Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Still Hanging Around in San Fran


Daughter number one's new employer has put her - and me, temporarily - up for a month in an executive suites type hotel. Pretty nice of them. So while she's been at work, I've been scouting around her new digs for August. This is an outdoor lobby/swim area/cafe/bar. Nice. I stopped to rest and have a soda here after I ventured out into the California sunshine to pick up a few treats and flowers for DNO.

While I was browsing around, I noticed a few things. First of all, I have not seen one other person in this entire city wearing Keen sandals. Not one. To blend in to San Fran I should either be wearing A: gold lame' strappy cork soled high heeled sandals with perfectly pedicured toenails painted in a tropical shade or B: High top serious hiking boots. It is mandatory that either shoe choice be accompanied by a deep glowing tan.

Are Keens just Portland type shoes? To keep your feet just high enough that they don't get all wrinkled from all the rain and puddles?

I feel as though my skin glows PALE WHITE here. I think there's enough of us in the Pacific northwest that have serious tan deficiencies that I feel slightly less anemic looking there.

However, DNO seems to be bursting with excitement. I'm so happy that she's so happy. I'm hopping on a plane tonight feeling that my little girl will be just fine.

And that means I will too.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't have keen shoes, but some really like that. And I could not live without them!!

Kelly said...

Keens are all over California, just not seen as much in the big cities. If you'd come out to the flats or been in the Sierras or one of the more laid-back beachy areas (think Santa Cruz, not L.A.) you'd have felt more at home in your Keens, I think. Although, now that you mention it, I noticed a shocking lack of Keens in Tahoe a few weekends ago when hubby and I visited and I was wearing my lovely blue ones, just in case we decided to go on a little hike.

I had similar trouble when I visited NYC a few years back, feeling a bit provincial in my long coat, when short coats were suddenly the norm and I was definitely out of place in my comfy Rockport outlet shoes. I'm glad I'm to an age that I don't really give a rip about trying to fit in with what the hip people are wearing, although it's still fun to watch the fashion parade. I've really enjoyed watching young girls trying to figure out how to walk around in their summer maxi dresses this year and last. I remember how I used to trip on mine in the 60's when we called them "Granny dresses." I'm not doing that again.

I wonder if barefoot Merrells and the like are taking the place of Keens in the out-doorsy set these days...that would explain it. Keep a lookout for those.

I think a lot of those tans are sprayed on, especially if you're seeing them in S.F.

Have a safe trip home.

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