Because you really, really wanted to know how I feel about my footwear.
We've had some Weather here in Portland lately. There's been some snow, and then there was a LOT of rain. Seriously, a LOT of rain. We're used to rain, of course, but mostly of the intermittent variety, but this was a major downpour that just went on and on and on. (The rain is continuing today, and will go on for at least another day, but it's not pouring any more.) Not only did all of us get really, really wet during our morning commutes,* yesterday afternoon our basement started leaking in a determined way. Our basement has never leaked in our experience, including during some pretty rainy periods, but apparently things just got too wet this time, and I spent yesterday afternoon frantically moving things around and mopping up rivers of water while Skipper heckled me from her perch on the stairs. The basement is fairly dry now, but we'll see how we hold up over the next few days. The whole region is in a bit of a state of crisis, with a lot of flooding.
All that human misery, however, hasn't been on my venal little mind (we don't live in a floodplain, after all) so much as a feeling of deep, abiding love for my boots. Remember my boots (Keen Silverton, in case you're in the market)? I've come to think of them as my Carfree Boots because they are such a perfect fit for my life - they've kept my feet dry and warm this week even as I waded through a third-of-a-mile-long, ankle-deep lake of slush between the bus stop and my office,* and stood in a six-inch-deep puddle while buckling Skipper into the bike trailer. They're indispensable for biking in the rain, an experience that can drench your feet and legs even if you're wearing waterproof shoes with low tops. I don't have to bring shoes to change into, because they look nice enough for work, and they're comfortable enough to wear all day, for many miles. I can't remember how I lived without them; what was I thinking? I must have had very wet feet. I should have bought a pair of these the day I moved to Portland. When Dutch and Skipper reach the age when their feet stop growing, I will buy them each a pair of these boots as a rite of passage into car-free adulthood - they're crazy expensive, yes, but way cheaper than a car.
*Cook is a very, very dedicated bike commuter - one of those people you see slogging along on a miserable day, and you think "Jesus, that guy is nuts," and appreciate your dry, warm bus or car seat that much more. It's probably a combination of his bone-deep stubbornness and his resistance to spending money unnecessarily - but whatever it is that gets him out the door at 5:30 AM to ride to work, when it's dark, pouring freezing rain, and there's an inch of slippery slush on the ground, it's pretty impressive. Portland is home to a lot of bike commuters, and they're generally pretty indifferent to rain, but this week only the desperate or the hardcore types like Cook were out on the road.
All that human misery, however, hasn't been on my venal little mind (we don't live in a floodplain, after all) so much as a feeling of deep, abiding love for my boots. Remember my boots (Keen Silverton, in case you're in the market)? I've come to think of them as my Carfree Boots because they are such a perfect fit for my life - they've kept my feet dry and warm this week even as I waded through a third-of-a-mile-long, ankle-deep lake of slush between the bus stop and my office,* and stood in a six-inch-deep puddle while buckling Skipper into the bike trailer. They're indispensable for biking in the rain, an experience that can drench your feet and legs even if you're wearing waterproof shoes with low tops. I don't have to bring shoes to change into, because they look nice enough for work, and they're comfortable enough to wear all day, for many miles. I can't remember how I lived without them; what was I thinking? I must have had very wet feet. I should have bought a pair of these the day I moved to Portland. When Dutch and Skipper reach the age when their feet stop growing, I will buy them each a pair of these boots as a rite of passage into car-free adulthood - they're crazy expensive, yes, but way cheaper than a car.
*Cook is a very, very dedicated bike commuter - one of those people you see slogging along on a miserable day, and you think "Jesus, that guy is nuts," and appreciate your dry, warm bus or car seat that much more. It's probably a combination of his bone-deep stubbornness and his resistance to spending money unnecessarily - but whatever it is that gets him out the door at 5:30 AM to ride to work, when it's dark, pouring freezing rain, and there's an inch of slippery slush on the ground, it's pretty impressive. Portland is home to a lot of bike commuters, and they're generally pretty indifferent to rain, but this week only the desperate or the hardcore types like Cook were out on the road.
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