I am a Wild Party

I have cupcake frosting in my hair. What’s for dinner is cooking from its frozen state in the oven. Tentatively I sip at a glass of wine, hoping Fresco sleeps till at least midnight. Not that I will still be up at midnight. I hope to have logged at least 3 hours of sleep by then. It is New Year’s Eve.

To celebrate, I think I will watch the final episode ever of the Royal Canadian Air Farce, just to make sure they don’t pull a “..it was only a dream” at the end and go on for another 18 seasons. If that happens I want to be prepared to march on Ottawa and give whoever’s in charge a thorough trouncing with my new fabulous boots.

I snuck out and bought myself new boots in November without even telling you. This was the year I was not going to get new boots. This was the year I was not in need of anything new for my feet. Maternity leave and attractive shoes are at opposite ends of my spectrum. I had my $20 rubber boots and the hiking boots I bought last year when we went to Tofino in January and that was going to be good. e. nuf. for the winter.

The day I went to the mall to pick up our fantastic photo package from Sears, I stopped in at a shoe store that was advertising half off all their boots! I saw a great pair of Danskos at the front and they were marked down to $100 which I am told is a good deal for that brand of shoe, a shoe which has changed the lives of many, so I asked about a size 11. The teenage salesclerk brought me a size 41, which did not fit because a 41 is a size 10. She argued with me about this but eventually could not deny that the boot did not in the least fit me so she went to the back room to find other boots in a size 11 for me to try. Three whole pairs of boots returned with her and I was sad to discover that two pairs did not fit at all. The third, however. The third were a beautiful fit. Lined with wool. The foot part covered with waterproof goretex but not in a terrifyingly ugly way. The leg part in treated suede. I am not describing them well. (Here, go look. They are this boot except the foot is waterproof.) They were Ecco boots which meant that at half price they were still well outside what a person should pay for a pair of boots when she is decidedly not boot shopping.

I justified them thusly: I walk a lot. Every day. My rubber boots have no insole to speak of. My hiking boots are just a titch too small. A comfortable shoe would do a lot to ease my back pain. A waterproof, warm, comfortable boot is just the thing everyone needs. Who doesn’t need that? Footless people, that’s who.

Still though, I had a bit of buyer’s remorse. I didn’t NEED them. They weren’t the boots I went in for. I bought new boots last year that I wore twice before getting my old boots fixed and continuing to wear them every day. I have a Boot Impulse, I know this. There is a recession. Etc.

Then it snowed. And snowed. And rained. And rained. I have worn these boots every day for at least two weeks now. They are the most comfortable boot ever. They are waterproof. They are warm. And they are taller than the snowdrifts. And they don’t give me electric shocks! And they are not ugly! I love them. I love them. I love them so much.

It all came together, you guys. I bought a hat with ear flaps a couple of months ago and then was all, why did I do that? I bought the boots. Why did I do that? Back in the fall there was an infant snowsuit at London Drugs for $5. How could I not buy it, but really, would I ever need such a thing for Vancouver? I insisted on the Phil and Ted’s buggy. Why? But then, two weeks ago when there was snow everywhere and the wind was blowing making it minus 18 celsius, I comfortably and warmly took my children for a late afternoon jaunt to the liquor store for some much needed wine. Suddenly it all made sense. I will never doubt my shopping instincts again.

That’s why today I bought the sunglasses pictured below. (Well, that and it was really bright outside and I broke my sunglasses last week.) Maybe in 2009 I will join a band of roving David Lee Roth impersonators or become the world’s first 30something mother of two supermodel. You just never know.