Sucker born every minute

    So today is the day of the Jam Room Music Festival downtown and also probably the peak day for the State Fair since a) it's Saturday and b) it's warm and beautiful outside. Since I live next to the fairgrounds, driving out of here doesn't seem advisable. (Granted, it's the drive back that's more usually the problem, but still. Something about being in a traffic jam just to get home seems outright unfair.)
    So I decided to walk. It's just 3 miles one way; no problem, right? Unfortunately, my feet are starting to get that broky-feet feeling that indicates that I need to get new Dr. Scholl's. But it's only a month since I got new ones. So I went to Mast General Store, where I bought these Keen boots (I swear I'm not getting paid for product placement). A few months ago, when these boots started to show wear, I had checked in and they had exact duplicates. But now, no. Remarkably, they had been recalled. The guy told me that they could get a pair in from another city by Tuesday, but had no boots today (or rather, yesterday). To his credit, though, he wasn't burning to sell me new boots. He said these looked good and if I bought the insoles Mast sells, I could probably eke out another year.
    I'll share that brand name because it's delightful: Superfeet! (No exclamation mark, unfortunately.) They're $40-$50. Doc Scholl's is an already too expensive $11-14. Yesterday, I said no. Today, I went back, tried them out and bought a pair. The guy yesterday said I could bring them back for a refund if they don't work out. I ought to know by Tuesday when the replacement boots come in, so I can make the call then. Since Dr. Scholl's only last a couple of months, or this time a month, the $50 is pretty reasonable if Superfeet really last a year. And it's certainly cheaper than new boots. My broky feet already feel markedly better. We'll see how I feel after 3 miles, Southern Culture on the Skids, and another 3 miles. Maybe I'll do some Ditch Diggin' along the way, too!