Is this thing on?

Found this one in my Drafts from June 2008:

I don’t know where it began, but I absolutely cannot stand to have my feet uncovered. I hate walking on tile or linoleum with bare feet, my soles sticking to the floor. The thought of walking on hard wood flooring unshod, possibly impaling myself on a splinter, makes the hair on the back of my legs stand up.

Once I had a nightmare that I had just woken from a nap and was paralyzed, held to the bed by an unseen force. I was barely able to move my eyes just enough to look toward my uncovered, unprotected feet while my then 4 year old nephew inserted sewing needles into the soles of my feet. He giggled as he watched them travel up the veins in my legs.

So you see – I do not wear flip-flops.

I recognize that my soles are soft like pudding and I accept that I project this vulnerability onto other people’s feet. I don’t have any fear or hatred of the human foot itself, nor do other people’s feet particularly bother me. I’m not podophobic. I don’t mind cuddling up to someone in bed and having their feet touch me under the covers. I like it actually. In fact, I prefer to cuddle with guys that have intact feet.

Wait.

Where was I?

Yes, back to flip-flops.

What is it with people and these abominations of footwear? Is it because they’re cheap? It can’t be because they’re comfortable, what with that annoying string between your toes, constantly there between your toes being all… string like. They’re not cute. They’re noisy. Plus, what if something should happen where it would be beneficial to have footwear that actually covers and protects your feet?

Being from New Orleans, of course the first situation that comes to my mind is a drunk frat guy or sorostitute throwing up on the floor near you, or finding yourself accidentally stumbling through a mound of horse crap the size of Monkey Hill in the middle of the street; or the middle of the sidewalk. If you have spent any time there, you know that two thirds of every block in New Orleans is basically covered in either horse crap or tourist vomit and yet there are hundreds of people who insist on walking around wearing nothing more on their feet than a piece of nylon twine and nerf refuse.

Frequently I see people on the street or bars wearing flip flops with shorts or jeans and although my left brain acknowledges that this is a fashionably acceptable combination it terrifies me. Given the amount of people in very close proximity in a bar, It’s just asking for trouble: a crushed distal phalanx, a soaked foot from a spilled drink or somehow accidentally puncturing a cute guy’s Achilles tendon with my sharp, talon-like toenails.

It’s hard to keep them trim them while constantly wearing socks.

Today, here in DC, I saw someone wearing flip-flops with a suit and tie for god’s sake. What’s up with that? What if some crazed defendant, unable to control his rage, suddenly bolts across the room when the verdict is read? What if before the bailiffs tazes and tackles him to the ground, he accidentally steps on your foot or vomits? What if one of the bailiffs has a horse? What then, Mr Lawyer-Man with the flip flops? What then?

I found this post in the my ‘Drafts’ from back in November of 2009. I have no idea why it didn’t get posted but here it is now. I forgot what it was like to post more than 140 characters at a time.

Eligible, not too stupid
Intelligible, and cute as cupid
Knowledgeable, but not always right
Salvageable, and free for the night
~ Magnetic Fields, A Chicken With It’s Head Cut Off

My friend Joel often talks like a drunk hippy, that’s one of the reasons I like him so much. Many times I’m not really sure what he’s saying but I know exactly what he means. He’s like a fortune cookie. A real fortune cooke, not one of the slips of paper with a lotto number on one side and a cliche on the other. Like a (good) fortune cookie, despite not making much sense, he’s often brilliant.

You can also usually add “in bed” to the end of anything he says.

While looking at flights early today, I was reminded of the time he told me, when we were talking about guys we were dating, how my big problem is I get keep getting stuck in a holding pattern and I never land the fucking plane. How great is that? I mean, it’s tragic and all, but Jesus, it’s spot on.

So I’ve been thinking about that analogy a lot today. I’ve been thinking I feel like the auto-pilot is on and I’m not even flying the damn plane anymore. This isn’t about just personal relationships, it’s about work, school, life, everything. This has been in my mind a lot the last month and a half but remembering Joel’s quip kind of brought it into focus.

Well my heart’s runnin’ round like a chicken with its head cut off
All around the barn yard falling in and out of love
Poor thing’s blind as a bat
Gettin’ up, fallin’ down, gettin’ up
Who’d fall in love with a chicken with its head cut off?

Woah Nelly

I’ve been biking a bit again the last few days. The weather has been amazing in DC – sunny but temps have been around 65-75. Perfect. I’ve been using Capital Bikeshare for the last year and with all the nice weather have been riding the 4.7 miles home every day. Of course, all this has also got me back on my beloved Bianchi, seen here in it’s natural habitat, Jerry Chan’s.

Since I haven’t ridden the thing consistantly in a few years I’m putting some time and money into getting it presentable once again. Last week I got a helment and had the fine folks at BicycleSPACE DC to fix the headset. (I can’t recommend them enough – great people there.) Smaller bullhorns are on their way from Fyxation. I upgraded the pedals last year so I think I’m going to do her proper and get some decent cranks as well. I built her up pretty sloppy after the store since I had other bikes then, but that’s not the case for now. (Heh heh heh, for now.)