Oh I still need to get my car inspected/properly registered. I was going to try and do that yesterday but I had to babysit for E last minute (and then the plans from my brother and his GF changed three or 4 times which I hate but I have no control over).

So now it looks like next Monday will be the time when I have to do that. I hope I can get this done and out of the way without having an anxiety attack.

Ah, sj, what a pain to clean up (and what a waste!)

The water heater got fixed! It's now 70 in here instead of 64 and I took a nice shower. Yay. And the electric blanket was fabulous last night...and this morning while lounging on the couch :)

Pomegranate molasses sound so very sticky. What a pain to clean up!

Yay for Awesome Doctor, Steph!

Aside from something that's literally on fire, that has got to be about the worst to clean up. Ack.

Yes, sticky with broken glass is not fun to clean up. Anyone have any suggestions for getting it out of my pricey sneakers?

I'd throw 'em in the washing machine, sj. Regular cycle.If they can't hold up for one wash, you know not to get that brand again. I say this as someone who went to an old-fasioned shoe store where they measure you (and keep index cards of notes on customers with special fit needs) with one of the people I assist, and specified that along with having velcro straps, the shoes she got needed to be tough enough to survive multiple trips through the washer. The guy brought out leather New Balance sneakers. And I know they've been through the wash at least twice, looking not much worse for the wear. Mind you, might put canvas sneakers in the dryer, but not the leather ones.

Vortex, is your profile addy good? I can email you pictures.

Yes! Please! Not only do I love pens, I love pens with history. And when someone compliments me on a no doubt beautiful pen, I can talk about my awesome friend Bev.

sj, am I misremembering that you are in the Worcester area? If you are, how do you feel about dinner on the 9th?

Hey, keep me in the loop. I am not exactly in the area (about an hour away), but to see you, I would drive :)

an old-fasioned shoe store where they measure you (and keep index cards of notes on customers with special fit needs)

WS, how do I go about finding a shoe store like that?

Steph and Skye, when things get rough for me, I think about you guys and I know I'm not alone and it helps me feel like I can handle it.

WS, how do I go about finding a shoe store like that?

All the ones I have been to, had a family name, [Surname] Shoes, except for one that was [Town] Shoes in a town that was small enough you knew it was the only shoe store there anyway. They exist in store fronts in downtown streets of small towns or if in a city then on the busy shopping/commercial streets of various neighborhoods. They tend to have a leather repair guy in residence. They sometimes have a resident custom orthopedic insert guy. I have a hard time imagining them in strip malls or enclosed malls. They don't do BOGO sales, but they might have coupons for 10 or 15 % off. They have often been in their location for generations, passing the family business down, weathering the onslaught of Payless and DSW and outlet centers by the weight of their customer service and knowledge of shoe quality and the needs of feet and the kind of sales charisma that comes from deep and arcane knowledge.

Dayum, did I just wax poetic about shoe stores? I, who loathe shoe shopping with a firy loathing?