Sunflowers...

but no sunshine.

I had an orthotics appointment at PRI today for new clodhoppers shoes.  It is over five years since I got my last pair.  A couple of weeks after I collected that black pair, I picked up a beige pair too because I am allowed two working pairs of shoes on the NHS.  This meant I had two pairs of shoes to my name (because I can't walk in anything else) a beige pair and a black pair.  Summer and winter collection if you will.  Woo-Pee-Do.  

Now what normally happens when I attend an orthotics appointment with a view to having the shoes replaced (usually after a number of years and having been worn EVERY day during those years) is the orthotist examines them to see if they are repairable (when I was working I had one orthotist wanting to put new soles on uppers that were frankly embarrassing in their state of knackerdness (new word) and I put my foot down (see what I did there) as they were my work shoes (well they were my everything shoes) so I stood my ground (see what I did there again ;-) and stated firmly that they were not fit for purpose and after wearing them every day for nearly five years, I did not think it unreasonable that I get a new pair.

Anyway, I digress.  What normally happens is I attend the appointment, there is some argument  discussion as to whether new shoes are required, I hopefully win my argument and it is agreed new shoes will be ordered.  I then state my colour preference.  This is what I was expecting to happen today and my colour preference would have been summer collection beige, as they're a good all rounder and I wear them more than the black.

I got there to be greeted by the orthotist who was flitting in and out of the room apparently looking for my shoes.  Eh?  What shoes?  I'm just here to order them....but he magically appeared with a shoe box and opened it with a flourish ok maybe not a flourish, more a dour tah dah and there were my new BLACK clodhoppers!  FFS. 

Now I don't mean to sound ungrateful (because I am incredibly grateful for these shoes), but when you only get two pairs of shoes and you're expected to wear them for five years, is it too much to ask that you get to choose the damn colour?!!!

I think my not-best-pleased face gave him a clue to my thoughts.  He asked if I'd chosen the colour.  I said no, and sighed.  Not to worry though, the totally knackered beige pair I'd just taken off could be replaced with a new beige pair I said (I had been going to choose a blue pair and a beige pair but could live with black and beige).  Erm... apparently not.  I was reminded that I am entitled to two serviceable pairs of shoes, not two new pairs.  Dear, dear, silly me!  Imagine thinking five years wearing the same two pairs of shoes might mean I was in need of two new pairs of shoes at the same time!  

So, he has kept the totally knackered beige shoes and says he will have them "repaired."  That will be interesting.  

I left, not in the best of moods, wearing the new black clodhoppers, which looked ridiculous with my summer trousers.

David said we would take me to Gloagburn for lunch to cheer me up.  It did a little, but when we got there it was queued out the door.  At 2pm on a Monday??!!!  

Back to the car and he offered Delivino or the golf club but it was raining and I'd already got soaked getting from the car to the coffee shop thanks to their new sh*tty parking arrangements so I chose home.  Which was the right decision as back home with some lentil soup and a sandwich and Lola's head on my lap, I felt better.  

After lunch we got to painting our little clay creations we made with Fiona on Friday.  David will drop them off with her tomorrow and she will get them fired.  Here's hoping they survive the kiln :-))