Simple Spring & Summer Solutions

The classic flip-flop is just the thing for an easy and affordable warm weather solution to floor protection. They are 100% washable, too! Keep a pair on hand for quick trips outside. Keep a pair for indoor use. Keep a separate pair to wear in the bathroom. Buy a few pairs to have on hand for your guests who are not wearing socks. The classic Old Navy flip-flop, shown here, sells for $3.50 per pair or $2.50 per pair if you buy two or more (they are also sold online but they only ship within the United States, but I am sure that Canada and the UK have similar deals available from other retailers). For the price of filling my gas tank once, I could buy twelve pairs of these flip-flops. Having special indoor shoes does not require breaking the bank!

Brinco: Shoes for Illegal Aliens



Are you an alien about to cross from Mexico to America illegally? Do you know someone who is? Well then, be sure they are equipped with the right shoes for the journey. The Brinco Crosstrainer. The Brinco crosstrainer shoe was designed by an artist named Judi Werthein (that is her below in the picture giving out shoes) and she is giving them away free to Mexicans who cross the border to the U. S. She goes to the border with boxes and boxes of her cross trainers and when the illegals see her, they begin to call out their shoe sizes and she gives them shoes for the dangerous trip across the border.


The Brinco crosstrainer is not just any crosstrainer. They are red, green and white for the colors of the Mexican flag. Each pair is equipped with a compass, a light, a map and painkillers in case the Mexican illegal gets hurt on his journey through the sierra. It is an ankleboot instead of a sneaker to protect against snake bites and tarantulas. The map is imprinted on the insole which is removable and shows the most popular illegal routes from Tijuana to San Diego. The aztec eagle is embroidered in the heel and that American eagle is embroidered on toe to represent the dream they are chasing.

In edition to giving out shoes free to illegals who are trying to enter the country, she sells them for $215.00 at a hip boutique in San Diego. And people are buying them as a collectible item. They want to own a piece of history given all the immigration protesting going on now.

More about it here at this link:

State of the Art Shoes for Illegal Aliens


What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Miami Vice Shoes



Today I have declared it Miami Vice Day at my house! I am about the Crockett and the Tubbs. Especially the Crockett. I remember staying at home on Friday nights just to watch Miami vice. There is no greater tv police crime sitcom than Miami Vice. Now I love all the CSI's, Law and Orders, Cold Case, NCI. I watch them all and love them all but still none compare to Miami Vice. I used to be desperately in love with Don Johnson. God, he was dreamy!

I was able to buy season one and season two of Miami Vice on dvd about 3 weeks ago. That is what I am doing today. Watching season one! Those pastel colored mens shoes. I just love them. And let's not forget...no socks!







Now I hear that Jamie Foxx and Colin Farell are perpetrating a fraud! Pretending to be Crockett and Tubbs in Miami Vice! NOT! For some reason I just cannot see Jamie as Tubbs.



Collin might be able to pull off Crockett if he keeps the 2 day beard look. He needs to loose the mustache. That is not working. This hair is not working. Looks a little samuri-ish.



Will I go see this movie? I am not sure. I might just have to buy seasons three and four of the original Miami Vice on DVD and be happy with that.




What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Shoes still Need to Come Off in Summer

Today in Worcester was absolutely beautiful. It was bright, warm and sunny. The warm weather is clearly here and summer will be here very shortly.

Some people may be of the opinion that shoes-off in homes is a good idea in the damp of winter, but is quite unnecessary in summer, except when it rains (which it certainly does here in the UK).

However, on the contrary I maintain that shoes ought to be removed even in summer.

It is true that the weather is drier in summer,so there is less chance of bringing damp or mud into the house. However, in summer, shoes will still pick up small particles of grit. These particles gradually wear out carpets.

If you have laminate or wood floors, there is still the risk of making scratches (watch out with those high-heeled sandals, ladies) or leaving marks (why do you think you are expected to wear deck shoes or go barefoot on a yacht?).

Dust is still a problem in summer. Dust is not good for your health or your children's health and the less of it in your house, the better. There is likely to be even more dust in summer, as the ground dries up and cracks.

Dog dirt is still a problem in summer. In winter, many people will walk their dogs to the minimum that is necessary. In summer, people will be spending longer outisde with their dogs, increasing the risk of fouling up. Dog dirt is extremely unhealthy stuff. Not good for crawling babies. You may try to avoid stepping in it, but your shoes will still pick up small traces and then grind them into the carpet if you do not take them off.

