Since it was Saturday, Lorna was home. We made a long list of stuff we wanted to do and headed out the door.
First we went to Redneck Cheers (aka Waffle House) and filled ourselves up on laughs and semi-decent food.
Then we went to the car parts place to price, duh, a car part. ($185 for a wheel bearing hub)
Then we hit the highway and crossed the county to go to a place called Discount Shoes. It is a huge place and was quite crowded. Lorna needed a new pair of sneakers (I still call them tennis shoes though) for work. She got a cool pair of Saucony’s, a brand she loves. While we were there, we headed over to the men’s dept. to find me a pair since all I have are my leather Thom McCanns. I love my shoes. I’ve had them for years. I used to go through two to four pairs of shoes a year until I found the McCanns. Then I just went through one a year, sometimes more depending on what I was doing. But I got this pair shortly after getting my first wheelchair so they are in great shape. I am so hard on shoes due to pronation (?).
Anyway, we found the men’s dept. to be gloriously empty of other customers and with the help of a salesman, we found me some shoes in just a few seconds. I have wide feet, width 4D, whatever that means. He never questioned why I cared about how my shoe felt. He helped me to stand then knelt to make sure my feet were properly aligned. I liked him! His only problem was that he believed shoe laces should be so tight that the toes turn blue. I got a pair of New Balance, a brand I don’t think either of us have had before.
We decided we both wanted slippers now that the mornings are so cool. Lorna had to go to the truck for something so Joella and I, with two shoe boxes on my lap, headed back over toward the women’s section. We came around a corner and met about fifteen people coming in the opposite direction. If people would just pass me just like they do anyone else, it would be all right. Noooo. They come to a stop and plaster themselves against a wall or shelf. Sure, your upper body is out of the way but what about your feet??
I also had a minor panic attack because of the crowd, the very high shelves, and the lack of decent lighting. By the time Lorna got back, I was on my way to surviving but there was no way I could stay there. Instead, we headed back over to men’s dept. and got me a pair of slippers. I am always warm but my feet get cold and take forever to warm back up. We didn’t want the overly fluff filled slippers or my feet would cook. We found a good leather and fleece pair that will do great. By this time, Lorna had had enough and said she didn’t need slippers at the moment, dammit, and would get some at Kmart later. We paid for our shoes (which cost more than the wheel bearing hub will) and headed out.
Lorna checked our long list, folded it and put it away. “Let’s get the dog food and go home. I’m beat.” So we did. When we got home, she napped while I kicked back in my chair and kept the dogs quiet. Crowds just do us both in.
Once we recovered, Lorna read some on a book and I worked on a book. I actually wrote just over 1400 words tonight! Whoo Hoo! Felt good, it did it did. Currently, I am trying to make some sense out of Simple Sarah. I’m not giving up. I need to make some headway before November.