Round Robin Challenge: Shoes

LOL.
"What becomes of the broken hearted? They buy shoes."

-Mimi Pond

Shoes. GOD I love shoes. Most of the time when I meet someone I notice their eyes first, but next comes the shoes! I have to admit right here, at one time I owned 214 pairs of shoes. High heels, tennis shoes, ballet slippers, bunny slippers, boots, slides, loafers and even flip flops. Who hasn't owned a pair of flip-flops? I love shoes. Yes. Shoes. So, how could I not love this challenge? It was suggested by Vicki, author of the blog, "Maracas" and it puts a pep in our step, while challenging our creativity at the same time!

Alamo Square Park...

For this entry, I decided to pay a visit to one of my favorite parks in the Bay Area, Alamo Square Park, in San Francisco. You have probably seen it numerous times in movies and on TV. The Tanner family, from the old ABC series, Full House, lived just across the street, in one of the famous Six Sisters, which are a series of lovely Victorian houses just off the park, and in the movie, "So I Married An Axe Murderer," it was in the scene where Charlie breaks up with Harriet.Weep... such a sad moment. LOL. Alamo Square is one of the most beautiful places in the city, with a stunning view of the high rises, including City Hall downtown. And at the very top of the park, nestled between some amazingly beautiful trees, is the Shoe Garden. Yes, a Shoe Garden.

I have written about this place before, but I just had to share it again. The garden gains new shoes all the time, but if you look very closely, it isn't just shoes that are left as a memorial. There are light switches, sun glasses, bottle caps, small bird houses, it is just a neat, quirky little spot in the middle of a large, fun, quirky city, that I am hopelessly in love with. I love the sun. The people. The individuality. The friendliness. The surreal mixture of time and culture. And this park, and the Shoe Garden, holds all of those things in one tiny spot. You can probably find shoes here from all different eras, retired, and holding tiny plants. It's just fun. If you ever visit San Francisco, take my advice, grab a lunch to go, and eat it right here in Alamo Square Park. I can't imagine a more peaceful way to spend an afternoon!

Hey, did you ever hear that song, "Men Are Like Shoes" by Shania Twain?

Men Are Like Shoes
By Shania Twain

Ooh! Men! Have you ever tried to figure them out?
Huh, me too, but I ain't got no clue
How 'bout you?

Men are like shoes, made to confuse
Yeah, there's so many of 'em
I don't know which ones to choose
(yeah, yeah, yeah)
Ah, sing it with me, if you agree

There's the kind made for runnin'
The sneakers and low down heels
The kind that will keep you up on your toes
And every girl knows how that feels
(yeah, yeah, yeah)
Ouch, oh, sing it with me

You got your kickers and your ropers
Your everyday loafers, and some you can never find
You've got your slippers and your zippers
Your grabbers and your grippers
Man, don't you hate that kind?
Some you wear in and some you wear out
And some you want to leave behind
Sometimes you hate 'em and sometimes you love 'em
I guess it all depends on which way you rub e'm
But a girl can never have too many of 'em

It's amazing what a little polish will do!
Men are like shoes...

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LOL. Ahem... Who wouldn't love a shoe garden? ;)

Be sure to visit Vicki, and all the other participating Robins. Just follow the links below! Thank you Vicki... this was soooo much fun! Just like buying shoes. :)

Linking List

*Welcome New Members

1.Vicki... Maracas
POSTED!

2. Carly... Ellipsis
POSTED!

3. Lisa... Lisa's Chaos
POSTED!

4. Jill (See Comments Section On The RR Blog)
POSTED!

5. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

6. Martha... Perception
POSTED!

7. Annie... Pictures Of Craziness


8. Momma... Sandcastle Momma
POSTED!

9. *Sahvvy... Instantaneous Existence Of Me
POSTED!

10. Sandra... Strong Chemistry
POSTED!

11. Janet... Fond Of Snape
POSTED!

12. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pix
POSTED!

13. Suzanne R... Living... Suzanne R's Life
POSTED!

14. Nan... Life is Like a Lunchbox
POSTED!

15. Robinella... Robin's Nest
POSTED!

15. TJ... T.J's Photo Expressions
POSTED!

16. Chrissea (See Comments Section On The RR Blog)


17. Jan... The Prytz Family
POSTED!

*18. Old Dog... Wise Old Dog
POSTED!