There is also pollen, which is only a problem in summer. Your shoes will pick up lots of the stuff. If you suffer from Hayfever or you live with Hayfever sufferers, I recommend having a shoes-off policy in summer.

Of course, on a hot summers day, nobody ought to mind taking their shoes off!

Preparing to visit a "shoes off" home

I received this e-mail from a reader: I cannot tell you how many nasty sock sightings I have been subjected to when (boys especially), come into my apt. and take off their shoes at the door. What may even be worse is when they remove their embarrassingly ragged socks and let their naked feet loose! This kind of nudity is unacceptable! And the smells that accompany this seemingly polite action--oh my!

Do you fear revealing the ragged condition of your socks? Do you fear emitting foul odors from your feet? Are your shoes an unsightly mess? You need not be controlled by your fears, dear reader. There is a solution! Prepare your feet for exposure prior to leaving your home in three simple steps. Step 1: Wash your feet. Step 2: Put on clean socks. Step 3: Put on a pair of presentable shoes just before stepping out the door. When you arrive at your destination, remove your shoes, but please leave your socks on unless you brought a pair of indoor shoes or slippers with you.*

If you are often out and about and know not whether you will encounter a sanitary, shoe-free home in your daily travels, this may require developing foot care habits. Take the following advice from WebMD: "Keep your feet dry and clean. Things such as foot odor, fungal nails, or athlete's foot arise from having sweaty feet. The drier your feet the less you are at risk for these problems." Wear shoes and clean socks that breathe. Wash your feet regularly. There are products readily available on the market for controlling shoe and foot odor, as well. Ragged socks and over-worn shoes should be replaced for the health of your feet. Clean, dry feet are happy feet. You will not need to fear removing your shoes and those you live with will thank you.

*The writer recognizes that sandals and other sock-free foot fashions pose additional problems that will likely be addressed in a future post.

This Week's NATIONAL ETIQUETTE AWARD goes to.... Russia!

Russia- Wikipedia

World Factbook: Russia

Russia National Travel Guide

Russia Today

I hereby grant the National Etiquette Award to Russia, because it is customary in that country to remove shoes when entering homes.

Russia is very important to Europe because of its gas supply. Britain is heavily dependant on Russia for natural gas, which suppies most of our energy. There was a bit of diplomatic squabbling earlier this week after the government expressed concerns about attempts by the Russian state owned gas monopoly to take over the distribution of natural gas in the UK. Not a good sign.

I have always been fascinated by the history of Russia, particularly the Russian Empire before the revolution. Much as I aspire to be a Modernist with only contempt for the past, I get very nostalgic thinking about reading books about Russian history. I like history a lot more than I generally admit.

Nevertheless, it does not take much reading of Russian history to discover the human misery that both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union were built upon.

Putin, the current president of Russia, is a pretty scary chap. He served in the KGB and seems to have only a minimal concept of democracy in his mind.

I like Russian people, they are very serious, like Finnish people (though don't go telling any Finns that I have compared them to Russians).

I have mixed feelings about serving as a missionary in Russia. It would be a very interesting place to serve, but I would be fearful of going to a place where gangster rule has such incredible power. It must be a very bleak place.

I know a guy who went on a brief mission tour in Russia to the nomadic people in Siberia. He was a loner who loved wildlife. He felt a calling to witness to nomads. He is currently witnessing among the nomads of Niger in northern Africa. It is wonderful how God so often calls people to what suits their personality and interests.

An organisation dedicated to building up the Church in Eastern Europe is the Slavic Gospel Association. I would recommend visiting their website.

How I became an Offalist

I will begin my inaugural post by giving special thanks to Matthew for inviting me to join the cause. It is an honor and a privilege for me to join him in this fight against unnecessarily dirty floors. My journey to this place began when I moved to New York state. In my native Southern California very few ever asked their guests to remove their shoes. I can think of four places that I visited in the last three years I lived there where the host requested shoe removal. While it was not a completely foreign notion, it was certainly not normal. Here in New York with rainy spring, summer and autumn and snowy winter, shoe removal is much more common. As a guest I became accustomed to the courtesy of taking off my shoes at the door, but I still often wore shoes in my own apartment and never requested that anyone take theirs off. Then one day I read a blog called "Shoes Off at the Door, Please" that made me think. Once I began to ponder what is on my shoes when I walk into my apartment I realized that shoe removal is about more than keeping wet shoes off of the carpet so I won't step in the wet spot wearing just my socks. It is about the worms on the sidewalk when it rains. It is about the cigarette butts on the stairs that my neighbors dropped. It is about the gum on the street. Do I want worms, cigarettes and gum on my floors? Absolutely not! I am not a neat freak, but dirty floors have always bothered me. Now I know that there is a solution better than constant cleaning. Floors do not have to become dirty if we choose to take off our shoes at the door. I realized yesterday that I really have become an Offalist and can now only regret the contribution I have made to my own dirty floors and look forward to the day when I can start afresh on a new carpet and politely ask my guests to take their shoes off at the door, please.

