Happy feet.

I feel kind of negligent for going from blogging almost daily to skipping an entire weekend, especially considering that I spent the entire weekend in question in my dad's recliner watching TV. Granted, my best friend and my 3-month-old goddaughter are visiting. I feel rude that I've spent as much time on my computer as I have. They flew halfway across the country to see me. I should spend time with them instead of rambling on about who knows what inane nonsense, right? Or refreshing Facebook. Spending time with them is way better than refreshing Facebook for hours on end.

As they're out on a cake run, I'm stealing a few minutes to share why my feet are thrilled beyond belief. Behold!

That's right. This señorita is rocking some brand new TOMS. My reasons for investing the not insubstantial dinero in these sweet puppies are the following:

1. I hate shoes. Unfortunately, I live in a climate where both of my solutions to get around wearing them are impractical, uncomfortable, and dangerous. Ideally, I would never have to wear shoes. Since that's not usually practical, especially with health codes and such (though I hear I could get away with it in New Zealand), I generally settle for wearing ballet shoes, which feel like the next best thing to me. Those work just fine in Missouri. Here in Arizona, however, where in the summer the sidewalk climbs to egg-frying temperatures, the thin leather is inadequate to properly combat burns to the bottom of my feet. I asked a friend wearing TOMS whether they were comfortable, and she told me they were just like wearing socks. Could it be true? Shoes that don't feel like shoes yet have a protective rubber sole?

2. I love the idea of TOMS Shoes' One for One charity. For every pair of shoes they sell, they donate a pair to someone who needs them. They travel the world handing out shoes to kids who don't have any so they don't have to walk around barefoot contracting soil-born diseases and collecting cuts. Additionally, many schools in these impoverished areas require shoes as part of the dress code. No shoes means no education, but because of TOMS, these kids are getting a chance at life.

I know I sound like a spokesperson, but hey, why not? One of the reasons I'm a pack rat is because I feel guilty throwing stuff away. I always imagine it rotting in a landfill and ruining the earth. I'm all for life-improving charities.

The bottom line, though, is that my friend was right. These are some dang comfortable shoes. I'm taking it as a very good sign that this initial breaking-in stage feels an awful lot like breaking in a pair of ballet shoes.

Listening to: "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats

Reading: Persuasion by Jane Austen