Finding A Voice...The Right Voice

At our last writing group gathering, I received some excellent advice. "You need to work on the voice" (or something to that effect...). And she was right. I knew it, and I think everyone in the room thought the same thing.

Finding the voice, it's so important.

The novel I wrote in November for NaNoWriMo needs a strong voice--not overbearing strong, but consistent, and more importantly, memorable. It's a middle-grade story and the story's got to somehow make itself stand out from all the thousands and thousands of other stories out there.

It needs a stronger voice.

This week I've done some editing to give my main character more of a distinct voice. He's twelve, the same age as my youngest. I tried, either consciously or unconsciously, to model the character after him. I thought as I wrote it that the character was weak and thin, but I knew when I wrote it that I'd be going over it again and again before it becomes a completed work. I just didn't know how I was going to give it more meat. It wasn't until I received the feedback and thought about it, that I had my answer.

In a recent Writing Excuses podcast episode they addressed writing middle-grade characters. They said a lot of main characters in those stories are smart-alics, boys who are snarky. I know why they're written that way--it's fun, and I think we all wished we could have said snarky things to the bullies in our lives all those years ago. Heck, we wish we could do it as adults--maybe that's why I and other adults enjoy reading these stories. But I didn't want my character to be necessarily snarky so I went another way. I hope it works.

Now I feel I can continue editing with a stronger main character, a person people will get to know better. It's got a stronger voice and that's something I'm excited to explore.

Those Lines...Remembering Those Lines

There's three shows left, three times to make sure we have our props ready before we go onstage, three times to make sure we aren't late for our entrances, and three times to make sure we say every line the way it's written in the script.

Those lines...

Maybe it's because I joined the show late, a replacement for someone who had to quit. I had three weeks to prepare, which is more than enough time to learn a dozen or so lines. Everyone was so supportive and helped me get up to speed, so that's probably not it. There's been something about this show--I occasionally find myself wondering if I'm going to forget those lines.

It's silly, mostly because before each show, I go through all my lines, one after another. I know them. I know them well, so I'm not sure why I doubt. Over the years I've been involved in a lot of shows. Due to my age and appearance and ability, I'm usually not cast as a lead, but I have been fortunate enough to have been trusted with some great roles. I've never really worried about the lines before.

During the last performance I missed two lines, or more specifically, I missed a few words in two lines. I got across the message of those lines and the other actors continued, but it made me realize, that even though I've memorized the lines, I'm not good enough to just go in cold--I've got to prepare and get into character. And I still need to focus, always focus.

Three shows, three more chances to entertain, to perform, and to give those who've spent good money on tickets their money's worth. And after tonight, it'll be down to two.

Going To Church...And Feeling Old

We got new neighbors. They're not next-door neighbors--they're a few houses down, but they're neighbors and they're new. I met the papa at church. There's a lot of things one expect to feel at church, uplifted, encouraged, recharged, but today I felt old. 

Why?

It was the new neighbor.

He himself didn't do anything to make me feel old, but in our conversation, that's when it happened. We started talking and I told him we lived a few doors down. He told me he had grown up in the area and he told me his last name. He said he was married and had a daughter.

"Hey, I know that name," I said and I thought of someone I knew with that same last name.

"Yeah, my grandfather lives on the west side of town."

I knew who he was talking about. I went to high school with his grandfather's son.

That's when I felt old.

The children of kids with whom I went to high school have grown up and are buying houses in our neighborhood. Now, I know many of my friends younger than me are now grandparents. I'm sure some have even retired and have started new lives, but when you are talking to a kid in church whose dad graduated from high school a year before you did and that kid is married, has a child, and is buying real estate, it kind of brings it home.

Back When I Used To Monitor The Blog Stats...

I started this blog January 24, 2011. I've written a post every day. This will be Blog Post # 2199. Which means I've come up with almost 2200 topics, used more than that many photos, and posted each of them, one a day, for over six years. Number 2200 will happen tomorrow.

That's a lot of stuff. 

I knew when I started I wanted to write a daily post, and to be honest, I'm a little surprised it's gone this long. I don't know how long it will continue, but for not, at least, I'm writing tonight and plan on writing tomorrow.

I've learned a lot in the past six years. I hardly ever go back and read the old posts. That's not unusual for me. I've written a daily journal entry everyday since 1985 and I never go back and read those--well, hardly ever.