Outside in her Slippers?

I saw a woman today taking out her garbage in her slippers.

It may be that she was wearing a designated pair of outdoor slippers, as I do when I take out the garbage (my official chore in my parents' house), but it is more likely that she, like so many people was outside in indoor slippers.

Bad idea. The point of wearing slippers, besides comfort (there are some other kinds of shoes that are just as comfortable), is to keep the home cleaner. Going outside in slippers just defeats the object.

I used to wear a previous pair of slippers outside. Not only did it bring dirt in, but the soles wore out really quickly. That pair of slippers did not last long.

When I get my own home, I will have a pair of flip flops or old slippers at both the front and back door, ready for quick trips outside. Currently, I keep an old pair of slippers by the back door. However, my parents woudl never tolerate my leaving footwear by the front door. When my mother arrives with shopping, she expects me to rush out immediately in my slippers to help her. I cannot even remember what I do in summer when I am barefoot indoors. Probably rush for the nearest pair of shoes. Oh, well, it is her floor and she can dirty it if she wants. I just hope the dirt comes off my slippers before I reach my bedroom.

I Would Like to Welcome

I would like to welcome IBEX Scribe (Angie) to membership of this blog. Hopefully she will be able to provide both a female and an American perspective to this issue.

Now there are two of us, we can together persuade the world that shoes-off is the way to domestic cleanliness and family health and that the English do get it wrong sometimes.

The Scribe's Page

The Scribe's Page

The Ibex Scribe was so kind as to link to this blog.

310 Motoring Shoes



310 Motoring seems to be a mostly men's line, but they do have some woman clients wearing those shoes as well. What a dreamy ad. HMMMMM! Makes me want to go out and get a pair!





About:
310 is about a lifestyle. The name is based on the area code for the city of Los Angeles where 310 Motoring was established. 310 Motoring is the number one automotive customization specialist for celebrities, athletes and entertainers. People from all over the world come to Los Angeles to get their cars designed by 310 and ride away with a vehicle unlike any other, with custom rims and tires, audio systems, entertainment centers and more. These "Influencers" drive automobiles that reflect their personalities, and set the trends with their lifestyle. They are the 'first-movers' in styles who purchase the highest quality products to be leaders in every category: automobiles, shoes, clothing, etc. Customers look up to them: what they drive, wear, and listen to. These influencers are shaping the tastes and trends of the next generation.


What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Silly Argument

Some people argue that even if you have a strict no-shoes policy in your home, you could still spill black coffee or red wine on your carpet and cause permanent stains.

This is true. You can still spill red wine or black coffee in a shoeless home and cause permanent stains (those of you who are teetotal will say 'Don't drink red wine then.' As it happens, I do not drink wine, just beer and spirits. I do drink black coffee, though).

However, do you want a carpet with stains that is full of dust, dirt and bugs or a carpet which has stains, but is a lot cleaner?

Stains do not cause wear and tear to carpets, though they are messy. The tiny grit particles that your shoes pick up do wear your carpet out.

This Week's NATIONAL ETIQUETTE AWARD goes to... Iran!

Iran Page in Wikipedia

World Factbook- Iran

Iran Daily

I hereby grant the National Etiquette Award to Iran, as it is customary in that country to remove shoes in homes.

The Iranians seem to be suceeding in their plan to enrich Uranium. It is rather worrying.

Will the Americans take military action against Iran? If they do, I will probably be undecided about the issue, just as I am undecided about the Iraq War (though I did support it at the time). I recently read 'Christinaity and War' by Laurence Vance, an American fundamentalist who is very critical of Bush's foreign policy and the Iraq war. He made some good arguments.

