Part Ten ~ This Should Be Easy

The next part should be simple and straightforward. I know what I want to say, but I'm having trouble expressing it the way I want. If anyone has a spare muse, send her over.

Meanwhile, I made a discovery: women's shoes are flatter than men's shoes.

When I was talking about finding comfortable shoes a while back, I mentioned that I have to put band-aids around my little toes to prevent blisters. I think this is because I really should be wearing 10-1/2s but I get 11s since it's impossible to find 10-1/2s at a reasonable (ie, really low) price.

I also mentioned that my big toenail on my right foot hurts when I wear women's shoes for a while. I thought it was high-heel-related, but I had the same experience when trying out my flats.

It turns out my toenail is very curved. It is curved to the point that the edge is digging into the toe. Normally, this is not a problem. With the flatter women's shoes, the shoe presses on the nail and the result is a limp.

A woman with a limp is not the image I wanted to project.

So the day before traveling, I carefully cut the edge of the toenail so it wouldn't impact the toe, knowing that I'll pay the price when it grows back. Also knowing if I mess up, it's going to be very bad flying the next day. I didn't mess up.

But I am paying the price. Ow. But it's a small price, really, and I'll get it taken care of at some point.

Women's shoes really are flatter. I have two pair of New Balance that I bought recently, one men's, one women's. Both fit well. The women's presses down on that toenail; the men's doesn't.

One more shoe item: On my last night in Topeka I went into the mall (in drab) and into a store called Deb. It was filled with very inexpensive clothing (like, single digits for tops) and shoes. It was geared towards teens or early 20s. I have been in stores like this before and am always disappointed to find they do not carry size 11 shoes. I looked anyway.

I found three pairs of heels, all similar shape and probably something I'd wear. (As much as I like pointy toes, I have way too many toes to wear one.) I found this, this, and this. I looked at the stack of shoeboxes under each and at the very bottom of each stack was a box labeled 11. 11W is better, but I'd try an 11.

I didn't see any prices, and the shoes that were out seemed very narrow, and my luggage was very full, so I didn't buy any.

Of course, I was just making excuses. Back in my room, I started thinking about those shoes, but it was late and the shops were closed. I planned to go back the next day before going to the airport, if I could, and get a pair. Or two if the price was right.

I didn't get a chance to get them. I stayed late finishing some of the work I came to do, and couldn't take the extra 45 minutes it would take to go to the mall, buy shoes, get back on the road to Kansas City.

They do have them on-line though, obviously. I don't like to shop on-line because I don't like packages coming to the house. But it turns out there's a Deb in Manassas, about a half-hour away (without traffic. With normal Virginia traffic, it's about three days).

I think I need a reason to head west to Manassas. Well, I have a reason. I think I need a different reason.