duck-shaped pain

I binged on tiny toiletries this weekend. Tiny toothpaste, tiny toothbrush, tiny deodorant, the like. I wanted to invest in some tiny shampoo, but all the brands they had in the midget department were Just Not Right. My hair is neither normal or fine. I ended up going to REI to buy little bottles that I could fill with my standard shampoo.

While I was there, I bought some walking socks, or, in store lingo, "technical socks." They came with a brochure, which was sort of alarming. I really wanted to get some new walking socks, since I'm going to be on foot for much of the trip. The pair I had before were really great -- padded on the bottom, made of some strange space-age alloy material that wicks sweat away and transfers it to the socks of the person standing closest to you. Unfortunately, all the advances of textile science couldn't keep them from becoming lost -- stuck under a chair or a pile of something, somewhere. So I needed to look for some new ones.

The ones I got were wool, made by this company. Turns out they're made only a couple hours' drive from here, in Steamboat Springs. I was worried that they would be too itchy and hot, but they're not. They're made out of a very smooth, light wool, and over the last two days of wearing them, my feet haven't felt stuffy or overheated. So I'll probably buy another pair for the trip. My foot (especially the right one, operating under the extra pressure of a Big Steel Rod), ever more cranky these days, will thank me.

Oh, and today's my grandmother's birthday. Happy birthday, Grandma.

previous | next