I'm still doing things that you gave up years ago

Like listening to ska. Like smoking. It's embarrassing.

But something I don't mind is my attachement to my boots. Here you see the originals, bought in the early 90's from a leather/head shop called Hell-Bent for Leather. Steel-toed 19" engineer boots by Georgia Boot. Men's, because they didn't used to make 'em for girls. They're still the boots I wear with skirts and gowns. Only reason I didn't wear them to get married to Bob was that I had a broken big toe. That night, I wore my Tevas.

Many years later, after having all these kids, I needed a pair of shoes I could just aim my foot at and get on, look-ma-no-hands style. And we had just happened to move to a house around the corner from Hell-Bent for Leather. I took both babies, a little trepidatious because after all it was a leather shop and I was a housewife with two little babes in tow.

Worked out ok though: as soon as the hairy tattooed owner of the shop spied my toddler boy, he pulled a basket of blocks and Thomas trains out from under a rack of black leather vests. There are so many big cream-puffs in Baltimore masquerading as tough guys.

So I bought these Double-H brand short engineer boots and loved them to death. I put a pair of orthotics in them and they ended up being my best shoes for work. Librarians are always looking for shoes that are comfortable and supportive and they always end up giving in and wearing athletic shoes.

sad old Double-H short engineer boots, RIP

But my beloved short boots have seen better days. Replacing them has taken about four months (I would not be writing about my fer-gods-sake footwear unless we were talking about a Quest, an Odyssey. I am the Ulysses of short biker boots.) First off, I found that Hell-Bent for Leather has gone out of business (weep). Then I tried all the specialty work-like shoe stores in town, the old-time ones like Dan Bros., the newfangled ones like Red Wing. Nobody had the real thing.

I ended up online at a place called The Boot Barn (Outfitters for the New West - oooh-kay...) and hoopety-joy! There they were, short harness boots called Scooter! And on sale!

New Double-H Scooter boot

They came yesterday, and they are almost as comfortable as the old ones right out of the box. I was so excited when I found them that I decided, after 15 years, to take a leap and try a new style as well.

Double-H Piper

These I'll wear with tights.

PS: And in a piece of weird seagull synchonicity, driving to work today I saw an old greaser humping it up Taylor Ave. wearing his jeans cuffed and his silly hat, and my old short boots on his feet. I almost rolled down the window and asked him where he'd found them.