Mission: Accomplished

Yesterday, I went grocery shopping with Steve and, while he bought meat and staples, I bought fruits, vegetables, bed linens, a bath-tub mat, a couple of inexpensive shirts, and a pair of bright yellow rainboots.

The produce cost about $35; the entire tab was close to $200. Now we know why there is a big trend towards super-stores. As I've mentioned many times before, it is a darned good thing that Steve does the grocery shopping. My morning sleep-ins save us a lot of money.

Anyway, I gingerly tried the boots on in the store. They were snug, but not pinchy. When I got home, I tucked in the arch supports I bought last week and they were surprisingly comfortable.

It was only after taking them off that I noticed my foot popping as I walked around barefoot. It was a strange sensation as the ball of the foot hit the floor and rolled forward. It did stop after a few minutes, so I think it's temporary. Steve thinks I may have done something to a ligament, so the arch supports are a very good idea.

Today, we went for a walk in the forest - to enjoy the sunshine (and build up my store of vitamin D) and to try out the boots.

Spring is still in the very early stages here: the ground is sodden, the very earliest of flowers are braving their way above ground, and the buds are juuuuust beginning to push their way out. We walked for about three or four kilometres, just enough to find that the boots were just fine.

We sat down to have an ice cream (yes, I know it was only 6 C, but I was HOT) and I remarked on an odd smell I'd noticed a few times during our walk. I thought it smelled like pot, but it had followed us, so that didn't make any sense. Steve said it smelled like rubber, at which point I realized it was the darned boots.

There is no way I was going to have my entire wardrobe/suitcase smelling like that for the entire trip, so I decided I would leave the boots at home.

We continued on our way and mere seconds later an elderly woman walking towards us paused and said, "Those are just beautiful!" and pointed at the boots.

Well. That nailed it. I'll bring the boots. I've put them on the front porch, hoping the rubber smell will dissipate. And I'll pack them in plastic bags so they won't contaminate everything.

And knowing my luck, Ireland will have its driest spring on record this year. Which is fine with me, as it is really difficult to hold both an umbrella and a camera.