the rix mix

Felt like I was wearing ankle weights, walking up the street to the mailbox & store. Because in effect I was. For snow, extreme cold, or today's slushy mix, I reach under the bed & pull out a box containing a pair of heavy, thick-soled black leather lace up shoes. They're not work shoes, but they're definitely inspired by work shoes; you'd recognize them as a style from several years ago, when some men's shoes were rounded very wide in front to the extent of looking awkward. There's never a market shortage of clunky men's casual shoes, at any price; been that way since college kids discovered Doc Martens 'cause they too cool to shop at Sears. I bought the shoes at off a close-out table, they're well-made & I saw right away they'd be useful for days when I couldn't wear sneakers or my one pair of ordinary brown shoes. But when you're accustomed to sneakers, they sure are draggy. In matters of men's shoes, if you haven't paid at least $300 for your tassle loafers, nobody cares if they're Payless or Dr. Scholl's or Rockport or Alfani or Kenneth Cole.
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Every morning I have very simple smoothie made of some 1 or 2% milk, banana, & a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. I peel & freeze bananas & briefly nuke them for the drink. I was thinking of adding peanut butter to the smoothie; since I'm not a regular consumer of peanut butter I got some Friendly's peanut butter cup ice cream to test the taste. Mistake. Friendly's adds large, rock hard chocolate chips - don't find those in Reese's - my poor little Hamilton Beach one speed smoothie blender was still trying to process them long after the other ingredients were headed toward nuclear fusion. The instructions warn you it's not a grinder. I'll just invest in a small jar of creamy peanut butter.

Labels: Elizabeth NJ, home furnishings, weather