Random 3 for August 9, 2026 – Flavors, words, shoes

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The ill fitting sneaks!

Just three today. Sort of a summer break!

That’s weird! – Most of the standard first aid medications I stock expire before I finish them. When I go to use them, the expiration was three years ago. That happened this week with a liquid antacid. I hate the stuff. It’s chalky but it works. They have cherry flavored which doesn’t really taste like cherry, but it camouflages the chalk a little. The store only carried vanilla caramel or mint. No cherry. I double checked to make sure I wasn’t at a coffee shop. Vanilla caramel? Really? Since I hate mint, that’s what I got. We’ll see how that tastes, but I probably won’t know for a year or two.

Colloquialisms – We’re having super-hot weather currently (interspersed with some lovely weather) and I heard it called a barn burner week. Sure hope no barn burns although it’s unlikely. We got two inches of much needed rain last week. I’d describe it more as swamp ass weather (high humidity) but that’s not very lady-like.

The shoe dance – I’m returning a new pair of shoes today. I bought them because they are pretty. When I tried them on, I thought the top part was too long (they are sneakers with 6 sets of lace eyelets) but was willing to give them the 15-minute trial at home. The tongue was stiff and it rubbed my ankles. My sneakers usually have 5 sets of eyelets. They are a beautiful shade of blue-green that would go with a lot of my clothes. Even buying sneakers is complicated.

So how was your week?

58 thoughts on “Random 3 for August 9, 2026 – Flavors, words, shoes”

  1. I do love the color of those sneakers, but I agree, that’s too many sets of eyelets.

    Once again, we’re having perfect weather, although much of WA is burning. We’ve had a little bit of smoke, but it’s mostly cleared up. I was worried since my daughter and family from MD are staying with us this week, and they want to do some active things like hiking and canoeing.

    I’m not very good about throwing out the expired things in the medicine cabinet. I do check them before I use them, though.

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      • Weather is never perfect. We didn’t have enough rain last winter and spring, hence the many forest fires. So far, though, its been a good summer–cooler than I would have liked if I was a kid. You need hot weather to swim in our lakes.

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  2. Our weather has been unusually hot and dry this year but it is beginning to look a bit backendish with leaves starting to turn and rosehips and blackberries. My lawn turned yellow weeks ago but it will look better for the winter with new growth.

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  5. I heard that your state is getting a lot of rain this week. Well, you won’t have to water anyway. We have two stormy days, but as of now they are slow to arrive and are still in Indiana. I’d rather they don’t arrive in the early morning, so I need to stay up. I stay up, even with the weather alarm. I’ve never seen sneakers with six sets of eyelets. I got a pair of New Balance Winter hiking boots, recommended by the mom and pop shoe store for their lug soles for great traction. But they had two sets of eyelets like you use for skates right at the ankles and they rubbed just below my ankle bones. It took me one Winter to break them in and I used bubble wrap around my ankles as I was determined to wear them (and it was too late to take them back). They are 10 years old now.

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    • I often don’t use the uppermost eyelet of the sneaker for that reason. I really should stick to New Balance or Ryka’s. They work best. I have a pair of Brooks (a great brand) to donate. They are a size bigger than I normally get and my toe still touches the front.

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      • My walking shoes are Easy Spirit Punter. The same saleswoman for the boots, who has now retired and closed up the store, was an avid walker, so she recommended this style of walking shoe. They wear like iron, but they are heavy if you like a lighter shoe. I think I’d like to try Icebugs for Winter. They have ads on Facebook and have good traction. Once we’re into late October here in SE Michigan, you have to watch for black ice and even slippery leaves.

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          • After McLinden’s Shoes closed, I bought the Punters at Macy’s, but they never have them in the store anymore, just online now. I bought them at Amazon the last time as Macy’s always had them on sale online, but never had them in stock. At Lake Erie Metropark, they have gravel on many of the woodsy paths – you’d think that would tear up the soles, but it doesn’t. I didn’t know Easy Spirit made dress shoes. I used to wear Selby shoes, which I got at McLinden’s and they were pumps. I never had a blister from new Selby shoes through the years. They went out of business, just before I stopped working on site. I still have all my pumps and I’m sure I could have gotten rid of them years ago. Pantyhose and pumps … not happening!

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              • I used to have pantyhose, but I have a “Welcome” sign made of slate. My neighbor from years ago put an anchor bolt into the brick and we used some heavy wire to fasten it on there permanently, so I can’t take it down and I wrap it up every Winter so the paint doesn’t chip. It looks funny but I put it into two bubble wrap Tyvek envelopes, then a kitchen garbage over it to keep it dry, then criss-cross pantyhose legs over that. I finally had to buy new pantyhose to do that last year and I couldn’t believe how much pantyhose costs.

