Mary Bellamy

Two things you should know about me.

1. I love to dance.
2. I love shoes.

Therefore, ballroom dance, which requires special shoes, holds a place in my heart. Yes, I could dance in regular shoes, but I have found a company that makes rather affordable custom shoes. You pick the shoe style, the heel height, any and all of the fabrics you desire, and you have your choice of a leather or suede sole. In other words, exactly what you want, for $60, most likely made by Chinese orphans.

I already have two pairs. As it turns out, one pair is not so comfortable. They press on the top of my foot and make one toe hurt. Naturally, I've been wearing that pair constantly. I figure if I make my feet hurt enough, I can convince myself that it's medically necessary to buy a new pair. And I was almost there. On Thursday I spent a few hours online with a dance friend in the Lower 48, sussing out my new shoes. I had already chosen the style, and we went back and forth over fabric selections. I may have made a mockup in Photoshop.

But my new shoes are not meant to be. Let's switch gears to sushi. I promise, the story will come full circle.

On Thursday, I not only debated shoes, but also went out on a date. I met him at a sushi restaurant for dinner. (Side note: He shows promise. I was not bored. In fact, I was entertained. As I recall, he sat there patiently while I ranted about Papyrus.) When we left the restaurant, he found that the inside of his windows had frosted. I wished him luck with that (and may have cackled over his misfortune) and drove home. After a few minutes on the road, I thought, "Gee, why don't I hear my vents?" Karma is a bitch. I blew my blower motor. (Pun not intended, but entirely welcome. Thus far, I have struggled not to make "blower motor" sound like a dirty thing.)

As an aside, last week it was +40. This week it is -20. And I have no heat in my car.

I skipped the gym on Friday in favor of calling my mechanic as soon as the shop opened. They had some free time! I brought my car in immediately! You may now cue the familiar Fairbanks chorus: "We don't have that part in town. We'll have to order it. It should be here by Monday." So my car is still driveable, but I have no heat and no defrost (which kind of means I shouldn't exhale in the car).

Oh, and the cost for parts and labor? Over $500. Frak me. So here the story comes full circle: No new shoes for me. I have to get my car functional again. Though it is tempting to just get this and use a space heater.