i like fun socks
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It started some time in grade school. We first wore navy blue cable knit knee socks with our ugly plaid uniforms. When I got older, I started to chose patterned socks over plain blue. Although we had to wear white blouses, our socks and sweaters could be any color. I liked to to match my sweater and socks but completely ignore the plaid skirt or jumper. One of my favorite combinations were a striped sweater and argyle socks.
My socks were not this nice.
There was a period after college when I wore colorful cotton crew socks slouched with penny loafers. I admit that it was not a good look but it was more comfortable than nylons.
I would own loads of fun socks except my feet are big. Women's socks typically fit shoes sizes 7-9. My feet are more like 10.5 or 11. I got tired of trying to stretch the socks over my long toes. After I moved to Florida, I only wore white athletic socks when working out or wearing sneakers. I eventually got rid of the few pairs of socks I had kept.
Stance socks
Thanks to Fab, I found that they make fun socks for men. I gladly bought a few pairs from Stance. The socks fit well over my feet but not so much over my fat calves. I only wore these with jeans which I would wear a handful of days. It just doesn't get that cold in Florida. Stance makes some low cut socks but they slip off my heels. I gave them away.
I tried Happy Socks. They are thinner than Stance but tighter on my calves. I only got a couple of pairs.
When I was preparing to go to North Carolina for a few days of photography, I got some hiking socks. I found were Wigwam wool socks. They are wool and I expected some itching. There was no itch and I loved the way they felt. I tried some Wigwam wicking socks but I really liked the wool. I tried wearing them in summer and found that my feet did get wet but never felt clammy. I would have a drawer full if not for the cost. Wool socks are not cheap. They cost between $12 and $20 a pair.
I got a half dozen pairs of Wigwam socks. They are all the same size and color. It is easy when I wash them. Pairing them up is no problem. I learned that drying socks in the dryer will wear them out quicker. The heat degrades the elastic. I lay the socks on top of the dryer and they are dry the next day. Stance and Happy Socks take much longer to dry. I have to hang them up.
Keen Presidio MJ with Happy Socks
I started working at Macy's. Our uniform is a black shirt, black slacks and black shoes. It is hot and I sweat. I tried some cropped pants and found they helped though my quarter-crew socks looked a bit odd. When I got some MaryJane style shoes and the Wigwam socks looked really bad. I got out some of my fun socks I hadn't worn in months. Because of my weight loss, I can wear them pulled up my calves. The red socks with polka dots from Happy Socks were a big hit. Maybe bright socks could be my thing? I got three pairs of Alfani socks from Macy's. They are thin and my feet slide too much when wearing them. I tried wearing two pairs but that was too tight on my calves. I can wear them with my sneakers. The Alfani socks are large so I dried them in the dryer to help them shrink a bit. I purchased some Alfani socks for women and they fit perfectly before I washed them.
I like the feel of Stance Socks, They are a bit thicker. Both the Stance and Happy Socks are snug on my calves and by the end of the day, I am eager to remove them.
Keen coronado sneakers with Happy Socks
By now, people are used to seeing my silly socks and expect to see them. And I keep looking for fun socks that aren't too expensive.
new neighbors
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Lego Family House #31012
bricktober in january
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These two micro sets are only available at Toys R Us. They were available as a free gift with a $75 Lego purchase during each week in October 2014. I went looking for Series 13 Minifigures and found these instead. They cost $19.99 each which is kind of expensive but a lot cheaper than buying four $75 kits. I plan to go back at some point and get the other two.
loser
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I lost 60 pounds last year. It would be even more impressive if I hadn't gained 30 pounds last year.
I lost about ten pounds during the first few months. I was walking almost every day. But I could only walk so much because of the arthritis in my ankle.
I said that when I lost 40 pounds, I would get back on my bike. I had 30 pounds to lose then I hurt my foot and could either sit and gain the weight back or try my bike. I tried the bike and felt so much better. Yes, there is hand pain but only when I am on my bike. The ankle pain would sometimes continue all day and even keep me from sleeping.
I lost more weight. Enough that my clothes fit again. Then they started getting loose. Once I lost 40 pounds, I found many of my clothes too big. I did not need to unbutton my bottoms to take them off. I had some shirts that were a smaller size and I started wearing them. I even found a stash of brand new clothes I could now wear. Most of the new clothes are sleeveless workout shirts but there are a few I can wear now. There are a couple of knit short and knit pants that are OK to wear around the house.
