Shoes Shoes Shoes

I just read an article on AOL that says women on average spend $25,000 in a lifetime on shoes! http://www.stylelist.com/2010/06/28/women-spend-25-000-shoes-lifetime/  Thankfully I can boldly declare that I am not one of them. While most women my age are saving up for their Louboutins and Jimmy Choos, I am quite content to spend 30 bucks on a pair of last season's styles at Daffy's, DSW, Strawberry's, or my new favorite Rainbow (!)  I learned early on when I first moved to the city that a pair of shoes will last me at most one season. Since I love walking everywhere they end up looking more than a little trashed after a few months. Although I have a great shoe repair man, the damage that I do sometimes is far beyond help. Of course this problem of busting up my shoes could be easily avoided if I weren't a slave to fashion, but alas I am. I simply cannot bring myself to accept "commuter chic." You know, the white sneakers with the business suit. Or the more discreet black converse sneakers with a cocktail dress. Whatever the combo may be, I would rather traipse in my stilettos over subway grates and across Belgian-block streets than be caught in that literal fashion faux-pas.  My favorites for commuting so far this summer have been 4 inch high wedges and open, platform heels. I'm more comfortable in heels so I try to avoid flip-flops and ballet flats. 

Here are some pics of my favorites:

Both are BCBG

$31.oo from ZIGI SoHo, available at Strawberry's!

On sale for $19.97 at DSW

Are You Serious?

My morning commute was like a bad comedy skit today. I went to a different train station because I had some errands to run in the neighboring town. It's in a very affluent area so you would think that at least it would be a decent station. Not true. So I get there and the ticket machines weren't working and there was only one guy behind the ticket counter. AND my train was going to leave in 3 minutes, great. When it was my turn to step up to the counter to buy my ticket the man behind it started shouting, 

"Where is my pen??? Who took my pen??? Do you see it there? Do you??? 

Hold on a second, miss, this is important. Those kids stole my pen." 

With that he grabbed the loudspeaker mic and announced that the four teenage boys who were in front of me on line must return to the ticket counter immediately. Of course they didn't, I'm sure they didn't even realize that they had made off with his 20 cent CVS pen. I take things all the time! But anyway, this guy was obviously a few rolls short of a picnic basket. And when I told him that I had to catch the next train he purposely took his sweet time to help me! I'm an impatient person, I think it just comes with always having to run around NY, I want everything done quickly. I'm impatient but I'm not rude, at least I make a conscious effort not to be. When the ticket guy finally printed out my ticket he set it on his side of the ticket window. Naturally I slipped my hand under the window to get it and her started yelling at me! 

"What are you doing? You can't put your hand under the divider. 

 That's what those bars are for. That's my area. Don't you see that? Don't you see???" 

Um, yeah, so I'm going to miss my train because you have some weird territorial issues? I don't think so. I tried to apologize and be polite to him as I was rushing to get to the platform. Instead of jumping right onto a NY bound train I waited for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then the ticket guy's pinched little voice came over the PA system to announce that my train had been canceled. While I was waiting in the station for the next one to arrive a very proper (and very married) business man told me that my pedicure made him think of gum balls. (?) What a great start to a day! :-p

In Transit

I've been wanting to write this blog for awhile. After years of living in the city and enjoying a fast-paced life I decided it was time to become fiscally responsible and move out to the 'burbs. Since I'm a freelance writer I can work from just about anywhere but all of my meetings and social events require me to take that now routine, forty minute train ride/drive back into NYC. And it usually takes longer than forty minutes, but admitting that my commute is an hour or longer makes me feel way too out of touch.

So I'm trying to make the best out of my new routine by documenting all of the crazy, annoying, disturbing, and just plain absurd things that I encounter in transit. Some things I have learned:

1.) Never try to flirt your way to a free train ride; conductors are impervious to short skirts and curled eyelashes. Instead of a free ride you'll end up with a bruised ego.

2.) Never pack anything in your bridge-and-tunnel-bag that you wouldn't want the hottest officer of the NYPD to see.

3.) The handicapped restrooms on the upper floor of Grand Central make great changing rooms for those last minute outfit changes. If you're on the west side, your best bet is the 59th street Columbus Circle mall restrooms. (and while you're there you might as well get free samples of your favorite perfume from Sephora!)

4.) That club makeup that you applied so skillfully before you went out will make you look like a member of the Adams Family under the fluorescent lights on the trip home. But everybody will be too trashed to notice.