FastFreddy2

The great British 'reserve'. Stoicism is in our DNA. Unless backed into a corner where comment is forced, we tend to take adversity and eccentricity in our stride. Wise move avoiding travelling any distance while we have the weather we do. Like you I'm less bothered about my driving, and more bothered about the disregard for basic safety shown by others. Early this morning (6.30am) while driving along a motorway in a snow storm, I witnessed 'van man' (and others) perform their usual "I'm in a hurry" tail-gating driving technique while I'm tootling along at 50 mph with 60 yards of clearway in front of me. (As per Reaper thread) I've left the motorway on a four-wheeled sled at much slower speeds, so why people think it's safe to drive 20ft away from the car in front at 60-70 mph I've no idea. Even train journeys are risky in this weather, with cancellations reported in many newspapers. Getting stuck in a city where a bed for the night (if found) would likely be £180+ it would certainly put a crimp on anyone's day. Best avoided.

At 4.45pm on the way to the shops, while leaving the quiet road I live in, a corner with compacted snow nearly had me gaining some new wood furniture care of some trees close to the un-kerbed roadway. In fact on my (much more careful) return journey, I could see where another vehicle had a much closer call than me, with doubtless new scratches on their paintwork care of the same trees.... At 5.30pm I topped up the wig-wag juice, and checked the outside temperature..... -5' C. Hardly any snow here at the moment care of a sunny afternoon, but it feels 'bitter' outside. Even the great ball of fluff that is our cat, doesn't want to be outside at the moment. It's March tomorrow which is the start of Spring. Hard to believe while I sit here thawing out my very cold fingers.

We had a little flurry of snow here around 6am this morning, that stopped a half hour later. Sunshine for a several hours, and since 11am it's been properly snowing. Usually I wouldn't be concerned, but I have a fairly important meeting 15 miles away at 1.30pm. And I don't own snow shoes....

The shape of THAT footprint a dead giveaway!! Though the third leg will have everyone confused. The way I check for people spotting is to wait an extra second before looking back. If I think someone has looked at my feet, I don't turn around immediately I pass them (which might be the obvious - and expected time they might look) I wait another two paces or so, then look back. My thinking is they will avoid a quick backward glance by me, expecting me to check if they think they were spotted looking, so I wait a tad longer, then look. My walking companion will often notice things I can't, meaning sometimes more than one pair of eyes are required. To be honest, I know it happens so I try to ignore it. I don't mind being spotted, but 'who by' is more import. 'Feral yoofs', would be the worst. I've had this twice. The first encounter wasn't so pleasant, the second they just fell silent as I walked past. Although I did get caught once in Brent X by someone who knew me, I blamed a bad back for not standing to greet them and my footwear looked like cowboy boots. (My extra height would have been a giveaway.) No more was said so I have to assume nothing was suspected. (Nor did they wish to mention it, even if it was.) I also went into a bar I used to work at once in a heel, very late at night. There was no chance my footwear was going to be seen, and I was there for 15 minutes tops. Other than that, I've not worn a heel out in front of people who know me. (I vaguely remember wearing a cowboy boot out with immediate family once, but they were believably men's boots.) Ooh, and I did show my mother a pair once too. Not that she would remember .... I almost don't care, but people I meet/see most days would be affected, and I've no reason to make their lives difficult. I not inclined to be a martyr either, though would people really care once they knew anyway? Until I get properly senile I will never know, and by then I won't care either way.

I'm sure that by now, you are actually expected to wear a heel. The only way they would be ignorant to your taste in footwear, would be if they owned white sticks and used hearing aids that always had flat batteries. Otherwise they have seen/heard your heels, and just take your wearing them in their stride. And why not?

