A one-mall town

[pbray]

Most of the time I really like living in this corner of upstate New York. It's not a big place, but we do have a mall (one story, no food court), and most of the amenities. But when you need something a little out of the ordinary, you have to hit the road.


Today it was shoes. (I need to take very, very good care of my left foot or it's going to need surgery, so I'm on my best behavior when it comes to buying shoes.) The styles for this summer are completely wrong for what I need, so the mall was out. Sadly over the winter the good shoe store closed, and the remaining specialty shoe store is problematic. It's small, the selection is limited, and the owner wants to sell you the shoes he thinks you should wear, rather than letting you pick out what you'd like to try on. Yesterday I braved the gauntlet and managed to come out with sneakers, but I had to use my Jedi mindtricks to come out with a medium when he really wanted to sell me a narrow.

So today, jennifer_dunne and I drove for an hour up to Ithaca, to visit Fontana's which specializes in imported shoes and foot-friendly brands. I managed to find a pair of summer shoes, which made me quite happy. Jennifer tried on at least two dozen different pairs, but finally she found something that she liked.

Then we went off for a nice lunch at Simeon's on the Commons--cleverly timing it so we missed the graduation weekend rush. On the way home we stopped and played mini-golf at our favorite course (among the decorations is a vulture that bears a striking resemblance to me. It's in the eyes.)

Then it was back home, and managing to accomplish almost nothing on my weekend to-do list. Well, there's always tomorrow.

Comments

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I can find shoes at the mall, but all they have for summer is sandals and slides, and I can't wear those. I need a shoe with an actual closed back, and it has to have a rigid sole.

Whenever I needed something special, I used to be able to shop at Rasco's in Johnson City, but then they closed. But we did have good luck today at Fontana's up in Ithaca. My foot is narrow, Jennifer's is wide, and we both found summer styles that worked.