Tender tootsies

This weekend, I took the extra step in preparing for my future as a mediocre marathon runner. I bought running shoes.

A work colleague who runs marathons frequently suggested stopping at a custom shoe-fitting store for runners. He buys his shoes at "Fleet Feet" in Madison. Gregor and I headed to the Brookfield location out of convenience, so they could evaluate my feet and figure out how to stop the shin splints and prevent unnecessary injury while I train.


I sat down, and took off my shoes. My main concern was not knowing if the shoes I tried on would do the trick. I didn't want to drop part of my tax refund on something I could pick up at Foot Locker for half the price.

Rusty, part-owner of Fleet Feet, first measured my feet to determine my shoe size. I already knew my left foot was a half size bigger, at a size 10. He also determined that my feet were extremely flat, and that my arches must have fallen years ago.

And I have bunions. Now, that sounds more disgusting than it really is. I just don't like the word. It's like saying moist. Ugh.

Anyway, they are a joint deformity between the foot and the big toe, where the joint gets bigger and can push the toes together.

It's part what kind of shoes I wear. But, I can blame my parent's genes. He said however my mom's feet look, that's probably how mine will end up. Yikes. Except, with proper footwear, it shouldn't get as bad.

After that, I walked across the store and Rusty determined I pronate when I walk. I don't really know what that means. He showed me per a fake foot model how my bones move when I'm walking, and subsequently, running. He found a couple pair of shoes to try on. I needed a separate pad with extra arch support too.

Trying on the second pair, I then went outside to test and run with the Saucony's and realized that my feet did feel better. It felt like the shoes were an extension of my foot, and I could tell my heels and arches had more support.


I also bought some Technical socks, and The Stick to use before and after runs. It massages your legs and helps break up lactic acid build-up in your muscles. Plus it feels effing amazing, and already helped get knots out of my calves.

I still have to break in the shoes, and the extra foot pads, but I'm on the right track.

That leaves me one step closer to my goal set for the Green Bay half marathon on May 17. I'm still raising money too. Even if you donate $5, it'll help me reach and exceed my goal of $300. Plus, the money goes to support my hometown's charities (Boys & Girls Club, Salvation Army and Cerebral Palsy Inc.). To give, click here. I bet you can probably go without Subway for lunch one day this week.

Black Friday

I sometimes enjoy the occasional shopping spree. This usually involves heading to Express or Banana Republic with someone else (usually Michelle) to buy clothes and spend money I don't have...

But I refuse, at all costs, to participate in shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

The last thing I want to do is wake up at 3 AM after researching three dozen ads the night before, fight crowds of elbow throwing blue hairs and race to the closest retail store for the ONE thing I've been looking for. Don't bother, someone else is looking for the same thing, and they'll get it before you.

But, I wanted to find my Auntie Bobbie the perfect gift in return for the Corelle she gave me on Thanksgiving, and thought it'd be great to get her what she's been hunting for: a Wii Fit.

They were on sale at Sam's Club for $78.84. Since my mom has the membership, she'd need to come along. This morning, we piled into the car and headed to the west siide of GB -- traffic wasn't terrible, but there were still some crowds of people. It was about 11 AM. Not too shabby.

My mom and George had tentative plans to purchase a new flatscreen TV for their living room too. Mostly so George can play Halo 3. (I think he's addicted.)

On the list: a shiny new television, Wii Fit and a Columbia fleece jacket.

When you walk into the Sam's Club, electronics stare you in the face. In particular -- TVs. We got about 20 feet into the store, and stayed there for about an hour.

Since my brother came along, he was able to check out the different options and details for each TV, letting my mom and George know which were better than others.

He'd also ask questions like the refresh rate for the screen or the signal delay.

I checked out some cameras, the laptops and found some of the fleece sweatshirts (none my size.)

Finally, they chose a 46" Samsung flatscreen -- last one on the shelf.

We wandered around the rest of the store, showing off the TV to all the other shoppers. Checked out and hauled it to the car.

