2016 Fall October 20 Thursday

60 degrees this morning, walk 36:44 minutes 

As part of my morning routine, I keep track of the mileage on my “walking shoes”.  I am now past 50% of their expected life.  

What is strange, I still think of them as my “new” shoes! Actually I just started keeping track about 2 years ago when I started buying higher quality (read much more expensive!) shoes on the advice of my foot doctor.  

Probably the best advice I ever had, I was having foot problems, and I haven’t had any since I changed the type of shoes I buy.  All I really had to hear was that to correct the problem (if the better quality shoes didn’t resolve it), it would take surgery and I would be off my feet for several months!  Quite an incentive!

Anyway, so I am very careful of the shoes I buy now, and I keep track of my mileage so I know when the shoes are at least expected to be worn out.  I do this only for my walking shoes although I probably should for my regular shoes and sandals also.

Of course, like anything, the problem is the deterioration of the shoes is so gradual you really don’t notice it until your feet begin to hurt.  

Anyway, I wear my “walking” shoes only for walking and then after I “retire” them, I wear them for daily wear until they are basically worn out.  

I recently tossed out my first pair of “quality” shoes that I purchased about 2 years ago.  They were definitely worn out, even the steel (or probably other material) supports were showing in the bottoms and the inner shoe was dropping more than I realized until I didn’t wear them for awhile and than wore them and realized how bad they were.

I am always surprised when I see the “life span” of many products.  For example they recommend slippers be tossed after six months etc., something I never do. 

The “new” car (which is now two years old and has over 32,000 miles) is another example of wear and tear gradually building up and you don’t  really notice it isn't “new” anymore, until one day you suddenly  notice it.

It may be somewhat like “aging”, in that you don’t really notice you are aging until you notice it.

I have recently been astounded about bureaucracy run amok about “comfort animals” on airlines.  

Apparently an airline is required to accept any animal if it is certified as a “comfort animal”, including pigs, turtles, chickens etc.

Note I am NOT talking about “service animals” of any type such as seeing eye dogs etc, but rather any animal that someone can get certified as a “comfort animal”

Personally I think it is a form of bullying to say you have to have a chicken or a pig with you while flying.   If someone has to have a comfort animal in their home, that is ok with me, but when it affects someone else that is where it shouldn’t be allowed.  Especially on an airline, which is difficult enough without having to ride with a pig or chicken that someone feels they “have” to have.  

60 degrees  this morning.  Oddly enough it seemed much colder than the 62 degrees yesterday morning.  Not cold by any means, but much cooler than could be expected for just 2 degrees!

That’s it for now, Thursday, October 20, 2016.