GOT SOCKS??

Tall boots require tall socks.  Anything else immediately crashes to the bottom of the boot, ending up UNDER your heal, making for a very uncomfortable ride.  I was down to 1-1/2 pairs.  You get a half pair of socks when the inevitable hole appears making it rather drafty on your big toe.  I actually do have a couple pair in the rig, but in an effort to keep the equilibrium of "two of everything", I decided to hit Boot Barn and pick up some more.  Surely, since it's close to Christmas, they'll have some.

I know those holes are fixable.  I spent many a night in the closet at the ranch, with a lightbulb stuffed in the toe, stitching the holes closed for our entire household.  I don't know why that was MY job, or why I was relegated to the closet, but I DO know there were lots of cotton socks to be mended.  I also don't ever remember them being comfortable to wear with a big wad of repair just over the toe.

Merchandising is everything in the retail business.  If there is anything you want, chances are it's at the very back of the store.  That holds true for groceries, dog food and socks.  As I hit the store, I walked purposely towards the back, not looking either direction.  There's WAY too much fancy stuff with pretty high price tags that I don't want to take home.

Unfortunately, the entire boot section comes before socks.  Kind of like the alphabet ... b before s.  I already have plenty of boots, but TALL boots are very hard to come by.  These started calling my name immediately ... plus ... looky look .... no sharp pointy toes!!  After trying on six pair of boots and dragging two around the store, I finally discovered the socks in the far back corner.  I picked up five pair.

I walked around for another five minutes, just making sure I didn't miss something, before checking out.  The boots followed me home.

Just for giggles, I thought I would show you this pair.  Absolutely gorgeous in my book.  Too bad they don't fit.  I ordered these $300 boots three years ago ... I know, but if you want the pretty TALL ones, they are pricey.  The best pair of boots I ever bought were Tony Lama python skin.  I found them in Nevada almost 40 years ago and paid $350.  Boots were probably $50 back then.  They were like slippers and I still wear them, after all this time and after two sole replacements.  

At any rate, I ordered these boots, but they didn't come in before I left in the RV.  I called to tell them only to discover they had delivered them to my front porch.  I called my girlfriend, who picked them up and kept them six months until my return.  The sad part is I couldn't even get my foot halfway in the shaft.  Of course they wouldn't let me return them, so for three years they have been in the box on my back porch.  I finally had a friend who is a full size smaller, try them on.  She could barely get her foot down in the boot and we had a devil of a time getting it OFF.  Long story long, the girls at Boot Barn said to bring these in for stretching, just to see if it would make them wearable by SOMEONE.  

Now for the BAD news ... that pretty pair that followed me home have a little strap on the top.  See it in the picture?.  It's supposed to snap.  After ten minutes of trying to snap just one side, I took them off and threw them in the corner.  Back they will go today!!  Apparently I didn't need them after all!!  More bad news, I wore the first pair of socks last night and had a hole in the toe by the time I got home.  #%$#&*#@$#%  

The Magic Kingdom was just magical last night ... as much as possible anyway.  It started out really  S  L  O  W   and stayed that way all night.  I finally got smart and didn't have dinner at all so my stomach was happy.  The best news ever ... the infernal machine balanced to the PENNY!!  Everyone went home happy.  THE END.

For anyone wanting to make the Davenport Hotel Soft Peanut Brittle, here's the recipe

2 cups creamy peanut butter (put in double boiler over hot water to melt)

1-1/2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups peanuts, raw or roasted

1 teaspoon baking soda (dissolve in water)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together sugar, corn syrup and water, cook over high heat to 275 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Lower heat to medium and add butter, stirring until melted.

Add peanuts slowly and stir like crazy for five minutes or so until candy starts turning to light brown color and reaches 300 degrees.  Remove from heat and stir in baking soda that has been dissolved in a teaspoon of water.  Add vanilla and stir.

Working quickly, FOLD in the melted peanut butter.  Pour at once onto well greased cookie sheet and spread as thin as you can.  Let cool completely, then break into whatever size pieces you want.  Enjoy!!