The Iranian president, Ahmadinejad, looks like a rather comical fellow, short, bearded and smiling a lot. However, he is deadly serious. He denies the Holocaust, talks about conspiracy theories and makes threats against Israel. A scary chap.

Iran is a Muslim country in which Christians do face persectution. For information on the persecution of Christians worldwide, visit:

Barnabas Fund

Open Doors International

Politics and the Shoes-Off Policy

I cannot think of many ways in which a person's politics might affect whether they remove their shoes at the door or whether they prefer visitors to remove their shoes.

I suppose many Conservative party supporters in the UK are likely to be upper middle class and thus would never ask guests to remove their shoes. That is just not done in respectable society here.

I expect environmentalists are probably more likely to have a shoes-off policy, as they worry a lot about pollution and pesticides. Those things can be picked up by one's shoes.

Shoe Emergency

On saturday I was out trying to find a new pair of shoes for dirty Fila for Easter. We were debatng what she was goning to wear out of two different outfits. A beautiful yellow suit that needed the skirt to be altered with her white dress sandals from last year or buy a new dress and shoes that needed no alterations. We did both. In the end, I altered the skirt for the yellow suit and she wore it with her white dress sandals from last year.

Before that final decision, we also went to the mall and scoped out all the dresses in the junior departments and the adult sizes in a 4. It was an all day trek. I wore the wrong shoes trying to be cute on a saturday. I started the day in these and all was well until the third hour of walking.



Now I did say in this post here that these were great for 8 hours. 8 hours at the office! Where you are up and down and walking back and forth to the fax or copier. For constant mall walking after those three hours, I felt like I had been doing the Stiletto Heel Workout. I was about done in. I had to go home and change shoes.

But still, what was I thinking? I changed into these, thinking that they were wedges, not heels and they should be more comfortable.


We went to a different mall and an outlet store, still shopping. Well, they were more comfortable and my feet felt like there were in a dream for the first hour and a half. They were just too high for more mall walking. Plus my feet were already done in by the first pair above. The last store of the day was Target. I was debating going home again and changing shoes, but we had found a dress and a pair of shoes for dirty Fila. I needed to go toTarget for some household items. You know how busy a Target can be on a saturday. There would be no quick in and out and that was why I was debating going home again for another shoe change.

I decided to make it to Target before going home for the final time. I was just about hobbling and walking very slow. Then I remembered, Target has shoes! I could get something flat to wear so that I could get out of those wedge heels. I hobbled over to the shoe department and found a pair of cute, but " oh! so comfortable" flip fops! I tried them on, cut the tags off right on the spot and wore them as I shopped for what I needed from Target. I carried the tag in my left hand and my shoes in the other hand, just in case a swat team of police swooped down on me trying to say I was stealing a pair of flip flops by wearing them. I had no problems. I shopped for an hour with my feet in perfect heaven, flip flopping around.


When I got to the register to check out I handed the clerk my cut tag and she asked where the shoes were. I told her I had them on. I showed her heels in my hands and she smiled and said she knew all about that. Women are one in the sisterhood of the stiletto or the high heel shoe. We are also one in the sisterhood of the flip flp when the heels are too much. I guess for the summer these will be my shopping, mall walking shoes. Heels for mall walking? Not any more. Not by this shoe fanatic! I have learned my stiletto, high heeled, shoe wedge, flip flopping lesson!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Happy Easter?!

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Image hosted by Photobucket.com


What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Yahoo Answers: Do you let your guests go in to your house with their shoes on?

Yahoo Answers: Do you let your guests go in to your house with their shoes on?

Plum Easter Shoe Crazy

The spirit of Easter had deteriorated into a shoe buying frenzy for the absolute correct shoes to wear with my new dress on sunday. The bad thing is that I find so many other "non" easter shoes that I must have. I bought three more pair today. I think one of these will be "right" with the dress. It is so late, that I will not do any try ons until tomorrow. Here are the three lovelies I found today. This pair by Nine West, I just love! I think that these will be the ones for Easter sunday.



Originally I bought these strappy Bellini's for easter. That will allow me to be barelegged as they are dress sandals. With those pumps I will have to wear hose.


Last but not least, I found these FUN shoes. I love the platform heel. Very comfortable. These will be the summer wardrobe for me!






I will stop shopping soon. I will stop shopping soon. I will stop shopping soon.

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Flu Wiki Forum: Leave your Shoes at the Door

Flu Wiki Forum: Leave your Shoes at the Door

Discussion on an Influenza-related site.

