Tag Archives: NaBloPoMo 2008

have you ever gone out for groceries and come home with four pairs of shoes?

November 15, 2008UncategorizedNaBloPoMo 2008, shoesLauren @ mostly i run

Um, yeah. I have a problem.

This afternoon when I was running errands, I was proud of my restraint. I went to Old Navy to RETURN shoes. They were red heels that I loved, but just weren’t going to work.

I usually need a 6.5 at Old Navy, but this particular pair did not come in half sizes. I ordered the 6 and 7 online and hoped one would work. The smaller pair squished my toes, and I felt like I was playing dress-up in Mommy’s shoes with the larger.

So I went into Old Navy and returned the shoes, and didn’t look at anything else. Except some on-sale jewelry, but I didn’t find anything.

Next I headed to Ann Taylor LOFT to see if they had a jacket I ordered online in a different color. Online they didn’t have my size in yellow, so I ordered it in red. But I really wanted the yellow.

Of course I tried on a few things. I almost bought pants, but I didn’t love the way the pockets were laying. They weren’t cheap enough to deal with poor pocket placement. I did find the yellow jacket, though. I made the exchange and left without spending a dime. (Actually, I found a dime in the parking lot!)

I even looked in Rack Room, because they had $19 red boots in the window. They would have filled the void of the red heels … but they just seemed so cheap. Yes, they were cheap, but on sale from $39.99. They just weren’t worth it.

I also left behind $12 red shoes on the clearance rack because they weren’t really the style I was looking for.

After dinner, however, there was a little shopping spree. I headed to the grocery story to pick up a few things, but decided to stop in TJ Maxx first. Still looking for red shoes/boots. (Never mind the fact that I have two pairs of red shoes … dress heels and casual flats … I’m looking for a casual heel!)

I didn’t find red shoes, but I did find these:

Söfft Gemma

Dress heels that are comfortable? I will be replacing an extremely painful pair with these!

I also found these, which I may or may not keep:

Söfft Seryn

They feel great, and actually might be comfortable for chorale performances when I’m standing for a long time. I couldn’t decide between the two, but didn’t really want to buy both since they weren’t that cheap. But $34.99 is an excellent price for Söfft shoes!

After that (hadn’t hit the supermarket yet!) I decided I should check out Famous Footwear. They opened in the same shopping center months ago and I hadn’t been there yet.

I found these in the clearance section, buy one get one 1/2 off … so I just had to buy two pairs!

Etienne Aigner

me too

This is not all I’ve purchased recently. There have been quite a few additions to my shoe collection the past month or two. I think I’m going to cut myself off for a little while.

Really.

I can stop anytime I want!

jeter cat: interior designer

November 14, 2008Uncategorizedfurry babies, NaBloPoMo 2008Lauren @ mostly i run

I’ve been collecting photos for this post for some time now. But I was inspired to finally put everything together by Roni’s discovery today.

It’s not unusual to come home to something like this in the middle of the living room:

February 11, 2008

It often comes in waves.

May 16, 2008 a.m.

May 16, 2008, p.m.

May 17, 2008

May 30, 2008

We suspect the guy featured in the May 30th photo is responsible for this redecorating, though we’ve never caught him in the act.

Well, not since Jeter was just a little one.

He’s been discreet since we moved into our house in 2001, doing his “designing” while we’re sleeping or at work. But he’s certainly willing to pose with the evidence!

Sept 2004 — shortly after my Mom cleaned out their attic and brought me my old Girl Scout stuff. Yes, he’s got both the Girl Scout beret and the Brownie beanie. A few days later, we found the sash halfway down the stairs.

Sept 8, 2008. The start of a two-week redecorating frenzy. Something new was in the living room nearly every day!

I finally got tired of him dragging my clean clothes off the drying rack in the guest room, down the (carpeted and rarely vacuumed) stairs and into the living room.

I’ve learned to shut the door when I’ve got laundry drying!

jury duty day 2

November 13, 2008UncategorizedNaBloPoMo 2008Lauren @ mostly i run

Today was very much like yesterday.

I got to go in 30 minutes later because my group didn’t need to watch the orientation video, so I stopped for a cup of tea on my way to the courthouse.

Different people gave us similar instructions, and then the TV came on and the waiting began.

During “The Price is Right” as they were filling up Contestants’ Row, I realized we were just like the audience members, waiting to “Come on down!”