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  10. Pretty much always hot in Florida unless it’s Dec or Jan. If it’s hot it’s full on swamp ass. It seems like this summer it has been hot everywhere. I am blaming it on El Nino! Those are cute sneaks but they wouldn’t work for me either. They would be breaking/bending right at the place where my toes attach to my feet… owie.

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  13. I know my air conditioner would like to be off duty. I hear you with the sneaker issue. They are very cute, and I love the color. The excitement when you open the box and the disappointment minutes later is a real thing. Remember going to the shoe store? I feel those sales people always knew my feet much better than me.

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  14. I find buying clothes and shoes a chore now….and I used to love to shop when you could go into a store and try stuff on. I like those step-in Skechers, and have worn them for about 5 years. Usually 5 1/2 is a perfect fit….and impossible to find in stores so I order online. But the past two pairs I’ve ordered had to be returned, one because the heel pillow was in the wrong place and very uncomfortable on the one shoe, and the other pair the upper part was so stiff it cut into my skin. I wonder where they are made, and why companies don’t seem to do much quality checking on their products anymore. I had to send a very nice plaid but defective hoody back to LL Bean (tag said made in Sri Lanka?), because the zipper was half an inch shorter on one side, and I couldn’t even get it unzipped to try it on. I took a picture of it to send with the return and posted a review online. The order person said only 1 in 1000 items are checked by the quality assurance dept. before sending out. And apparently this is standard in the industry. And these are reputable companies and not cheap prices! Shopping has become very frustrating.

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    • I agree with you except I can’t wear the step-in Sketchers or any sketchers for that fact. My feet are too narrow. Today I bought a pair of joggers that will go back. They were advertised on line (for a prominent store). When I went to the brick and mortar store they were the regular price. I thought maybe I had the wrong style. Now if I want them, I have to return to the store and order on-line. This is too much work.

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  15. The heat says we all deserve a break. A barn burner week nails it. You could fry eggs on the sidewalk.

    As far as shoes go, comfort all the way. I’ve gotten very complacent regarding footwear. I recently donned a pair of Audrey flats in place of sneakers and was miserable during the dinner I was invited to, slipping them off under the table. Then I walked barefoot all the way home. sigh

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  16. Bummer about the sneakers. I wear Merrills trainers which are not cheap and usually last me at least a year. My latest pair hurt. My feet swell during the day, and the inside of the heel is rubbing my own. I can’t take them back as I bought them in the sale about four months before my others were due for renewal. Can’t afford a hundred quid plus just now to replace them, so working round it with a pair of sandals and garden clogs on hot days.

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  17. We’ve had the swamp a$$ weather without the swamp (humidity is only around 10 or 11% here thankfully). I’ve given up on summer. Wilson and I are walking just before dawn to enjoy the coolest temps of the day and then spend the rest of the day hibernating indoors and potty breaks for Wilson are very quick. He’s no fan of the heat either.

    I was nodding about the medicine cabinet and spices phenomena. Too bad you can’t get sample sized meds rather than Tylenol in 250 tab size. And spices…ugh…I’ve been going to a spice shop to get tiny little packets and use it up as soon as possible. When I broke my shoulder, I went through the spice cabinet and was horrified to see how old stuff was. Yikes! Have a great week.

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    • We used to have a spice shop in our farmers market. Small bags were $2 but they closed. Now I pay higher prices and the containers are larger (which I don’t need except for a very few). Don’t get me started on beds. Everything is ginormous! Sorry about the weather there. We are going into the tail end of summer so it won’t be long.

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  18. Had to giggle at the old goodies in the medicine cabinet. I have things in our cabinets that have a layer of dust on them and definitely are out of date. I’ll resort to them if it’s REALLY necessary and they still work…..I think. Sneakers have to be totally comfortable – all shoes need to be. My high heels from the old days are kind of like those outdated medicine cabinet items – “I’ll resort to them if its’ really necessary”. I definitely am into COMFORT these days. We’re having that same swamp ass weather here too. Yuck.

    Hugs, Pam

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    • Heels? What are they? I can’t wear them anymore. I was THAT person who wore high heels for work every day for decades. Now my balance issues dictate I stay as close the the floor as possible! :) Medicines are like spices. Where did those 5 years go without opening?

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      • I kept my heels for nostalgia purposes certainly NOT to wear. I’m with you on balance issues – stairs also bother me a lot now and they didn’t used to do that…..oh dear – you mentioned “spices” – my husband refuses to let me clean out the spice rack(s) – we have things in there that he bought WAY before I came into his life. We’re talking almost 40 years ago. EEEK!

        Hugs, Pam

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