Barefoot in the House- ThingsAsian Article

Barefoot in the House- ThingsAsian Article

A short article about Malaysian culture.

Home Assemblies

I posted on the subject of home assemblies on my main blog yesterday. I wrote that I tended to favour holding church meetings in homes.

This raises the question of whether I would request that those attending a home assembly in my home remove their shoes. This is perhaps a peculiarly western question. I gather that in most churches in India, shoes are removed, reflecting Indian culture (and the state of Indian streets). I expect this is the case in other Asian countries.

It is vital not to cause offence. It would be very wrong to adamantly insist on somebody removing their shoes for a fellowship meeting when they did not feel comfortable with this. Even more importantly, it would be wrong to exclude somebody from the assembly because they refused to remove their shoes.

However, making a polite request is a different matter. In a the home assembly there is likely to be a level of trust and intimacy that will recognise the needs of individual families and homes. Thus, there is likely to be an understanding that everyone wants to keep their home clean.

Most church buildings have quite dirty carpets, due to the heavy use they receive. A home in which church meetings are regularly taking place is likely to receive a lot more wear and tear on its carpet or flooring unless those attending remove their shoes. Thus, it is perfectly reasonable for a home that hosts assembly meetings to request shoes-off, but not to insist upon it too rigorously. Such a request is in the same order as advice about car parking or requests not to smoke. In a church I attended in Finland, the congregation were expected to remove their coats and put them in a cloakroom, something I had never experienced in England. Though it was not winter when I visited, this practice was presumbably instituted with the snowy Finnish winter in mind.

Those attending could helpfully be advised to bring their slippers.

Perhaps a shoe-less home assembly would be reminded of Moses and Joshua removing thier shoes on the sacred ground of the Lord.

In the Spirit of Easter!

Easter means to me: shopping, candy and new Easter shoes! Shoes! Yes, shoes! At lunch the shoe bug stuck me over the head with a big chocolate carrot and said go shop for easter shoes. I was about 45 minutes late for returning from lunch. Instead of an hour for lunch I took an hour and 45 minutes. It was worth it. I bought three pairs of shoes!

The first pair are by Dollhouse. Now I have seen Dollhouse shoes before and the only thing that comes to my mind is "stripper shoes" and dropping down to get your eagle on. Never could bring myself to buy a pair. I would have no clothes to ever go with those shoes. I do not have racy clothes to go with Dollhouse shoes. I saw a pair of pink velvet platforms on sale after Christmas and I was tempted to get them. The price was the draw. Reality set in when dirty Fila saw me try them on and asked me if they were exotic dancer shoes and what was I going to do with them if I bought them? Back to the rack they went.

I saw these today and I had to have them right on the spot. Totally out of character, but I plan to wear them and stut proudly. You people say what you want. I will be wearing my "stripper" shoes. Here they are and they are my most prized pair! They are bejeweled and the ankle strap zips up the back so you can get them on.


You can buy a pair here for $89.95!

Well that was not all. Today I wore this pair by Enzo Angiolini. Love these. They are very comfortable platform shoes. I wore them for 8 hours. By the 7th hour they began to feel not so good. Now I know. Less than 5 hours in these are enough. My legs felt like I was doing the stiletto heel workout. I felt like I had on super woman shoes and I was invincible. I am going to hate when these wear out.


Enzo Angiolini: $92.95

I do not have a picture of the next pair and right now I am too lazy to go get my digital camera out and take it myself. They are a pair of beautiful, metallic gray Elena Solano wedge shoes. The heel is about 2 inches high. Lovely. Perfect for summer.

See! I WAS good. Only three pairs!


What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

This Weel's NATIONAL ETIQUETTE AWARD goes to.... Nepal!

Nepal Page in Wikipedia

Nepal Tourism Board

World Factbook: Nepal

Nepal Home Page

I hereby grant the National Etiquette Award to the mountain kingdom of Nepal, as it is customary in that country to remove shoes when entering homes. I believe shoes are removed even in some Christian churches in Nepal.

There was dreadful violence in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal this week. The police used brutal force to curb demonstrations by those involved in the general strike that is takign place there.

Nepal is in a mess. It is facing terrible insurgency from Maoist Communist rebels who want to overthrow the ruling monarchy. The king has responded to this dire situation by setting himself up as a dictator and suspeded democracy.

