My awesome shoe luck

I would just like to take a moment to share with you the story of my awesome shoe luck.
I will preface this by telling you that I shop in thrift stores. I am not ashamed of this! I am the original frugalista - WAY before it was cool to be cheap.
Since I don't think I've ever paid full price for anything, thrift stores are like my mall (only the patrons are elderly hispanic ladies doing the rosary instead of aggravating teeny boppers talking in sentences that all go up at the end like a question).
This week I made a quick stop at a Goodwill in Kenner - a new one for me since I rarely ventures to the suburb horror that is Kenner. Now when I say quick stop, I mean about 10 minutes - including helping the cashier make change for$9.53 out of $20.03 (those extra pennies totally threw her off). Why the speed? Because as soon as I waltzed in the door three pairs of shoes jumped into my arms!
1. Adorable Gianni Bini brown leather flats, brand new, soles as pure as a nun's [soul. That was a pun].
2. Rugged looking red "Cloud 9" by Nine West mary janes that make great shoes for work - comfortable but not as thoroughly ugly as nurse clogs.
3. So-new-the-sticker-was-still-afixed-to-the-inner-sole A. Martinelli slip-on heels with tweedy gray fabric and a black button embellishment that make me look like a grown-up (but not a Medicare recipient).
They just hopped into my shopping basket.

And now just a word about buying used shoes.
It's ok, I promise, you won't get a fungus. Just follow these easy steps!
1. Clean well with soap and water.
2. Clean again with bleach. Yes it bleaches the insole. I don't care. Just avoid the outside of the shoe.
3. Sprinkle the insides generously with Zeasorb AF or another anti-fungal powder; let sit for 48 hours; shake out.
This is totally overkill but it makes me feel less grimy.

Ochsner run!

This Saturday I hauled my rear out to the Ochsner run - a 5k that runs down River Road, up to the top of the levee, then back. All of our hundreds of feet pounded on the top of the levee, tearing down the only levee that withstood Katrina! Hehe. I tried to be gentle.

My time was 24: 23 but I never got official results so I'm not sure how I placed. It was a beautiful day, though.

Problem: Pharmacy director did NOT show up at race. But she DID show up later at Luke restaurant (totally the best restaurant in the city, and that's saying a freaking heck of a lot, you should come visit and order the Express Menu. It's $23 for a soup, entree, and dessert, all lovely prepared by Chef Besh's own hands - or at least kids trained by him). What are the chances? I avoid her at the one event I'm sure she'll attend, just to see her later at dinner?!

I told you, it is SO complicated.

So how ya like my time? It could have been faster but I ran TO the race from my house (2 miles) and was winded when it started.

My Starbucks dilemma

I am studying for the NAPLEX, the pharmacy licensing exam for those of you who were wondering. Occasionally I leave the house to avoid the compulsive cleaning that I prefer to studying.
My old favorite haunt was the PJ's by my house. I'm not a huge Sbux fan because:
1. They aren't local and I prefer to shop local... if I have to pay someone $3.00 for a cuppa, it might as well help out my local economy.
2. It's freaking freezing in there. Are all the barristas menopausal?!
3. The emo, artsy music is fine, but it's way too loud. In fact it's drowning out the high-pitched adolescent wine coming from the gaggle of legging-wearing, iPhone-toting, low-fat-frappucino drinking rich girls at the next table.
Pj's is a little softer, no music, a little more study oriented, and honestly they have better, richer, less-burnt coffee. So that's where you used to find me, nose in a book. But now they've offended me. You see, one of the employees - he's new and not very nice - overcharged me on a sale bag of coffee. Then when we came in the next day for a refund, the coffee was no longer on sale, and he refused to refund us. I was annoyed because the coffee was half price, and basically I lost $8 on the deal. I'd like to boycott the place, but I still need to study.
I'm thinking about just boycotting that particular employee. Maybe if I see him I'll just leave and go to Sbux (they're next door to each other, conveniently).
But I miss my Pj's coffee.

Race this weekend!

In an effort to be less fat, I am running a race on Saturday. It's just a 5k so I probably won't die.
But here's how I complicated it. I told you, I do that.
I applied recently for a residency at a large local health care company. They have like 5 hospitals and a bunch of clinics- big stuff in this area. Well, I didn't get the residency. I'm a little surprised and a little upset (not too much). Unfortunately that company is hosting this race and I'll probably see a lot of higher-ups who just turned my application down. A little uncomfortable, eh?
Maybe I'll just run so fast that nobody can see me in the blur of speed!

I'm curious. What's a decent 5 k speed for a mid-twenties girl? I don't want a gold medal or anything but I do really hate to be last.

This is me running a race last July. I'm the one under the rainbow...isn't that cool?

Welcome

My sister told me last night that my life contains many events that she wouldn't believe to be true, did the stories not spill from my pure, golden, truthful lips. Actually sometimes I doubt my own stories, they're so weird.
Basically, I manage to do things in the most complicated, time consuming, and expensive way possible. But I'm scrambling along pretty happily anyway, so maybe others who have realized that it's the road less traveled by for a good reason can learn from me.

Plus sometimes I have good ideas and recipes I feel the urge to share. And sometimes I have a hilarious pun that the world must know about. And sometimes I want to vent like a dryer.

Remind me later to tell you about my traffic ticket the other day.