I do believe it would be fitting to 'celebrate' my return from hiatus with a 'little' blog about some random things.

Since last year or so, I've been trying to get myself to make sure I have at least two "seasonal" jackets and at least two pairs of "seasonal" footwear. The idea being that if I alternate between outdoor clothing on a frequent basis, it won't wear down as quickly, and as a result, I will not be forced to go out and purchase new outdoor-clothing as often.

Yah, I don't like shopping for clothes… especially not footwear.

At least I've got the "two pairs of each" secured for the winter season, but since my old summer shoes recently cracked, I need to get another pair come spring time >:(

Why do I hate going after footwear (and yes, I DO mean it when I use the word "hate")?

1. Getting footwear that fits my size is damned near impossible in a regular footwear store, and these days, these small, inadequate shops are everywhere. They recently closed down the only shop where I used to reliably get the footwear that fit my feet – damned travesty!

2. In lieu of the above, I have to go looking for up to multiple hours downtown, which means I have to get my sorry, socially anxious, don't-like-crowds carcass to areas that are freakin' SWARMING with people, moving about like fish in a barrel.

3. Getting foodwear usually means you need a shop assistant to help you out testing the damned shoes/boots, and it can take many tries before you find something useful…that is if the shop even HAS shoes that fit your size. It's not enough getting the size number right, the shoe needs to be narrow enough to do he trick so your foot doesn't slide side-to-side when you walk; For all my anxiety, I don't feel like getting my feet slowly ripped to pieces.

4. Taking '3' into consideration, you have to go through several damned shops, most/all of which don't have what you're after.

5. Going on a multi-hour trip with lots of stress and anxiety and finally return empty-handed ON A FREAKIN' DAY OFF is aggrevating (and often depressing) in the extreme.

The good news is that this time, it took only around two hours and because I've become rather adept at spotting "inadequate" footwear stores, I ended up visiting only *one* store, which was an army surplus store and I walked out with a pair of old Danish army boots (which has a standardized size, making it easier to pick those). Good thing about that sort of boots is that they're solid and last forever if looked after properly.

My boss, who's a former Non-commisioned Officer, noticed me wearing these boots one day and wanted to take a closer look, declaring afterwards that I was one lucky S.o.B. because I'd apparently scored "the best combat boots in the world", which he claims are nigh impossible to get nowadays.

Kinda like getting footwear that actually fits my feet…

–

The other side of this blogs deals with the startling change in my private life. I have now become the temporary owner of a close friend's cat. My friend is no longer able to look after Kitty, as the cat is named, and she has trouble finding a new home (not to mention owner) for the cat.

There's really only one alternative left: putting down the cat!

Neither my friend and I are willing to let a young, four year-old cat die just because we incompetent Humans can't find a home for her, so I've agreed to look after Kitty indefinitely.

So far, it's going better than anticipated – except that Kitty has grown sufficiently used to her new home, that she's starting to use my sofa as a scratching post! My friend left for Tyrkey (to visit her Tyrkish husband), before she got around to getting her scratching posts relocated to my home, so I have to wait until she gets back from Tyrkey before I can retrieve them.

Not that I blame my friend, she was uncharacteristically upset when she handed over her cat, and not just because of the fear of having to put down the cat and waving goodbye to the cat, but because of a lot of other stressful things going on in her life these days. It was pretty clear that she wasn't her usual collected self.

I just hope Kitty won't tear my sofa to pieces before I get those scratching posts! 😛

Other than that, looking after the cat is going far better than anticipated. I know cats are very self-sufficient animals, but you still need to feed them and change their litter-box, and because that's something I wasn't accustomed to before, I was a bit concerned.

But I've had no trouble getting into the routine, and the cat seems to thrive in my flat, being very curious, inquisitve, and actively climbing around like some mountain adventurer 😛

The cat's also very vocal, which, according to my friend, is a very good sign and it's good practice for me to have to tell the cat off whenever she jumps onto my dining table (she's in love with that dining table – she often sleeps beneath it), or uses my sofa as a scratching post.

Anyways, I need to sit down and plan my next shoe-acquisition operation… 😛

Thank you for your time.