Only we wouldn’t be trying to win a new washer and dryer.

They came with the first announcement a little earlier today. It was just after 10 a.m. when they called 25 potential jurors. I was not one of them, so I returned to my book.

A little after 11:30, one of the judges came to speak to us and explained why so many of us were called in today. It initially seemed like my group would have been exempt today since half of this week’s potential jurors were called in yesterday.

There was the possibility of two multi-day trials on the docket. One was a rape case involving DNA evidence. The other was a murder case with a 16-year-old defendant, who was also accused of setting the body on fire.

Had these defendants requested trials rather than give guilty pleas, the judges would have needed to interview a lot of jurors. Thus the full waiting area.

I am certainly glad they didn’t go to trial.

After this announcement, we were released for the day. I was home before noon.

I’m not totally off the hook yet, though. I don’t have to go in tomorrow, but I can be called in on Monday if my number comes up.

I’ve had a great experience this week with jury duty. But I haven’t had to actually do anything. I got to read in the morning, and was able to connect to my office network early enough that my missed time in the office hasn’t put me behind. It’s been almost like a vacation.

I kind of assumed cases we might encounter would be simple. Not rape and murder. It’s scary knowing I could end up hearing that kind of case!

jury duty day 1

November 12, 2008UncategorizedNaBloPoMo 2008Lauren @ mostly i run

The verdict?

Pretty awesome. I didn’t really have to do anything except get up a little earlier than usual.

I reported to the court house at 8 a.m. After a short wait, a couple people talked to us about the process, and they played a short video (I believe it was called “You the Juror”). Then we had a 15 minute break.

After we reported back to the waiting area, somebody else talked to us. And then we waited. And waited.

I fortunately have two unfinished books, so I brought one along. In the background, the TV was on. We watched “Regis and Kelly” and “The Price is Right.”

Around 10 a.m., they told us the judge was still reviewing the docket. We were given another break. (You know, a break from waiting). And then we got to wait some more.

Around 11, they called 30 people. I was not one of those people. Five minutes later, they called two more people.

And then the rest of us could go.

Yay! I was home by 11:30, and worked from home for the rest of the day.

I’m on jury duty until Monday, and will have to call in each night to find out if I’m needed. I’ll be back again tomorrow morning.

I wonder what my odds are on another easy day?

running skirt review: runningskirts.com

November 11, 2008running skirtsNaBloPoMo 2008Lauren @ mostly i run

I’m pretty sure my first purchase from RunningSkirts.com helped convert me to running skirts for good.

They were also the first skirts I bought that have attached briefs rather than shorts underneath. At first I was a little concerned about coverage, but no worries. These skirts keep you covered!

I love these skirts and have turned quite a few friends onto them. My only complaint is that there sizing tends to be a bit inconsistent.

My first order was during a sale. (Sign up for their mailing list — they have sales a few times a year!) There were limited colors in my size, but I found two I liked. The green pictured above, and a black and gold skirt.

I was thrilled with the green skirt, but the black and gold one didn’t fit as well. The attached brief was a bit snug. I emailed RunningSkirts.com to ask about the sizing, and they told me the black and gold skirt ran small. They offered to exchange it, but I had already worn it. The fit wasn’t too bad, so I decided to just keep it.

My next order was during another sale. I ordered this two-tone blue skirt:

And a brown/pink skirt. Again I had sizing issues. The blue one fit just fine, but the brown/pink one is much tighter. I really should have exchanged that one for the size up, but I just kept it again rather than pay to ship it back.

Since I had two skirts that fit great, I figured it was just a fluke that two didn’t fit as well. When I won a free skirt from their site, I went with the same size again. This time I got the brown/aqua.

While not nearly as bad as the pink one, it is still considerably tighter than the others. It’s a bit too snug for my liking, but I still wear it anyway!

I did finally order the next size up when I bought this skirt:

I love the way it fits, but the waistband is a bit too loose. If I put anything in the pockets it kind of pulls my skirt down, and sometimes even with empty pockets I find myself hiking up my skirt.

OK, so this seems to have gotten a little negative. It’s just been a little frustrating trying to figure them out. I really love my RunningSkirt.com skirts!

These are fantastic skirts. They’re extremely comfortable, even in the summer heat. They stay put, even when dumping cups of water over your head during a half marathon in August.

And they’re really cute!