When I first started this blog, I was a little obsessed with the blog stats. I used to look at them daily, several times a day, actually. I remember getting excited when I a lot of people viewed my blog. I even looked to see which country had the most viewers. But things change over time. I almost never look at the stats now. One of the reasons for this is because I made a decision a long time ago that I wasn't writing posts for popularity. I wasn't going to do it to see how many followers I could get. I wanted to keep the blog going to make myself write something--at least something--everyday.

And that's what I've done.

Today I decided to just check out the stats. I've had over a quarter-million page views. The most successful post had over four-thousand views, the second-most popular had just over half that (I think you can click on the photos to see the numbers better...). Occasionally I've had friends tell me they like my blog, that they read it all the time. That makes me feel good. I like writing things people want to read. I wish I could spend more time on each blog post to make them better, but time management dictates sometimes other things are more important.

Yes, there was a time when I followed religiously the stats of my little blog. A long time's passed since the stats were that important.

Rediscovering..."Seinfeld"

After random channel surfing this afternoon, I stopped on the TBS Network. It was showing a random episode of Seinfeld. 

Man, what a great show!

To say, "they don't make shows like that anymore," is only half the story. In reality, they never made shows like that--it was the only one. I remember watching the pilot. A friend, Clifton May, had just completed an internship in Washington D.C. and he heard about a comedian named Jerry Seinfeld. We ended up watching a bit he did on The Tonight Show. Seinfeld began the next season and so I watched it.

I continued watching for nine years.

We have the series, a box of DVDs that now seem so old fashioned. This afternoon my wife and I sat and watched two episodes and just loved them. The timing, the chemistry of the cast, the excellent writing--it's pure comedy gold.

We have a DVD player, but we hardly ever use it. We have some movies and TV shows--not too many--but we end up watching other stuff instead of getting up, opening up a case, opening up the DVD player, and putting in the show. It's just easier.

It's been probably a decade since we've watched them (when we did watch the series, we bing-watched...). I think it's about time to do it again. They're just so, so good.

David J. West's "Scavengers"...Book Launch

David J. West is launching another book--they guy just can't be stopped! But in all seriousness, a book launch is an exciting thing. I should admit that I have yet to read this book, but I have read a few of David's stories, and I have no doubt this one is great as well.

I also don't know much about Porter Rockwell, other than what I've heard hear and there. I know he was a bodyguard to Brigham Young, a man who's been called The American Moses. I've heard Rockwell didn't cut his hair, either--believed it would rob him of his power. There's a lot of information out there on Rockwell. I'm sure there are a lot of tall tales, too.

From Scavengers Amazon page:

Deputy Marshal Porter Rockwell can't be harmed by a bullet or a blade. As long as he never cuts his hair, Rockwell is free to right wrongs and chase criminals without worrying about the consequences. But when he learns about a map to a mysterious cache of gold, he's embroiled in a battle for the treasure with enemies lining up on every side.

As outlaws, villains, and a surprisingly formidable Ute chieftain stand between the Deputy Marshall and the gold, bullet and blade might not be what finally take Rockwell down. It could be plain old bad luck...

Scavengers is a Western with colorful characters and wit straight out of a Tarantino flick. If you like mixing horror with your pulp, strong and admirable heroes, and weird Westerns, then you'll love the first book in David J. West's Porter Rockwell series.

The book launch for Scavengers: A Porter Rockwell Adventure is Friday, January 27th. If you'd like to participate in the book launch, click: HERE for more information. Dave spins a good yarn. If you like well-written, energetic, suspenseful stories, I'm sure you'll love this one.

How To Get Rid Of Wintertime Blues? An Air Hockey/Ping Pong Tournament, Of Course...

They approached me yesterday, two co-workers I didn't know--the building's not that big, but big enough so that people can work in the same space for years and not know each other.

"The Ping Pong and Air Hockey Tournament is tomorrow. Are you interested in playing?"

"No," I said. "I plan on being a spectator."

They left, I returned to work. I wasn't even sure when the tournament was, even though signs were hung in areas around the building last week. I just never paid much attention. I found out this morning as the competition heated up, the Ping Pong/Air Hockey Tournament had begun.

Most buildings where many people work have break areas. It makes sense--don't want people eating at their desks. Designers design buildings with break areas. What struck me, the first time I went inside the upstairs break room (bigger than the downstairs break room...) was both the ping pong table and the air hockey table sitting unused in the southeast corner of the room.

