After a dinner of sandwiches with the parents, Daisy and I went to one of the large Walmarts here in town to get necessities for the next week or two (read: things we can't go without for more than a week or two, max), and I found and purchased a new pair of dress shoes on clearance for $25.
Why did I purchase a new pair of dress shoes on clearance for $25? Well, the conversation went something like this:
Me: [producing two pairs of shoes, one laced and one slip-on] Which one of these would work for [company job]?
Her: Either one, really.
Me: Okay, well, which one do you like more? They're both the same size and same price.
Her: Well, one's brown and one's black. The black is more versatile, but it doesn't have laces.
Me: I don't necessarily care about versatility as I never match my clothing anyway. Which one?
Her: I don't know, babe, pick one.
Me: ...
Her: Would you like shoes without laces? Have you tried them on?
Me: I'm wearing flip-flops. I'm not sticking my bare feet into shoes to try them on.
Her: They have those hose sock things, don't they?
Me: ...eww.
As an aside, the sock things wouldn't matter, since I only wear thick boot socks with any actual shoes I wear. I still wouldn't get an accurate fit.
Me: I'm not trying them on, love; I know my shoe size.
Her: [getting frustrated] Then just get whichever ones you want, but the laced ones look better. What about these ones? [picks up shoes that aren't leather, look more cheaply made, and cost over $10 more] These ones look like a sneaker and a dress shoe combined, and they're Dr. Scholls.
Me: [more frustrated than she is] I don't get it. 95% of the job is all done on the phone and the computer. Why the fuck would [company] care about what is on my feet?
As a second aside, Daisy's company is rather strict about the dress code, which is basically business casual. That includes policies like no jeans, no shorts, no shirts without collars, and semi-formal footwear -- no sneakers or sandals, not even dress sandals for the ladies. The only dress shoes I have are the ones I was married in, which are incredibly uncomfortable to wear for more than a few hours at a time, and a pair of brown dress shoes Daisy's father gave me -- which have the same problem. If I eventually end up working for said company, I need a pair of shoes which won't destroy my feet if I have to wear them forty hours per week.
Me: [continued frustration] I really, really just wish I could wear my sneakers, which are infinitely more comfortable than any of these damned things.
Her: Again, honey, if you're going to get some, pick whichever shoes you want. But if you get them without trying them on and hate them, that's on you. Just tell me you'll return them if that happens.
Me: Of course. [looks at shoes in box] I'm going to go see if I can find the laced ones in my size [13; I have big feet] in black.
And I did search, and I did find them. And those are the ones I purchased. And they fit (and feel) really good on my feet. But this is an example of most conversations we have while shopping -- a small window into married life and shopping with one's spouse, so to speak.
Daisy has stated on numerous occasions that she hates shopping with me. In contrast, as I don't get out much, it's one of my favorite things to do with her.
It is also very rare that I purchase any sort of clothing or shoes for myself; I haven't bought a new pair of shoes, aside from a new pair of sandals here and there to replace ones which have worn out and/or broken, in several years. I have at least two or three pairs of sneakers that I bought on clearance (including a pair of Chuck Taylors) that have sat in bags/boxes packed away in closets, never worn. I can't wear sneakers at Daisy's company, however, and I more than likely won't be able to wear them if I end up working at the university. In the summer, and really anytime past high temperatures above 60 degrees, I will wear nothing but sandals or flip-flops no matter where I go or what I do until it is too cold to wear them anymore. The only exception to that thus far has been the wedding and both interviews I've gone to this summer. I buy clothing even more rarely, as I donated a ton of it to charity upon my move up here, will be donating even more soon as the summer becomes fall and I take that opportunity to lighten my wardrobe as much as possible, and received probably thirty pairs of pants and shorts from Daisy's father when he lost weight and his former ones were too large for him. Suffice it to say that it will be several years before I have to buy pants again. Any pants. So, ahem, buying a new pair of shoes, especially dressy shoes, is an indulgence as well as a treat.
Anyway.
I still haven't heard anything from either place, of course, in regards to employment. I have been emailed several times, however, to be rejected for other positions I've applied for at other places, which does nothing more than fuel my general misanthropy in life. In fact, I'm pretty sure "general misanthropy" is my true calling in life. But I can't get paid for that.
We don't really have any plans for the remainder of Daisy's days off this week; there are family issues and events to attend to, and I'm still waiting on calls or emails from potential employers. In the meantime, I plan to (finally) upgrade my computer to the newest version of Ubuntu, as I now have a workaround fix for the desktop/interface issues that kept me from upgrading before, and before that (obviously) I'm going to hook up my portable hard drive and back up all of my files in case the damn thing crashes while it's upgrading. It'll take a while, so in the meantime I will have other stuff to do in and around the house that doesn't involve the computer -- such as cleaning and cooking and taking care of the finances and bills which come in. I've been doing well with that thus far, keeping track of all of our money and paying bills as they come in either electronically or with checks from both our joint account as well as my own. Yet again, however, for the fifth or sixth time in a row I have forgotten to purchase stamps while I've been out, which frustrates me to no end -- especially since I do need them so badly. 95% of our bills are indeed now paid online anyway, however, and the ones that aren't have already been paid for the month, so we've got a while before we have to deal with those again.
As for the Thank-You notes, by the middle of last week I had sent out all of the ones I have to all of the recipients I had on my list who I did not otherwise thank personally. The rest of them are on Daisy to sort out, write out, and mail whenever she gets the chance to do so, as they're all people she knows or to her relatives.
There are other tasks to be done, of course; I need to get my car out and drive it around some at some point, as it's been sitting in the parking lot here for well over a month and I haven't touched it. However, it's going to be really hot this week (projected highs are near 100 today, with an expected heat index of around 110-115, and the forecast for the rest of the week isn't much better), and as my car is black with black leather interior, driving it during the daytime if I can possibly avoid it is completely out of the question if I don't want to burn alive. I'm sure I'll have some reason to take it out/down the street to Walmart or someplace within the next few days, given I can do it at night and have the energy to do it.
And also so I don't lose my parking spot, which would drive me nuts.
As you know, I'm a very particular person. I park in a particular spot so that I can always see my car.
Ahem. Anyway.
I've been up all night. I am not tired in the least. While Daisy sleeps so that she can do the aforementioned family stuff later today, I cannot. That's not to say that I haven't been sleeping well -- honestly, I have slept fine the past few nights once I have been able to go to sleep...it's just been weird hours. I do generally get a good eight or so hours of sleep, however. So I have that going for me, at least.
No comments:
Post a Comment