ok, so getting a pair of shoes is a major deal for me these days. i mean, who really wants to spend like $100 on shoes anyway? i had this pair of black montrails for a long, long time… maybe like 4 years?? anyway, pretty good shoes but the back part where your heel goes wore out after like a year. “wore out” means it got a big hole… slowly it became a pot hole, then all the stuffing was hanging out, then it fell out, then i had these shoes that kinda hurt. ok, so i know most of you out there are thinking, “yo dude get a new pair of shoes”. but as i read more and more i can’t help feel bad about a few things… first off, paying $100 bucks seems harder and harder, not to mention that i’m expecting the thing to fall apart (by design i wonder???) in about a year. second is the way the shoes are made. i mean i’ve seen way too many videos now about factories in some far off country with little kids making like two cents per hour and people not being able to pee and other really messed up stuff… which makes the $100 price tag seem even more hard to swallow. i know business is about profit, but ummm… not sure if i can go along with those ethics any longer. third would be the materials they use to make these things. what’s it doing to me, is it going to last 1000 years and choke a sea lion when i’m done wearing it?
ugh… so many things to consider. i have a heavy conscience about this stuff, not to mention not being able to afford it. so now you know why i haven’t bought a pair in four years… but, i finally broke down, meaning nancy did a bunch of research and ordered some for me online… 
i got a pair of trail running shoes because i like to run, hike, go through water, etc… seems like good all purpose outdoor sports shoes for me. this company makes it’s shoes in china, but here is what they have to say on their website:
inov-8 shoes website ethics page
at least they have a page like this. most companies don’t. it’s still hard to make buying decisions based on more than look and style. but if more people out there demand information on working conditions, recycling, etc., you bet things will change in a hurry. it’s up to you!
so here is a picture of me sporting my new shoes. notice my perfect posture and savvy style… grrr… rare and wonderful, huh? so this is where the dinner part ties in. i’m also coming out of one of my favorite pacific grove restaurants, takara sushi. i rarely eat sushi there being that i’m a vegetarian who only occasionally eat fish. but they make the best udon in town i think, and for some reason they’re about the only place in town that makes it! monterey is a tough place to find good asian style noodles. but takara makes a vege style udon meal that is pretty darn good.
threw this picture in because all the little eating places in pacific grove are like cottages. you kinda feel like you are trapped in this lala doll land or something. sometimes it seems too perfect, i’m always waiting for somebody to start pointing at me and screeching like invasion of the body snatchers or something. hahaha.