19. Kim... Nekked Lizard Adventures

POSTED!
*20. Celeste... Ragracers

POSTED!
21. Sarah... Charish

22. Teena... It's all about me!
POSTED!

23. Sandy (See Comments Section on The RR Blog)
POSTED

24. Shorty (See Comments Section on The RR Blog)
POSTED

25. Carlo (See Comments Section on The RR Blog)
POSTED

Jan AKA Whammy... The Ellis Family

POSTED!

Note: There is a forecast for a severe storm here in the Bay Area later today. If I can't get by your blog to leave a comment, I will be by on Sunday. :)

-OndineMonet
Shoe Garden
Alamo Square Park
San Francisco, California
February, 2008
Afternoon

The Rumors Of My Death...

"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today."

-Will Rogers

Yep, I am alive, however I am a little late. LOL. I was supposed to be back to my regular blogging schedule yesterday, but life had other plans for me. Hmmm... where to begin, where to begin...

The Hardness of Software...

I know... I will begin at the beginning. Last week I decided to take a week off from blogginess to do some much needed maintenance to me, my computer and my real life. I installed, uninstalled and reinstalled various forms of software on the computer, which included to two games, "Sims; Seasons," and, "Two Worlds," and a nifty new version of the Norton Anti-virus. Sounds easy... right? Yeah right. LOL. I don't know what it is, but with each new version of Norton, comes some small element that messes with my brain, and otherwise makes me crazy. I still haven't quite got the latest problem resolved, but things are working fine, and the minor annoyance with the program is just that, a minor annoyance.

Detoxing With Pie...

Over last weekend, I made a pie. I made a Sugar-free Strawberry/Peach Pie. It came out perfect. I will do an entry in a few days to share the recipe, try it. If you have diabetes, you might enjoy this pie a lot. If you don't have diabetes, you might enjoy doing something a little more healthy for yourself. It's good to detox once in a while, from the high fat, high calorie lifestyle. :)

Hold Still And Make Big Fist...

Monday, I called my doctor and asked if I could do my blood work a week before my appointment next Monday, so we could talk about my test results at my appointment, instead of an email. So, on Wednesday, I went out to the hospital to have my 4 month A1C, Glucose Fasting, and Creatinine check. See photo of the blood test above! LOL. I was a little nervous about the test the night before, and made the mistake of saying I was nervous to my pal H.P. LOL. At that point, he challenged me to take a photo of the test, and send it to him. Knowing I am never one to pass a photo challenge, I accepted, and there you see the result. A fuzzy picture, taken by a slightly nervous, slightly fuzzy girl, who was starving from the previous night's 12-hour fast. :)

It only hurt for a little second, then I was fine, and on my way home for a sandwich, a cup of Campbell's Tomato Soup, and a piece of Fat-Free Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake... homemade. :) God I love to cook! Everything was going fine, yummy lunch, but toward the afternoon I began to get really tired. So I took a nap, and when I woke up, my arm was stiff and sore. The lab tech had to move the needle in my arm a little bit to find the vein, and so a little bit of gentle twisting occurred, so I am wondering if, while searching for the vein, something got hit, like a nerve or something. Anyway, I was sore yesterday, and to be honest, I needed an extra day from the computer to just veg a little. I have my results back, but I am saving those for another day, and another entry. I want to talk to the doctor face to face before I share with you here. :)

Of Rain And Cats...

It has rained all week. Large thunder-boomers here and there. I have a depressed kitty on my hands. Elvis misses his big yard so much. He loves the creatures that come in an out of the yard. They are his friends. So, he and I have been doing a lot together, to keep each other's spirits up. I bought some kitty shampoo, and I gave him a wet bath the other day, and then followed it up with the dry shampoo later in the day. I put his new tie on, that he got this past Christmas, and his red tank top, and let me tell you... he is one fine looking little cat. :) Another entry, for another day. Elvis Will also be seeing his doctor next Monday. Sigh. As will Alan. Yep, he has an appointment also. Jeepers, I just wish we could all see the same one! Tee Hee.

So, stay tuned to find out about all the things I touched on today, and of course I have some opinions about the upcoming Texas and Ohio primaries and the current state of the budget in California... and... and... well, just stay tuned!

Okay, that pretty much winds things up. There are other assorted details to share, and I will in all good time. For now though, here is a reminder about the next Round Robin Challenge. The subject is "Shoes" and it will be played tomorrow, Saturday the 23rd. There is still time to sign-up. Hope to see you there!

-OndineMonet
"Ouch"
February, 2008
Union City, California