Vicky Goes On (Again)

Author: vicsto

  • Trainer shopping for the middle-aged

    I have foot pain. I decided that I was going to buy some comfy-soled trainers (sneakers) like an old lady might buy but not Skechers. I have seen too many videos of podiatrists saying that they are SO BAD and the WORST thing for your feet. Also, I don’t like them. I may be 43 ok 36 OK 43 but I like a cool shoe. Like, classic, I’m a sneakerhead but for very specific styles. They gotta be bad, they gotta be bold, they gotta be wiser… I like Adidas, Puma, Reebok, Nike (but I’m not a millionaire), New Balance (but I’m not a millionaire. Also, when the heck did *that* happen?). I like classic, originals, and they have to have a certain je ne sais quoi .

    But the older I get the harder it is. I don’t want to wear geography teacher c. 1980s shoes.

    Hi-Tec that your geography teacher wore on the school trip to Chessington World of Adventures

    Which aren’t bad per se, just not for cool, hip, ladies with heel-pain. And I cannot buy Gola shoes despite the fact that they are looking pretty cool nowadays. I was brought up in the 80s and 90s. Do you know what ridicule you would have been subjected to if you were bussin’ the Gola back in the day? And although I am not one to bow to peer pressure I just can’t do it man. I think the problem with Gola is they looked like knock-off Adidas your mum bought from Church Street market.

    1990s Gola shoe or is it fake Adidas?

    Anyway, I recently bought some Adidas with some cloud something something insole and I thought, well, they’re £37 from Sports Direct and my heel was killing me. I didn’t really like them but they were boring and black so harmless enough. I hate them. They have not helped my heel in any way shape or form. And they have this weird reflective bit on them. Rubbish. So, I bought these and they’re funky and my foot feels better so Reebok Classics for the win.

    Reebok Classics for the WIN

    And I got student discount because I’m young at heart.

  • Earworms

    “There was something in the air that night… can you hear the drums Fernando? There was something in the air that night… can you hear the drums Fernando? Chiquitita you and I know… There was something in the air that night…”

    I’m being driven insane. I used to have the radio on all night and wake up with snippets of songs stuck in my mind until some mystery would allow me some respite. Usually around 11am the earworms would leave me and I would be fine until the following morning. I always assumed that the earworm would visit because my subconscious brain had heard a song in the night and for some reason it had stuck.

    BUT, this can’t be the case as I have not been listening to the radio all night and yet still I awake with a random Abba medley or “rainy days and Mondays always get me doooown…” or “who needs to go to work to hustle for another dollar? I’d rather be with you…” or “look at me as I’m looking down at you, No, I’m not being flash… oh Geno, wooah-oh Geno”

    Are they messages?

    Writing this has helped get the Abba remix out of my brain so that’s really helpful. Thanks guys.

    I just read the wiki page on earworms (and fear I have opened a can of (ear)worms) and have become distracted. Read it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earworm

    More later.

  • Just thinking about dinner

    I used to live alone so ate a lot of ‘girl dinner’. For those not perpetually online this means snicky-snacky things that require little prepping. In my case I had Roast Beef flavoured Monster Munch and M&S Chicken Wings. And sweeties for dessert. I would often think, ‘hey, I need to eat actual healthy meals’ and do some food prepping and take a healthy lunch of leftovers to work. This would last 4 days. In any given week I would make maybe 3 dinners. Which is a high number of dinners. And the weight crept back on… so no more of THAT behaviour.

    In my defence, I was in mourning for like 4 years of the time of the time I lived alone, and now I am merely grieving* and I no longer live alone. SO. I think about what exciting dishes I can cook for myself and my flatmate. And he gets annoyed with my constant asking, ‘what do you want me to cook, man?’
    Here’s the thing. It is hard enough for me to actually cook the meal. I don’t enjoy cooking. I find it tiresome and dull. I enjoy the eating and I know I am a decent cook. I can cook more than 3 things. And I’m not even including beans on toast or Roast Beef flavoured Monster Munch and M&S Chicken Wings. So, that’s 5 things right there. But the main thing that bothers me about cooking dinner is the thinking about what to cook for dinner.

    My flatmate and I have a pretty decent set up. He buys the meat (because he’s a man?) and I buy the other things which make up what the heck the meal is going to be. You can do all these different things with, say, chicken breast. I often feel like a contestant on Ready, Steady, Cook (is that the one with the carrier bag of random ingredients?). Sometimes I’ll let him off the hook and just ask, ‘OK, what protein? GO!!’ and from that I have to create a meal. Sometimes I’ll say, ‘OK, with potatoes, with rice, with noodles, or with pasta? GO!!’ or ‘Chinese-y, British-y, Spanish-y or what? GO!!’
    It’s like living in a sitcom/quiz show/mildly perplexing comic strip. I don’t know, ask him what he makes of it all. He’s just grateful to be fed. And he mostly does the washing up so I think it’s a fair exchange if somewhat slightly sexist.

    Anyway, he’s going away for a week soon so I had better stock up on Roast Beef flavoured Monster Munch and M&S Chicken Wings. Otherwise, what on earth will I have for dinner?

    Dinner of champions (and depressed women)

    *I have a whole thing to say about the difference so stay tuned for THAT fun adventure into sadness.