Monday, October 06, 2008

MY SHOES- #4

During my first week at the police department I was handed a catalog by my field training officer (FTO) who explained that every year the city of St Albans bought each officer a new pair of boots, and I could pick any pair of boots I wanted. I thumbed through the catalog, and selected a rather cheap pair because I felt weird about picking out boots that might cost the taxpayers of that fair municipality more than $50.00. Most of the other guys ordered boots that cost nearly $200.00. I was the only one who was sufficiently civic minded to be cost conscious when it came to my boot selection. When I took my order to the administrative secretary, Ruth, she said "Really?" and then shrugged her shoulders as if to say, "Whatever. I don't care." They were crummy boots, and my FTO told me that they looked funny... "like snow boots." By the end of that first year I felt like the city of St Albans was enormously indebted to me for hours and hours of overtime (both paid and unpaid) as well a lot of abuse. I remember that first year was pretty tough. So the next year when Ruth dropped the catolog onto my desk. I flipped to the page with this pair of boots, plunked my finger down and said, "I want those," $239.99. Thanks St Albans!!!
I ordered three such pairs during the remainder of my tenure in St Albans, and really only wore one of them. When I left the department I gave away two pairs which hadn't seen much use and kept this pair. Outside of a police uniform I think they look a little funny, but today, due to some unfortunate circumstances they were promoted out of obscurity to second string. It has been an awful 24 hours for my footwear.
Yesterday the sole on one of the dexters flopped loose and my attempt to rip it off and make them into a pair of moccasins failed. October 5th was the end of the road for my storied Dexters.
...and then this morning my beloved sandals gave up the ghost as well.
What a loss!!! I think it's time for some new shoes.

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