Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Give 'Em The Boot

So I'm Frugal. Miserly. Fiscally Responsible.

Let's face it: I'm Cheap. I have rusty hinges on my wallet. I will be buried with my first dollar I ever earned and if you try to pry it from my cold dead rigored fingers I'll haunt you forever!

Why do I tell you this? Because I have boot envy.

I wants:




But they are a hunnert bucks! Or more even. A hunnert bucks for some neoprene and rubber? No way even. Not this guy.

I've resigned myself to the realization that I'll never own a pair and slog on thru the mud in my uninsulated mud boots that I scored at TSC for $10.99. They're good boots. Their pliable rubber keeps the mud and wet away from my feet, but don't do shit for the cold. And it gets cold as shit here.

Just before Christmas I was at the Man's Mall and noticed that they were blowing out all the winter gear. You know how stores are - they get the Halloween stuff out in August and the swim trunks out in January. Anyway, what did I spy on the clearance shelf?




Ta-Daaaaah!

And $24.95! And in my size! You didn't have to ask me twice. Into the cart they went. Christmas was coming home with me.

So why did I need these when I have a perfectly good pair of Rocky Mountain 1200 gram Thinsulate ice-grabbin cold-stompin boots in the basement? Why? It's all about efficiency. I like pull-on boots. Quick and easy, just shloomp and your foot is in. My Rocky's have fourteen feet of shoe laces on each boot. I don't have the time (or patience) to sit down and lace up boots at 4:30 in the morning when I can just shloomp a pair and go. And I don't have the time (or patience) to sit down and unlace when I get back in and my glasses are fogged up and the dogs are trying to help me and I have to pee. Relate?

So I'm all happy with my new Columbia Drylights. Or am I? This post wouldn't be interesting without some twist. Give me a minute while I hobble over to the coffee pot....



Hobble? Yes, hobble. Seems my new besties are a bit lacking. Plenty of heart, but no sole.




Damned near like moccasins. I've got a big ol' bruise right in the middle of mine foot. It hurts, but only when I move, so most of the time I'm ok. How'd I do it? Well, lemme tell ya: I was cleaning the drylot with my Lil' Blue Tractor last weekend. I've got a handy-dandy landscape rake, and it works great for cleaning up all the manure and scraps of uneaten hay. The lil' frozen poopturds follow along in an orderly fashion while I drag them to the corner to be piled up and become future garden soil. I had to stop and move somethin or the other, so I hopped of the tractor and landed just perfectly on one of those lil' frozen poopturds and my clearance-rack boots with their moccasin bottoms offered no support and I got a big ol' bruise on the bottom of my foot.

Cold as shit, I tell you.

10 comments:

The Dancing Donkey said...

I gotta tell ya, and this comes from the most frugal voice you will ever hear, go buy the Muck boots. Not only will your feet be warm, but they will be cheaper in the long run. They will outlast ten pair of those cheap, horrible, COLD rubber boots.

Poppy said...

Maybe that's the universe's way of telling you to buy the Muck Boots! Stinks to waste $24.95 though....

sweetpea said...

I can relate on all levels. I love my Muck/Tack boots that my hubby bought me. I would not have spent the money on them. But let me tell you the Muck boots don't have any better traction/grip than the cheap rubber boots. They do offer comfort and warmth.
Rest your foot and get some Muck boots but watch where you step. :)

Sherri said...

I have these ones:
http://www.muckbootcompany.com/women/farm-ranch-work/Pages/Jobber.aspx

We don't get the snow you do Andy, so it's not often I need something higher.

Love, love, love them. I thought two or three times about getting them, even these were $60-70 at the Co-Op. Sure glad I splurged.

Cedar View Paint Horses said...

Yeah, it's too late. I'm in for $25, and dammit anyway, I'm gonna make the Columbia's work!

Terry said...

I want the Muck boots too. They'd be the big splurge if I won lotto. I wear Boggs, and they are pretty darn good.

Janice said...

I have to say I'm with the Dancing Donkey.I have Muck Boots and I do everything in them. If you keep dicking around with crappy boots you'll be at the $100 mark anyhow.You owe it to yourself to be warm and comfy....go for it...it will only hurt for a minute and not at all when you get outside and your feet are toasty and dry....do it ....do it...you can do it!

finski said...

Just wanted to let you know in light of your question of where is my snow? It's almost 70 here... but it's going to be 40 tonight...brrrrrrr.
It has been a very much warmer than usual winter here though.
P.S. Spend the money.... Get yourself some good boots, they will probably last forever.

Pearl said...

I don't know nothin' 'bout no mucking, but I'll tell you what a Viet Nam vet told me: You never skimp on your feet...

Pearl

Diane Stringam Tolley said...

Yep. From up here in the frozen north (and we do know our frozen poopturds, believe me!) I see your dilemma. Need the best boots. Already out the $25. I have the answer . . . look before you leap! Those little PT's are tricky. But you are smarter! And thank you for you visit!