I actually wondered if anyone used them, or if they were like many sports tables found in people's basements covered with boxes or clothes or whatever else that transformed them from sporting equipment to large shelves.

I soon found out... 

They were used.

It's not everyday someone plays table tennis, but most days they do. A friend of mine enjoys the activity very much, but others do as well. The idea of a tournament sounded like a great idea, especially on another day of bad weather. Just taking the employee's minds off their upcoming evening commute is a good reason for a diversion, let alone their own work.

I don't know how long the tournament lasts. I could, of course, look at the signs hung throughout the building. Then again, I could just stay at my desk and wait for all the shouting to go away. Either way, I'll eventually find out.

Centerpoint Legacy Theatre's "You Can't Take It With You"...The Video

The latest production on Centerpoint Legacy Theatre's Barlow Main Stage is Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's You Can't Take It With You, a great little comedy about what makes up a family. The theatre created a little music video to promote the show. You can see it on the theatre's Facebook page: HERE.

We're just over halfway through the run, but there's still time to get tickets. The cast you see is not the one I'm in (we're double cast...), so if you go on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, you won't see any of the people on stage that are in the video.

After the shows, it's customary in our little theatre to greet patrons in the theatre's lobby and I've seen a lot of smiles as they pass by and tell us they enjoyed the show. That's one of the reasons I do these shows. Making people's day just a little bit better is a wonderful thing.

And, Superfan said, "It's a great show!" Or, something to that effect--sorry if I didn't get the quote exactly right.

So, if you're interested, click: HERE for more information about the show, the theatre, ticket prices, and show times. I'd love to seen you, if you can make it. After all, Superfan can't be wrong!

Capital Vs Capitol...Thank You Grammar Girl!

I subscribe to a lot of podcasts. I used to listen to all of them, religiously. It was too the point that I was spending time I could have spent listening to books, or writing stories my own stories (or, participating in activities others associate with life...). My wife told me that I "didn't have to listen to every one of them."

You know what?

She's right.

Since then, I've been more selective about the podcasts I listen to. There are some--the ones shorter in duration--that I hardly ever miss. Listening to them on double speed makes it easy to hear a five-minute or ten-minute long podcast. It's the ones that are an hour or two long that I tend to skip.

It's not just podcast length that dictates whether or not I listen, topic makes a big difference. I subscribe to many podcasts to assist my writing habit. I almost never pass them up. The good news is, they're mostly short, between ten and twenty minutes. One of my favorites is Mignon Fogarty's Grammar Girl Podcast. If you haven't heard it before, give it a try. Her upbeat voice, timely topics, and humorous examples make the time listening very enjoyable.

Which brings me to Mignon's latest edition, entitled Capital vs Capitol. Even though I write daily, I have trouble with many of the little things of language. I try to think of ways to remember the rules, but it's difficult sometimes. There's so many little quirks associated with languages.

One of those quirks that had plagued me over the years is capital vs capitol. It wasn't until to day that I learned that capitol with an "O" deals with buildings, and that's it. My way of remembering the rule with these two words was capitol with an "O" dealt with government, and capital with an "A" dealt with money. Thanks to Mignon, I now know the difference.

Of course, I could have done a little research on the subject. The problem was/is, I would forget after being faced with the O vs A dilemma and I wouldn't think about it until it happened again.

I will most likely continuing listening to those writing podcasts. They are usually entertaining and by the end, you've learned something. Thanks Grammar Girl--what a capital podcast!

The Instant Pot...A Great Buy

A few months ago my wife ordered a new appliance. At our house, we're not anti-new appliances, but we do have a lack of counter space so any new appliance better be worth it, or it just takes up valuable real estate.

Well, as far as new appliances go, my wife hit a home run.

Apparently, she's not the only one. It seems there's a boom in popularity for pressure cookers. In fact, on one website my wife showed me, someone said that the first thing you'll want to do once you get one of these silver beauties, is get a second one.

I should say that I don't do a lot of food preparation in our home. I should do more, I know. So, I can't say with specifics just how miraculous this this cooker is. I do know it's very fast, cooking food that takes several hours in an oven in a fraction of the time (that sounds like ad copy...). My wife has praised it over and over since we got it, and so have many of those with whom she's corresponded.

Today it was used to prepare the Sunday dinner, as it has faithfully done time and time again. After dinner I took a picture to use for this post, but I had to take another one because in the first shot, it looked like I was cooking two of my children in the Instant Pot.

We'd never us it for that.

Returning To Where You Once Were...