I do fear that this Himalayan country may yet fall into brutal Communist oppression.

My sister attended a school that sent pupils on a trip to Nepal every year. My sister did not go herself, but some of her friends did. Given the dreadful violence of the countries current problems, I would not be surprised if the school has stopped sending pupils on trips there.

Nepal is a Hindu country and the Maoist rebels are hostile to Christianity. For more information about the persecution of Christians worldwide. Please visit:

Barnabas Fund

Open Doors International

Erotic Shoes of the World 2006

Wow! That is all I can say about this calendar. It is all about shoes. For 2006, erotica is the key. The entire calendar for 2006 can be found at Cortina Shoes. Once I get past the shoe calendars, I will get to the shoes made by them. Darkstar sent me september and with that I was able to google up the original site and the entire 2006 calendar. Neat! Click the month name to find out the history about each shoe.



What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Five Factor Personality Profile

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion:

You have medium extroversion.
You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party.
Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences.
But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time."

Conscientiousness:

You have medium conscientiousness.
You're generally good at balancing work and play.
When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done.
But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it.

Agreeableness:

You have medium agreeableness.
You're generally a friendly and trusting person.
But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism.
You get along well with others, as long as they play fair.

Neuroticism:

You have low neuroticism.
You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.
Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.
Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure.

Openness to experience:

Your openness to new experiences is high.
In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas.
You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits.
A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.



What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

The Shoe Matrix



What do you see when you look into your closet? This is what I see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matrix Quotes from my World!



Morpheus: "Have you ever had a dream of shoes, Neo that you were so sure was real?"

Morpheus: "What if you were unable to wake from that dream, Neo? How would you know the difference between the dreamworld and the shoe world?"

Morpheus: "I'm trying to free your shoes, Neo. But I can only shoe you the door. You 're the one that has to walk through it. "

Morpheus: "You take the red pill--you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the Jimmy Choos go."

Neo: "Why do my highheels hurt?" Morpheus: " Because you have never used them before."

Morpheus: "Unfortunately no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. The Matrix is a shoe, Neo."

Agent Smith: "Never send a human to do a shoes job."

Agent Smith: Do you hear those shoes, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability.

Agent Smith: What good is a pair of shoes when you are unable to speak?

I of course love the Matrix and all the movies in that series. I have them all. This weekend (or even today) may have to be a Matrix marathon weekend. There is nothing better on a saturday afternoon. Do you think that is air, you're breathing?



Amazon does have the set. I had bought all mine individually. I could not wait for any set! I had to have them as soon as they came out on DVD.










What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Asics: My New Pair

These are my latest pair. I just bought them on yesterday. Some Asics Gels. They are great. I had to get them because the New Balance running shoes I had from last year are worn out. They feel great. It is amazing how better a new pair of tennis shoes can make your feet feel!




What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Photograph of a Lady Vacuuming

In the Times newspaper today, there was a phoptograph of an attractive lady vacuuming her carpet in her barefeet.

This was perhaps a little unusual. Generally, photographs of attractive ladies doing housework have them wearing high-heeled shoes.

This is not very realistic. While not everyone agrees with me that wearing shoes whne doing housework defeats the object, very few women do housework in high-heeled shoes.

Any ladies who do housework in heels want to argue with me?

Birkenstock Wars

It was either me or the birkenstocks. I won and the birkenstocks are in the garbage covered with salad dressing and barbeque sauce!

The war began about 2 weeks ago. I had bought dirty Fila a pair of birkenstocks last year. These are the offending pair. They look innocent but don't let the birkenstock fool you! They can be quite churlish!




Well, I just happened to look down at those shoes about 2 weeks ago and noticed that dirt Fila had worn them so much that the heel was worn down. I thought they were shoes that lasted forever! How can anyone wear out a pair of birkenstocks? I had a pair in college that would not wear out no matter how often I wore them. Well I took the shoes at the end of the day and placed them in the trash can in dirty Fila's room. They would go out the next day. The next day I emptied the trash and the shoes were not there. dirty Fila had worn them to school...again.. all worn down.

First of all the shoes are not regulatory. She attends a school for the gifted and talented where she has to wear a uniform. They have to wear closed in shoes. Not clogs or birkenstocks. What she was doing was wearing them with pants and HOPING that noone would look at her feet and see that they were clog style shoes. Well I guess she was getting away with that for awhile. I took the shoes again and told her that they had to go. They were worn out and looked bad. She said she loved the shoes and they were the most comfortable pair of shoes she has ever had. In addition she was not going to give them to me until I got her a replacement pair.

