Booty

I have been having a footwear issue as it is winter and walking the dogs through the muck of the common gets awful messy. I have a very comfortable and warm pair of low hiking boots. (Or shoes? I dunno if they would be called boots because they only come up to my ankle. But they are fat: huge luggy sole with large treads, hooked eyelets and reinforced toe.) They are excellent for walking because they are very supportive, but because they are low they don’t cover my cuffs. As a result my trousers get dirty within seconds of stepping foot on a trail. What I usually do is wear the same old ratty pair of tan cords and not be bothered about muddy cuffs. I throw them in the wash every once and a while, but since I only wear them for dog walking its not like I need to wash the mud off every time.

The issue is appearance. If I am going to be approach Café owners in parks I don't want to look all muddy. But I do want to look like a dog owner, like someone who takes good care of her dogs and this means muddy walks. If you want to appear countrified and hearty in this country, you wear wellies: big, tall, ugly, rubber boots. To me they look cold and clammy, and also not very supportive for long walks. I see people wearing them all the time though, so they must know something I don't. Looking online I could compromise and be all urban by getting a pair of "funky" pattered boots. I quite like the animal print ones, or the plain pink. Perhaps a good insole could make them wearable for long walks.

Animal Print Wellies.

A more sane approach would be to go for comfort with the ultra-modern Muck Wellingtons. They have what appears to be more supportive features as well as warmth, although the central feature is that they are made of neoprene. Synthetic materials and my feet are not a good combination. If my toes get too warm they start to sweat. Sweat in cold weather = brrrr. Not good. Maybe I just need to find a decent pair of leather boots or some work boots? I dunno, what kind of boots would I sell the most dog biscuits in?? Its not like I can afford any boots at the moment. Problem solved!

I had my third driving lesson with Effie of BSM yesterday. It is a bit humbling to be having driving lessons at my age, after 20 years of driving. But if I want to get a British licence I need to pass the driving test, so I need training in doing things the way I should in order to pass the test. Things like not crossing your hands when turning the steering wheel and using the hand brake when you are stopped at a light. Also, riding a scooter for over two years puts you into some weird habits that aren't consistent with car driving. (Like not realising that your car takes up a bit more space on the road than a bike.) Driving around in a tiny Vauxhall for two hours with a big sign on the top that says "Learner Driver" with a big red "L" isn't my idea of fun. I did notice another learner driver from a different school motoring around in a Mini. Man did I feel jealous. Perhaps riding around in a cool car would somehow take a bit of the sting out of the learner car stigma. Still have a few lessons to go before my test, which is scheduled for Jan 10. Wish me luck! Also, got my loan application in today, have a meeting about it on Monday... fingers crossed for that too.