Tonight, I drove up to my alma mater, one of my alma maters, that is. It's weird coming back to a place where you went to school. The first school I attended was torn down, at least part of it. The second and third schools (elementary and jr. high school...) are still there, but my high school is no more. They flattened it and built a huge temple to education, otherwise known as Davis High School.

I first attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah. Home of the Aggies. I love USU--it's a great place. My dad, brother, sis-in-law all graduated from there. After the mission, I went to the University of Utah, and I really loved my time as a Ute. It's a great institution.

After a fifteen-year break, I went back to school, this time at Weber State University. I enjoyed the school, the faculty, and the students very much. Thing is, I didn't spend a lot of time on the main campus, so the Union Building, where I am not, does not feel like home. Then again, a few years I went back to the U of U and it had changed so much, I hardly recognized the place.

The picture you see above is a relatively new building. I can't remember who it's named after, but it's mostly used by the English Department. They finished building it while I attended and I had a few classes there. It's also where my family and I had a meeting before I got my masters degree. I suppose if I return to WSU in about ten or twenty years, I probably won't recognize it, either. Such is life. Then again, I'm sure no one there would recognize me either.

Got New Shoes...

When you've destroyed the shoes you wear almost every workday, they need to be replaced. And so today was the day my wife and I went shoe shopping.

I left for Dr. Martins. I returned with Converse.

That wasn't the plan, but you know how plans go sometimes. The Dr. Martens I wanted were out of stock, so they'll be shipped to me later. I did see, as I searched the clearance section, other shoes that I picked up--a pair of neon yellow Converse low tops All Stars at almost 70% off.

Hard to pass that up, no matter what color they are.

I haven't owned All Stars since high school. I think it was my junior year. Three of us who shared the same shoe size bought three pairs of Chuck Taylor high tops, a red pair, a green pair, and a purple pair (now that I think about it, it might have been orange instead of red, but that's not important...). We each swapped one shoe, so I had orange/purple, another had purple/green, and the third had green/orange. We wore them to school, to Lagoon in the summer, all over. In all my years since, I don't believe I've ever seen anyone ever wearing different color shoes--on purpose--since. I find that somewhat interesting considering what people wear these days.

I miss those old shoes. If I had the means (and two friends with the same shoe size who shared the desire to wear different-colored shoes around...), I just might do it again. I wonder if anyone would notice.

What We Will And Won't See Tomorrow...

Since January 2011 I've blogged about many things, many topics, but one I've stayed away from is politics. Though important, I've never wanted to "take sides" on this blog--even "taking sides" sounds a little silly. It's not about sides, it's about people with differing opinions trying to live and work together without killing each other.

But I'm someone who pays attention to political discourse. I remember the way things were eight years ago. I remember what people said, how they acted, what they did. I watched as people spoke almost daily about how many Americans were killed in foreign wars. I remember the stories of unemployed Americans were relayed on the nightly news. I remember how things were different, the country was in such trouble, much of the blame fell squarely on the president at the time.

Then things changed. A new man took control, and it's strange how many of those problems seemed to disappear. No one talked about soldiers dying, or single parents raising children on assistance, or the homeless. In many people's eyes, everything was great, or at least, going to get better.

I fully admit that this is my opinion only. I'm sure there were stories of those we continued to lose in war and how hard it was to find a good job or to raise kids in a single-parent home. But, to me at least, it felt like those stories ended.

I don't know what the future will bring, but to me, it feels like beginning tomorrow we're going to hear about how many homeless are living on the streets (even though there are just as many homeless out there tonight as there will be tomorrow...). We'll be reminded of the wars, the deaths that continue, and stories of the soldier's families will once again be shown. We'll also hear about how one man shouldn't have the amount of power that's been bestowed him, even though it was perfectly fine for a single person to have that same power only twenty-four hours earlier. We'll also be reminded about how important the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence is to our country. And those buying and storing extra food will no longer be considered extremists. Funny how we see things we want to see, ignore things we don't. We selectively highlight, accept, and interpret facts to strengthen our already formed opinions of what's right and what's not.

Like I said, I've shied away from political topics, political discourse, and political blog posts. And one could argue this post isn't necessarily political. I'm just relaying my observations...more of a human nature blog post, really.

The sun will rise in the east tomorrow morning. It will also set. And if you think things suddenly have improved or gotten worse, think about the things you're deciding not to see, not to acknowledge, and not to accept. May God bless us all to allow us to have open minds and giving hearts.