As I said, this is Britain. I've watched an adult male walk around London, seen the same character at a Kylie Minogue gig - both times wearing a red latex catsuit. He also had on red patent high heel boots. No one passed comment to his face that I noticed. Even me and the person I was with (both times) only said; Oh look, it's him again." (I have probably posted a picture of him on this thread somewhere.) If you are looking for a visible reaction, you'll need a wing-man/woman with better peripheral vision than you are managing, and/or video recorder following you down the road. Non-Brits have more obvious reactions, as do younger people (children). If you are London Wednesday, I'm happy to meet up and provide the very service that will offer evidence your heel wearing isn't as 'invisible' as you hope. Let me be absolutely clear on this matter to remove the potential for any misunderstanding. I wear a heel out, as often as possible. I'm not trying to put you or anyone off doing this. However, it doesn't matter how well I disguise my heel wearing, I get noticed. So do I wear a heel badly? I have met Euchrid (a number of times) Heels (a number of tomes) hh4evr1 (a number of times ) and Puffer (a number of times). They will be able to answer that better than me. Last time I met Puffer, we walked around together for quite a while. He asked me if I had a heel on... While I sat during the same meeting, and sometimes while walking past people, I got spotted by those better able to see my heels. I can't walk in a 4½ or 5 inch heel in the same way I might walk in a trainer. Nor can anyone I've ever seen. (I doubt it's physically possible.) So there is always a 'tell' if you are switched onto it. I'm pleased you are able to wear heels in places most men wouldn't. But as you've already pointed out, if 'the company' doesn't care about your footwear, why would anyone else there, especially if you are helping facilitate their dismissal by disguising them? People will be helping keep your secret because our culture supports this kind of discretion.

The weather won again today. Lovely sunny day, all day, but step outside ...... Got on with replacing some bricks .... Actually, making good a hole (one of three) in a wall, all created when the house was built. They were access for air to be drawn into a boiler room, where a floor standing boiler used to live. These holes no longer required, for circa 9 years at least. Cold air and flurries of snow for two days, then a strong possibility of snow Thursday, with an even stronger chance of snow Friday with potentially blizzard conditions up from the South moving through the South East. We could be starting Spring with 4-6 inches of snow on the ground.

For the first time in what could be a year (or blinking long time) I sold some footwear on Ebay recently. Not my size, but a pair of ankle boots I bought for Mrs Freddy years and years ago, that never got worn. Sadly for us both, a number of foot injuries have meant she is not able to wear very high heels, at least for a good while longer, though I don't really expect a recovery from the latest 'disaster'. Not that a 5½ inch heel in a UK6 was ever going to be a shopping shoe. Another part of my past, lost forever .... <insert crying emoticon here>

Why wait so long to check in for updates?

About 10 days ago, I decided a good start to 2018 (despite it being mid-February at the time) would be to promise myself an hour a day in heels. The notion was it would 'keep my ankles supple", and give me some much needed exercise. Days achieved so far ..... 1.

Ummm. no longer I fear .... Rumour was, she'd had a bunion repaired/straightened, but that's been denied. Full article >> here << Apparently, it's a "stress fracture". Being the Daily Mail, the article could be completely made up though.

Todays portrait gig went okay - ish. I got the pictures I was after anyway, though I would have preferred more in focus. Too much laughing had people moving around, and light levels meant slow shutter speeds and largish apertures. My Nikon lens and MFT sensor was good enough to count eyelashes and open pores on noses if did my bit. More light would have had even more detail visible, as I could have used slightly smaller apertures and had greater depth of field. Ho-hum. Despite (everyone) being told to wear plain dark tops, two men had large logo's on their T-shorts, one women had a multi-coloured top and the remaining woman and girl had check shirts on. The latter hadn't washed her hair either, and taking a photo of her would not have worked. (It would have looked so bad I would not have been given a second attempt.) Although it was all good-hearted and everyone helped holding onto the background and hair rim light source (a torch), everyone complained about holding these in the air. I have everything needed to remedy this (full studio background system) but it wasn't worth taking it all for what was supposed to be a short session. My priority is acquiring at least one electronic light source compatible with my digital camera. Money money money.