I would love to buy a new wardrobe but don't have the money and hope to lose more weight. I did buy some clothes for work and then had to buy more once those grew too loose. I got some shorts on clearance and a couple pairs of jeans to wear on my days off.
One of the big problems is finding a bra. I don't have the boobs that come with being fat. I found some bras I wore years ago and they worked. They were stretched out some but looked better than sport bras. With machine washing, the underwires twist and poke and break. Now I really new new ones.
I was a little disappointed that no one has noticed or said anything. I saw Bridget in the beginning of December and she noticed. (It probably helped that I was wearing work clothes that fit.) I shouldn't need a pat on the back, but I do. I do not have any "before" photos of me in a full body pose. But I can see it in my face.
mountain hut, day 1
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I love this mountain so much, I bought it!
december cycling recap
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December biking is the saddest looking month since I began riding in April. I rode 151 miles.
Week 1
Work is taking a toll on my biking. I just don't have the motivation or time to ride more than one loop. I rode 61 miles.
Week 2
The cold killed my riding this week. I don't have the gear to ride when the temperatures are below 50°. I did reach 2000 miles for the year but only rode 20 miles this week.
Week 3
The cold eased off and I managed 4 short rides before work. Work leaves me achy and tired. Cycling relieves many of the aches. I rode 40 miles.
Week 4
My work hours changed and I couldn't ride before work. I should have ridden on Christmas but I got lazy. I only managed 2 days of riding, 20 miles.
Week 5
Another short week of riding because of work. Though I did get out and ride on New Year's Day, it doesn't count for my December goals.
Work is really active. I work on my feet and walk a lot. I expected to lose weight with this new activity. I didn't. I tried to eat well at work. I did until the support breakfast. I made the mistake of eating a chocolate chip muffin and couldn't stop the carbs. I only lost 3.8 pounds. I lost 60 pounds this year.
Year to date: 2080 miles
happy new year!
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After seven years of photo of the day, I have decided to call it quits. Besides having to go back work, I found myself dreading coming up with new ideas. I have wanted to stop for weeks, even months, but felt the need to finish the year.
Funny enough, I have finally found popularity on Flickr with my POTD posts. I don't want to lose my followers, so I will still post Lego photos. I hope to posts once or twice a week with more elaborate vignettes. I will still post my Lego calendars of Doyle.
november cycling recap
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The MUP is still closed. The pipeline work is done but now there is a new development going in and they have it blocked about halfway down the road.
November has 5 Saturdays. I biked to Flatwoods. It was cold and windy. I had planned on doing 2 laps and 30 miles. But then the wind got very strong. At one point, I felt like I was just pedaling to stay upright. I decided not to push it and only did one loop and rode home. The way home was against the wind.
Week 1. I rode my bike everyday. Some days felt like a struggle until I realized I was biking harder than I needed to. Saturday was cold and windy again. I decided to skip Flatwoods and ride north, into the wind. I rode towards Zephyrhills. State Road 54 does not have a dedicated bike lane but the shoulder is wide enough. I only managed 26 miles. Perhaps next week I will go farther and maybe explore some of the developments. I rode 93 miles.
Week 2. Andy decided he wanted to ride bikes after school but before dinner. We went out Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday I rode my 820 so I could ride slower. On Thursday, I got my first flat since I started biking again. A long wood screw embedded itself into the rear tire. I was 2 miles from home. I decided to try to replace the tube instead of walk home. It took a while but I finally got it replaced. I couldn't pump enough air into the tire but I hobbled home. I took the wheel to Oliver's. The man said it was still rideable but I could feel it and didn't trust it. It cost me $50 for a tire, 2 tubes (one as a spare) and their labor. They had a heck of a time getting the new tire on my rim. The weather was crappy on Friday but I rode because I wanted the miles. I couldn't ride Saturday because ANdy had Special Olympics Fall Classic bowling in Orlando.I finished with 91 miles.
It's been years since I changed a flat and had to read the directions. Getting the tire off the wheel is the hardest part.
Week 3. I began working this week. I had to reduce my biking on the days I worked. Cycling is important to keep riding even though I am walking a lot more for work. Cycling doesn't hurt and it gets the blood flowing to help heal the aches and pains of walking all day. I rode 87 miles this week.
There is another construction block along my usual route so I switched my route. The road is busier but it doesn't bother me. More cars = less pedestrians.
Week 4. I only rode 3 days this week. It rained twice and I had to work at 6am on Black Friday. Riding helps me forget about the pain of working. I finished the week with 42 miles.
I rode 340 miles this month. I lost 10 pounds.