On A Gloomy Thursday Morning...

Last week I was given a temporary assignment at work that took me back to a building where I worked for a decade. It's located downtown Salt Lake City near the famous City County Building and the Salt Lake City Library. The last day of my temporary assignment I went to get a quick bit of breakfast and brought my camera with me.

A few years back, there was a morning in which fog engulfed the downtown buildings. It was like being inside a cloud (because that's exactly what had happened...). I took my camera out with me that morning, too, and I got a lot of really cool pictures. When I went out last week, the fog wasn't so thick, but it did create a somewhat creepy vibe. I especially liked how the central section of the City County Building looked all spooky and Scooby-Doo-esk. The clock adds a great touch, too.

I'm not a professional photographer, but if I were, I'd be looking, actively seeking out locations and situations where things look not as they always do. Talk to any photographer--especially professional ones--and they'll tell you stories of staying up all night, being out in elements in poor conditions, waiting sometimes for hours, all to get that perfect shot. Sometimes it pays off, many times, it doesn't, but the fun is in the journey.

There are times when I wish I could be a professional photographer, but things didn't turn out that way. It's a great hobby and thankfully my wife has supported me in it (photography can be a brutally expensive pursuit...). For now, I haul my big Nikon around almost everywhere I go, because you just never know what you're going to see. Last Thursday, I saw the morning cityscape  in a new way.

What A Difference Six Years Can Make...

Social media is much maligned these days and for good reason. But there's some things social media does very well, especially Facebook. It's a digital scrapbook. It's a calendar, a place to post congratulatory birthday wishes, anniversary wishes, baby notices.

It's also a place to post photos.

And to remember events in the past.

Today, when I checked Facebook this picture showed up in my "You Have Memories" section and it took me back. It's from a show we did back in 2009 at Rodger's Memorial Theatre. The Show, Evita, the picture, some of the cast.

And I thought about how much has changed in just six short years.

You see, many in this picture have experienced a lot of changes. Three of these people, when the photo was taken, were not married. Now they are, and some even have little ones blessing their lives. I met some amazing people in that show. I've kept in tough with many (through social media...), and with some I've done other shows.

Funny how six years in the future seems so far away, but six years ago sometimes feels like it was like yesterday. Time, as in all things, is relative.

0 And 4...

0 and 4. What does that mean? It could mean a lot of things, but in this case, it's how NFL teams I would have liked to see win this last weekend did. Four loses, zero wins.

To be clear, I wasn't too invested in any of the games. I used to be--I used to really get into the games, get up for them, get excited for them--especially the playoffs--and hope the teams I really wanted to win, did. I used to be more into sports than I am now. Maybe it's because I've grown up and realized that my life is not as impacted as I thought it was when a team I liked won or lost. I do know I don't spend as much time watching sports as I once did. I keep up with the scores, and because of the amazing technology we now have, I can have a game playing on my phone while I'm doing other things. But that deep-down, live-or-die attitude I once had, it's pretty much gone.

There were three games I really didn't care much about. The one team I would have liked to see win lost in a close game--bunner. My friends who love their teams and saw them win, were ecstatic. Of course, they'll face another test of their loyalty next week as the winners meet for a chance to go to the Superbowl. I was once there, hoping for just two more wins to become immortalized for all time, or at least, until all the records are destroyed in the apocalypse.

And when that time comes, no one will care either way if they went 0-4, 1-3, 2-2, 3-1, or 4-0 in NFL playoff games during the third weekend of January in the year 2017.

Star Wars...And Valentine's Day

I saw the item on the sales floor. It stood about three feet tall and was located near the antacids. I noticed a red banner around it, but I didn't know what it said so I went over, turned it around and read the writing.

BB My Valentine

I think everyone who participates in the exercise of commerce understands what's going on here. Take an insanely popular film franchise, and combine it with  a holiday based on something pure but sullied by commercialism, and you get what I saw on Saturday night, something that is either offensive, or funny, or something else.

I suppose there are many who find this item so amusing that they just have to purchase it, either for themselves, or for a loved one. There's probably many who would like to get the BB-8 with or without the sash. I would imagine the sash just lifts right off, and an unsuspecting kid (especially one that dislikes anything Valentine's...) would enjoy it all the same.