Can we say say verbal smackdown? Does she have a job? Was she really demanding shoes? She was and it was not pretty. I took the shoes and they did go into the trash in the kitchen.

Or so I thought. She offered to take the trash out the next day and out went the offending shoes. She takes the trash out all the time so I thought nothing of it. I did not see the birkenstocks and that was the end of that. Or so the birkenstock thought. They are evil shoes you know. :0) Just like the ouija board, you cannot throw birkenstocks away. They magically appear back in your house.

About a week later those shoes appeared in my room next to the bed. dirty Fila had been in my room the night before and I ran her into her room to go bed. She left those shoes. I took them again and again and put them in the trash. Again she had them on. We argued some more with her demanding a new pair each time before she gave them up. I took them again.

The straw that broke the camels back came today. Today I get a call at work. It is dirty Fila calling me from school. She has been sent to the office for being out of uniform. Her science teacher has kicked her out of the class for having birkenstocks on. And not only that, I had to take her a pair of shoes to finish out the school day. I was livid.

I went to the church and got some holy water to protect me against the power of the birkenstock! Armed with that and a prayer to the lord of all shoes to help me, I took those shoes about 40 minutes ago, while dirty Fila was alseep on the sofa. I put then in the kitchen garbage can and I covered them with balsamic vinegarette salad dressing and barbeque sauce. I sprinkled holy water in top of that. It is done. The curse of the birkenstock has been broken. dirty Fila just woke up about 10 minutes ago from a nap on the downstairs sofa. Her first question to me? Where were her shoes. My answer? "I don't know. I have not seen them in the den recently."

Well I had not seen them in the den. I saw them last in the kitchen covered with salad dressing and barbeque sauce. They will not be coming back. I have finally broken the birkenstock ouija curse. I hear dirty Fila upstairs now in her closet looking for her shoes.



What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

Manolo Lovelies!

What can I say? I want them all. Some of my favorites " wants."




What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

I Speak Cat and Dog!

Carnival of Cats

This email was circulating the office last week. Pretty funny! The benefits of being bilingual!



Here is a picture of my baby! She is speaking definite cat right now. "Where is MY food!? I'm hungry!"



Be sure to check out the other carnival of cat entries her~~~> Life, Florida, Whatever!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~

2006 Medical Mission Trip to Honduras

In April of 2006, we have planned a four-day working medical clinic in a small village north of the port of Tela, Honduras. The village is called Miami (also known as Baravieja); the people there have expressed great interest in having us come and do medical work and put on a 5K run/walk. A thorough assessment was made last year, and based on the health care needs of the people of the village we agreed to bring a group of medical and non-medical volunteers to Miami. This clinic will be run by nurses, MDs, nurse practitioners and/or physician assistants- whichever of these medical professionals are available to go to Honduras in April. Our goal is to provide primary medical care and teach health education and prevention

Bird Poop Recipe

I have not tried this yet, but I plan to. Easy and fun to make.
Carnival of the Recipes

Bird Poop Recipe




Ingredients:

5 cups of your favorite crunchy cereal
3 cups rice crisp cereal
2 cups skinny pretzels. They can be broken in half if too long
2 1/2 cups of mini marshmellows
1 bag of white chocolate chips

How To Make the Poop

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for about one minute. While the chocolate is melting cut a large sheet of wax paper. Pour the melted chocolate over the dry ingredients and spread on the wax paper to cool. Once the poop has cooled, break it into chunks. Your chucky bird poop will serve 20!




You know this recipe makes me think of the times that birds have used me for target practice. Three times they have ruined my clothes. The first was when I was on my way to a wedding and I had on a taupe colored formal. I was walking to my car and all of a sudden--plop--a blue stain like blueberries right on the front of my dress. It was ruined. Even after dry cleaning that berry stain would not come out. The 2nd time was after that. It was a saturday, fall was the season as I had on a sweatshirt. I was sitting outside on the steps and --plop-- a black and white smear hit the front of my sweatshirt. I almost had to cut the sweatshirt off with a pair of scissors. The last time was a few years at the beach. A seagull flying overhead just let go and I was hit in the head. Birds don't like me!

For this weeks carnival of April Fool Recipe's, check out the post at Blogoram.com. There are some great recipes there.

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~