On the way home, we were pulling off the highway to the house, and my mom asked, "Did anyone look for the Wii Fit for Auntie Bobbie?"

Oops.

Urban sprawl

I headed home to Green Bay this past weekend (for free laundry at mi madres, and to visit Biddy in Marinette).

As I pulled off the highway from 43 N, I noticed a change in the skyline of boxed buildings around the off-ramp.

Great, more stores.

I understand the need for shopping centers, grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants, but since moving to Green Bay 12 years ago, there's been significant development, turning the once prairie-grassed, isolated suburb into a full out traffic laden, brick-built, strip-malled, pavement landscape.

And every time I go back, there's a new commercial building being built.

When we moved in, there were three buildings -- Lou's One Stop gas station, the Dorsch Ford dealership and Cliff & Ceil's ballroom -- and they were just beginning to build a Hardee's.

BEFORE:

Now, across County JJ, passed the backyard of my mom's house, cookie cutter homes dot the other side of the road. Not to mention, the following businesses in the area:

-four strip malls
-Menards
-Festival Foods (my H.S. job as a cashier)
-a rebuilt Cliff & Ceils
-TWO more gas stations
-Home Depot
-a hotel
-some Harley Davidson repair center
-two banks
-Tumbleweed, McDonalds, Jimmy Johns, Taco Johns, A&W and Subway

And the newest edition, right across the street: Stein Gardens and Gifts.

AFTER:

Do we really need eight different fast food options, three places to get gas and two DIY stores within a half-mile radius?

Wouldn't it make more sense to construct one large building (AKA a mall), with a whole bunch of stores, instead of completely destroying all of the natural land around the highway?

It was inevitable that development would happen, especially with so many people moving into the area. (It is a suburb, after all).

Not to mention the affects of locally owned stores. Mom and pop shops are completely run out by corporations who build 1 mil.-sq.-ft. facilities, undercut prices, then abandon the building. From personal experience, I saw it happen in Stevens Point as they continued building along Hwy. 10 instead of renovating and continuing to develop the downtown area.

So I say, develop and remodel what's already there, instead of continuing to spread like an epidemic.

With the increased traffic, destruction of land, and the overall loss of aesthetics to the area -- it only supports what I've been thinking recently: it makes more sense to live in a more metropolitan area.

Although you're not exactly removing your carbon footprint by living within city limits, at least you have access to mass transit, stores in close proximity, and the option to live and renovate buildings that are already there.

Build up, not out.

Pack rat

Denial is the first step... and I'm pretty sure my mom is still not fessing up.

I've developed a problem due to her inability to throw anything away; which begins with buying more crap.

It all started when I mentioned to my mom and Aunt Bobbie over the summer that someone stole some of my Corelle dishes from the UWSP dorms a couple years ago. I was missing a plate and a bowl. No big deal.

(I've all but given up on paper plates and bowls -- except in the case of pizza.)

My aunt just moved to Oshkosh last summer, right by the biggest outlet mall in NE Wisconsin, which just happens to have a store exclusively devoted to selling Corelle dinnerwares, utensils, baking things and cooking business. And if you know anything about aunts, grandmas and moms, they like to go on shopping missions with the sole purpose of finding the most perfect purchase for family members, and then some.

So at my aunt's request, I sent a picture of the inept dinner set I already had, with the hopes of once again having my full line of plates and bowls.

Also as an aside, I mentioned if she found any larger bowls that could fit an entire can of soup, that'd be swell; as well as a 9x9 baking dish.

She did.

Except, when I was on the phone last night with my mom, she mentioned I could get an entire SET of baking dishes, instead of just one 9x9 baking dish, with pie pans and custard cups for $20 at Target.

I DON'T NEED PIE PANS or CUSTARD CUPS. If you've seen my apartment, you know I have a counter space that's 2 ft. by 3 ft., with one cabinet underneath for all things cooking-related. It's already full.

Now, I love cooking. I'd like to think I'm not half bad; but what am I going to do with a 10-piece set of Pyrex cookware? (It's a rhetorical question.)

I think I know what I'm getting for Christmas.