Not Celine, but these looked so high I thought they warranted being shown here:

Well, you are entitled to your view. Having done the things he has done, he is no lover of women. It's like saying a rapist likes women - of course he does, in the same way a great white likes seals. He treats women as chattels with less respect than most would show an old pair of trousers. He's an egotistic bigot, with delusion of grandeur with narcissism in every fibre of his body. Yes he 'fancies' women, I didn't suggest there was anything wrong with his ability to get sexually aroused. The difference between him and most other men, is that he believes his (assumed wealth) should have women walking naked toward him at every chance they have.

Goodo. You do know you live in Britain don't you, where people are much too polite to comment on anything that might cause offence? This is especially true of people who might meet you again (but isn't exclusive to them.) Wear them in front of children (4-6 years) because they aren't aware of social etiquette and comments just fall from their lips.

And I think he qualifies. No-one could be as disrespectful as he has been, and not been a misogynist, which is why I used the term.

Rumours about me being a lizard (care of David Icke) are completely unfounded ..... 'croak'.

From most women, I would have thought it most likely produced the same result? At least now he's been 'outed' as something of a misogynistic sex-pest. Safe journey, and take care.

I hope you are right. In these situations, I'm usually given a square metre of space in some dark corner. There is a conservatory, but it's more of a greenhouse really, and unheated. I have visions of teeth chattering, and skin tones gradually turning bluer - including mine. Worst case scenario, I have to do them again when it's warmer.

I did think of another, well two. But as you rightly say, 'tramp' does seem to be quite a harsh term of derision and as such, unlikely to be used as the name of a perfume range. That said, I suspect the term has been hijacked since the 1930's and the musical the song was taken from. From comments I've read, the lyrics are about irony, in that the singer is defending the "Lady's" honour. although her (wealthy but worthless peers) refer to her as a 'tramp' (street urchin). She gets too hungry for dinner at eight She like the theatre and never comes late She never bothers with people she hates That's why the lady is a tramp Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls That's why the lady is a tramp She like the free fresh wind in her hair, life without care She's broke and it's oke Hates California, it's cold and it's damp That's why the lady is a tramp She gets too hungry to wait for dinner at eight She loves the theatre, but never comes late She'd never bother with people she'd hate That's why the lady is a tramp She'll have no crap games with sharpies and frogs And she won't go to Harlem in Lincolns or Fords And she won't dish the dirt with the rest of the broads That's why the lady is a tramp She loves the free fresh wind in her hair Life without care. She's broke but it's oke Hates California, it's so cold and so damp That's why the lady. that's why the lady That's why the lady is a tramp In that scenario, the lady is no street-living pauper, but an honourable woman. Social history anyone?

Tomorrow, Saturday, I'm doing some family portraits tomorrow, and not just my family. Unusually, I shall have to use natural light, and a single reflector. I've told all those involved (me plus 5 others) I'm testing out a lens (Nikon 50mm on MFT giving me a 100mm eqiv length). That's not a lie, but it only represents about 33% of what I hope to achieve. I've two images in mind, and I'd much rather be using strobes to achieve them. Trouble is, my digital camera is completely incompatible with the mono bloc I own. I've priced a replacement kit, but it's not been bought. (Can't decide what to buy at the moment.) Natural light will have to do.

Just back in from a wander, and it's getting VERY cold outside despite the absence of any air movement of note. I've a visit to the West End pencilled in for Sunday, but I may have to give it a miss. I no longer own clothing that would allow me to tolerate sub-zero temperatures for anything longer than a few minutes. Just like my cat, if it's wet and windy outside, I'm staying inside... Mrs Freddy is off for a couple of days soon, so I might get some walking (wearing heels) in then. I could go to Milton Keynes, but parking is either expensive (parking close to the shops) or a long walk (especially in adverse weather) and they shut at 5pm. I've got an early start tomorrow, so won't want an early start Sunday too. Rather looks like London has the only 'civilised' Sunday opening hours, 12-6pm. Everywhere else is 11am to 5pm. Ho hum.

Well, not in America anyway....

In that range, my preferred smell, is 'floozy'.

I'll start walking now ... It's only 70 miles from here ... If the weather man has it right, best keep some blankets in the car. It's getting very cold up this way.