I snapped a quick picture and considered using it for my Pic Of The Day, but I didn't. The reason I chose another picture is because I didn't know what caption to use. I could have been snarky saying something about how the pun based on a beloved Star Wars character would be so bad that you'd want to pick up some Zantac at the same time. Or I could have said the pun was fun and light and cleaver. In the end, I went another way. 

When I see something like this for sale, something that I wouldn't necessarily want to buy, I wonder how many of the items they end up selling, how many people bought leftover Christmas inventory when introduced with a Valentine's Day theme. If it's a lot (or even if it's not a lot...), pretty sure, we'll see more things like this next year.

Editing...Like Writing A New Book

It's been a long time since I've done any work my NaNoWriMo manuscript. I've heard it's good after you finish the first draft to put it away for a month or so and then start working on it again after that. Of course, editing it right after the first draft is written gets the project done quicker, but whoever said publishing was a quick process?

Not me.

For the first time in a long time, I was able to attend my writing group. I submitted the first five pages of the story and I was anxious to hear how it would be received. And by the end of the night, I had my answer--everyone liked it. It was rough, naturally, but they all had very encouraging things to say and insightful recommendations.

And so, on Friday I began editing. It helps so much to have input that you don't or can't see when you write the words the first time. I spent much of the day editing and to be honest, I'm not sure if I spent more time editing those five pages or writing them in the first place.

I haven't had a lot of experience editing. It's something I want to do more, to get better at making a story the best it can be. I used to think editing was just tweaking something, fixing a typo, changing a punctuation, doing work without making major fixes. And maybe it is, for some. Not for me, not on this story. I found myself considering some big changes. It almost felt like I was writing a new book, mostly because when I originally wrote it, I was trying to get as many words down as possible.

The artwork in the above photo is compliments of Shanna, a writing group member. Through art, she offered some suggestions. It's the kind of personalized help you can get in a writing group. Don't know if I'll use it, but it's nice to have the option.

A Real Time Capsule...

I spotted the large can on the kitchen table and I asked my son what it was.

"It's a time capsule that I made back in scouts."

"That's cool," I said. "It says to open it when you get to college. You opening it now that you're in college?"

"I'm going to open it up tonight."

My son began classes at a local college tonight. He found the time capsule in his room so he thought it was time to open it. I asked him before the grand opening if he remembered anything that he put in there. He said he remembered one thing--a small solarium. 

He put the capsule together in 2004. A lot's happened in the past thirteen years. We had our last child in 2004 so everything in that can was around before he was born. There were little things, a cufflink, a tooth, a magnifying glass, a green minute timer used in games, even a Beanie Baby coin. The coolest thing was a picture of his scout troop (in which he was not one of the scouts--not sure where he was when they took the picture...) and in that picture was his grandmother. He spotted her right off.

His grandmother passed away in 2007 and there's another person in that photo who is no longer with us. It's strange to see things that haven't been seen for more than a decade. I thought about the eclectic collection and wondered why he chose some of the things he put inside. No one knew back then that some things would mean so much while other things wouldn't mean much at all. I suppose that's the fun of a time capsule. It shows us a little about ourselves, or about who we used to be.

Heartbroken...Over Two Lost Soles

Today I looked down while I was talking to a co-worker at work and I saw a line in the side of my shoe. "What's this?" I asked and I took a closer look. It was the first time I saw a crack--no, not just a crack, a complete division--of the sole of my shoe. I checked out the other shoe and sure enough, that one was split open as well.

"Oh, man..." It was all I could think to say.

I know these Dr. Martens aren't the nicest things to look at. They're worker shoes. It must have been at least ten years ago I was shopping at our local thrift store and I spotted not one, but two pairs of Dr. Martens, one pair black, the other brown. I'm thinking someone owned both pairs and I bought them. I've loved them ever since.

They've been very, very good shoes for me.

So much so, I've worn the black pair almost everyday at work for at least a decade. The great thing about them is I can wear them in the summer, and I can wear them if it's raining or snowing. I never had to worry about them.

After I saw the damage, I tried thinking about when the splits happened. It might have been the sub-zero cold we had last week. Or, it could have been the fact that I wore them every work day for years. Whatever the reason, I'm pretty sure they're history. I don't think they're repairable. I do have my trusty brown shoes, but almost everything I wear goes with black shoes (hence, me wearing them daily...).

I have other dress shoes--I've even blogged about them. Most, like the Dr. Martens, came from thrift stores. I was hoping I could wear those shoes until I retire. I've got about a decade left, at least. Looks like my shoes retired first.