-17??C. Who wants to go out in that? Second, I was trying to find the REI and Gander Mountain stores that are supposedly near each other and as conveniently located to my home as any other stores but to which I had never been before. I failed to find either of them.
What I did find was a DSW store, the chain (though not the particular store) of my failed sandal seeking. I had my heart set on a new pair of Columbia boots, but the closest DSW came was Timberland and Merrill. I liked the style of a couple of the Merrills, but they weren???t quite comfortable enough. I finally settled on a pair of BareTraps in a completely different style than my old Columbias, but comfortable and roomy enough for my extra pair of thick wool socks that I add in the coldest of weather.
I also needed a new pair of house slippers as my rabbit Robbin has done a number on my old ones???he enjoys nibbling on leather laces. BareTraps boots in hand, I moseyed over to the slipper section and immediately zeroed in on a nice-looking red pair. Not that I particularly like or dislike red, but they just looked right AND they had no leather laces. Fortunately, they were immediately comfortable, so that was a relatively painless decision.
Then, as I was feeling satisfied about my selections, I stood in the aisle like Lewis (or Clark, take your pick) and surveyed the rest of the ladies??? section. My eye zeroed in on a pair of Nikes. I???ve always had good luck with Nikes. And New Balance. (And Levis jeans. Slow and steady wins the race.) I tried on the Nikes and they were???no surprise???comfortable.
I took another look around and spied a pair of casual shoes that were styled like bowling shoes, so you know I had to check them out. They were a little a little tight so I declined. Plus, they and the Nikes would have been $150 additional to the boots and slippers. I reigned myself in and ???only??? spent $60 extra. Hey, it???s been three years since I bought myself a new pair of shoes.
So, in honor of my successful shoe shopping, I chose to draw you for today???s assignment, Imelda. Also, I drew you in an actual sketchbook. That’s new.
Another post script: I discovered what Rocket Dog does when he’s not jetting around the galaxy. Who knew? Apparently neither athanie nor coco-tidan ???
Kelly’s Unnecessary Blog 